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Epilogue: The Crab
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Your eyes open once again to the light of the world as you are released from the asylum.  You leave the journey you just endured behind you only to find an even more difficult one in front of you.  Though you know you can never truly escape the horrors of your past you now feel you have the strength to endure what the world throws at you.

For a short while after your release you try to find your father, curious as to why he never came looking for you.  But the task proves to be impossible.  It seems he has slipped off the face of the planet.  And though you contemplate confronting your mother in prison, you never build up the courage.  The scars you carry on your body and in your soul begin to heal, but never truly disappear.  

As time passes you grow into a successful human being, being good at your job and almost everyone enjoys being around you. You wear a smile most of the time and laugh out loud along with the crowd. However, at the end of the day you always feel like something is missing; the connections you have with other people feel false, or empty.  You have a few short but fulfilling romances, but your friends always wonder why you never find that special someone to settle down with and have a family.  Their nagging seems incessant at times and you begin to just talk to them less and less in order to avoid it all together.

And so, you eventually cut yourself off from the world.  Living like a hermit crab you are satisfied with your life except for brief moments where you feel so very alone.  At these points in time you visit Charles's grave, seeking strength.  You tell him all about your life, shedding many tears but also many laughs.  You tell him that your sorry for not being able to save him, and one day you swear you hear his voice telling you that its all ok.  You know he's in a better place.