š š. Ā ššš !
āitĀ Ā Ā isĀ Ā Ā idiotic Ā to Ā care Ā about Ā people Ā because Ā people Ā fuckingĀ Ā Ā SUCK,ā Ā she Ā corrects, Ā a Ā frown Ā on Ā her Ā face. Ā a Ā million Ā familiar Ā lines, Ā a Ā petulant Ā persistent Ā dismay Ā at Ā everything Ā the Ā world Ā has Ā to Ā offer Ā her. Ā people Ā were Ā boring, Ā people Ā wasted Ā their Ā time Ā pretending Ā they Ā were Ā better Ā than Ā reality Ā and Ā in Ā the Ā end⦠ ash Ā knew Ā better Ā than Ā anyone Ā that Ā peopleĀ Ā Ā ALWAYSĀ Ā Ā let Ā you Ā down. Ā she Ā should Ā know, Ā she Ā was Ā able Ā to Ā let Ā down Ā literally Ā everyone Ā in Ā her Ā life. Ā everyoneĀ Ā Ā exceptĀ Ā Ā forĀ Ā Ā isaac. Ā she Ā was Ā a Ā catalyst Ā and Ā whatever Ā she Ā did Ā she Ā seemed Ā to Ā trigger Ā a Ā set Ā of Ā reactions Ā that Ā went Ā like Ā dominoes Ā until Ā her Ā mother Ā was Ā crying Ā about Ā her Ā reputation Ā like Ā one Ā of Ā those Ā housewives Ā who Ā thought Ā sadness Ā was Ā an Ā illness Ā and Ā having Ā a Ā baby Ā as Ā a Ā teenager Ā was Ā enough Ā to Ā make Ā the Ā planet Ā combust.Ā Ā Ā āyouāre Ā just Ā too Ā delusional Ā to Ā know Ā that Ā yet, Ā maybe Ā itās Ā the Ā power Ā of Ā christ,ā Ā she Ā dismisses Ā him Ā with Ā an Ā eye Ā roll.Ā Ā Ā
itās Ā not Ā that Ā she Ā isnāt Ā listening Ā and Ā doesnāt Ā think Ā itās Ā relevant Ā that Ā eddie Ā isnāt Ā the Ā arsonist, Ā she Ā may Ā be Ā a Ā bad Ā person, Ā a Ā selfish Ā person Ā and Ā someone Ā entirely Ā absorbed Ā by Ā her Ā own Ā narration Ā but Ā she Ā does Ā know Ā right Ā from Ā wrong. Ā maybe Ā reggie Ā thinks Ā that Ā sheās Ā so Ā horrible Ā that Ā she Ā doesnāt Ā understand Ā his Ā point Ā but Ā itās Ā him Ā who Ā doesnāt Ā understand Ā hers. Ā what Ā was Ā the Ā point Ā of Ā him Ā going Ā around Ā telling Ā everyone Ā eddie Ā wasnāt Ā the Ā arsonist Ā when Ā he Ā didnāt Ā do Ā one Ā useful Ā thing Ā about Ā his Ā suspicions?
āyeah, Ā i Ā get Ā it, Ā iām Ā aĀ Ā Ā TERRIBLEĀ Ā Ā person Ā and Ā you, Ā kind Ā little Ā reggie, Ā take Ā time Ā out Ā of Ā your Ā precious Ā day Ā saving Ā the Ā world Ā toĀ Ā Ā TOLERATEĀ Ā Ā me. Ā thanks Ā so Ā much,ā Ā the Ā words Ā dripping Ā with Ā sarcasm, Ā her Ā eyes Ā narrowed. Ā she Ā had Ā always Ā known Ā that Ā was Ā how Ā he Ā truly Ā felt Ā about Ā her Ā and Ā now Ā all Ā the Ā things Ā she Ā had Ā been Ā thinking Ā earlier Ā were Ā diminished, Ā dismissed, Ā the Ā strange Ā unsettling Ā connection Ā she Ā thought Ā they Ā were Ā buildingĀ Ā Ā DESTROYED.