One Month One World One Year Challenge 2022

Okay, so this update is quite a bit longer than I intended, lots of text and very similar screenshots. But, once I started, I couldn't stop. Just know that I don't plan to write this much very often. I just felt it was needed this time, to give some more insight into Cale's story. I wasn't going to write a story at all this year, but looks like I'm committed now. I'll try not to get so long-winded and keep it shorter from here on out though. Hope it all makes sense! :)

Also, a bit of a disclaimer. This update contains references to abusive violence that may be hard for some to read.

https://i.imgur.com/P2rU9kF.png
Later that afternoon, Cale went to meet Joel at his house on the mountain he shared with his brothers, Jon and Josh along with Josh's wife Essa. Joel had invited him there to talk about their plans to climb the mountain together.

"Woooo I am SO pumped for this, I can't wait to go!"
"Glad to hear it, so am I. Let's have a seat."

https://i.imgur.com/cRa6qNm.png
"Okay, so, I know we're going to need supplies, probably a tent since it might take more than one day. Food, maybe a lantern, extra clothes and stuff like that. But here's the thing. I spent all my savings on the greenhouse and stuff. If you could spot me some cash. I promise to pay you back. I can't go fishing now, but I have my garden."

"That's been a great money maker and it'll just get better now that the Orchids I grafted are finally growing. Those go for BIG money at the florist shop. Is that okay with you? I mean, I could get it all myself and pay for it, but it'll take awhile. The bills and taxes will be due soon. I think I have just enough to pay those, but that's it. We could wait though, but--"

https://i.imgur.com/d8Tq6iP.png
"Don't worry about any of that, I'll take care of it."

https://i.imgur.com/P8aoiIy.png
"You'll pay for it all? But, I asked you to go with me. You shouldn't have to provide everything. That's not right. I appreciate the offer, but why would you do that? I can pay my own way."

https://i.imgur.com/wpWlpt5.png
"What's the catch? I know there has to be one. Nobody just pays for stuff without wanting something for it. Wait...do you want me to fight you for it?"

https://i.imgur.com/oMBmrJH.png
"Fight me for it? What!? Why would you think that? No, I told you I've climbed the mountain before, so has Josh and Essa a couple times. We have all the supplies we need already. As for food, we can make some energy bars from the produce in your garden. You have cherries and apples, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well there you go, that's all you need to supply, okay?"

https://i.imgur.com/iFYr982.png
"Yeah, okay, I can do that. No problem. The reason I...thought I had to fight you for it is because, well...my Step-Dad used to make me fight him for stuff I needed all the time."
"Why would he do that? It makes no sense. Dad's provide for their family because they love them."
"He said that he made the money in the house and if I wanted anything, I had to pay for it by fighting him. If I could beat him, he'd give me what I wanted. Even if it was something like new underwear, socks, stuff for school. I learned real quick I needed to get strong or find another way to get what I needed if I didn't want to get beat up all the time."
"Incredible."
"What about your Mom? Couldn't she help you out? Did she have to fight him too?"
"No, Dad said she could have whatever she wanted since she took care of the house, cooked our meals, took care of his needs, etc. You know, all the stuff women are supposed to do for their men. That's what he always said anyway."

https://i.imgur.com/M1gXNGw.png
"I found a packet of seeds once, and got an idea I could grow stuff to sell and get what I needed that way. I tried to keep it hidden from him though. Somehow I knew he'd think 'that's woman's work boy,' he said that a lot. I really enjoyed watching what I planted grow. And I didn't have to fight him so much for awhile."

"He must've got suspicious though when I stopped asking for stuff because one day I went to tend my garden and it was all ripped up, all the plants had been uprooted, it was totally destroyed. He admitted it he'd done it and started laughing at me, called me a sissy boy and a wimp. I was so ashamed."

https://i.imgur.com/cIOj8nG.png
"He was nothing but a bully, but I didn't realize it until later. I loved him, he was the only Dad I'd ever known. I looked up to him if you can believe it. My real Dad died when I was really young. I didn't know any better, that was what I was taught. If you wanted anything, you had to fight for it or go without."

"I got into a lot of fights at school, probably spent more time in detention than in class. I skipped a lot too, hung out with the wrong crowd. They were my buddies though, all tough guys. We had I guess what you would call a fight club and would fight for the rights to any of the girls that hung around us. Dad knew, he'd join us fighting sometimes, just for fun. Everybody thought he was such a cool Dad. So did I, then...not anymore."

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"I came home from school one day and I heard yelling and screaming inside the house. Mostly yelling from my Dad and my Mom crying and pleading with him. I ran inside and saw my Mom on her knees with her head down and my Dad towering over her with his hands fisted, yelling at her so loud and hard, the veins were standing up in his neck and on his giant arms. I figured she must've done something he didn't like and I was right. There was a burnt roast on top of the stove, still flaming. My Mom must've heard me and turned around to look up at me."

"I couldn't believe what I saw. He'd beaten her Joel. She had a black eye, and her lip was bleeding."

https://i.imgur.com/uda4e4T.png
"Why didn't I know Joel? How could I not know? All those years, he must've been beating her all that time. I'd saw the signs, but she always had an excuse."

"'Oh I ran into a door Cale.'
'I tripped over a shoe I didn't see.'
'I fell out of bed Cale, don't worry I'm fine. Just go do your homework so you don't get in trouble again.'"

https://i.imgur.com/FjCES3k.png
"Gawd! It just makes me so angry thinking about it! I lost it. I ran at him and tackled him. We fought like wild animals, wrecking the house. I wanted to kill him for what he'd done to her. He laughed and just kept hitting me, calling me a little boy defending his worthless Mommy that couldn't even cook a decent meal. Mom ran out of the room and hid in their bedroom. She did that a lot when we would fight. She liked to go in her walk-in closet and stay there until she thought it was safe to come out again or my Dad went in there and demanded she come out."

