Afton Family Scenarios

Nights

The first month was the hardest. The house was quieter than usual, however, not in a positive way. There was less laughter and overall communication. Telling the younger kids about their mother's death was hard. At first, nobody told them, but their curiosity grew.

Elizabeth would ask where her mother was every chance she got, forcing William into an uncomfortable situation. He decided to ignore her at first but realized that only made the girl ask more. So he told her and Chris that she went on a trip somewhere and wouldn't be back for a while.

It was rough, to say the least. Both William and Michael had fallen into a depression of sorts, so nobody was too keen on watching the kids. Henry would come by often to make sure the kids were getting everything they needed, but he didn't have time to do it every day.

Phillip had come back from England after hearing of Lea's passing. He knew his son would have trouble with the loss, so he decided it was best if he was there. Not like he would be able to help in any way, but it was the thought that counted.

He made sure that Elizabeth and Chris got to school every day and that they were fed. It was hard to get Michael to go to school. Most of the time he stayed home and tried his best to do the assignments online, which never really worked out.

Often times, Michael would go into his father's room and lay down. Both he and William would talk like they were best friends. It was bittersweet in a way, thinking that somebody close to them had to die for their relationship to become stronger.

It was weird at first, but after a while, it started to become more comfortable. Though, the whole thing made William mad. Talking about things other than Lea distracted him, but he would much rather Michael go to school than spend the day with him talking about useless things.

However, William was never good at dealing with traumatic events, nor was he good at properly expressing his feelings. He had a bad habit of drinking through tough times, which was always stopped before it could get any worse. This time, he decided to open some old scars.

Even though he was an adult, Phil got rid of any alcohol he could find. So without any potentially harmful substances, William had to find other ways to distract himself. Harming others was always an option, but he didn't have the energy to do so.

Phillip was like a vulture, always watching William with a careful eye. It was unsettling in a way. Not being able to do anything in one's own house felt like a loss of freedom. The only time he could do anything was when his father was asleep.

Most nights he would sit on the floor of his bathroom, knowing no one would be able to bother him. He would sit in the silence of his own sorrow, blood carefully trickling down his arms and onto the pristine white tile. His tears and blood flowed in unison as he drowned in past memories, wanting desperately to grab on and bring them to life.

This night was different, however. Instead of sitting on the bathroom floor scarring his arms, he was outside on his balcony, a cigarette resting gently between his fingers. The glass door slid open, softly shutting seconds later.

"I didn't know you smoked." Phil softly spoke, breaking whatever peace William was able to find. He leaned against the balcony, mimicking his son.

"I don't." He replied, slowing breathing out the nicotine-laced air.

"You know that's not good for you, right?"

"Apparently nothing I do is good for me." Phil let out a soft chuckle, causing William to put out the cigarette on the metal railing with an annoyed sigh.

"I know you're more than capable of making your own decisions, but I'm still your father and I care about you."

"I was actually having a decent night until you bothered me," He turned his head slightly to look at his father, "and since we're both adults, that shouldn't offend you."