Chapter Text
Glass shattered on the ground, screaming roared throughout the diner, and blood splattered on the black and white floor tiles. The golden bear leaked blood from its gaping mouth as the little boy was motionless in its jaws. A man in a purple button-down shirt with the name tag "William Afton" rushed over to the boy pulling him out of the spring-locked animatronics mouth.
"Evan, my little boy! Oh my god. My little boy!" the man sobbed, holding his son tightly as tears rolled down his cheeks. Evan's face was covered in blood, his skull cracked open. the man remained to cradle his dying son as another child watched in shock as the fox mask he was wearing became covered in blood. He unmasked himself, revealing a distraught face covered in tears. His whole body trembled from despair.
The man stopped crying and gently rested his child's body on the ground. His purple shirt was now soaked with tears and blood. His eyes were now turned towards the older child. The child's blood ran cold as he stood perfectly still as he gazed at the man.
"What did you do, Michael?" He asked quietly and angrily as he stepped forward and slowly approached the child who was violently shaking like it was minus thirty degrees. As he stepped closer, a torrent of salty tears spilled down his face.
The boy cried out, "Dad, I-I didn't-" a hard slap across the face cut off the boy's sentence, sending him to the ground, sobbing.
'What did you do!?' he yelled again, this time yelling at the top of his lungs. His teeth gritted and his fists clenched, tears flowing down his angered face. "My dear son, you were destined to be nothing but a mistake. I knew this from the moment you were born. But how could I have known you would've done something like this? You selfish, ungrateful parasite you"
Michael cried out, grieving to the floor that was stained with blood. Looking at his little brother's disfigured corpse laid out on the ground behind his father, he became pale with widened eyes. "You're a fucking monster," he thought to himself.
Michael woke up with a gasp. The morning sun greeted him as he awoke in his king-sized bed. He stretched his arms as he sat up, only to realize that his shirt and sheets were covered in sweat. "Bad memories are returning to me already," he thought as he fumbled around in his drawer to find a familiar purple button-down shirt. He glanced at it for a few seconds before tossing it on the desktop and removing his sweat-soaked grey shirt. After removing his clothes, he glanced at the numerous marks on his back: straight lines that burned themselves into his flesh many years ago. In his dirty mirror, he stared at his reflection, covering up the even more scars that covered his wrists and thighs. The memories of his father's ongoing abuse made Michael tear up as he relived the incidents over and over again, leaving him with both physical and mental scars. He let out a sigh before donning the purple button-down shirt he wore to his kitchen. The big window in the middle of the wall revealed the outskirts of his neighborhood covered with a blue cloudless sky. "At least the weather is nice today," he said with a slight smile.
Now, where's the coffee? Ah, right here," he added sugar and milk to his coffee, making it into light brown color. He sipped his drink while he walked towards his small island in the middle of the kitchen where he set his glass. Michael looked at the picture frame on the counter. A young boy was pictured in it. His grin was such that it could light up any room. Michael gave the picture a soft smile. "Happy birthday, Evan. Hope everything is going well up there." A slight tear formed in his eye as he reminisced about past times. He sipped his coffee again, reflecting on past incidents when suddenly his phone rang with a loud buzz that jolted him out of his reverie. Michael checked his notifications to see a message from his father. With a widening of his eyes and a quickening of his heart, he was suddenly struck with a chill. Michael opened the text with trembling hands. The message was short and simple. "Come see me. " It seemed to have harmless intentions, but William Afton was not innocent by nature. He started typing back. he felt his heart pound against his chest with every letter he typed. "I haven't heard from you in 7 months, maybe more. Is it something serious?
The message was left on read for a few moments before another text was immediately sent. "I need you to do something important. Come see me" it read.
Michael's eyes narrowed in disgust. "That bastard neglected me and now he wants me to do him a favor." He placed his phone face down on the counter, running his fingers through his dark brown hair. "I'm not doing shit for him. He can go die in a ditch."
Having walked over to the window and gazed out into the neighborhood, Michael considered what his father might want. Ever since he was a child, he remembered nothing but his father screaming at him for everything he did wrong. It was a never-ending rinse and repeat cycle. Pondering for a few more moments he finally made his decision. "I'll come to visit but not for him. For Elizabeth, I'll find her" he said to himself before picking up his phone and texting his father he'll be there.
Michael awoke the next morning after taking a shower and climbing into his car, ready to take a trip down memory lane. He cruised down familiar roads and past familiar buildings of the town hurricane. as he rounded the corner to his old neighborhood. He eyed his schoolyard and peeked in while he drove by. "I remember this place. It hasn't aged a day." Recollections filled his mind from when he was a child when he used to go to school, where he was at a sanctuary from his father. Although a harsh memory stuck out in his mind. He and his three friends, Jeremy, Austin, and Samantha, snuck into his father's office when he was 14 and got into a bunch of cigarettes and alcohol. They loved it at first, until one afternoon, as they sat in their class, Michael and Jeremy were passing notes and laughing together. William appeared in the doorway telling Michael's teacher that he needs to speak to him. Michael's blood ran cold as he slowly got up from his seat and walked into the doorway with his father. His head hung low asking his father if everything was alright.