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"Somehow we ended up on the front lawn, still brawling. I tried my best, but he was bigger and stronger than me. He had this ring he always wore he'd won arm wrestling. It was huge with some kind of green jewel in it. Looked like one of those Superbowl rings. Usually he took it off when we would fight. Not this time."

"That's how I got this scar. He hit me really hard and knocked me out. I woke up with blood in my eye and couldn't see anything out of it. He was no where to be seen. And then...I heard my Mom screaming and smelled smoke. The house was on fire, I'm guessing maybe from that roast, I don't know."

https://i.imgur.com/WzPzdpx.png
"I ran for the house to try to save her, but I couldn't get close enough. It was too hot! I couldn't save her, I tried, I tried, but I couldn't, I couldn't save her Joel."

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"She stopped screaming and I just fell to the ground. I knew she had to be dead."

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"I heard sirens in the distance getting closer and I panicked and ran for the woods. No way was I going to let them put me in a foster home or probably Juvie. I just ran and ran and ran until I just couldn't run anymore. I hid in someone's abandoned cabin for awhile, but didn't stay long. I knew they'd be looking for me. So I just kept running, stealing food when I got hungry and stuff. I lived off that and whatever else I could find, berries, mushrooms, anything that seemed edible."

"A couple days later, or maybe longer, I don't know, I lost all sense of time, anyway, I was somewhere in this thick forest, with just a bunch of trails going though it and one dirt road. I heard something big coming down that dirt road I was walking down and hid. I watched to see what it was and it was this big truck hauling something with a tarp over it. I took a chance and ran for it, leaping in the back."

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"I didn't know that truck would keep going for what seemed like hours. I fell asleep. I woke up when it stopped at some store here and I jumped out. That's how I got here. I don't know why I'm telling you all this. You probably don't think much of me now. I should...I should probably go. Just forget about everything I said. I won't bother you anymore. I can...take care of myself."

Cale got up and started to walk fast toward the door. He was scared. Scared that Joel would make him go back, turn him in, have him arrested or something for being a runaway. All he knew is that he'd said too much and he had to get away. Joel was a good guy and would probably do what he thought was the right thing. Cale had decided though that he would never, ever live under anyone else's rule again. He started walking even faster...

https://i.imgur.com/5PGozUG.png
"Wait! Cale, where are you going, come back here. You can't go like this."
"I can't go!? Who says? You? I don't want to, but I'll fight you if you try to make me stay or, or...turn me in. I won't go back and you can't make me. He might find me that way too, did you ever think of that? Maybe he'll even try to kill me. I'm the only one that knows what happened, what he did. Don't try me Joel, I've been working out, you'll lose. Just let me go, and you won't get hurt..."

https://i.imgur.com/gDjHInZ.png
"Cale, just listen to me for minute okay? I think you owe me that, owe all of us that at least. I don't know why you'd think I'd do something like that to you. I won't. None of what happened was your fault. You're a victim Cale, a victim of years of abuse. What happened, was tragic. I'm so sorry about your Mom. I can't imagine having to go through that alone."

https://i.imgur.com/jOg11qm.png
"Let me ask you something Cale, how old are you?"
"I'll be 16 next month, why? What's that got to do with anything?"

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"16, perfect. You'll be considered an adult at that age here. An independent adult without the need of a legal guardian. You won't have to go to school, they won't try to put you in Juvie or any of that. You can just continue to live your life the way you have since you got here. Now, in the future though, if you want to go to college or anything, you'll probably have to take a high school equivalency test or something, but that's something to think about for another day."
"How do you know all that?"
"When I was 16, Josh 12 and Jon just 8, our parents disappeared in the jungles of Selvadorada while on an expedition. They were explorers. Anyway, the authorities wanted to take all of us away and put us in a foster home. But I found out, that I could declare myself an adult and take care of them myself, so that's what we did. No way were we going to let anyone separate us. We knew how to take care of ourselves. We'd learned from our parents how to survive in the jungle, been taught how to live off the land, etc. I had a job anyway by then and would graduate later that year."
"Wow, so, you took care of your brothers?"
"Yes, well, actually, no, we took care of each other. But I was responsible for them until they were old enough to get jobs and live their own lives too. You can do it too Cale, you have been doing it! I mean look at you! You have a house now, a garden, you're making your own money, learning new things and making friends. Just try to keep your nose clean until you're 16 and you're good."

https://i.imgur.com/KvRQZBd.png
"Oh man, thanks Joel. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any of that. You're the best friend I've ever had next to my Mom. I'll never forget this and I don't know how I'll ever repay you, but I will."

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"Just try to stay out of trouble Cale. Work on your anger and keep working on improving yourself. We'll try to help however we can. It's not easy, but I know you can do it. I believe in you Cale. Okay? Now, what do you say we put all this aside for now and figure out when we're going to climb that mountain?"
"Sounds good to me!"
"Cool, are you hungry? I think Josh made some of his famous Super Salad, it's really good. Would you like to try a bowl?"
"I'm starving! Yeah, thanks again. You're my Hero Joel."
"Nah, I'm no Hero, I'm just a big brother looking out for his little bro. Just like I've always done. And if your step-Dad or anyone else tries to give you any trouble they'll have to answer to me!"
*sniff*
"I'm not *sniff* crying, just so you know."
"It's not bad or unmanly, whatever, to cry Cale, go ahead. Watcher knows you sure have a reason for it. just let it out if you want."
*sniff* "Okay, but I'm not crying....Bro." *sniff*