Not only did William's first crime not go unnoticed, it also brought into existence something much worse.
Act II - Nature vs. Nurture
But the truth is hard to swallow.
Laura had tenderly watched as her daughter made her way to her father and took a picture of the rabbit she had spotted in their back yard after having asked how to use the camera. She'd come back inside to wait for the photo to develop, gushing over the bunny's adorableness. Her father did not follow her, instead remaining outside to further observe the small animal. He had always been fascinated with rabbits, so it came as no surprise to the woman that he'd want to look at it a little longer. Apparently, Bill's mother used to tell him bedtime stories involving rabbits when he'd been a child, one of his fondest memories from that part of his life, or at least that's what he had confessed to her a couple of years ago when Evan had been born. However, he'd been outside for quite some time now, making her curious as to what her husband was doing that was taking him so long. She'd walked over to the kitchen a second time to look through the window that offered a direct view to the forest behind their house, where Bill was.
She noticed him kneeling in the grass, holding something. Confused, she had to squint to make out what it was, but when she did her heart had stopped for a moment. Her husband was holding the rabbit by its neck in a grip clearly intended to snap the poor creature's spine. It was then that she saw his face. His eyes were widened while a manic grin was plastered on his lips. The smile stretched to his ears, cutting his cheeks in two into an expression so unsettling and so unlike Bill that Laura had to take a second to steady her breathing so as to not disturb her unaware children behind her in front of the television. The crown of the tree line partially covered her kneeled husband in shadows, his bright violet outfit being made even more pronounced because of that.
Her pulse had risen to the point where she felt lightheaded and had to hold onto the kitchen counter so as to not collapse from the sudden loss of balance. It had only lasted for a second though, after which she was left to stare in shock at Bill as he continued to strangle the poor animal. Laura realized she had no clue who this man was. That could not be her husband, someone who albeit cold, would never be cruel to others. Bill avoided displaying too much emotion while in public, sticking to his business face most of the time when in meetings with potential benefactors and what not, but he was not incapable of compassion.
This was not William. She refused to believe that her husband was capable of such needless cruelty, or that he'd enjoy inflicting pain upon others. She had known him for a decade and a half. This was not the man she had fallen in love and had kids with. Someone must've been impersonating him.
But the satisfied look he sported as he stood over the body of the rabbit told her otherwise. The way his eyes trailed over the corpse, lost in morbid fascination. That look did not belong to Bill, but it was so real she couldn't deny that it fit the man's face perfectly. The thing she was seeing got up and fixed its suit as if it hadn't slaughtered an animal before leaning back to bask in the sunlight.
She needed to find her real husband and get her children as far away as possible from whoever that was. They were not safe here. Elizabeth had hugged that man like she would Bill. Her little girl could've gotten her neck snapped just like that rabbit and she would've been powerless to stop it. She hadn't noticed something was amiss and her kids could've suffered for it. Laura needed to get them away, otherwise there was no telling what that monster would do to them. Oh god, she had let that man get close to her children and never suspected anything. He had played her so well he acted exactly like Bill. He had-
That train of thought was broken by the man suddenly kicking the corpse behind the bushes. He turned around and began walking back, his gaze briefly falling on the house, making Laura take a step away from the window to not let herself be seen. Any sense of denial she might've had concerning his identity had vanished as she caught a last glimpse of his features. They were relaxed and collected. She'd go as far as to say he appeared relieved, like a burden had been lifted off his chest.
She wanted to think this was a horrible nightmare, that what she had witnessed was merely her imagination, or that she might've interpreted the scene that had played out wrong… But then she'd be lying to herself. This had happened. And William was responsible. It only now just dawned on her that she did not know who this man was. The past fifteen years she had been led to believe a lie. How much of their moments spent together were genuine and how many were illusions crafted by him to deceive her and every person he ever met? The father of her children had been playing pretend all this time. William Afton was but a husk, a carefully crafted disguise that hid a monster. A monster with which she had had kids. Who had slept in the same bed, under the same roof as her.
The horror of that truth kept her in place, frozen. Dread and fear grasped her heart. Not for herself, but for her babies. He hadn't slipped in the fifteen years they'd known each other, but who was to say that couldn't change. She'd only seen what he'd done by sheer luck. Otherwise, she would've been as oblivious as she'd been thus far. It terrified her. The fact that he could one day snap and murder all of them for the fun of it. For some sick twisted sense of pleasure. That they meant nothing to him. That she'd be unable to protect her Evan, Michael and Elizabeth. Laura felt sick to her stomach. She felt like she'd been defiled, the idea of him coming within two feet of her or her kids repulsed her. She didn't know anything about him. Every word uttered out of his mouth could've been a lie and she'd been none the wiser. All of those thoughts scared her to death.
But she couldn't allow fear to influence her, lest he notice something was up. She had to be strong. Her children their mother, even if they didn't know it. She promised herself she'd protect them from the thing that was their father, with her life if she had to. There was no doubt in her mind. The only uncertainty was whether or not to grab the sharpest kitchen knife and stab him the first chance she got. Oh, how she wished it could be that simple. But she couldn't traumatize her children. How would she even explain it to them? That the man that had helped raise them was an animal. Acting rash would only terrify and turn them against her. No. She knew she had to remain composed and endure whatever was to come for the opportunity to separate themselves from William.
But there was an obvious question that needed to be asked. Why. Why was her husband like this? What had made him this way? Why was his stare so empty, so devoid of humanity?
Why would he smile as he crushed an animal to death, watching it choke in its own blood.
And then it hit her. William had never reached a breaking point; he did not just snap one day, nor was he subjected to abuse when he was a child to make him hateful or something similar. No… He had always been like this; no one had seen it before because he didn't have an opening to inflict pain until now.
Nobody had tried to know him well enough to help.
A part of her felt guilty for the fact that she'd been too ignorant to help the man she loved, but the more rational side of her knew there was nothing she, or anyone could have done to change him so late in his adulthood.
William was a victim as much as that rabbit had been, but he was too far gone to help. He'd suffered the unfairness of mental health diseases. He'd been ruined from the start and only now did he discover the satisfaction that hurting others would bring him.
Despite all of that, she still loved him… But she loved her children more, and she'd die before letting him lay a hand on them.
Laura was pulled out of her thoughts by the front door creaking open.
Speak of the devil, he just entered the house, evident by Elizabeth's excitement at showing her father the developed film. She tensed and looked at the father and daughter, biting her lower lip.
"The picture's done, daddy. Look! It came out so good!" the girl proudly handed him the photo. He scanned it, seemingly impressed.
"Indeed, good job Elizabeth." she beamed at his praise. "Here, you should put it in a frame." he gave it back to her.
"That's a great idea, father! Do we have any around?" it took Laura a while to figure out her daughter was talking to her, but she was interrupted before she could respond.
"Dear?" that was William. "Are you feeling well? You seem a little pale." She couldn't meet his eyes. His concern was as convincing as it had always been, and Laura genuinely couldn't tell if it was sincere or not. She hated how his whole demeanor had softened, as if he actually cared.
"I- I'm fine." she assured, cursing herself for stuttering. William wasn't convinced. "I don't think we have any empty frames, sweetie, but we could go buy some if you want."
"Perfect, we could do that when we go to the pet store."
"Pet store?" she asked incredulously.
"Elizabeth wishes for a pet rabbit. I agreed as long as she's the one to take care of it." he explained.
"I promise I'll feed it, I'll bathe it, I'll even clean after it. Please, mom! I really want a bunny!" she wasn't too good at saying no to their children, so she caved in rather easily.
"Alright, but only if your brothers agree to it as well."
"Mikey won't care so that leaves Ev." she faced her brother and jerked his shoulders. "If you say yes, I'll let you play with all of my toys." Elizabeth rarely shared her toys with her younger sibling and would often get into fights with him if he even dared to touch her dolls without her permission so it only spoke to how much she wanted a pet if she was willing to let her brother play with them unconditionally.
"Okay." said the boy simply, distracted by something as his eyes were not meeting his sister's but were trailing behind his father.
"Is something wrong?" the man asked, picking up on it too. Evan fidgeted under William's gaze but then shakily pointed at the wall the man was standing in front of.
"T- There's a… a shadow b- behind you, father." he raised a brow. "It's black and it's got glowing eyes."
"There's nothing there, Ev. You're just seeing things like you always do." his sister scolded.
"I'm not lying! There's a huge shadow behind dad." he said with a bit more vigor.
"That's because of the light, honey." Laura attempted to console her son, but he shook his head, eyes already watering.
"It doesn't look like dad's shadow and it's way bigger than him. It's right there, why can't you see it?" William sighed in response.
"You need to go outside more. Staying in your room all day has made you scared of everything that moves. What will you do when you start kindergarten this autumn? You can't be afraid of every little thing, Evan, otherwise you're never going to make friends." the boy was on the verge of tears. Laura shot her husband a glare which he acknowledged with a look that said "What did I say wrong?".
"…Charlie and Matt are my friends." he mumbled, hugging himself.
"Yes, but you haven't met them in school, have you? You know them because me and Henry know each other. You'll have to get over your fears in order to socialize with other children your age and facing them head on is the only way to fight them. Crying and sobbing won't solve anything. No one wants to be friends with a crybaby, Evan." the five-year-old had burst into tears before his father had finished his sentence, making its impact much stronger on the boy.
"William!" Laura snapped, making both kids flinch, her previous fear forgotten. Even her husband had been stunned by her sudden outburst, but he quickly regained his composure.
"What? Do you expect me to keep my mouth shut?"
