Chapter 36: Chains won't bind me

As the bus leaves the area. Michael along with Sayori stand in front of a heavily guarded prison. The building solid grey with black barbed wires surrounding the upper walls around the main building. The forest just around the corner and yet no sound other than the bus leaving for its next stop.

Michael: "So this is the place?" He says calmly.

Sayori: "It's kinda scary, like the ones you see in those scary movies."

Michael: "Maybe." He continues looking at the building. As he does memories of his past started flashing before his eyes along with the sounds of sirens. "If you're scared then you can head home if you like?"

Sayori: "You know I can't do that. I promised Gabriella that I would help you and make sure you got home safely."

Michael: "If you say so. Come on. We need to let the office know we're here for my appointment."

Sayori: "Y-yeah sure?"

(Wonder how MC feels about all this? Just yesterday he broke up with Sara and now he's going to see his dad after all these years. Just yesterday after we got home together, he just told me that he's going to go visit his dad. When he said that I was surprised. I didn't expect him to say that and yet I asked why? That's when he told me.)

"It's something I must do."

(I didn't know what he meant by that and yet he told me that these past few days he's been making calls to visit him. That explains why he's been on his phone a lot more often. To face his abusive dad. I'm kinda worried how he would feel and react after seeing him. What will he say to him and will they make up or what? No matter what I need to support him.)

The both of them enter the building. When they arrived at the visiting room. Both Michael and Sayori had to fill in some paperwork and identification along with security check. The guards asked them a couple of questions and scanned them both before entering the next room. After they all finished up, they waited in the waiting room.

Guard: "Michael Conner you may enter now!" Michael takes a deep breath.

Michael: "Here we go." He gets up off his seat.

Sayori: "You'll be fine." She gets up off her seat as well.

Michael: "Don't follow me."

Sayori: "Huh?"

Michael: "I want you to wait here. This is between me and my dad."

Sayori: "A-are you sure?" He looks into her eyes. "I-I understand." She sits back down as Michael walks to the entrance with his crutches in hands.

Guard: "Are you sure you don't want to bring her along with you?"

Michael: "Yes, I don't want her to be a part of this."

Guard: "Understand sir. We'll be assisting you."

Michael: "Thank you." He continues to walk to the next room along with the guards to not only open the doors for him, but to allow him to pass without trouble due to his crutches. "Woah"

He says quietly as he sees a small room with one guard standing nearby with two seats on both sides with a window in the middle. The room was small enough to fit four people. Himself, his dad, and two guards on both sides. With the way the rooms were designed it helped keep things private between visitors and safe from one another should things turn ugly.

Michael carefully takes his seat and waits for his dad to show up. The more he waited the more his heart started to race. He was nervous to see his dad after all these years since he was arrested. He always thought that would be the last time he would see his dad and yet here he is. A family reunion between father and son. He jumped a bit after hearing the door open from the other side and saw a third guard guiding a man in an orange prison attire, well built with dark messy brown hair, and gold-colored eyes. Something that Michael and him share.

Guard 2: "Take your seat and answer the phone."

Guard: "Take the phone right there and the both of you can begin talking to one another."

Michael: "Right" Both him and his dad picked up the phones and stared at each other for the first time in years. "Dad"

Dad: "Michael. How long has it been since we last saw each other?"

Michael: "Too long. Last time I saw you, you were being taken away by the guards after me and mom testified against you."

Dad: "You know that really hurt me kiddo. Seeing you and your mother betraying me like that. Why did you decide to see me now?"

Michael: "I'm just like any other. Just wanted to see my dad again. Is there something wrong with a boy wanting to see his daddy?"

Dad: "No …" The two stare in silent. "You've grown a lot since I last saw you. Back then you were a lot scrawny but look at you now. I can see you kept yourself fit.

Michael: "I've been working out. You have no idea how many people hated you that they would pick on your offspring. Day by day, night after night they would assault me."

Dad: "…"

Michael: "I got so used to it that it helped build me to who I am you see before you now. Broken yet repaired."

Dad: "I see."

Michael: "…"

Dad: "Do you regret it?"

Michael: "Regret what?"

