Ethan Mars

"The knack of flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." - Douglas Adams

It's amazing what people can do when they have the right motivation. Things that you normally wouldn't conceive of ever doing can suddenly become something completely rational when you're forced to do them. Actually, rational isn't the right word. Unthinkable things aren't rational. Maybe acceptable is more like it. When you're asked to perform an unthinkable act because you're being threatened in some way, you accept it and get creative pretty quickly. You learn that nothing is impossible if you turn off the part of your brain that tells you you can't do something and simply approach the task with a different attitude and from a different angle. Understanding that there's more than one way to solve a problem is key. Determination is another.

I cut off my own finger, crawled through broken glass, maneuvered through an electrified maze, drove the wrong way on a highway at high speeds, killed a man, and drank poison, all over the course of a few days. In my real, sane life, none of these things would remotely be anything I'd think of doing, let alone actually accomplish. But I had the greatest motivation possible and knew that I had no choice. It's as if I somehow managed to rewire my brain in order to come at each task in a way that allowed me to get through them all. I never want to ever go through anything like that again. But I know I can if I have to because I learned how to do the impossible.

"Are you and Mom are ever going to get back together?" Shaun asked his father.

Ethan smiled, though it was a little pained. "I don't think so, Champ."

"Oh."

"Why do you ask?"

Shaun shrugged. "I just wish we could be a real family again."

Ethan put an arm around his son's shoulders. "No matter what happened between me and your mom, we'll always be a family, Shaun. We might not live together, but we both love you and want what's best for you."

"But you don't love each other."

"No, but we do still care, and sometimes that's enough."

"All right, son. Ready to get some housecleaning done?" Ethan asks Shaun.

"Sure," Shaun says with a shrug. "What do you want me to do?"

"Dust the bookshelves and I'll vacuum."

Shaun nods and takes the can of furniture polish and cleaning cloth from his dad. "How come you're having me help you today?"

"Hmm?" Ethan asks as he starts cleaning up the clutter on the coffee table.

"Usually you do it yourself because you like it."

"I do, but I thought it would be fun to spend some time together."

Shaun grins. "You could have just taken me bowling."

"What do you think about taking the boys to San Diego next summer?"

Ethan lowered the newspaper he was reading and smiled at Grace. "That would be fun. We've never taken them to the West Coast. How about we make a road trip out of it and take them to Disneyland and up along the coast?"

Grace's eyes lit up. "That would be so much fun for them. We could even take them surfing."

"We haven't surfed since our honeymoon," Ethan said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"True, except this time I better not come back pregnant," Grace laughed.

"Look at this one, Dad!"

Ethan joins his son at the photography exhibit and grins at the image of women in old timey bathing suits having their hems measured.

"What's he doing?" Shaun asks.

"Probably making sure those ladies are being decent by not having bathing suits that are too short."

"Why?"

"Things were a lot stricter back then. There were certain restrictions put on women."

"That doesn't seem fair."

Ethan nods. "It wasn't."

Shaun studies the picture a little longer. "Boy, I bet that guy's head would explode if he could see what girls wear on the beach nowadays."

The weather's been sweltering, the heat forcing people to raid stores for fans and AC units. Ethan's been considering taking Shaun and flying to Reykjavik to escape. Or maybe that's just his brain melting.

On the way home from the store, he and Shaun spot some kids playing in front of an open fire hydrant. The screaming laughter and eager faces are such a contrast to his boy's red-cheeked misery. Ethan stops the car.

"Go on."

Shaun's eyes widen. "Really?"

Ethan nods. "Have fun."

"What about you?"

After a second, Ethan kills the engine and opens his door. "Race ya!"

"Shaun!"

It's too late. I didn't complete the killer's trials in time and I'm too late. I rush to the well and tug helplessly at the grate covering it only to find it locked securely. There's no trace of my boy in the murky water. He's gone. I failed him. I failed my son.

"Shaun!"

I bolt upright in bed, the sheets soaked as sweat drips off my body.

"It's okay, Ethan. Shaun's fine. Wake up, sweetheart."

A hushed voice comforts me as gentle hands hold me and rub my back until I finally resurface from the nightmare.

We're okay.

Heavy Rain is the property of Quantic Dream. The characters of Ethan Mars, Norman Jayden, Shaun Mars, Grace Mars, and Blake Carter, do not belong to me and are being used for creative purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended.