The Fall of the Aftons

065: Michael Afton

Michael's breathing quickened as he backed away from Terrance's lifeless body, inhaling less than he was exhaling. Tears flowed from his eyes, and he knew that they wouldn't be stopping any time soon. He could barely see through them. There was so much. Too much. He couldn't see anything. He started to feel lightheaded and dizzy. He suddenly ran into the wall and fell to the ground, his back up against the wall. A million thoughts started to swarm his head. But one thought was louder than all of the rest.

You're a murderer.

Three or four hours passed by, but it was all a blur. An ambulance came to get Terrance and bring him to the hospital as soon as it could. William brought Henry, Michael, and Evan with him to the hospital and they waited for news from the doctors. When they all found out that Terrance needed emergency surgery and would be there for many hours, William told Henry to take Michael and Evan home.

What was going to happen? Terrance's chance of life was slim to none! He wasn't dead yet, but the chance of his death was much greater than the chance of his survival.

"Michael!" Henry screamed, startling Michael out of his anxious overthinking.

Evan was scared awake at the sudden loud noise. Michael carefully soothed the little boy without speaking, and Evan quickly fell back asleep, his head resting on his car seat.

"Sorry, Evan, I didn't mean to wake you," Henry mumbled, glancing at the little boy in the rearview mirror.

"What do you need, Henry?" Michael asked quietly. His voice was crackly and weak from all of his crying.

"I was trying to ask if sleep was out of the question," he answered. His voice was still loud as if he was afraid of losing Michael's spacey, fluttery attention.

Michael didn't answer. Of course, it was out of the question. Even if he did try to sleep, the same things would happen afterward. He'd eventually have to face the fact that no one could ever love him again. Not after when they find out what he'd done to poor, poor, poor Terrance.

You're a murderer.

When they arrived home, Michael immediately went upstairs with cleaning supplies to clean up the slightly congealed puddle of blood on his bedroom floor. He cleaned up the liquid as fast and efficiently as he could before he climbed onto his bed. He grabbed Fredbear and flopped onto his side. He didn't bother taking anything else that could possibly comfort him. The only things that were truly his were Fredbear and Khael's green jacket, which he occasionally slept with whenever he was having trouble sleeping.

Michael laid on his bed, suffering in his misery for about an hour before someone knocked twice on his bedroom doorframe.

"Michael?" Henry mumbled. "May I talk to you for a minute?"

Michael hesitantly sat up and hugged Fredbear close to his heart. "If you'd like to," he murmured in response as he wiped his eyes.

Henry hesitated before he came in, taking a seat on the edge of Michael's bed.

"Michael, what happened tonight?" he asked sadly, his voice quiet and calm. "You can take as long as you need to answer. I don't want to rush you. But we need to know sooner rather than later."

You're a murderer.

"I-I..." Michael started, but he couldn't get the words out. Hesitating, he looked away, staring at the stain the puddle had made on the hardwood floors as tears burned his eyes. "H-He's going to die and it's all my f-fault!" he shouted. The tears started streaming down. "I sh-shot him--I didn't mean to kill him--he came in through the porch door and it woke m-me up--I grabbed William's gun--it was the weapon he let me bring to b-bed last night--and I shot it, not realizing that it was Terrance--I wasn't even thinking about what I was doing--I was just trying to defend myself--I didn't w-want to get kidnapped--I wasn't trying to kill him--I was just trying to immobilize him so I could get help--I thought he was the kidnapper--I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry!" he explained, trying to say so many different things at once.

"Oh, buddy," Henry whispered sadly when Michael started to sob. He pulled Michael into a big, protective, caring hug. "None of this is your fault. You didn't know that it was Terrance. Besides, it was stupid of him to sneak out, then return by going through your bedroom. He knows how terrified you are of being kidnapped."

"I-It is m-my fault!" He pulled away from Henry, vainly trying to wipe his tears away. "William will hate me when he finds out what I did. He's gonna drop me back at the Center in a heartbeat!"