"You can't just say that to him, Bill! He's five! You know how se"
"-Someone has to tell him how things are, dear. I will not stand by and let my son be swallowed by the world because of his insecurities."
"Telling him is not helping in the slightest."
"Right, because coddling him up will surely make him into a man. Every night he comes into our room and asks to sleep in our bed, he sees things that aren't there and only wastes time when boys his age should be learning how to ride a bicycle or something." his voice had risen in volume, much like hers. "Evan needs to start doing things besides playing all the time if we don't want him to end up like his older brother."
"I'm not saying he shouldn't, but forcing him won't help."
"-When have I forced him to do anything?"
"-And comparing him to Michael is not fair to either of them."
"Michael has had plenty of chances to-…" both children had tuned out of their parents' argument.
"See what you've done? If you had kept quiet mommy and daddy wouldn't be fighting." Lizzie chastised him, crossing her arms.
"…I- I didn't m- mean t- to make them fight." he said between sobs. "I just saw…"
"Stop lying already! No one believes you so why do you keep going, huh?" his only response was more snuffling. "Whatever. Cry all you want. Dad is right, anyway. You're just a crybaby." she snarled, shoving him to the side so she could get up and go to the relative peace of her room. Evan watched her go with red eyes, then turned to look at his parents, who were shouting so loud his ears hurt. He wiped his tears and hugged himself tighter but found no comfort at all, especially with the shadow figure staring into his soul with its piercing white dots for eyes. The aura around the monster intensified by the minute, and the feelings of hatred, rage and wickedness made the poor boy tremble in fear. He was paralyzed in on the spot however. His body wouldn't budge no matter how hard he tried. He couldn't do anything but watch as the monster seemed to feed on the anger before it, growing more prominent and making its presence more perceivable, but only to him.
Evan shut his eyes, whimpering softly. The darkness had decided to go on the offensive, impaling the boy from all sides, settling in his chest with a low growl. The young Afton drowned in the agony, feeling its burning abhorrence but being unable to rid himself of it. It latched onto him like gum to a shoe, like a parasite reveling in his fright, leaving a bitter taste.
A chill raced down his spine as he heard an ominous laugh deep within his mind. Its mocking was obvious even to him. He shuddered.
A noisy comment from his mother made him open his eyes. To his bewilderment, the monster was no longer standing behind his father. The boy frantically looked around to find where it had gone and was startled to see it outside on the porch through the window. It motioned for him to follow it. Evan shook his head defiantly.
But then he glanced at his dad. Besides the mild anger that was present on his visage the boy saw… indifference. Or maybe that wasn't the right word. It was inconvenience, or perhaps annoyance, but not at his mother. It was directed at him. He knew it.
The monster knew it.
Elizabeth knew it.
His mother… she didn't believe him. No one ever did. Sure, some of the things he said were gross over exaggerations due to his fear, but that didn't make them all lies. He wasn't lying now.
Mikey would rather he went away, that's what he always told him. "Go away, Evan!" or "Leave me alone, I don't have time to deal with your shit." or "Stop being such a scaredy-cat." or "This is why you don't have friends.". Mikey made it clear he hated him, Elizabeth would only say something nice to him if she was on her best mood, and that was pretty rare given her constant bickering with Mike. His father despised him and his mom didn't trust him no matter what she'd say to comfort him.
Maybe the shadow wasn't wrong. Anywhere was better than here. If he left, maybe Mikey would be happier and not grumpy all the time. Maybe Lizzie would not have to fight him for their mother's attention and dad wouldn't be disappointed.
His parents were too distracted to see him on the carpet. Like they always were.
Evan got up and opened the front door. The figure was no longer on the porch, instead it was standing outside the forest, waving slowly at him. He followed it without resistance.
o0o
Her father was on the telephone, speaking to someone important it seemed. Mari was watching the television, a recently released animated movie with a fox and a dog. Matt gone out on one of his usual walks and had been gone for some time now. Charlie's father had initially been against the idea of the boy going out on his own but he'd been persuaded by Matthew after he explained that Hurricane was too small of a town for anything bad to happen and promised to not go too far or talk to strangers. After a long lecture of what he should and shouldn't do Henry had reluctantly allowed the boy to go on his walks. When asked why he wanted to go out the boy would always say that he wanted to clear his head, prompting her to stop that line of questioning. Something about the small town helping him relax as opposed to the slums that were the larger cities, in his words, as well as the need to be alone for a while.
Charlie had teased him by saying that he was tired of her when he had nicely rejected her going with him. Matt proceeded to stumble over his words explaining how that wasn't the case at all, solely that he wanted some time to himself and not some desire to get away from her.
She knew he was telling the truth, but it had been pretty funny to get him so embarrassed, she later admitted to her dad.
