1 Chapter 1: No Place To Call Home

Caleb sat on the lawn in front of the small, one-story town house that he had once called his home. He didn't have many found memories of the house and he would be the first to admit that he'd always fantasized and dreamed about what it would be like to simply walk out the front door and never look back.

But those thoughts had always remained just that. Simple thoughts. He'd never actually had the courage to leave.

It wasn't like he had anywhere else to go or anyone else to turn to, so he'd let the fantasy of running away from home rattle around in his head from time to time but he never let them find purchase in reality.

He flinched as the front door was thrown open, banging against the wall so hard he was surprised that the stained glass hadn't shattered on impact. He looked up as the man he was forced to call father glared down at him the open doorway.

"I told you to get lost boy, why are you still on my property?!" The clearly drunken man took another swig from the bottle that he held tightly in his hand before pointing at Caleb.

"You turned 18 today and that means I don't have to look at your god damn face anymore. You always reminded me of that damn bitch, and I couldn't be happier to get rid of the last god damn thing she left for me to deal with." 

His father stumbled his way out onto the porch before throwing the now half empty bottle at him. While shouting.

"I said to get off of my damn property boy!" 

Caleb scrambled to his feet, dodging the thrown bottle as he ran. Memories of what happened to him when he didn't obey his father's commands were the only things on his mind and they spured him as he stepped onto the curb.

He couldn't help but look around at the houses next door, certain that someone must have heard what was happening with the way his father was screaming like a raving lunatic.

This wasn't the first time his father had made a scene like this, but this was the first time that no one seemed to want to come out and reprimand him for keeping such a racket so early in the morning. 

He tuned out his father's screeching and instead focused on the windows of the neighboring homes. It was then that he came to a startling realization. 

It wasn't that no one was paying attention, the slightly ajar curtains that shook from time to time was more than enough proof to let him know that people where indeed watching from behind them. 

No, the neighbors were all watching the spectacle, they just didn't plan to step in and 'help' him anymore. 

Caleb couldn't help but to softly laugh at himself. 

What else was he really expecting? He knew full well that none of the people around his home truly cared about what happened to him in the slightest.

The only reason they had bothered to reprimand his father from time to time in the past was so that they had an excuse. They did it so that they could keep telling themselves that they were 'good people' doing their part to 'help' a poor child. 

Of course, Caleb had figured out a long time ago that no one really cared what happened to him.

Even if they threatened to call the police to report his father's actions, or promised to get protective services involved if there wasn't any improvement in his treatment, no one ever saw it through. 

Even when Caleb had drawn up the courage to call the Childcare Board himself to beg for help, it was these very same neighbors that had denied that there were any problems that needed the intervention of the law. 

He could still remember the beating he had gotten when his father was sure that the nice lady from the government, who Caleb had placed his hopes of salvation on, had left for good.

He took one more look at the house that had been his home and couldn't help but take a moment to rcall all the little things that he knew like the back of his hands. 

The odd flecks of paint that were peeling off from the porch because he hadn't danded it first before he painted it a few summers ago.

The broken porch swing that he'd often use as his bed from time to time when his father was especially irritated. 

The broken window that he'd been forced to patch after his father had broken it one-night when he threw a bottle at him. 

The wind chimes he'd made from his fathers discarded bottle caps that he'd collect when he cleaned the house.

The one uneven step that you had to hope over that his dad would always trip on whenever he came home drunk from the bar-

The tears that hadn't made an appearance since he was 8, when he promised himself not to cry anymore, flowed freely once more. 

Sure, this place didn't hold many fond memories for him, but in all his memories from his childhood till now, this house was there. It was where he'd grown up, where eh cried, where he dreamed, where he always came back too, and now he most likely wouldn't even have a chance to make any more memories here ever again.

He turned away from his home, tears still streaming down his face as he started walking down the street, his father's mad laughter and deranged shouts seemingly mocking him as he went. 

***

Caleb wandered around for a while not sure of what he was supposed to do. He was in a daze, the realization that he was now truly alone starting to settle in. His tears had long since dried and the cold morning air had started to seep into his thin frame. He wished he'd at least grabbed his jacket when his father had barged into his room that morning before tossing him out of the front door like a sack of potatoes.

The loud groan from his stomach only served as a reminder to him that he hadn't eaten any breakfast either and unless he planned to lose even more of the weight he'd barely managed to put on in the past couple of months, he'd need to get something into his stomach and fast.

He made his way towards town leaving the residential areas behind him. Maybe he'd be lucky to find someone's unfinished breakfast left at a table by the dinner. It wouldn't be the first time he'd had to cobble together some scraps to make sure he had a decent meal, another one of the many skills he'd been forced to learn thanks to the neglect thrown his way.

He was lucky enough to find a half-eaten burger and a half empty cup of coffee, it seemed that fate had decided to give him a break after his horrendous start today. 

After making quick work of his feast, he made his way to the fountain in the middle of the park. It was a nice place to calm down and think and that was where he would spent most of his time when he was trying to avoid going home. The sounds of rushing water helped to center him while he lost himself in his own head.

He sighed and thought about what he needed to do now. Obviously, he'd have to go back and get a few things from the house. If nothing else, he'd need to get some clothes, maybe a few blankets to keep himself warm at night and he really couldn't leave his legal documents with his dad. Knowing how unstable he tended to be, it wouldn't be surprising if he came across them and ended up tossing them into the fireplace and using them as kindling or something.

Thankfully he'd already graduated from high school a month ago, and though he hadn't been at the top of his class, it shouldn't be too much of a stretch to find some work if he looked hard enough. Worst case scenario he'd end up doing some odd jobs like mowing lawns or something till he managed to find a more permanent job. 

The more he thought about it the more he realized that things didn't seem that bad? 

Sure, he was homeless now, but it didn't really change anything besides where he'd end up sleeping at night. If any of the other guys his age from his graduating class had been put out the way he was, they wouldn't know what to do, but he was different.

Every day for him had almost always been about survival and he'd already been doing just fine on that front anyway. This was just another bump on the rough road of life he'd already been treading.

He'd already managed to come this far, so there was no reason why he couldn't go even further.

In the depths of Caleb's eyes, the ember of hope and determination that had been starting to dim was slowly starting to grow into a smoldering flame as his thoughts and mind set started to change.

If living with his father hadn't been enough to break him after all these years, then being forced to strike out on his own wouldn't be enough to do him in either. Even though he practically had nothing to his name, he'd find a way to push through this rough patch like he always did.

With renewed vigor Caleb clenched his fist and smiled to himself, everything was going to be okay.