Dad: "About me?"

Michael: "About you?"

Dad: "Do you regret your decision putting me behind bars?"

Michael: "…" He just stares at his dad.

Dad: "It's ok son. I still love you and your mother, so how about it? Want to bail me out?" He says with a smile. "Come on kiddo. Pay them to bail me out and we can be a family again. Come on and do it. Let me be free and let me give you a hug son."

Michael: "… As much as I always wanted to be held by you. I could care less about it now."

Dad: "Huh?"

Michael: "The reason I'm here … is to cut all my tides with you."

Dad: "What are you talking about?"

Michael: "You really are a selfish person. Not just selfish, but also a stupid man."

Dad: "Is that anyway to talk to your father? The reason why I hit you is because you wouldn't follow rules."

Michael: "Correction, you would've hit me no matter what I did. Every time you drank, every time you got back from work, even when we welcomed you home, you would always beat us for no reason other than to satisfy yourself. Your ego. You were never my dad."

Dad: "Of course I'm your dad. I'm the reason why you exist! I'm the reason why your mother got pregnant!"

[Just Like You by Three Days Grace]

Michael: "That doesn't mean anything to me! You may have been one reason I'm alive today, but you never acted like a father to me. Sayori's dad Samson was more of father to me than you could ever be. Back then I always wanted you to give me that thumbs up for my accomplishments. But now that I'm all grown up, I don't need your approval because mom was always there for me. You were never there when I needed you. Instead, you would rather go out there getting drunk and sleeping with other women. You know how much me and mom suffered because of you?

You left us with scars, but even then, mom stayed strong to raise me all by herself. Every day when I feel alone, I always wonder why you were never there to help? Now I know the truth to why you act the way you do? Grandpa did the same to you didn't he? That's why you lashed out on us? You wanted to inflict the same scars he did to you. Am I wrong?"

Dad: "So what your saying is that one day you'll be just like me and him?"

Michael: "No I won't."

Dad: "What?"

Michael: "All my life I always feared of being just like you. Someone who could be cold, ruthless, mean, no signs of compassion, but after joining a club at school. I learn that I'm nothing like you and I will never be like you and grandpa. I want to do better. I want to carve my own future far away from you. Not only to heal the scars you've inflicted upon me, but to show that I'm better than you."

He pushes his hair away from his eyes. "Look into my eyes. Do you see it? These are the scars you've inflicted upon me all these years ago. Even though they aren't physical, my heart and mind are on a completely different level, but even then, I stayed strong, because I want to be a man better than you! I don't need you in my life. I don't need a deadbeat father to raise me, all I need is a strong heart, friends that stayed by my side and my mother's love to be better.

I want to be a man that everyone could be proud of. I don't care what people think about me anymore, because the chains will not bind me any further. I decide my own future and I don't need you in my life. I was a fool to ever hope you'd be there for me. I was stupid to ever think that I would be just like you because I'm nothing like you. If you ever leave here, don't ever bother me or my family or else I will make sure your life is a living hell.

This is goodbye Raphael. It was nice to talking to you again."

[Song Ends]

He hangs up on his former dad. "I'm done sir." He gets up on his crutches.

Guard: "Very well sir." As the guard guides him out.

Raphael: "Why you little brat!" He starts pounding the window. "Get back here you bastard!" He keeps yelling as the door closes on him and Michael gives him the look of not caring.

Guard: "Seems the both of you are nothing alike, other than the eye color."

Michael: "Maybe" (Me and him still share the same blood and eye color, but we're both different when it comes to our hearts. Heh, how could I ever been so blind to the truth.)

When he left, he saw Sayori waiting for his return. When he did, she ran up to him and out of nowhere he hugged her. Not knowing what happened, but knowing she had to be there. She returned the hug and the two friends returned home. After a long trip back home. Sayori helped Michael to his room.

Sayori: "Is there anything you need?"

Michael: "Yeah could you go get me some snacks and drinks? Here's the list of what I want."

Sayori: "Sure thing, you can count on me. Is there anything you want before I head out?"

Michael: "No I'm good."

