Darkness Taking Dawn- Lars Ulrich Fanfiction

Slave to the Grind

You got me forced to crack my lids in two
I'm still stuck inside the rubber room
I gotta punch the clock that leads the blind
I'm just another gear in the assembly line-oh no
The noose gets tighter around my throat
But I ain't at the end of my rope
'Cause I won't be the one left behind
Can't be king of the world if you're slave to the grind
Tear down the rat racial slime
Can't be king of the world if you're slave to the grind
Get it?
A routine injection, a lethal dose
But my day in the sun ain't even close
There's no need to waste your prayers on me
You better mark my words 'cause I'm history, yes indeed
You might beg for mercy to get by
But I'd rather tear this thorn from my side
'Cause I won't be the one left behind
Can't be king of the world if you're slave to the grind
Tear down the rat racial slime
Can't be king of the world if you're slave to the grind
- Skid Row

After a few months of working at some paid internship programs the girls and I finally had enough money to move to the States and have an apartment. I had finished a year of school at the top of my class, and had a good enough resume to go back to a good college if I wanted to. But, by the time registration for the next year came around I didn't sign up. The headmaster informed me that they called my parents, but at this point no one was home to answer the calls.

By the time I finally got to the airport I saw my father standing by the gate as though he was expecting me. He didn't look the same anymore. The proud working man I knew was now reduced to a weak, sickly, feeble, old looking man. He was ghostly pale, with large glasses hanging down the bridge of his nose, and thin greying hair neatly combed over. Once in his line of sight he immediately stood up and began 'walking' over towards me (at least as best as he could). Even with his back now hunched over he was still almost ridiculously taller than I was,

"So you're leaving now." He questioned with a slight attitude becoming even more and more evident within his frail yet still steadied voice.

I nodded turning away from him and retreating over to the flight attendant woman who was just oblivious to the whole situation. That was until he firmly grabbed me by my elbow and pulling me back towards him.

He leaned forward and started to venomously whisper into my ear. "You know I hope you understand what you are throwing away. Your mother and I have worked very hard to make you beautiful, but you turn back and throw away everything we have given you." He paused for a few seconds gauging for my reaction. "Can you imagine how disheartened a mother and father could possibly be when confronted with the fact that their only kin has decided to drop out of college? I know I would be devastated." He hissed.

I began to try and shrug away from him, but my fear of confrontation has left me paralyzed. It felt as though I could move, but that was until Lilly came up from behind me and snatched me from his grasp.

"Is there something wrong Rita?" She questioned sincerely while gazing between me and my dad.

"Yeah, everything's fine." I concluded now turning towards her.

She looked passed me and towards my dad before settling her sight on me. "Is he bothering you?" She prompted me urging me to say something. I shook my head and made my way past them as our flight was called. Lilly quickly followed behind me, but as I looked back I couldn't help, but noticed the cold piercing glare that came directly from the person who I considered my father before he simply turned away and retreated to the entrance of the airport then out of my sight.

I felt a part of myself internally sigh and let go as I now realized I was no longer in his care anymore. For once I felt free and almost happy. It was this sort of giddiness that arose inside me when the realization hit me that I could finally be my own person. I wouldn't have to see that man anymore. It would also be the last time I ever saw him.

As we all piled into the airplane I looked from one side to another. Lilly, Tomi, and Joanna all looked content among themselves chatting about how we were finally off the chain that tied us down to Norway. It couldn't have been any better. I felt this sense of relief as they experienced the sort of joy that I couldn't bring myself to properly feel. And even though I was finally out of the woods I knew that it wasn't over. Citizenship would be a bitch to try and attain and the disparity between the rich, poor, and middle class was practically 10 football fields long in length. But all that mattered was that I was finally here. I could finally say (at least physically) I was free even when my mind constantly insisted that I wasn't.

Once we touched down at LAX we managed to get a taxi to the new apartment that we all now inhabited. To be honest it was no better than our living situation back home, but it was better than nothing. Yet, still on the way to our apartment when taking one look upon the streets that surrounded us on the way there you could see homeless men, women, and children that all looked dazed, tired, alone, and cold despite the blistering heat of the California sun. While, gazing upon these people you realized that they had no hope. They would either remain homeless or die with not even a coin to their names. I almost shivered at the thought, but looking at them gave me a sense of purpose and made me properly grasp onto the fact that I knew I couldn't end up like them. I was very poor mentally and even spiritually, but I couldn't be like that. At this point the saying, 'greed is good' made sense to me, because the American society only properly recognized the poor at heart but the rich in subsidies.

I wanted to make it. I yearned for this more than I think I yearned for freedom from my parents. I was replacing one set of chains for another. Making good music wasn't even the main focus anymore. It was making music that would succeed. Even though it still had some sort of heart and ambition in it our music still felt like it was being slowly depleted of that very thing even as a concept. As soon as we blew up I knew for certain that our music would be completely drained my the music industry and the like. I was a slave to the grind.