She did understand him though. Except for interacting with her, Mari and going to whatever place her dad would take he was stuck at home so it was reasonable that he wanted to go exploring on his own here and there. She just wished he'd talk more. Even after their promise to be there for each other he had yet to really open up about anything despite knowing she'd listen, though that didn't mean he wasn't there for her. On the contrary, Matthew was a very good listener, never not wanting to hear her out, and with advice she would assume only an old person would have.
It made her feel like she wasn't doing enough to help him when he helped her basically every day. Charlie knew she could be a bit much for some people, and a lot of kids from school would stay away from her because of her overfriendliness or would take advantage of her trusting nature, but Matt didn't do either of those things, just kept to himself more than she'd like. Of course, she knew she had no right to make him spill his heart to her- and that wasn't at all what she wanted- but it was a bit frustrating how he'd always help her but not allow himself to be helped.
In that aspect, the two of them were quite the same. Both of them helped each other but did not believe they needed, or deserved, help. Charlie thought he was wonderful, and would aid him in any way she could, but she didn't want to be assisted by him due to believing she could solve her own problems since she was in an arguably better position than him and Matthew would lend a hand as a show of gratitude for her assistance but didn't want it reciprocated any further thinking she had done enough. They still appreciated their support, but they couldn't really come to a compromise concerning this issue.
In short, their relationship was complicated. And it was made worse by the fact that Matt constantly had nightmares. This last one in particular had been awful compared to the rest, it would appear. Sure, he'd gotten better about his… situation, but he looked so exhausted and half asleep most of the time, with dark circles under his eyes, that it was no wonder to Charlie he was always so absent, and he didn't trust easily either. She saw how guarded he kept himself around her uncle the few instances they'd met in spite of him being the greatest person in the world second only to her father. Although she might be biased there. She supposed Matt didn't have a reason to trust grownups given what had happened, which was… sad, really.
She felt so bad for him, but her pity wouldn't bring him comfort. He'd sooner pity himself than led others do it.
"You can't like everyone, and you can't expect everyone to like you" was something her father had said when she'd started school. Where most adults called her extraordinary, kids called her naïve and strange, regardless of her efforts to appease and befriend them. But Charlie had succeeded in befriending Matt, and she planned on remaining his best friend just as he was for her. She wanted to return the happiness he brought her more than anything.
That was enough back and forth for now. The girl opted to tune in to her dad's conversation.
"Do you really think it's such a good idea to take in a boy you found on the street in the rain?" she heard from the living room. So, they were talking about Matt. Charlie could make out a woman's voice had asked her father that, though from where she was in the kitchen, she couldn't tell who it was.
"I've made up my mind months ago. It's not like he has anywhere else to go. Even if there was someone to take him it'd be likely he'd end up in a bad family, or at some godforsaken orphanage. I can't in good conscience allow that to happen when I can give him a better chance at a normal life." the woman let out a defeated sigh. Who would her dad talk to about Matthew. It didn't sound like this was Miss Davis or Miss Afton, and as far as she knew those women were the only ones to know about Matt.
"I don't mean to sound inconsiderate, but can you trust him? What if he tries to steal something or hurt Charlie? You don't know him; how can you be sure he isn't just bidding his time to cause you problems."
"…I get where you're coming from, believe me, but he's been nothing but polite and sweet the whole time he's lived with us. Charlie and him are basically inseparable. He's making her happy and he's making me happy too. Matthew's just a kid whose lost everything, not some brat that lies to get what he wants. And he's been having a pretty hard time adjusting, despite our efforts, but he's getting better day by day. He's already part of the family. I'm getting the adoption papers right after this." the woman kept silent for a while as Charlie resisted the urge to gasp. Adoption papers? Did that mean it was finally over? Was Matt officially going to be a member of her family?
She had to keep herself from squeaking in disbelief.
"Alright, but you're not the most observant person, Henry. I don't want to hear you complaining when I'll tell you I said so when this inevitably blows up in your face."
"Please, look who's speaking. The Earth's most paranoid woman. It's why you're still single after all this time, you know." wait…
"You're one to talk, mister. When was the last time you spoke to a woman besides myself or Afton's wife, hmm?" was this… her aunt?
"You know why that is." he deflected the question, not giving the girl time to ponder it.
"I do, but it's not an excuse. You need to have some fun once in a while. You'll kill yourself if all you do is work, sleep and repeat."
"I'll get to have fun when the restaurant opens, till then I still have stuff to take care of."
"Heh, I guess there's no point in arguing with you there."
"Nope." he confirmed.
"Well, thanks for calling, Henry. It's nice to hear your voice after so long. And thank you for telling me about it, even if you don't plan on listening to my advice."
"Thanks for offering it anyway. Take care, Jen." it was aunt Jen!
"You too. Let me know how it goes, will you?"
"Sure thing."
"And say hi to Charlie for me! I miss that little munchkin!" she missed her as well. They hadn't seen each other in so long… last summer if her memory wasn't wrong. They really should pay her a visit; her poor aunt must be getting lonely. And they should bring Matt too. Charlie didn't really fault the woman for her suspicious nature, that was just how her aunt had always been, but she had no doubt the woman would like him if given enough time to get to know him.
