Gen 01 || Chapter 01.002
It was three days after my father’s funeral that my life changed forever. Five days after our house burned down, killing him and destroying everything we owned. Seven days after he told me that he’d been part of a criminal organization when he was younger, and now his old former friends were hunting him down for betraying them. How could everything change so quickly?
I was sitting at my father’s grave in the cemetery, wishing I could’ve done something to change what had happened. But there was nothing that could change the past. All I could do was try not to make the same mistakes that my father had made.
“I wish you told me sooner, Dad,” I said. “Maybe I could’ve given you the 20k you owed your former friends. Maybe then you’d still be alive…”
Of course, there was no reply. Dad hadn’t been the greatest parent anyway. I suppose he tried, in his own way. But he’d really never paid as much attention to me as a parent should. From a young age, I’d learned to cook and clean for myself. I’d gotten a job delivering newspapers, before they were made obsolete by digital news. I didn’t want to become as bad of a parent as my father was, so I’d made a promise to myself that I would never have children.
Children didn’t really fit into my plans anyway. I wanted to become a famous athlete, the peak of sim physical fitness, and children would make that very difficult for me. I’d heard all about how hard it was to lose weight after pregnancy. That just wasn’t for me, no thank you!
I was broken out of my thoughts by my phone buzzing, letting me know that my meeting with Dad’s attorney was soon. Apparently he’d left me something in his will. What that might be, I had no idea. It seemed everything we owned had been destroyed in the fire.
I made my way to the Municipal Center, where Dad’s attorney was waiting for me. I’d seen her a few times in the weeks leading up to the fire, but I’d never met her personally.
“Miss Proctor, it’s good to meet you,” she said when I arrived at her office. “Please, have a seat.”
I sat down in one of the chairs across from her desk. “So, I guess this is about what dad left me or something?”
“Correct,” the attorney said. “Now, most of what he left you in his will was destroyed in the fire. However there is an old abandoned safehouse from his criminal days in Newcrest.”
“Woah, hold on,” I said, frowning. “A safehouse? From his crime days? Doesn’t sound very safe to me, if I’m being honest. I mean, wouldn’t his old crime buddies know about it?”
“Well, yes, but their organization doesn’t punish children for their parents’ wrongdoings,” the attorney said. “They’ve already done what they set out to do, they won’t go after you unless you go out of your way to mess with them.”
“And staying in an old safehouse won’t mess with them?” I asked skeptically.
“No, it won’t,” the attorney replied. “The debt has been repaid in their eyes. And the safehouse was originally where your father lived before he even joined the organization. It was his childhood home. The criminal organization agrees that it is rightfully your house since you were his only living heir. You can move in safely. Besides, all of the safehouses in Newcrest have been abandoned. Nobody lives there anymore. Newcrest is basically a ghost town.”
Well, I supposed this wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. At least I’d have a place to stay. It could’ve been worse. I mean, how bad could the safehouse be?
Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!
Tales From IridianSinclair 
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