The Stand-In

Having recently discovered he was adopted, Tim goes in search of his biological parents.  What he finds has him hoping this apple didn't just fall far from the tree, he hopes it rolled as far downhill as possible. What was supposed to be a hopefully-pleasant introduction, turns into a fight for survival against an unreasoning evil, and Tim is stuck in the middle with nowhere to run. How can reconcile where he came from with where he's going and still answer the most important question: is he destined for the same fate? "The Stand-In" was originally published in 2002 in Savage Night ezine.