Daniel Hebert was a broken man. He has had many ups and downs in his relatively short life, with more downs in recent times. His beloved wife Annette died in a tragic car accident, leaving him alone with their young daughter. Danny knew that he wasn't the greatest father. After Annette died, he felt a part of him fracture. Danny became a shell of his former self. He wasn't exactly living, but he wasn't dead either. He just went through the motions of daily life. He went to work, came home early somedays to make dinner for Taylor, and then maybe he would go get a drink at a bar that wasn't far.

Then his Taylor disappeared. She didn't come home one night, and then the next night. It was like she vanished into thin air like a ghost from those stories Annette used to read to her. Danny called the police, but they couldn't find any trace of her. The school was next, and they claimed that Taylor was just a troublemaker that caused problems wherever she went. Danny had to hold himself back from assaulting the principal after that.

With a heavy heart, Danny searched his daughter's room for any sign of where she disappeared to. There, he found the journals, the ones that Taylor wrote. Daniel Hebert was a bad father. His beloved Taylor was being bullied, and he wasn't able to do anything about it. While reading the journals, he came across a familiar name. Barnes…

Emma was the mastermind behind this campaign. Danny remembered marching up to Alan's house and banging on his door. Alan called him mad with grief and closed the door on him after Danny demanded answers. This left no doubt in him, his Taylor was dead now. Dead by the hands of a girl who used to call him Uncle Danny.

This led to his current circumstance. Staring at the gun in his hand, Danny sighed. The gun used to belong to his own father who used to serve in the Marines. He would have been disappointed to see his son's current state. Still, was life still worth living anymore? Taylor was the only reason he was still alive after Annette's passing. Danny didn't want to keep dealing with the pain. Danny aimed the gun at his head. This way, he could see his precious family.

But...what would Annette say wherever she was. What would Taylor say if she was here watching him? Would they be disappointed? Would they want him to come join them? Danny failed at holding back a sob and allowed the gun to fall on the floor.

Danny Hebert was a coward and a broken man. He screamed in frustration and threw the journals that his beautiful daughter wrote, detailing her pain.

The floor rushed up to meet him soon after.

-*-

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

When Danny woke up, he felt thirsty. He eyed the beer bottle lying on the floor next to him and took a sip. It was empty sadly. He gave the fallen gun a look and sagged his shoulders. What was he thinking? What if Taylor was still alive somewhere out there? Danny slowly stood up, and felt a weird presence in the back of his head. He shook it off and kicked the gun under the couch.

A drink could help him think clearly.

-*-

The walk to the old bar was a short one. People got out of Danny's way when they saw his disheveled form. It was better this way. He pushed the door that led into the bar. Good, only a few patrons were in here, it was still early after all. Danny took a seat near a stout man with sideburns, his head laid on the bar's table passed out. A brown skinned man with dreadlocks and facial hair sat on the other side.

"Your usual?" The Bartender asked Danny after he took a seat. He flashed him a thumbs up.

"You look like shit mate." The man with dreadlocks said with a grin. Danny wasn't in the mood to argue with him so he ignored him. "At least you don't look like Gibbs here. He looks like a filthy pig." Dreadlocks poked the man with sideburns in the side. Sideburns just mumbled something in his sleep. The Bartender returned with Danny's beer and opened it for him.

"Gibbs ya stupid lightweight. You've gotten soft." Dreadlocks downed the cup with light brown liquid in front of him. Danny took a sip of his own beer. It burned his throat slightly.

"Oi!" Dreadlocks raised his now empty cup towards the Bartender. "More rum."

The Bartender shook his head while cleaning a glass cup. "You two idiots emptied out our supply." They must've drank a lot. It was a miracle that they were still standing. Well, one of them at least.

"Why is the rum always gone?" Dreadlocks sighed, stood up from his bar seat, and threw a golden coin at the Bartender who caught it. "Come on Gibbs, The Pearl awaits. We need to leave town before that insufferable woman and monkey find us." He kicked Sideburns' bar stool and stumbled away.

Sideburns awoke with a startle scream from the floor. "Mary Mother of God!" Danny had to hold back a laugh with a mouth full of beer. He didn't believe in religion, not anymore

"Jack?" Sideburns slowly stood up and looked around the near empty bar. "By Neptune's balls not again!" He rushed out of the bar stumbling not long after.

The Bartender shook his head chuckling. "Those two have been here all week. They drank our whole supply of rum and the bar's down the street."

Danny took a long swing from the beer bottle. "I see." He said dryly.

"Yup. I've heard that they've been living on some big black yacht."

That seemed interesting.

"I'm going to miss them." The Bartender sighed. Danny scoffed. He was going to miss them alright, he was going to miss their wallets.

The rest of Danny's evening involved silence and a few more bottles. Stumbling back home was an even better experience. A metallic glint reached Danny's eyes.

A rat was sitting on top of the gun Danny had thrown under the couch. It must've dragged it back out into the open. He stared at the rat blankly and slowly walked towards it. More rats joined them by the dozen, and soon, Danny was surrounded. He felt their presence in the back of his head. Instinctively giving out a command, the rats climbed on top of each other and passed the gun upwards.

Danny grabbed it without a word and stared at his wouldbe suicide weapon. He tightened his grip on it.

Danny would bring Taylor the justice that she deserved.