Dad's Letters.

[Andreas Ivaring]

(( Italics = Written by Dad. Regular font = Written by Andreas ))

Andreas,

You always called me old fashioned, but I figured this was the best way to communicate. I feel it means more than text messages, anyways. I'm too old for the new stuff. I miss you already. I'm still trapped in the morning routine we've always been in. You know, I wake up, have my coffee, wake you up, you have your coffee. I still disagree with the fact that they took you, after that outburst, though... Maybe it's for the best, and I should just accept that.

Work's been tiring as ever. I get to buy less food, but it still doesn't change the fact that I have a lot of mistakes to fix. I'm sorry I couldn't get you everything you needed, or be that perfect dad. I know the apology seems odd, maybe you are already thinking 'You're fine', but. . . I just needed to get that off of my chest sooner than later, since I'll be missing many years of your life.

Once I can get the phone bill figured out, we can start talking there. But this will be what we have to do for a while.

How's that laptop I got you treating you? It was a pretty cheap one from a friend, if you remember Antonio from work. He said that it's hardly been used, and is just a couple of operating systems behind. It'll do for the kind of things you'd probably use it for.

And while I'm on the subject of how your life is, have you been doing well in school? Adjusting?

I love you, waiting to hear back from you!

Love Dad.

---

Dad,

School's been fine so far, I guess. I mean, I'm just doing all of the work I can quietly, complying with the school rules and all of that. My teachers are happy enough. I just can't find myself relating with any of the people around here. They just seem to be from an entirely different world, with an entirely different set of priorities. Socially, I'm kind of the outcast, but that's nothing new. Not really a source of angst or anything.

All I can hope for at the end of this kidnapping is that I get a pretty hefty severance check or something. And if I do, believe me, some of it will be going to you. I gave you a lot of crap, and I'm sorry about that. I never really had a sense for the gravity of our situation, and I didn't figure how exhausting it must have been for you, as a single parent and all. You're not a bad dad, I never 'hated' you despite everything I said.

The laptop's all I could ask for. I don't waste my time on games like a lot of people do. Just the occasional strategy. Otherwise, I'm writing, or reading e-books, the ones I don't already have on paper.

Yeah, I do remember Antonio. Are you two still getting along well? In the same department and everything? I know how you'd always say your job had impending budget cuts, layoffs, shuffles. Sounds like the most inefficient company on the planet, honestly. Then again, it's a state-run warehouse, is it not? They'd rather put a bloated amount of money in to the military than ensure the well-being of their citizens.

Maybe I should go in debate.

I miss you, and I'll see about coming around if the school will let me, alright?

Love you,

Andreas.

[Andreas Ivaring]

Dear Andreas,

Debate... God knows you're more than capable. You were always sort of opinionated, even when you were younger. Could always say how you felt clearly. I think that'd be really positive for you. With your knowledge of history. . . I think you'd be an unstoppable titan. I still have all of the books you couldn't take with you. Caesar, Rome, Ancient Mythologies, the collection of World War Two stuff. Everything. If you do that, let me know how that goes, too. Or if they tape events, send it over to me.

I'm glad you're doing well in school. Sorry to hear about the lack of friends, it's really on you though, Buddy. I know how you feel, you used to say it all the time, but it doesn't matter if they're on your level in things or not. It's a matter of you being more open to your surrou(^n)dings, you have to be willing to let some people inside.

I have to say, I got a good laugh out of what you said about work. It's true! Well, it's true but I can't really say it aloud. They don't take dissenting opinions in the workplace too kindly. Never have, never will.

Thanks for not dodging my... opening up? It feels really good to hear that from you, because then I know it's genuine. You were never a bad son or anything, you were just young. And at the time, you didn't understand how the world worked. I bet you've still got a bit of that naivete. It's to be expected, though. We all do.

I had a question, we weren't really able to talk about it, and I didn't get a clear-cut answer from the person who spoke to you. What is it that you do, what's your ability, or power? All I know is that it was linked up to what happened at school that one day. I've been sort of curious, and so have some of our friends. And I know that you don't like your stuff being shared with everyone else. I promise it's between you and I.

Look forward to hearing back from you,

Love Dad.

