Chapter 1: Alex

Alexander Gray is an incredibly unlucky man, who is lucky enough to have a beautiful family. Are the hard times finally behind him?

I had a son. Not many years after the Tree first haunted my dreams. I met his mother at a wedding believe it or not. I spent a lot of time in my apartment. Trying to track the deaths caused by the Tree and searching. Always searching for a way to destroy it.

That day though I was the surly cousin who sat at the back of the wedding ceremony and hunched over their table at the reception. I was wearing a black suit to try and make the bags under my blue eyes stand out less.

One sleeve hung emptily by my side. Guests at the wedding kept staring out of the corner of their eyes at me. My recently washed brown hair was almost to my shoulders. I was overdue for a haircut.

As I sat at my table alone begging for the hours to pass faster I was approached by one of the guests. She was a friend of my cousin’s bride. Her name was Lucy she told me as I stared at the floor.

If I had looked up I would have seen how very beautiful she was. Dancing green eyes and blond ringlets. A mouth that was perfectly made for laughing. She was always laughing. Only a few months younger than me and the new owner of a small bakery.

“This is my favourite song; will you dance with me? I haven't seen you move all night" her voice was soft and kind. To this day I don't know what she saw in me. Where I was dark, tired, and silent she was like a ray of sunshine. Bright and fierce and happy.

"I don't dance..." my thoughts weren't drifting back to the Crimson Tree as they almost always did. They were here and now on the red dress wearing Lucy before me.

"Well maybe, we can not dance together" that was the witty remark that finally pulled me from my chair and onto the dance floor. We slow danced for over an hour. At first I was self-conscious about my missing arm but I relaxed after a few songs.

It was a magical night, and that was what Lucy was. Magical. Infinitely patient with me, even if she didn't understand why I was so obsessed with the Tree. She took it in her stride with a smile as she did with everything.

In the months that followed we held a wedding of our own. Some would say that we were moving too fast but I disagreed. My life had been at a standstill for so long and now I could feel it moving forward.

By the end of the next year our family of two had welcomed a new addition. He was small and pink. He had my eyes and his mother's blond ringlets. Lucy decided that he should have my name. Alexander Gray.

I was so wrapped up in my research that it seemed like no time at all before Alex was wobbling around on his chubby baby legs and yelling "Dada!" whenever I came out from a long day in my study.

Everything was fine. I was ok. Lucy took care of Alex and I continued searching for answers. Until the day that I lost her and my world collapsed around me yet again.

Author's Note

It is all so warm and soft. That you know the darkness must be on its way.