002.

1970 - clay puppington is born to arthur & angela puppington   1981 - angela puppington passes away from a heart attack 1982 - clay is sent to a boarding school 1988 - clay attends moralton university ( history major ; political studies minor ) 1990 - arthur puppington is shot & killed by an intruder  1992 - clay puppington graduates cum laude  1992 - clay becomes a council member at the city hall 1992 - clay puppington meets bloberta hymentact & marries after five months of dating 1993 - orel puppington is born 1993 - clay is elected as mayor of moralton 1997 - clay takes orel on a father-son hunting trip for the first time 1999 - clay is arrested in connection to the serial murders that have terrorised moralton for the past 9 years 2000 - bloberta files for an emergency divorce  2009 - rumours about a copycat killer emerges  

003. 

“... serial killer known as moralton’s hunter may finally be behind bars. the moralton police department has arrested the town’s mayor, clayton puppington, in connection with at least twenty murders ...” 

you got sloppy at the end , leaving tracks and witnesses alive .   perhaps deep down you desired to be noticed -- for your work to be recognised as yours ( glory ? was it all for glory ? you can’t seem to remember ... )    instead , the silver cufflinks that once were the talk of the town are replaced with steel handcuffs and your name   –   with numbers. 

bloberta doesn’t even give you a glance when the police  ( once sworn to protect you )  escort you out .   it comes as no surprise ;   the two of you were never meant to be  --  leeches can’t survive off one another and you are all drained .   she pretends everything is fine -- almost masterfully ,  as if you are heading off to one of your long ,  late dinner galas , and you play along with her performance .  but there are no forehead kisses or empty ‘ i love you ’s .

you see your boy ,   half awake ,  slowly stepping down the stairs ,  his hand tightly gripped around the wooden railings .    when his eye meets yours and panic shoots in his .   the same panic you felt when you watched your mother die .   there isn’t much time for farewells but you know this won’t be the last you will see him . 

“ always remember, orel : i love you so very much , ”   you say just loud enough for him to hear ,   “ because we’re the same . ”