"Yeah, don't worry. Goodbye."
"Bye, Henry." with that they ended the call. The girl approached her father as he put down the receiver.
"What was that about adoption papers?" she asked him hopefully.
"You were listening? Hmm, I wanted it to be a surprise but, well, it's been decided. We've won, Matthew's an Emily now. I'll be going over to sign and finish everything and that'll be that. I've been appointed as his legal guardian. You guys don't have to fear him being taken away anymore. It's over. Oh, and your aunt says hi." it was hard even for her father to not be excited about the news. The Puppet perked up at his words, singing joyously. Charlie flung herself at her father, holding him as tight as she could.
"Oh my god! This is so great! We have to tell him the moment he comes home!"
"Heh, I'm glad to see you're so thrilled about this, but you'll have to wait until I get back and then we can tell him together, okay?" she nodded. "Good. I won't be gone for long. Mari'll take care of you in the meantime."
"We'll be fine. I can't wait!" her father smiled brightly as he parted her.
"I'm off, see you soon honey."
"Take care, dad. Don't take too long." she felt the need to request that even though he assured her he wouldn't. They waved, after which her father left.
The Puppet rose, abandoning the movie, and came near her, putting three flexible fingers on her shoulder.
"Isn't this exciting? Matt's staying! He'll get to go to school with me and make friends and no one'll come get him!" the animatronic tittered in short chimes. It flitted to the window, inviting the girl to do the same, before holding its chin in its hands. She didn't feel like doing anything better at the moment so she leaned against the Puppet, folding her arms on the stool to rest her head on them. Mari played a calming tune, content to wait for the boy's arrival for the time being.
o0o
Evan's legs hurt from all the walking he had done. The shadow had led him through the forest then onto the road which he had followed until he reached Hurricane. He didn't know for how long he had walked, but the shadow hadn't stopped yet, so he figured he hadn't gotten where it wanted him to be. He'd expected the forest to creep him out but the daylight made it peaceful. The sounds of birds, the light breeze and the colorful plants he could see at every turn had painted a scenery he'd lost himself in multiple times before he exited the woods. Evan couldn't recall ever going through them with his father even though their house was right next to them.
The figure didn't say a word as he followed it, and neither did it walk. The way it moved was weird, to say the least. It would wait for him a couple dozen feet ahead and when he got close it would disappear and reappear further away. It was always watching, never taking its pinpricks off of him, but he didn't feel as unnerved as he had felt when it had been standing behind his dad. And the aura around it had changed, if only slightly. It wasn't emitting hate anymore, just a silent sort of anger. That wasn't new to the young Afton. Usually, anger would be aimed at him, so he didn't mind the monster, especially since it hadn't done anything to hurt or scare him.
Even if it had, he would've deserved it.
He had tried to ask it where it was intending to lead him, but he got no response. If they were going to Hurricane, maybe it wanted him to go to Charlie and Matt's house. That would've been nice. They hadn't seen each other in a while, he'd enjoy playing with them more than he would with his sister in any case. Charlie never belittled or fought him, she was welcoming and kind, and Matt, in the few brief instances they had met, had acted more like an older brother than Mikey ever had.
Evan knew it was wrong to think of his sibling that way, but with the constant name-calling and harassment he received from him, he preferred Matt over his actual brother, and would've been glad to have them switch as his siblings. Charlie as well, since Lizzie probably despised him more than Mikey if he was being honest. He still loved his siblings, but they didn't love him back, and that hurt.
The figure knew that somehow, and it was trying to get him elsewhere, that was what he got from it. It might've been scary, but it didn't act like a tormentor, it was more akin to an irritable friend. Its whole behavior was funky. Everything about it was so out of this world. For one thing, it was massive in size, easily towering over his father, who was already pretty tall. Its body was dark, seemingly made of shadows and ceaselessly shifting, as if it was on fire. When in light, its black mass would have a purple tinge to it. It had three toes on each foot, two tiny ears, a round snout and one of those hats magicians usually wore. It looked similar to the sketches his father had made of the characters that would be at Fredbear's.
On top of that, it had broken its pattern of waiting for him a small distance away when he had reached the road, instead standing in the middle of it, letting the cars pass through itself as if it wasn't actually there. He had to make sure no cars were approaching to go to it, but when he did the shadow hadn't disappeared, it just remained close to him, looking down at the boy with an unreadable expression.
Evan had to get out of the way when he spotted a truck drawing nearer.
Only then did the monster change its position. And so, they continued this game of sitting in the middle of the road and moving out of cars' ways whenever they passed by, as it seemed like the only method of advancing to wherever it wanted him to arrive, eventually reaching the town of Hurricane.
