What Now ⇔ Muke ✓

[26] Blue hair, huh?

His fingers tighten around my arms, nails digging excruciatingly into my skin, and I try to resist crying out as he presses his face closer to mine. I can smell the bitterly familiar scent of alcohol in his breath, surrounding me like venom.

I look at his eyes, frenzied and bloodshot, and watch them as they glance up at my hair. A sarcastic smile tugs on his lips, a humorless laugh releasing into the air. "Blue hair, huh?" he shakes his head, exasperated. "I fucking hate the color blue. You know that."

"I didn't do it for you." I grumble, trying to pull my arm away. My father's eyes darken, and he roughly yanks me back in place, ignoring my yelp.

"You're mine, remember, Michael? You're my son. I escaped, and now I've got you back." He says, his voice gasping slightly. I almost can't believe how drunk he is. He probably hasn't been able to get his hands on alcohol in months, and now he's gone overboard.

I try and pull my hands away from his, but he just digs his nails in deeper, not fazed by my face twisting in pain. For a moment, I'm absolutely terrified that he'll take me away. Hide me somewhere where he can use me for his own punching bag once again, and it chills the blood swimming in my veins.

I can hear police sirens in the distance, and apparently so does my father, because he grips onto my arm and begins pulling me down the street, hidden under the safety of the shadows as he pulls me farther away from the busy city streets.

"Stop!" I shout, clawing at his fingers around my skin. "Please, let go!" I struggle against his hold and my father whips around, his narrow eyes focusing on me.

"Shut up." He snarls. His hand slaps my cheek, and pain explodes across my jaw, blinding me as I try not to succumb to the overwhelming sting. "Stay quiet. Or you'll regret it."

Police sirens grow louder, squealing closer and closer and my father angrily digs bruises into my arm in his efforts to drag me away, but the police cars turn the corner and come into view before he can. I hurriedly pull my wrists against his grasp, frantically trying to get away to get to the cars.

Relief fills my chest, dripping through my entire body like a heavy dose of morphine. The cars screech to a stop, my father screaming at me as I block out his voice, attempting to push away and get to the men climbing out of the police cars, dressed in their shiny uniforms as they rush towards us.

One of them hurry towards me, grabbing my shoulders and effortlessly pulling me away while another grabs my father before he can run off.

The one who has his hold on me worriedly eyes the forming bruise on my cheek. "Are you alright? Where are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, it's nothing." I say honestly, and I frantically turn around, feverishly watching my father's drunken figure stumble towards the police car. He turns towards me as the police offer tries to get him into the car.

"What the hell are you doing? He's my son! You can't take my son away from me." My father's words are slurred a bit, messy phrases weakened by the effects of the alcohol. His eyes are trained on me all while he is forced into the back of the police car, his hands cuffed behind him. "He's mine! You can't take him!"

My bones quiver underneath my skin, and I shut my eyes, trying not to remember all the hell that I escaped from in that home in Greenwood. His face has brought it all back, and I'm desperate for it to go away.

He is finally pushed inside the backseat, and the door slams shut, quieting his incoherent shouting.

I don't realize that I'm shaking until the policeman is trying to keep me steady, his hand reassuringly holding me back from my father's reach.

"Alright kid, you're Michael Clifford, correct?" the police officer asks. I don't bother asking how he knows. I just nod.

"We're sorry for this inconvenience. He escaped during his work period, but we're putting him under high surveillance in a stricter jail farther away, with more security. We'll make sure he won't escape again, I can promise you." The policeman's voice is assuring, but I can't help feeling uneasy.

I nod halfheartedly, keeping my eyes trained on the ground with my arms wrapped around my torso securely.

"Is there someone you would like me to call? Or do you want me to take you back to your house?" the officer asks, appearing a bit worried at my frozen stance.

"Just-- take me back home, please." I say, although it's not much of a home. It's more like a temporary shelter that the government has provided me with, but it will do for now. It's not as though I have anywhere else I can go.

The policeman nods, patting my back before letting me get into the passenger seat of his car, climbing onto the soft leather seats and struggling to catch my breath.

He gets in behind the wheel, glancing at me with a reassuring smile before closing the door and starting up the engine. I tell him the directions quietly, my voice barely able to be heard, but he seems to understand all the same.

The drive is short, silence filling the air. I don't feel like talking, and there isn't anything to talk about. I'm too busy attempting to catch my breath, focusing on my rapid heartbeat that throbs in the center of my chest, painfully beating against my ribcage.

When we pull up at the house, the policeman turns to me and says, "We've already notified your family of what happened. I can assure you again that your biological father is under high security and can't escape again. You're completely safe."

"Okay." I say softly, thanking him quietly before sliding out of the car, shutting the door behind me and looking up at the house. I make my way up the sidewalk to the front door, turning the doorknob and stepping inside.

The moment the door shuts, I see Linda rush towards me, worry melted across her face.

"Michael, oh my god, are you okay? I'm so sorry." She reaches out her arm to touch me, but she stops halfway, refraining when she sees how quiet I am. She notices the splash of black and blue across my cheekbone and she sighs, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry. About-- all this. I--"

"I can't stay here." I interrupt.

Linda pauses, surprise filling her eyes. "What? Michael, it's okay. He can't get to you anymore, you're safe."

"No, I have to see Luke." I say, a bit more forcefully. Linda looks frazzled, tucking a stand of hair behind her ear as her eyes stare at me with confusion.

"Luke? Who's Luke?"

"I'm sorry, I just-- I have to go. I can't--" I squeeze my eyes shut, shaking my head. "I can't stay here." I open them again and look at Linda, who lets out a small sigh, chewing on her bottom lip. I take a deep breath, guilt beginning to fill my stomach. "I'm sorry. Thank you-- for everything. I appreciate it more than you know. I just have to do this."

Linda presses her lips together thoughtfully, and then nods. "Okay. Alright, just-- be safe."

I nod, hesitating only slightly before leaning in and giving her a hug, to which she gratefully returns.

"Tell Hailey goodbye for me."  I say gently, and Linda smiles, nodding carefully as she watches me turn to the door, opening it back up and stepping out into the chilling air. I breathe in the fresh air, cold and relieving in my lungs. It's the most freedom I've felt in a while.

Joy fills my bloodstream as I pull out my phone to call for a taxi, hurrying down the front steps as I ignore the cold stinging my cheeks.

Luke. I'm going to see Luke.

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A/N i haven't updated in like 126 years but hey guys i didn't die

i'm keeping this short and sweet because there's another chapter (the last one eee) literally right after this so

i love you thanks for reading !!!