Ā Ā Ā āall Ā iām Ā trying Ā to Ā say Ā is Ā that Ā you Ā didnāt Ā actually Ā do Ā anything Ā useful. Ā you Ā just Ā ran Ā your Ā mouth. Ā you Ā didnāt Ā open Ā your Ā door, Ā you Ā didnāt Ā let Ā poor Ā little Ā foster Ā kid Ā eddie Ā crash Ā at Ā your Ā place Ā or Ā convince Ā the Ā parishioners Ā of Ā darkwood Ā to Ā give Ā him Ā a Ā second Ā chance. Ā if Ā you Ā thought Ā he Ā was Ā innocent Ā then Ā you Ā could Ā of Ā done Ā something Ā other Ā than Ā incite Ā some Ā psychotic Ā person Ā to Ā start Ā burning Ā down Ā theĀ Ā Ā restĀ Ā Ā of Ā the Ā town, Ā reggie.ā
defences Ā are Ā up, Ā walls Ā rebuilt Ā to Ā the Ā very Ā top. Ā irrationality,Ā āno.Ā Ā Ā sheĀ Ā Ā doesnāt Ā know Ā anything Ā about Ā this Ā and Ā sheĀ Ā Ā doesnātĀ Ā Ā have Ā to. Ā not Ā her Ā and Ā not Ā chance.Ā Ā Ā okay?ā
š·š“Ā š·š°š³Ā š³š“š°š»šĀ ššøšš·Ā šš·š“Ā š¼š¾ššĀ š¼š“šš²šššøš°š»Ā ,Ā šš·š“Ā š¼š¾ššĀ šššš±š±š¾šš½Ā ,Ā šš·š“Ā š¼š¾ššĀ šøš½š²š°š½š³š“šš²š“š½šĀ š¾šµĀ šæš“š¾šæš»š“Ā ,Ā butĀ sheĀ hadĀ alwaysĀ beenĀ anotherĀ onĀ anotherĀ playingĀ fieldĀ Ā āĀ alwaysĀ presentingĀ aĀ newĀ challengeĀ ,Ā alwaysĀ pullingĀ himĀ backĀ downĀ toĀ theĀ groundĀ wheneverĀ heĀ wouldĀ getĀ tooĀ quixoticĀ forĀ anyoneāsĀ goodĀ .Ā hisĀ patienceĀ neverĀ seemedĀ toĀ ranĀ thinĀ withĀ herĀ ,Ā Ā theirĀ livesĀ tooĀ intertwinedĀ andĀ reggieĀ knewĀ heĀ couldnātĀ liveĀ withoutĀ herĀ atĀ thisĀ pointĀ .Ā andĀ maybe ,Ā heĀ didnātĀ knowĀ whetherĀ thatĀ wasĀ aĀ goodĀ thingĀ .Ā maybeĀ ,Ā heĀ wasĀ DELUSIONALĀ inĀ thinkingĀ thatĀ heĀ couldĀ softenĀ herĀ hardenedĀ heartĀ ,Ā inĀ thinkingĀ thatĀ sheĀ couldĀ seeĀ anythingĀ otherĀ thanĀ howĀ sheĀ wantedĀ toĀ seeĀ themĀ .Ā Ā theyĀ wereĀ bothĀ stubbornĀ ,Ā PRIDEFULĀ ,Ā butĀ maybeĀ ,Ā itĀ wasĀ timeĀ forĀ oneĀ ofĀ themĀ toĀ loseĀ Ā āĀ andĀ heĀ wouldĀ ratherĀ itĀ beĀ himĀ .Ā Ā
heĀ wasĀ alsoĀ EXHAUSTEDĀ ,Ā FRIGHTENEDĀ ,Ā CONFUSED ,Ā LOSTĀ Ā ,Ā Ā theĀ maskĀ heĀ woreĀ Ā āĀ thatĀ everlastingĀ smileĀ ,Ā Ā meantĀ toĀ provideĀ comfortĀ andĀ securityĀ Ā āĀ Ā finallyĀ WAVERINGĀ atĀ everyĀ wordĀ thatĀ spilledĀ fromĀ herĀ lipsĀ .Ā Ā heĀ hadĀ alwaysĀ triedĀ hisĀ bestĀ toĀ careĀ forĀ peopleĀ ,Ā alwaysĀ putĀ hisĀ ownĀ problemsĀ onĀ theĀ backĀ burnerĀ whileĀ everyoneĀ elseāsĀ piledĀ upĀ onĀ himĀ becauseĀ heĀ couldnātĀ stopĀ himselfĀ fromĀ gettingĀ involvedĀ .Ā Ā andĀ maybeĀ ashĀ wasĀ rightĀ ,Ā thatĀ heĀ didnātĀ doĀ enoughĀ toĀ helpĀ eddieĀ andĀ thatĀ heĀ onlyĀ madeĀ thingsĀ worseĀ .