Prices to Pay//Michael Langdon

Conditions

"Michael, I swear, if you do not get your ass up right now I'm going to have to physically remove you!" I scream in annoyance to a barely awake Michael.

"You're going to have to kill me first because I'm not moving," Michael says back to me unenergetically, he's basically half dead.

When the ordeal with Cordelia happened, Michael lost all faith in everything that he was doing, at that point he felt useless. He's so confused, he doesn't know what his purpose is or how to figure it out, so the only thing that he could try to do is talk to his 'Father'. Four days ago he suddenly decided to go into the woods and draw a satanic circle, stay there, and scream at nothing. He's been screaming for a total of 96 hours for Satan himself, my begging for him to come home has done absolutely nothing but aggravate him. At first, I thought it was cute that he wanted to go out and be with nature and all of that and that he wasn't being serious, but when I saw the sign that he drew on the ground I knew that he wouldn't be leaving for quite some time. I left him there for 24 hours, I took my time and even got a shower in. When I came back, I came back to him screaming at the air, I thought he had gone crazy. I've already tried reasoning with him, tried bargaining with him, even tried stepping inside of the circle but he flew me back with his powers- he won't budge. He hasn't eaten or drinking anything although I have offered him numerous things that I know he loves. He has become quite the task, and it's getting old. He's not the only one that his doings are affecting.

"Please, Michael, for the love of G-" I start to say, realizing my faults, and his eyes dart up to mine. I roll my eyes, "For the love of Satan, please come home!" He doesn't acknowledge me and he looks down.

"Tell me what to do right now, or leave me here to die!" He screams out into the air, using his last bit of energy. I roll my eyes, I've been out here for several hours every day since this started, it's getting annoying.

"No, Michael!" I scream at him and he doesn't look at me. "You tell me what to do to get you out of here, I'm sick and tired of this bullshit!" He looks up and glares at me and begins screaming back at me for the millionth time.

"Leave me to die!" He screams and I can't help but scream out in frustration. Balling my hand in a fist, the anger escapes my mouth as I begin to scream something that is incomprehensible.

"You don't have to know everything right now! Just trust that something is going to happen and when it does that you will be the first to know, you don't need to purge yourself." I say as calm as I can and he looks at me.

"So what do you want me to do then? Do you want me to sit around and wait while those witches conspire against me?" He looks at me and speaks in a normal tone, still clearly aggravated.

"Well, how is this any better than what you could be doing at home? When he wants you to know something you will know, Michael," I say and he sits there and contemplates in his head. "What you are doing is pointless, he's never going to reach out to you this way!"

"What would you have me do then, Natalie? This is all I've ever known to do, I need to speak to my Father and I need to talk with him now." He says quietly, trying to preserve his energy.

"Chances are if he isn't talking to you now, he won't be talking to you at all," I say and he rolls his eyes, still not moving an inch.

"What am I supposed to do?" He screams out into the air again. To think that I had actually gotten somewhere is so frustrating.

"Praying to God would work more efficiently," I mutter under my breath and he looks up at me again.

"What did you say about praying?" He asks me, and I quickly try to think of something to say.

"I said you should, uh- be praying instead of demanding answers," I say on the spot, I'm actually proud of myself for reacting so quickly.

He looks up to me, stands up, and walks right out of the circle. I look at him, shocked that my praying bit worked, especially because he wasn't intende, "Alright then, let's go." He says and I raise my eyebrow.

"Go where?" I ask him and he rolls his eyes, annoyed that I had suggested something without knowing what I was talking about.

"Take me somewhere to pray for wisdom, take me somewhere where my Father is embraced and celebrated," He says shakily, his energy is fading quickly.

"You mean a Satan Church?" I ask him and he nods his head, barely keeping his eyes open. "Okay, I will take you-" I start to say and he starts walking. Reaching my hand out I stop him with the power of my mind and roll my eyes, "but there are conditions," I finish my sentence and he gives me the same nasty glare that I have seen non-stop for the past four days.

"No, you told me you were going to take me and now we are going there, no exceptions!" He says out of breath, trying to break my mental hold.

"It's either you eat some food, take a shower, and get a full night of rest, or I'm not taking you anywhere!" I say and he collapses on his knees in defeat. "Do you understand me?" I ask and he nods his head not wanting to fight with me anymore. Walking towards him, I pick him off of the ground and sling his arm around my shoulder. We both walk out of the woods to my car, and I drive him home. Why am I agreeing to take him to the 'Hail Satan!' place? I honestly have no idea.