[Kaliko]

Everyone knew a little. The older ones and the young adults knew more. He had left a few years ago. It hadn't been suddenly; he had mulled it over for some time. There were many different opinions on the matter. Most were understanding. Others were a little harsh. But the facts were these: he had left his only family, his mother, alone on the farm to go live in the city, he also left behind a broken heart along with the rest of the family and friends on the farm. After some more digging, he found out that the broken heart was Aaron; the man who supposedly knew the most about the security who was currently absent. The younger ones were trying to spread the rumor that the two old lovers were together now running around the world together. It was starting to take on; Aaron was overdue to return with little explanation why.

The older ones mostly attributed his leaving to something along the lines of "finding himself." After some time he found someone talkative who spilled that one of the rumors was that he left because of something that had happened in his past. Not a single person would speak about that event though. It seemed to touch everyone a little bit. Especially some of the ones around Raven's age. It had a taboo-ish feeling to it, and the smell of some skeleton hidden in the family closet.

--

Nic was silent for a long moment. Then he asked, "How are those similar?"