Sayori: "Alright then. I'll be back soon." She rushes downstairs and goes to the nearest store with the list in hand.

Michael: *Sigh* (Can't believe it took me all these years to finally confront my demons. I couldn't have done it without the Literature Club's help. Sayori, Natsuki, Yuri, Monika … I wonder what I could do for them as gratitude? Oh well I'll come up with something later. Until then, there's still a couple of things I need to do.)

He gets up off his bed and head towards his old CD player and played whatever was on next from where it left off.

[Legacy by Eminem]

With the song playing he went under his bed and pulled out his old cards again. The last time he used them was against Sayori a couple of weeks ago. He looked at them and placed them on top of his nightstand. He went back under and pulled out a bottle of liquor.

"Wonder if Sayori forgot about this then again how come mom didn't notice it when they both went to my room? Oh well, that doesn't matter anymore." He gets up and carefully went to his bathroom with the liquor in one hand and the other with a crutch. When he entered, he stood in front of the mirror and looked at his reflection.

He put the bottle down and touched his reflection. (A shell of my former self. This is who I am.) He grabs the bottle again and opens it. He placed the open bottle near his face and smelled it for a couple of minutes. (An item that eases my pain. A bottle that helps me, but in truth it caused more pain.) With no more hesitation he turned the bottle upside down and pored the alcohol down the drain of his sink.

When he finished, he held the bottle up to see it for the last time before throwing it in the trash. He looked at himself on the mirror again and took a good long look at himself. (My past builds my future. I shouldn't forget all of it despite the pain I went through, but the pain only made me stronger. This is it. It's time to change for the better. This will be the start of my new life. Change doesn't occur over night. It's a process, so now it's time to take my next step forward. One step at a time. Only then could I find true happiness.) "A life where I can be proud of myself and improve myself." He closes his eyes and after a few minutes had passed. Sayori finally returned.

Sayori: "MC, I'm back where are you?" (Hm? Wonder who sang this?)

Michael: "I'm in the bathroom!"

Sayori: "Oh are you doing ok in there!?"

Michael: "Yeah just give me a minute to finish up!"

Sayori: "Finish with what!?" The door opens. "MC?"

Michael: "What do you think?"

Sayori: "I-I-I don't know what to say?"

Michael: "Does it look dumb?"

Sayori: "No I think you look a lot better, but I still think you should've gotten rid of all of it but it's a working progress."

Michael: "Maybe later when I'm ready."

Sayori: "Yeah of course." She smiles brightly. "I got the things you asked for and the others are coming over to check up on you and to have dinner."

Michael: "That's cool. I'm just going to shower before they get here."

Sayori: "Ok then." He goes back into the bathroom. (It's nice to see my old friend back even if it's just a little.)

Later on, that day after the girls arrived Sayori told them that Michael is in the shower and that they should get dinner ready. Everyone did their same jobs as last time, but since Michael was in the shower Yuri once again felt useless. That is until Natsuki appeared and offered her a job she can do. When dinner was just about done, Monika was the first to hear footsteps. She rushed to where they were coming from and sees Michael carefully going downstairs.

Monika: "Michael you shouldn't be going downstairs on your own when your, hurt?"

Michael: "What?"

Monika: "Uh?"

Yuri: "What's wrong, huh?"

Natsuki: "Hey what's going on? Let me see. Huh?"

The girls looked at him as they see his hair tied in a ponytail, but what made the girls surprised was the fact that they could see his left eye.

Monika: "You changed your hair style."

[Song Ends]

Michael: "Yeah, thought it was time to change a bit. I'm not quite ready to cut it all just yet, but it's a working progress." He says with a smile.

Monika: "You're right, but it looks good. It's nice to see more of you."

Michael: "I'm starving so who else is hungry?"

Sayori: "I am!" She rushes to the kitchen to start eating.

Monika: "Yes let's eat." Her and Yuri help Michael to the kitchen and they all had a fest. While they all eat Monika spent most of dinner staring at Michael and his new look.

(It's great to see him like this. The same eyes I saw that were lifeless, now has a new look of life in them.) She thinks to herself with a big smile as Michael continues to eat with everyone else having fun.

End of Chapter 36