Liam, was abandoned the day he was born, left on a foster home doorstep. Why was he abandoned? His mother, Leora Carson, had noticed a birthmark; a tiny diamond, on his right thumb. The mark of the Ethereals. The Ethereals had otherworldly powers. The power to move things with their minds. Unfortunately, Leora was president of the Untainted . An organisation that sought to “cleanse” the world of the Ethereals or “The devil’s children” as they called them. When the foster home staff found him, he had his right thumb sliced off. The staff however, housed other abandoned Ethereals, and were themselves Ethereals. They were taught to use their powers. Liam always felt left out, and was bullied because he didn’t have a birthmark, and was labelled a “phony” or a “spy for the Untainted”. The only person who didn’t bully him was Maria. She drew a tiny diamond with sharpie on his left thumb for him. The years went by and they fell in love with each other. when they came of age, they left the home and married. They had a daughter named Florence and a son called Monty.

They lived happily together until one day in 1995 a horrible war broke out between the Untainted

and the Ethereals. Maria was sent out to fight, while Liam – who was regarded as disabled due to his

missing thumb- stayed home to care for the children. Maria fought hard and wrote letters upon

letters to her husband and children.

After years of fear and war, the broadcast came that everyone had been waiting for. The war was

over! Except instead of victory, the Ethereals had surrendered. Maria was captured and killed. The

family was devastated.

In Maria’s will she had left Liam the very same pink sharpie she had used to give him that impromptu

birthmark all those years ago. When Liam found out about his wife’s death, he carried that Sharpie

with him every day, and every night he would write a little message to Maria with it and make a

small origami crane with the paper, before setting it on her dressing table.

One day while folding the note, there was a crash from downstairs. Liam, assuming it was the kids,

looking for some food or something, went down to help them. What he saw horrified him.