But he had gotten so tired he could barely move. Evan had walked for miles and his legs could only carry him for so long before they started trembling with exhaustion. He stopped to catch his breath on many occasions, but his steps were still very slow.
The boy looked to the sides to make sure the street was clear before strolling over to the figure. He didn't understand why it was doing this. Why it only moved once a car passed them. If a vehicle wasn't coming then it would stay there until one did, and only after he dodged would it vanish from its place.
Evan looked from left to right for a car to appear but due to his fatigue, didn't notice that one had just turned a corner that was within earshot of him. The driver blasted the horn, alerting the boy to what was about to happen, making him snap his head in the vehicle's direction. His eyes widened, but it was already too late. He didn't have time to jump to the side. The boy could only watch in trepidation as he was about to be run over.
But then something softer than the hard plastic in front crashed into Evan, shielding his head and acting as a pillow for to fall on, effectively saving him. The car skidded to a halt. Whoever had saved him let out a long, drawn-out groan. Evan hugged the body tighter as he felt the familiar sensation of rage wash over him once again. Barely brave enough to take a peek, the boy saw the shadow glaring, its dark mass pulsating chaotically. Before he could close his eyes in a worthless attempt to make it leave him alone the space around the being warped, enveloping it with nothing. One second the monster was there, the next second it had been shrunk out of existence. He couldn't dwell on it much however as a voice he recognized called out from under him.
"Get off, man..." he complied quickly, looking at the boy who had saved him. "I'll thank you later for the bruises… and the road rash. Ugh. What the heck are you doing here all alone, Ev? And why where you just standing there? You've a Deathwish or something?"
"I…"
"-I- I'm so sorry. Are y- you guys okay? I s- swear I didn't see you t- there, uh, holly crap, s- sorry. U- um, I tried to stop, but I wasn't paying attention. Thank God, you saved him. I don't k- know what I would've done if" the man that could have killed him spoke as he got out.
"-Watch where the fuck you're driving, asshole." he coughed. "Ugh, damn. Drive your car into the light post or something, don't just keep on going! We're not on the race track, you know. Shit." Evan helped him up before the man could. "Thanks, Ev. You good?" the Afton nodded.
"I'm sorry you got hurt." he apologized weakly, tears beginning to form. The older boy gave him a weary smile as he patted his back.
"Think a little fall on the asphalt's going to put me down? Think again dude." he said, ignoring the nasty contusion that had formed under the sleeve of his t-shirt. Matthew's soft expression went stone cold as he gazed at the man. "Who's the moron that gave you a license? You would've killed him if I hadn't jumped in!"
"I- I know, um, I'm so sorry. Um, I uh, this won't make up for it but I could t- take you to a hospital if you want…" he trailed off, stressed out of his mind. The realization that he could've killed two children hadn't completely settled in.
"…Do you really think I'd let you take us to a hospital?... Get lost. We're fine."
"Yeah, t- that's uh, that's fair. Okay. I'll um, uh…"
"You're still here? Do you want me to call the cops on you for attempted murder?" that sent the ideal message, making the man stumble comically as he entered his car and drove down the street. Matthew watched him go until he was out of view before muttering a curse. "Don't say what I say, Ev. Your parents would have my skin if they learned I taught you how to swear." He nodded, amused a little. He could confirm that to be true.
"Who was that man? You kind of looked like you knew him." he pointed out.
"I guess his voice and face were pretty familiar? Uh, and with the stuttering- it reminded me of someone I knew once, or well, I didn't know but, I knew who he was. A big figure you could say but… eh, it doesn't matter now. So, mind sharing what you're doing here by yourself?" Evan shifted under Matt's gaze, as if he had been caught stealing. He didn't want to lie, especially to Matt, but the memories of his siblings and parents never believing him inclined him to do just that, if only for the relief of not being accused as a liar. It was funny, by lying he'd be a liar, and by not lying he'd still be thought of as one.
"Mom and dad were fighting and… I left." Somehow the answer didn't take the other boy aback.
"And you came all the way to Hurricane from your house?" Evan shrugged. Of course, Matt wouldn't buy his story, why did he expect otherwise? "Are you sure you weren't led here by, I don't know, a friend, maybe?" the way Matthew said the word friend almost made it seem like he knew of the shadow. Had he also seen it? Was this finally proof he wasn't broken in the head like his siblings had said? After some consideration, Evan spoke hesitantly.
"Do you promise to believe me and not laugh."
"I promise."
"Ok. I saw a shadowy monster and followed it through the forest all the way here." the other boy hummed thoughtfully.
"Shadow monster. How did it look?" so he actually believed him?!
"It was super tall, all black with small white eyes and a magician's hat."
"A top hat?"
"That's what they're called?"
"Yeah, they're very classy. So… I'm assuming this monster made you stand in the middle of the street, didn't it?"
