Two weeks had passed since Daniel returned from prison. The young man had spent that time in his family home, staying with his mother. Neither Charity nor Benjamin had the opportunity to visit their brother. Even though both were deeply concerned about him, other duties kept them apart. Charity had her responsibilities as a housewife, and Benjamin had his studies in college. But, as the morning came, the chance arrived as a limo drove to the Jones house with Charity.

  Charity entered the house and found Sandra with a food tray.

  "Is that for him?"

  "Why yes." Sandra sighed.

  Sandra walked up the stairs to Daniel's room, and Charity followed. As the two entered the room, Charity gazed at Daniel, tightly covering her mouth with her right hand, seeing him lie in bed, tangled in the dirty sheets, a living corpse.

  "Sweetie, I beg you, get out of bed and eat something," Sandra said.

  “No,” Daniel shouted.

  Charity rested her hand on Daniel’s left shoulder. "Little brother, do you want to become a corpse?"

  "Well, yeah, sis. Why do you think I haven't eaten or drunk anything in a week?"

  Charity screamed. "I've had enough. Help me, Mommy."

  Sandra put the tray down on the floor on a spot close by as she joined her daughter's efforts. Charity and Sandra worked together, turning over Daniel's mattress and making him fall to the floor, hitting his head. As he struggled to stand, Charity took a Daily Saturn newspaper from her purse, throwing it in Daniel's face.

  "That's filled with jobs. Pick one that suits you, and stick with it. I'm so tired of you being this...lazy coward. You’re so scared to fail that you waste your life rather than ever try the honest way."

  "How do you waste something that doesn't have value?"

  As she heard Daniel, Charity grabbed him by the collar, making him look her in her rage-filled eye. “Say that again and see what happens.”

  “Daniel, we understand you feel remorseful for your actions. But nothing can raise Jack from the dead.” Sandra made Charity release Daniel, and she looked him in the eye, her vision overflowing with compassion. “So instead of atoning with death, atone with life. The life that we taught you to live. Won’t you?"

  Daniel glanced between Charity and Sandra, first at his mother and then his sister, seeing them share the same look at him. As he saw them, Sandra's question debilitated Daniel's mind with thoughts. He had assumed the weight of his sins was too great, and he had to die to atone. But now, his mother presented him with the idea of life despite everything. The thought seemed impossible, a thoroughly herculean task.

  ***

  The next day, Daniel stood outside of an office building, looking at its doors intently.

  "I could turn around now, but Ma and Sis are right. It's time for a change.” Daniel took a deep breath, marching towards the building.

  As Daniel approached the building, he could feel his heart rate dramatically increase as he collected the inches. He dropped to one knee, sweating profusely, and panting heavily as if he had just finished a long marathon as he neared the door. The fearful sensation he endured at Waller's prison had returned, not as potent as before, but a ball and chain on him nevertheless.

  "I—I guess Alfred was right." Daniel chuckled weakly. "I'm just going from one prison to the next."

  Daniel stayed in the same spot for a few minutes, but he slowly gathered the resolve to stand, at last going into the building.

  Inside, an hour later, Daniel sat before a middle-aged woman in Human Resources, reading his job application as he sweated a storm, waiting for her response. However, finally, she raised her head from the table to look at him.

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "Well, Mr. Jones, after reading your application, I'm sure you will make an excellent janitor here. Welcome to the team." The woman extended her arm to Daniel for a handshake. "You’ll start next week.”

  Daniel sighed in relief. "You know I was sitting here convinced you would turn me down.”

  "I’m happy to put your worries to bed—" The woman glanced down at his job application, retracting her arm as she found something she missed. " Mr. Jones, you seem to have left out a field in your application. It’s the convicted for a felony section."

  An icy cold chill ran down Daniel's spine as he laughed. "I—I guess I forgot to write that in."

  "Well, could you write it in now, please? We need to know if you have ever committed a crime."

  Daniel vigorously rubbed the back of his head. "Okay, look—“

  ***

  Daniel was escorted out by security after he explained his history of criminality. Two muscular men held both of his arms, carrying him outside. The young man remained silent, holding a scowl on his face as he saw the judgemental eyes of the office’s employees through the corridors they pulled him through. As they reached the doors, they threw him onto the pavement with a powerful heave. And, still, as he landed, he went to talk to them, and they slammed the doors in his face.

