The Murderer's Child

Dream or Nightmare?

Shadow fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. For the first night in a long time, it didn't take hours of her mind tormenting her, about her past or future. Maybe it was something to do with the group?

"Shadow, I'm coming to find you now!" a voice yelled

She snickered from behind the curtain, "You wont find me, Daddy!"

"Hmmm, is that so?" he laughed "What are those that I can see under the curtain?"

She pulled her feet onto the window ledge, but a hand swiftly pulled the curtain back and picked her up. "Gotcha!" he laughed.

"Dad! Wait... why are there police cars outside the house?" she asked him, looking through the window.

He was a tall, pale figure with dark purple hair and purple eyes.

"I don't know, sweetheart." he walked away form the window. He did know though.

A knocking on the door scared Shadow.

"Mr. William Afton, please open the door. We know you're in there."

He opened the door slowly, shaking slightly.

"Mr. Afton, we are here to arrest you on account of murder. You killed 5 children seven years ago, is this correct?" They asked him.

"Yes." He wiped tears from his eyes. "That is correct."

"Dad...What's happening?" Shadow asked him, tugging on his jacket, frightened.

"Shadow, dear... I wish I could explain." he said with a shaking voice turned towards her.

"Sir, you have five minutes with your daughter before you are to come with us."

Afton walked over to a seat, and pulled Shadow onto his knee.

"Shadow, darling...I'm so, so sorry." he put his head in his hands. "I...I don't know what came over me...what could have possibly made me do such a thing. I'm sorry you had to watch me...Seven years! Since you were 3! You watched me lose my sanity..."

"Daddy, what happened?" She asked, softly.

"Shadow-I..."

"Dad...This isn't a joke. You murdered five kids? What...What would urge you to do such a thing?"

"Shadow, I honestly don't know... For years, you always asked me who I was talking to...It was a voice...please, it sounds stupid but I'd already lost it... I got home and didn't have a clue what I'd done! I was scared of what I'd done...I was scared I'd hurt you... I'd lost my sanity and I feared I would lose you... You were always a strong child, you never needed much help, and you never just sat and watched me suffer... You helped me." He looked her in the eyes, "Without you... I would have probably done so much more. That doesn't correct my...idiotic and psychotic...ways, but after what happened...you were still the bright, happy child. It was you that tied the strings together in my head after your mother died, and it was you who kept them there. Frayed, maybe, but you kept them there. I'm so, so, so sorry."

"Sir-"

"Goodbye, Shadow." Afton turned towards the people who would take him away from his daughter forever, and hung his head in shame.

"Sir please come this way." They led him out and drove off, but one stayed.

"Shadow?" he asked, softly.

"Yeah." She was angry with her father, but didn't know what to feel.

"Are you okay?"