"You think I wouldn't notice?" William asked. Gripping Michael's wrist while gritting air through his teeth. His eyes were dull and anger filled his voice.
"What?" Michael stuttered, attempting to pry his father's hand off of his wrist. Michael knew what his father meant, but he was too afraid to admit it.
" you know exactly what you did. Don't even dare say that to me, Michael" he chided, grabbing his wrist even harder, making Michael yell slightly. Several small giggles could be heard in the distance as the class focused on the father and son. As Jeremy sat in silence at the scene, he sighed as he realized why William was there. Michael's eyes began to well up with tears as he looked at Jeremy with a pleading look on his face. Before Michael was taken into the hallway, Jeremy mouthed the words "I'm so sorry" to him.
William took him into the hallway far away from classrooms. He let go of Michael. Michael held his wrist in pain as the burning sensation permeated into his arm. His father walked closer to him. His face was only inches away from his. "I'm only gonna give you one chance Michael" he threatened. His British accent slipped out in a dark tone. " who else besides you got into the stash? Do not lie to me"
William stood over Michael like a shadow waiting for him to speak. No matter what transpired in this discussion, Michael was going to be hurt. His eyes were wide, the hair on his skin stood up, goosebumps appeared on his arms, and his heart skipped a beat. "It was only me" he explained. He lied through his teeth. He didn't want to get Samantha, Austin, and especially Jeremy into trouble.
He rolled his eyes in anger. "You stole 12 cigarettes and four beer bottles from me?" he exclaimed.
As Michael stared at the tiles on the floor, he reassured him, "Yes, it was me. I'm sorry dad. I swear I won't do it again"
"Oh trust me Michael when you get home you won't even think about doing something like that ever again"
While he was scolding him, Michael felt a chill shoot down his spine. His father grabbed ahold of his upper arm and yanked him back to class. He finally let out the tears that had been building up inside him.
As William pulled Michael towards the doorway of the classroom, all eyes were now back on the two. His face was contorted with rage as he grabbed the collar of Michael's shirt so Michael would have to look at him. "If you ever do what you did again, so help me god, I'll give you a real reason to cry. Do you understand me?" He shouted.
Micheal shook his head yes, crying in fear. He prayed that the teacher would intervene. But he only received a look of disappointment. Michael turned back to his father's cold gaze.
"Michael Joseph Afton. Answer me when I speak to you " William coldly told his son.
Michael's tears fell down his face as his cheeks and eyes became red and he froze in fear. "Yes, Father. I understand," he said. He was torn between anger and fear as he continued to cry.
"Good, now get your ass back to your seat. I'll deal with you at home"
William let go of Michael as he walked out of the hallway. His loud footsteps faded as he left. Michael looked at his classmates, some of who were giving him sympathetic looks, and others who were laughing and giggling at his embarrassment. In the midst of his tears, he slowly walked back to the desk and buried his head in his arms as he sobbed in his sleeves.
Seeing Michael in such a desperate state, Jeremy's heart broke. He tried to reach out to him but was swatted away. Jeremy lifted his hand back and continued working, all while watching Michael intently.
"Maybe your father wouldn't have to humiliate you in front of everyone if you didn't behave like a fool outside of the classroom, Michael" the teacher scolded. "Now back to work everyone"
Michael ran out of tears to cry and fell asleep on his desk. While simultaneously thinking to himself. "Tomorrow is another day"
Michael woke up slowly, his eyes adjusted to the light as he remembered where he was. The realization hit him that he was in his car. He let out a sigh of relief before viewing the area around him. He noticed the house he was parked outside of. His old home. Michael's eyes widened as he looked at the familiar surrounding. The old porch swing his mother used to cradle him on, the picnic table the family used to have cookouts on, the old drawings taped to the fireplace he made with his siblings Elizabeth and Evan, his cousins Charlotte and Samuel Emily, and his uncle Henry, and the hole in the wall outside the door his father threw a punch at in rage. Both pleasant and horrid memories came from this place. Now it was time to revisit.
Taking a long deep breath, Michael threw on a leather jacket and stepped out into the pouring rain. Every step he took up the old stairs took a toll on him.
Finally now at the front door, he gave it three sharp knocks as he waited for an answer from the other side. A few moments passed and clicking could be heard from the opposite side of the door. Eventually, the doorknob began to turn. Michael's heart pounded against his chest in anticipation.
The door opened with a loud creak to reveal a tall man with pale skin standing over Michael.
The rain and wind made Michael's hair raggedy. In response, His moved his hair from his face to lock eyes with the man.
"Father, it's me, Michael"