November 31, 2013 – 4:30 AM EST – Old Saybrook, Connecticut


I don’t even know where to begin. To say that my entire life is a lie would be downplaying it a bit. Sebastian took me to his study and then proceeded to spend the next 6 hours explaining to me how Thomas Martin was not my real father. He was the victim, imagine that, him of all people, a victim, but that’s what he was. In fact, my whole family, if you can even call it that was nothing but a collection of victims. My father was victim to an unfaithful wife. My sister was the victim of a monster for a father. I was the victim of a dishonest mother and my mother, the victim of an abusive husband.

Deceit. That is my family’s legacy.

Once I had time to process everything that Sebastian told me I went through the 5 stages of grief in rapid succession.

But what am I grieving? The loss of my past, sure, it still exists but not as I had known it.

Denial and Isolation – You bet. I stood in front of Sebastian and denied it for a good hour. There was no way any of this could be true. My mother, the one person in my life outside of my sister that I thought didn’t betray me turned out to be as big of a liar as the man I believed to be my father. Isolation? Yep, did that as well. For the last 5 hours I’ve in a room by myself.

Anger – Absolutely. There are broken trinkets scattered throughout the room as proof. Hopefully none of it was valuable, though by the looks of this place Sebastian seems to have plenty of money. I’m sure he won’t miss any of it too much. And if he does, he’ll get over it in time.

Bargaining – This one was a little harder to come by. But somehow I managed to touch on it a bit. If only I had paid more attention? Why didn’t they ever make me do one of those stupid family trees in school? Why didn’t I research my own lineage on the internet? I could have figured it out on my own if I wasn't too lazy to look. It's not like I had the picture perfect family and thus no reason to want out. I had ever reason, except for motivation.

Depression –Like you wouldn’t believe. Allow me to dust off my paint brushes and paint you a picture. Your father repeatedly rapes your sister, it ultimately leads to her suicide. You find the body. Your mother, after years of sitting back and doing nothing but trying to drown her problems in the bottom of a bottle finally decides to leave your father and take you with her. Years later you make the decision to kill the man who has brought nothing but pain and suffering to your family. Only to find out that he isn’t your father at all. In fact, you aren’t related in any way, shape or form. Your actual father is a man named Asmodeus, and he has been receiving pictures of you since you were a baby and done nothing with them except look at them and wonder “What could have been?” Meanwhile he has been raising another son, my half brother, Sebastian.

So I ask you, what is worse? The man who raised me or the man who was too much of a coward to do so?

Oh and Step 5, the final step. Acceptance, yeah, I got there, eventually. The truth is, well the truth is that I didn’t really have a choice. Sebastian’s proof was so meticulous that to deny it would be ignorant. Whether I wanted what Sebastian laid out for me to be true or not is irrelevant. The proof was irrefutable.

Asmodeus is in fact my father.

I am the bastard son born as a result of an indiscretion between him and my mother.

Sebastian Duke is my half-brother.

If there is a silver lining in all this I suppose it’s that where my previous family failed, my new one will thrive.

My name is Eric Nigel Martin. And today is the day that everything changed.


After a few more hours of wallowing and self pity I finally decided to leave the room Sebastian set up for me to wander the compound. If I am going to be staying here I might as well get the lay of the land. There is however one area that I am forbidden from going within 100 feet of, my father's private cottage, located on the grounds but not connected to the main building. Sebastian explained to me that Asmodeus is aware of my existence as my mother, for a time at least would send him pictures of me as I grew older. However, my father is unaware that Sebastian knows of me and he especially does not know that I am here at the Compound. Sebastian has assured me that both of those things will change in due time, but now is not that time.

Perhaps it is my own impatience or a lack of understanding on my part but I am struggling to understand why my father, our father cannot be brought up to speed. I am sure Sebastian has a reason, he seems to be a very deliberate person with his actions. He has a plan. I just don’t know what it is.

I don’t get 5 feet from the entry way of my room before Sebastian rounds the corner to greet me.



SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Good morning Eric.”

ERIC NIGEL MARTIN: “Such as it is.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Were you able to get some sleep?”

“I can have breakfast prepared for you if you would like?”

ERIC NIGEL MARTIN: “I’m ok thank you. And no, I did not get any sleep. A bit too wired up.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I understand. Well if you change your mind and want something to eat let me know. I would be glad to have made.”

ERIC NIGEL MARTIN: “Thank you.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Eric, I wanted to talk to you about your mother.”

“We spent so much time last night discussing Mr. Martin, and our father that we never really touched on your mother, at all.”

ERIC NIGEL MARTIN: “Well from what you have shared with me, it does not seem as though women are a welcomed part of what you have going on here.”

“So with that being said, why would I want to even consider involving my mother? While she may have perpetrated a fraud my entire life she is still my mother.”

“And while I have every intention of confronting her I wish her no harm.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I understand your reservations but I assure you, I mean your mother no harm.”

“I’m not even asking for me. I’m asking for our father.”

ERIC NIGEL MARTIN: “I thought he was unaware of what is going on right now?

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “He is, but when the time is right and I do reveal to him that not only do I know who you are, but that you are here, your mother will naturally come up and so I wanted to be prepared with a response.”

ERIC NIGEL MARTIN:“I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with my mother first before I decide whether or not it would be prudent to involve her in this life.”

“Is that acceptable to you Sebastian?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “Yes it is.”

“In the meantime what can you tell me about your mother? What is she like?”

ERIC NIGEL MARTIN:“She was a coward.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “That seems overly critical Eric.”

ERIC NIGEL MARTIN: “I would argue it’s not critical enough.”

“She had a child with a man who was not her husband. She hid that fact from her husband and her son.”

“She did nothing while her husband raped her daughter except try to drink her problems away.”

“I could continue if you would like?”

SEBASTIAN DUKE:“No that will be ok.”

“Perhaps now is not the time to be talking about this.”

“Your emotions are running high.”

ERIC NIGEL MARTIN: “That they are but that’s not what this is about. I am not giving you my opinion on the matter Sebastian.”

“I am simply outlining for you the evidence to support my claim. “

“You can choose to believe it, or not.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I suppose if the shoe were on the other foot I might feel the way that you do.”

“I know you said you were not hungry but I really think it would be beneficial for both of us if we got a little something to eat, and then I will show you around the place.”

“Some areas can involve quite a trek so it would help not having an empty stomach.”

ERIC NIGEL MARTIN: “If you insist.”

SEBASTIAN DUKE: “I think it would be best.”

“Come, I’ll show you to the kitchen.”




I fear this is not going to be an easy transition. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be a worthwhile one. I still don’t know much about Sebastian Duke, I know even less about his operation and what actually happens here and yet for the first time in my life, I feel completely at home.




Fade to Darkness.