Fifteen years....

It's been fifteen years, fifteen years since I saw his innocent smile, fifteen years since he made me laugh, fifteen years since he was here to bless us with his angelic presence. I suppose he's still here though, watching us, guarding us, helping us through the trials and tribulations that life throws at us regularly. I know he's still here watching over my children, and all the other innocent children that should simply be able to live their life wide-eyed and innocently.

For, the innocence of a child is precious, they don't know that there are hell born souls walking the earth, seeking to steal their innocence. Seeking to tear apart the world that they see as open as the ocean, just waiting for them to make their mark. No, they don't see that at all. To a child, the world is their friend, the world is a place for them to be happy, run freely, and play innocently.

But sadly, these souls, born of Hell's fire, and the devil's skin walk amongst us, they walk this earth trying to empower themselves, they seek to rip the pure and innocent from this earth. They know no shame, no guilt, no sadness, no loss. They only know themselves, their wants, and desires. They desire the innocence, the purity, and the rarity of a child's happiness. They seek to steal it, their jealousy enrages them, their jealousy frightens them. They only must resort to stealing the innocence of others, if only to feel it just once, as they will never have it themselves.

Christopher epitomized the innocence of a child. He was so young, so eager, so creative, so trusting, so friendly. He was a lover of life, a lover of nature, a lover of everyone. He never wanted a face to frown, stranger or not.

Christopher's innocence was stolen by an evil creature, an evil incarnate of the devil who decided that it was his place to tear apart the lives of so many in his selfish and wreckless act. But not for the first time, no, this was atleast his second time.... for this was the second time he was caught.

In what the Chicago Sun-Times described as a "savage attack", Christopher was stabbed over 40 times, with a fishing knife. Christopher's frail, petite body.... stabbed 40 times? It's been 15 years, and I still can't fathom this. He was mutilated in way I can't even imagine, and in what I can only imagine was a jealous act of rage, his attacker attempted to rip the innocence from Christopher's soul, although this, I am sure of, he failed at.

He may have mutilated, castrated, defiled, stabbed, and destroyed the physical being of Christopher, but he could never destroy Christopher's soul. Christopher's innocent soul still lives among us, and forever will.

You'll always be my baby brother! I love you Chris.