  Daniel took the newspaper that Charity gave him from his jacket pocket, reading through the job adverts. "Well, that was a bust, so what else do we have?"

  As the day passed, Daniel tried and failed repeatedly to secure employment. The scene repeated again and again. An interview with a potential employer would start well, but the moment they learned of his criminal background, it was over. They would shun Daniel, forcing him out of their presence like he carried the plague. His standards became progressively lower, seeking jobs that paid cents for back-breaking labor. But even then, his misfortune persisted.

  Later still, a bookstore owner forced Daniel out of her business. Daniel left the store with bags under his eyes. And again, he prepared to talk to the owner.

  "Save me the excuses, crook." The owner shoved her hand in Daniel's face. "This business will not be associated with your kind."

  Daniel moaned. "Fine."

  Daniel walked away from the bookstore owner, but he turned back, marching to her, grinding his teeth. "You know what?" However, swiftly, the owner slammed the door in Daniel's face, like those before her. And Daniel bellowed a roar, kicking down a garbage can as he stomped away.

  ***

  Daniel stomped down a neighborhood, drawing the eyes of passersby. He took the newspaper that Charity gave him, looking at it with disdain, and ripped it apart. And as he screamed again, he dropped to the ground, crying.

  “Of course, no one wants anything to do with me.” Daniel took the trial of the steel champion from his pocket, looking at it, teary-eyed. “I can't believe I thought things would be different. I guess I did end up a loser after all, right, Pop?"

  A young woman screamed from the alleyway behind Daniel. And as he looked there, he saw her getting assaulted by criminals, two men who both appeared to be in their thirties. However, the woman quickly spotted Daniel. "Help me." But Daniel grew a disinterested expression and walked away.

  "Help you? Yeah, like anyone has helped me a—"

  Daniel stopped walking as the woman screamed again, louder than before. Every cell of his body jolted to life, begging him to aid her. It was a sensation he knew too well. It was the one that drove him to spare the guard’s life. The one that he had tried for so long to suppress. And as he looked at the trial of steel champion in his hand, taking a deep breath, a question appeared in his mind.

  “Honor or not?” Daniel thought.

  One of the criminals was choking the woman to death in the alleyway. But someone tapped on his shoulder to get his attention. And as he turned around, Daniel punched him in the face, knocking him away from the woman.

  "Honor it is."

  As the woman was freed, she held her neck, rubbing it intensely as she began coughing, trying to relieve the pain the criminal inflicted upon her. As she did, the first criminal lunged at her and Daniel, going to draw his gun. But once more Daniel knocked him down, delivering a flying knee to his chin.

  Quickly, the other criminal drew a knife, hurrying to stab Daniel in the face. Still, Daniel caught it, twisting his hand, making him drop it. Knife went to retaliate, throwing a punch with his remaining hand, but Daniel again snatched it, head-butting him into submission. As the criminal crashed to the ground propelled forwards by the force of Daniel's blow, his comrade regained consciousness, finally aiming his gun at the young man. However, before he could shoot, Daniel dashed to him, kicking the criminal in his stomach, and sending him crashing into wooden crates.

  And with his fall, Daniel sighed in sweet relief as the woman was safe.

  "I heard the dame screaming down that alleyway, coppers," A civilian shouted.

  As Daniel heard the approaching police officers' footsteps on the pavement, he ran down the alleyway at top speed. Again, his feelings told him to stay to ensure the woman was well. Still, with the threat of being mistaken for one of the assailants, he regained the ability to suppress his more noble urges, quickly collecting distance as they arrived.

  Later, Daniel stopped running. Barely able to catch his breath, he broke into a laughing fit, celebrating his good deed. “Yes, yes, yes.” However, as he enjoyed his first rush of joy in ages, he saw a couple.

  Daniel rushed over to them, seeing them happy together. And as the man kissed the woman, the glee across his face faded away, replaced by a frown. "Man." Still, it quickly changed as his features hardened, as Daniel ran off to settle old accounts with a special someone.