"I, uh, it did. It wanted me to follow it but after we left the woods it would stay in the road and only move if I went next to it and waited for a car to pass us."
"Well, um, sounds to me like your shadowy friend didn't have good intentions."
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it. It made you wait for cars to pass you, but that might've just been to get you to be hit by one of them, and, I mean, that's what would've happened if I hadn't jumped in. I think it wanted you to get hit but you just kept dodging so it had to like, tire you out to the point where you couldn't dodge anymore, which it did." Evan shook his head. The figure had been scary, but if it wanted to hurt him then it could've done so at any point the past few hours.
"Why didn't it hurt me then?" his tone had gotten defensive, making Matthew raise his hands.
"Hey, I don't know. It could be that it can't touch you, so it had to find another way to do that. Look, maybe it's not a good idea to trust that thing if you see it again, which you very well might. How about you just ignore it from now on and don't do what it says. It could go away if it sees that it can't bother you."
"I don't want it to go away. It's my friend and it helped me when mom and dad started arguing."
"Just because it made you run from home doesn't mean it helped. You shouldn't"
"-Don't tell me what to do, Matt! You're not my brother!" despite what that statement implied, he would've preferred for him to be his brother, but the sudden exasperation he felt outweighed that sentiment. He couldn't tell where this was coming from, as these types of feelings were unlike a pushover such as himself, if Mike's opinion was anything to go by, but he felt as though if pushed more he'd start saying things he didn't mean and would regret. Matt's lips quirked, not expecting him to snap, and the way in which his features turned sheepish made Evan immediately want to take back his words.
"I'm not trying to be your brother; I'm trying to look out for you." the Afton crossed his arms, pouting.
"I don't want your help." he continued against his own wishes. Matthew kept quiet in response. The older boy broke eye contact and sighed, looking to the side while rubbing his battered arm. All of what had happened today was getting to Evan, making him cranky, as Liz would say. He had cried enough for the day and didn't want to be made upset any longer, his sister and parents had done that earlier, but this frustration was uncharacteristic of him. The resentment had always been there, but the courage to express it, and at the wrong person at that, could not have come from him. It had to have been planted. He'd been poisoned with it.
Evan looked back when he heard another vehicle, seeing that it was a police car. It slowed down when it got before the two boys, making both tense a little even if they hadn't done anything to cause the attention. The officer inside scanned him for a moment before motioning to his partner to stop and get out. Evan gulped, feeling very anxious out of nowhere, as if he was about to be reprimanded severely.
o0o
She didn't think she had ever seen him drive that fast, though she understood the why of it, or at least the perceived why. As unlikely as it was, this might not be a front and he was indeed worried. She would've told him to go slower, but if Elizabeth didn't mind the speed, then there wasn't anything wrong with hurrying as he was a competent driver. She hated how she couldn't read him though, how she would have to guess from now on what he was really thinking. And that was an incredibly difficult task, what with how controlled his body language and every expression were. But she'd learn, slowly but surely, she was certain. She just had to make sure not to act out of the ordinary so he wouldn't suspect her. Easier said than done.
Henry was the one to call them, informing them that Evan had been found by two officers all the way in Hurricane. Laura had been on the verge of a panic attack for the better part of the day, but when she heard the news, she'd managed to calm down a tidbit, though that didn't stop the shock of learning that your baby boy had somehow ended up close to ten miles away from home. The fact that he knew to get there at all and not get lost someplace else where he couldn't be found was a miracle in and of itself.
William was the one to notice their boy had all but vanished, which led to them searching the whole house for him. To her dismay, it had taken them a while to realize that Evan may not have been in the house and instead could've left. Bill- why did she still thought of him like that- had initially rejected the idea of his son up and leaving out of the blue, but clearly, he had underestimated how much his words had hurt their boy. Of course, William was only partially responsible, as her own yelling had done anything but help.
She should've controlled herself. She should've acted like a proper mother in front of her child. There were a lot of things she could've done better and while the arguing had started out of a desire to defend her kids it had devolved into a screaming match that contributed to her baby leaving. When she'd see him soon, she'd pull him into a hug and not let go until she was sure he wouldn't disappear again but before that she'd apologize for doubting him and let him know just how precious he was to her.
In a way her Evan had been lucky, because with him being younger than 7 an immediate search had begun once they got past the red tape, so to speak. And oh, how she hated the procedure; the police could only start the search after everything had been "considered", and not after the parents had offered all the necessary details concerning their son's appearance. What was there to even consider when a five-year-old went missing? You went to go find him no questions asked.
That being said, Laura had restrained herself from needlessly pressuring the officers when they couldn't do anything about it except follow said procedure. She understood they had to do everything by the book even if the situation was dire. The police didn't need to have their lives made harder by a hysteric mother whose actions would not have helped, no matter how much they might've been justified.
"I'm dying of curiosity to know just what was going through his head." Bill spoke to himself, staring forward intensely. "I would expect something like this of Michael, but him… If what I told him made him upset then how will he react when I" she cut him off before he could finish.