---

Dad,

Are you going to stick those tapes up on the fridge, if that winds up being a thing? Are you going to flaunt it to all of your work buddies? You could turn in to that overly-proud dad, buy a plane ticket and start whooping and cheering at the events until they have to kick you out. Haha. Hammel would fall in love with you. Funnily enough, though, I think my power would sort of enable cheating. Not that I would, but it'd definitely be possible.

They explained it to me after my first few nights there. After some analysis. I guess what it is is some sort of mood analyzing, represented by foggy auras. Like, if someone's passively angry with me, it's a light, muted crimson. I can only do this while I converse with them, and if I do it too long, I outburst. I'm kind of thankful. Some people here have things that are WAY more crazy. I saw a kid who grows wings like an eagle-creature from hell. I've seen pyrokinetics... There's even a little German kid who fabricates noises at will. And their side-effects are all way worse.

I don't feel like my lack of friends is really my fault, though. How can I let them in, how can I accept them when they have absolutely ZERO things to talk about. I feel like I'm guiding a toddler by the hand already when there's a 'group assignment' or 'team assignment' in class. They just annoy me, there's no way around that, and until I find someone who can at least equal me, I'm going to feel the same way forever. It's like asking you to befriend a coworker who does nothing but gossip, loudly listen to the most annoying music on the planet, and generally act childish.

Anyways, I'll see about the debate thing. There's a guy here who handles clubs and stuff like that, and would know more about it than I do. I'll keep you posted.

Love you,

Andreas.

[Andreas Ivaring]

To Dad,



Hey, it's me. I know you haven't heard from me in a bit, Not much has honestly been going on this past couple of weeks, so I didn't figure it was the most interesting thing in the world to just send you a letter saying 'Hey, I'm still in the land of the living'. I actually met someone worth a damn over the last week. She was a funny sort, I think she was from England or something. Anyways, I recognized her from school, she's probably like a senior or something.

Oh yeah, a little backstory, apparently our school helps out with the annual summer fair. It kinda reminded me of the one we went to in Washington that one time, when we were visiting relatives. Same atmosphere, just a lot more miniscule. It wasn't pathetic or anything, there was a lot of the atmosphere. I really only had the money for one thing, and I decided to choose the ring toss. That was mostly in part because everyone was being that dick that the free sample guy at the mall loathes.

So, I sucked at it. Prepped for it a bit. Wasn't taking it too seriously but I wanted one of the big prizes. Had to settle for the middle rung, which basically had beanie babies and other small things. It's sitting on top of my book collection right now; it's a sign, in a way, that I'm still in a place with humans and humanity, instead of just wallowing in some depressing pit where the kidnappers threw me. I still don't like most of them, but if one person could give me a good impression, I might be pleasantly surprised.

The classes themselves have been entirely uneventful. Though, hilariously, the Psychiatrist is holding a sex talk, mandatory for seniors. Ridiculous, isn't it? I mean, I thought they taught sex ed when /I/ was a year or two younger. Then it would follow up until around now. And back in your day, it might as well have been a G.I. Joe action figure, right? 'G.I. Joe conquering the tough questions!'

How's work going? I look forward to hearing from you.

Andreas

---

Son of mine,

That's awesome! I miss the fair, and if there's anything I miss about it most of all? It's the energy. You can't really be mad there. You can't be sad there. All you can do is chow down on some of the most disgustingly bad-for-you food there and be merry. The money situation's not so good, I know that's one of your general complaints.

Here's a suggestion, and don't brush it off. Why don't you do some summer-work for somebody? Or just any small job? If it's not in the school, then somebody in that little town has to have it, right? I mean, it'd only make sense. Some people in a small town still need their lawns cut, and it's not hot like it is over here. It can't be.

Every time I bring it up, you dodge it. I doubt anyone's going to see you do it, and it's an honest buck. I know you can sometimes think I'm out-of-touch socially. But the way I see it is that you're going to be the guy who can actually be proud of his money. Daddy and Mommy didn't send it to you, it's not a care package. It's honestly something to brag about.

My shifts have been rotated around recently so it'll take me a while to get my sleep schedule back on track, but I'd love to hear how things are going still. I'll send you a letter as soon as I get used to going to bed when I normally wake up. There needs to be some more standards, if you ask me, to switching a long-time six-to-four worker's hours up like that.

Love you, stay out of trouble.

Dad