Finally free [YOE2018]

November 9th, 2018 was an ordinary day for Michael. That meant another dreary drawn out day dwelling at rock bottom. He left this earth drowning his pain with a chemical cocktail. Leaving behind his estranged wife, girlfriend, unborn son, son, and daughter.

Though his spirit may be relieved those who were close to him are mourning the loss of this powerful soul who never quite reached the great potential God bestowed him with.

Long past his prime yet far too early. He lived a life best described as a downward spiral of a rollercoaster, tumultuous as it was blessed.

He was a spiritual empath who followed his heart even if doing so led him into peril. A father, a husband, a fighter who expressed himself to the world through his passions.

Skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, music and writing. Passions that will surely live on through his beloved children and the memories he created on his journey through life.

Mike started skating at age 13 and by 17 he was was one of the best in his hometown. At 19 he graduated high school and moved to San Diego with good friends with the same burning passion for board sports.

From San Diego Mike moved to the island of Kauai where he met his best friend wife to be, Danielle. Of all the tropical wonders she was the most most precious thing he encountered on that island.

Between surfing sessions and jungle adventures he was doing whatever he could to numb the relentless anxiety. A burden that followed him to the grave.

After two years on the island when the money was gone and the prospect of homelessness became reality Mike decided to bring Danielle back to his home in Alaska. He was 22 at the time.

Their time in Alaska began in the Capital city of Juneau. Nestled in this rainforest their son was conceived. It was a happy exciting time overshadowed by addiction and poverty.

Months before the baby was born our young couple relocated to the city of Anchorage Alaska where the baby boy was born. The birth was nothing short of a miracle. Delivered by emergency c-section followed by a month in the NICU a young fighter joined our world.

What was supposed to be a joyful time of celebrating new life was a time burdened by the awful anxiety feasting on Michael's soul. Because of this, during a time when his wife needed him most, he was unavailable. This set the stage for a tragic story of a marriage.

As much as he loved her, and with all his heart he truly did, Mike was unable to defeat his demons in order to be the provider he needed to be. Loving him equally she stayed by his side regardless.

From Anchorage they moved to Danielles hometown of Ventura California. A drug addled haze that ended on Valentine's day when the couple seperated, torn apart by addiction, lack of prosperity and infidelity.

Michael took their son and flew back to Alaska while Danielle went missing. What followed were several months of sheer heartbreak when all seemed lost until one fateful day when Danielle found herself in jail.

It was during her two months of Incarceration that Danielle decided she wanted to reunite with her lost husband. He did not hesitate to take her back, in fact he prayed for the opportunity every single day. He would tell God that that winning her back would be like winning the lottery.

As soon as she was released He flew her home. The reunion of mother and son was a thing of absolute beauty reserved for the love stories.

This was a wonderful time until alcoholism and drug addiction resurfaced, and so began another blurry chapter that only grew darker with each passing day.

somewhere in the haze a baby girl was conceived. 9 months later she was born perfectly healthy and beyond beautiful. Sadly not even a year had passed before the same circumstances as before once again tore the marriage apart.

Again Michael found himself utterly heart broken, spiritually bankrupt trudging through each and every day. Stuck with a reality dreaded by any man. Not welcome in his own home watching from a distance as another man took his place.

A year of relentless despair passed when Michael, after a month of rehab, once again won the lottery.

Again ain he flew his wife back home from California and the reconciliation was beautiful.

The plan was for Danielle to follow her husbands footsteps and receive the same healing he had. That plan failed in spectacular fashion.

Things we're looking up, Danielle had checked into a detox facility but not even a week had passed before she started yet another affair. With seemingly zero apprehension she left Mike crushed for the third time.

This is where a girl named Katie walked into his life. The two hit it off right away yet took things slow, over time they were in a relationship arisen from two broken pasts.

A few months into the relationship Danielle made a reappearance, claiming remorse and a desire to reconcile again. In an act of carelessness Michael left Katie alone and confused so he could pursue a third attempt at his marriage.

This final chapter was one of severe drug addiction, homelessness, and criminality. In A twist of fate The desperation leaked into Katies life when Mike foolishly threw a rock threw Katies car window in search for drugs and money.

5 months later, Michael and Danielle were still together, forcing a marriage that was no longer meant to be Danielle intercepted a phone call. It was Katie with news of a 5 month pregnancy.

It was this news combined with a perpetually building distrust that caused Mike to finally walk away from Danielle.

In The fashion he was accustomed to He sabotaged what could have been a positive opportunity and let the memory of Danielle drown him in sadness.

Our friend Michael lived out a few more of those dreary days dwelling at rock bottom until he put that last needle in his arm.

Danielles whereabouts are unknown, Michael's children are with grandparents and Katie will be raising their son alone.

a reply to: GoShredAK


Grim and gritty, that mate The feeling is only exacerbated by the style of writing, very dry, like a crime report or a monologue by Rod Sterling. It gave me a feeling of helplessness, a sense of wanting fate to intervene and save him, but also the certain knowledge there was nothing there for fate to work with.

Good story, reads well.