[BreakABone]

Another day. So it is raining like heck out here and all my residents decided to take a stroll. i'll do rain when I have to so shall write this over course of the day.
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2
The young boy sat on his bed. He thought back to just two years ago to this day on the eve of his 13th birthday, how excited he was to be entering his teenage years. That never came. His 13th birthday left him in a state of chaos. Too young to be the man of the house, but too old to be a child without responsibilities. He had to step up to the plate and skip the fun years.

It would have been easier if he had the support of his mother, but she was lost to him on that day as well. She spent the first month sulking in her room, and when she finally did emerge she began to drown her sorrows in the bottles. The young man remembered returning home from school on several occassions to find his mom passed out in front of the TV.

He did all he could to control his life, but he was too young to take on many tasks. He made ends meet at school by having his friends share lunches with him. A lot of the neighborhood parents took pity on him and would invite him over for dinner. When their kids grew too old, he would get their hand-me-downs. The young man could not complain.

But now as he sat on his bed looking at another lonely birthday, he held in his hand a letter that would once again change the foundation of his life. While the neighborhood families were kind to him, their charity began to take a toll on them. It was finally decided that Child Welfare would be called in. The letter in the young man's hand was an order to his mother to give up custody of her child.

The young man intercepted the letter because he knew that it would drive her deeper over the edge. He also could not face the sad realization that had slowly been creeping up on him. As the months went on, he recognized that it took longer and longer for his mother to identify him. Her only child, her baby boy, taken away from her memories by the evils of the bottle.

The young man took the letter and tossed it down on his bed. He silently wept to himself that night. Life had dealt him some crappy cards these first few years.
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Had it been 3 years already? The boy now a man in his own eyes thought as he landed in California. The day of his 15th birthday, he was placed into foster care, but they could find no families within the state who had not heard of his tale so they shipped him out as far as possible. He spent the last three years of his life jumping between foster home to foster home.

Finally on his 18th birthday, he realized that enough was enough. He plotted and schemed and then charmed his way onto a flight back to California free of charge. He would make a new beginning for himself in the place that had taken away everything from him.

It would began his journey here in the airport. He stopped off at a local retail to pick up some basic items he would need. Included in this shopping trip was a deck of cards. It was a cheap method to entertain himself for a bit. He opened up the deck and drew a single card. The card was an Ace of Hearts. Ace... he liked it... a new name for a new beginning. He put the card inside his wallet. He would keep it with him where he went.

On that night in the airport, Ace was born. The young boy who was forced into adulthood too soon was quickly forgetten. He would not show pity or self-doubt for himself anymore.

"Get ready to live!" He told the city as he looked down at it from a terminal.
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Well, that was a lot better than the original draft I came up with. I think I will post just for comparisons sake.