Ā heĀ didnātĀ speakĀ untilĀ sheĀ wasĀ doneĀ ,Ā Ā onlyĀ recitedĀ aĀ prayerĀ inĀ hisĀ headĀ asĀ sheĀ continuedĀ toĀ spewĀ dismissalsĀ andĀ blameĀ Ā āĀ Ā Ā godĀ ,Ā grantĀ meĀ theĀ serenityĀ toĀ acceptĀ theĀ thingsĀ iĀ cannotĀ changeĀ ,Ā Ā courageĀ toĀ changeĀ theĀ thingsĀ iĀ can ,Ā andĀ wisdomĀ toĀ knowĀ theĀ difference .Ā whatĀ wasĀ thereĀ toĀ sayĀ outĀ loudĀ ?Ā Ā tooĀ manyĀ thingsĀ .Ā heĀ couldĀ argueĀ ,Ā defendĀ himselfĀ ,Ā listĀ allĀ theĀ Ā goodĀ heĀ hadĀ doneĀ butĀ noneĀ ofĀ itĀ wouldĀ makeĀ aĀ differenceĀ Ā becauseĀ itĀ wasĀ ashĀ .Ā
Ā ā Ā YEAHĀ ,Ā OKAYĀ ,Ā Ā āĀ Ā heĀ spokeĀ timidlyĀ ,Ā resignedĀ .Ā Ā āĀ Ā iĀ donātĀ knowĀ howĀ muchĀ longerĀ iĀ canĀ doĀ thisĀ Ā āĀ Ā youĀ onlyĀ hearingĀ whatĀ youĀ wantĀ toĀ hearĀ ,Ā onlyĀ seeingĀ whatĀ youĀ wantĀ toĀ seeĀ ...Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā hisĀ wordsĀ wereĀ lowĀ ,Ā Ā LIFELESSĀ ,Ā uncertainĀ whetherĀ theyĀ wouldĀ matterĀ atĀ allĀ ,Ā andĀ maybeĀ heĀ wasĀ onlyĀ ramblingĀ atĀ thisĀ pointĀ becauseĀ itĀ wasĀ easierĀ toĀ dealĀ withĀ thanĀ silenceĀ andĀ theĀ inevitabilityĀ ofĀ oneĀ ofĀ themĀ walkingĀ awayĀ .Ā Ā Ā ā Ā youĀ canĀ beĀ terribleĀ .Ā intolerableĀ .Ā SELFISHĀ ,Ā allĀ ofĀ thoseĀ areĀ trueĀ .Ā butĀ howĀ isĀ itĀ hardĀ toĀ understandĀ thatĀ despiteĀ allĀ ofĀ thatĀ Ā ,Ā Ā youĀ makeĀ meĀ feelĀ ALIVEĀ ?Ā thatĀ maybeĀ iĀ donātĀ justĀ tolerateĀ youĀ ,Ā thatĀ maybeĀ iĀ actuallyĀ LIKEĀ beingĀ aroundĀ youĀ ?Ā Ā āĀ Ā hisĀ expressionĀ subtlyĀ shiftedĀ fromĀ Ā Ā oneĀ ofĀ defeatĀ toĀ devastationĀ ,Ā asĀ ifĀ hearingĀ hisĀ ownĀ wordsĀ outĀ loudĀ ledĀ himĀ toĀ aĀ realizationĀ .Ā Ā Ā āĀ andĀ iĀ donātĀ thinkĀ itāsĀ rightĀ becauseĀ allĀ youāveĀ doneĀ isĀ makeĀ meĀ feelĀ TERRIBLEĀ .Ā youāreĀ rightĀ thatĀ iĀ shouldĀ haveĀ doneĀ moreĀ aboutĀ eddieāsĀ situationĀ ,Ā butĀ iāmĀ notĀ goingĀ toĀ takeĀ BLAMEĀ forĀ anĀ arsonistāsĀ actionĀ .Ā Ā thatāsĀ onĀ themĀ .Ā andĀ iāmĀ notĀ goingĀ toĀ takeĀ someĀ masochisticĀ delightĀ inĀ youĀ tellingĀ meĀ thatĀ iāmĀ toĀ blameĀ forĀ somethingĀ iĀ didĀ NOTĀ knowĀ wouldĀ happenĀ .Ā iāmĀ Ā DONEĀ Ā withĀ thatĀ .Ā Ā ā Ā
neverĀ hadĀ heĀ feltĀ moreĀ uncomfortableĀ inĀ hisĀ lifeĀ ,Ā unfamiliarĀ withĀ howĀ toĀ navigateĀ his emotionsĀ afterĀ anĀ outburstĀ thatĀ mightĀ justĀ ruinĀ hisĀ relationshipĀ withĀ ashĀ ,Ā whateverĀ thatĀ wasĀ .Ā Ā āĀ soĀ ,Ā whatĀ nowĀ ?Ā Ā youĀ clearlyĀ donātĀ needĀ meĀ sinceĀ iĀ justĀ makeĀ thingsĀ worseĀ andĀ youĀ donātĀ wantĀ pariāsĀ helpĀ .Ā inĀ factĀ ,Ā youĀ donātĀ wantĀ anyoneāsĀ helpĀ .Ā itāsĀ alwaysĀ YOURĀ WAYĀ ORĀ NOĀ WAYĀ ,Ā isnātĀ itĀ ?Ā Ā Ā Ā ā