"-You'll do nothing but keep quiet and let me deal with our son, Bill. Evan ran because what you said hurt him. He won't want to talk to you."
"I was telling him the truth. I can't lie to my son about those sorts of things if I want him to grow up. If he has to get sad to understand then so be it, I know what's best for him, and he has to accept that whether he likes it or not. My father was tough with me and thanks to him I didn't turn out a delinquent. We've been lenient with Michael and look where that got him. I'm not letting it happen to our other son as well." look at her husband go on another rant about the failure that was their eldest. It was meaningless to try and correct his opinion as the past years had proved. He was convinced Mike was the worst son he could possibly have. One thing that applied to both William Afton and the monster underneath was that they were too stubborn for their own sake.
"Michael's not as bad as you make him out to be, your standards are too high for him to meet so that's why you're constantly disappointed in him."
"Is it wrong of me to expect the best of my son when I gave him everything he requires to succeed? Am I wrong in asking him to do his best because he has the potential to achieve anything thanks to my efforts? But no, Michael always chooses the easy way out. That boy wouldn't spend a drop of sweat on something. Never mind becoming a hooligan, indolence is what'll do him in."
"You're projecting your ideas of what success is onto him. Let him discover his own success and you'll see he won't turn out bad. Mike's still young. Maybe it won't be what you had in mind for him, but it's his life and he gets to choose what to do with it, not us, Bill. We can only try to guide him to the best of our ability, but he's the one following his own road." he went to say something else but she beat him to the punch. "We've had this debate a million times by now. Let it be, at least until after we get home." he wiped his face, sighing deeply.
"Refused to even come with us, the bastard…" he didn't talk for the rest of the journey.
Henry waved at them as they reached his home. Two policemen were along with him on the sidewalk. William parked the car and all of them got out.
"He's inside." spoke Henry, relieved to see them. "Where's Mike?"
"Couldn't be bothered to come." tsked William. Laura ignored them as she strode forward, holding Elizabeth's hand.
"Mr. Afton, a moment?" she heard one of the cops ask.
"Certainly." his voice had an edge to it.
She opened the door to see three children in front of the television, one of them her son. All the anxiety fled her when she saw that he was alright. She couldn't focus on her boy for long however due to realizing that among the kids there was also a… well, it looked like a type of Jack-in-the-box, if made to be friendlier, as the absence of human facial features definitely helped its appearance in that department. Four heads turned in her direction, three small and cute with one made of hard ceramic that almost frowned at her unannounced presence. Elizabeth went over uncaring and flicked her brother across the forehead.
"Ouch."
"Do you know how worried everyone was for you?! What were you thinking, running away like you were some stray cat?"
"…I'm sorry." his tone was meek and he faltered to look Laura in the eye.
"You better be, doofus." Elizabeth continued. Laura knelt to his level, extending her hands. He walked slowly towards her, and was pulled into a loving, soft embrace when he got within reach. He hugged back, as tight as his arms allowed.
"I'm so happy you're okay… I'm sorry we made you go, that we made you think you weren't wanted or… None of that is true. That's not what we meant. Evan, we love you more than anything. I know we don't always show that, especially your siblings, but we all care about you so much. Even you father. I know what he said hurt you, but he's only trying to help in whatever way he knows. He might not be right, and far from perfect, but no one is. Not me, not you, not your brother and sister, but that doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're fine." He rubbed the tears away and hugged her some more, staying like that for a couple of minutes. No one said a word.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the other boy tap the mime on the shoulder. The gesture made the lithe figure rise and walk into another room soundlessly.
"Matt found me." her boy whispered to her then let go. She gazed at the other boy in question, making him want to be anywhere else other than her field of view. He seemed to have heard what her Evan had said.
"A- Ah, well, I just saw him and I wondered what he was do- uh, hey!" she scooped him up in a hug too. "Um… This is nice... I guess." Matthew pulled back after a few seconds, becoming uncomfortable.
"Thank you for finding him." Laura spoke warmly.
"Heh, it's nothing. I'm just looking out for him." it was then that the mime returned, carrying something in one of its thin hands. It knelt down in front of her son and gifted him a flashlight. Evan took it reluctantly, trying to hide a smile as he inspected the object. The doll ruffled his hair playfully, singing a pleasant melody. There was a note written on the torch, and although her baby couldn't read it, she could.
"To keep the monsters away."
How did we get here? I've no idea how this chapter ended up with more words than the last one, which was supposed to be "the big one", but the more words the better, I'd say.
A big thank you to Chsajo on Wattpad for making a cool fanart of Matt!
Thanks again for it! It turned out amazing 8D. And thank you for reading! Let me know what you thought in the comments. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving! I'll see you next time👋!
Chapter title from "Follow Me" by TryHardNinja.
