[Before, when Dougâs bought alcohol, itâs been a matter of resistance. He likes to prove to himself he can throw it away. Pour it down the sink and then smash it as hard as he can.
Itâs always been days better than this, though. Days when heâs upset, spent too much time thinking of Anne or what heâs done in the past.Â
Itâs not like today, when he has to grapple with two very distinct possibilities. With everything that had been said the night prior, thereâs a chance that Daniel was sick and injured somewhere, teetering on death or already succumbed. Thereâs also the option that Minkowski had suggested. Heâd found a better place to go. That heâd gone to a place filled with memories of the one person Doug feels he actually hates.
A breakup would have been fine. He might have struggled, but he would have found a way. This is different. Either heâd have someone to mourn, or someone didnât even think he was good enough to say goodbye to.
Itâs no surprise that he crumbles.Â
To his credit, Doug does manage to pour out and break one. Itâs only halfway through the second one that somehow, itâs no longer going down the sink, but down his throat. The liquid is gone in seconds, and Doug throws it to the floor with its cousin, sending brown glass skittering in all directions.
The rest is squirreled away. He can already feel the warmth in his limbs, and he needed the good vibes to last.
Besides, heâd have another source coming soon, anyway.]
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[Doug leaves the house, but he doesnât go to his own. There are two possibilities, after all. One is that he will have to listen to Minkowski and Dominic fight. That hardly sounds ideal. The other, however, is that they wonât fight at all. That Minkowski agreed.
No. He wasnât going to do that.
He doesnât know where heâs going until heâs there, facing the far wall of fridge doors in a convenience store. He grabs the nearest six pack, shooting off a few messages as he does. After a second of thought, he grabs another one, then carries his haul to the register.
One was enough for him to lose his senses before. Twelve should keep him subdued for a long while. ]
âyour going to where now?!â henryâs yelling caught the demon off guard, bendy looking eavedropping as jess explained again âi said my friends invited me to go with them to this place cause the myers house! right in haddonfield!â she said as henry sighed âcome onnn dad! please the guy who like used to live there has been locked up ever since halloween! ever since 2000 something he hasnât escaped! come onnnnnâ jess gave henry the puppy eyes as the retired animator squinted, before sighing smiling slightly âalright alright... but be careful alright? that town is known to have bad luck all overâ he said as jess squealed, jumping around âyes!!â bendy watches the whole thing go down, the hooded demon giving a worried look as he gulps slightly feeling something was wrong
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Dougâs sitting on the couch when Dominik and Minkowski come back in. He should be in the basement, in the apartment. Thatâs where Jacobi would go first, after all. The problem is the silence. Even if Jacobi was quiet, and he could be deathly silent at times, Doug knew he was there. Thereâd be an occasional rustle or shift, and heâd know he wasnât alone.
He hasnât heard it in what feels like ages. That terrifies him more than anything.
âDoug?â Minkowskiâs wearing her soft, maternal voice. Itâs the voice that surprised him after so many months of gruff orders and business-only mannerisms.Â
Itâs not so surprising now. But itâs rare enough that it feels weird. That it feels serious.
âWhatâd Lovelace say?â He already knows by her voice that she hadnât gotten a good answer.
âSame as everyone else. Hasnât called. Wonât pick up.âÂ
Doug only nods and stands up. He moves toward the front door but Minkowskiâs firm grasp keeps him from going far.
âWhere are you going now?â Her brows are pinched. The concern is obvious.Â
âFile a police report? Put up posters? I donât know.â His voice is soft, haggard from the yelling on the beach. The urgency is still obvious though.
âDoug...â she starts to speak but trails off just as quickly. Dominik, despite having been silent the whole time, is the one that steps in.
âMaybe he doesnât want to be found.âÂ
Reneeâs expression darkens. She turns to look at Dominik, anger drawing her brows further closer together. He somehow manages to ignore her. Doug almost wishes he knew the secret.
âHeâs made it clear that he doesnât like some of us.â Doug tries his best not to scoff. âMaybe he finally decided to leave.â
The anger on Minkowskiâs face subsides just a little. Much to Dougâs chagrin, he knows that she probably agrees. Most anyone would think that.
âHe has nowhere to go,â Doug says feebly. Minkowski just shakes her head.
âHe has Keplerâs house now.â
Doug opens his mouth but... but it quickly closes again. Daniel said theyâd be together, but... Kepler had always been more than that. Heâs like a shadow, one looming menacingly over any ounce of happiness theyâd managed to scratch out.
Once again, itâs Dominik that breaks the silence though.
âMaybe itâs for the best.âÂ
Dougâs gaze snaps upward. The spiral of self-hate and pity is, for the time being broken.
âSay that again,â he rasps. He doesnât realize that his hands are starting to shake.Â
âAll the fighting, the fireworks --â
âDominik --â Minkowski tries to interrupt, but her husband keeps going.
âThe lack of common courtesy or decency. Maybe itâs better for all of us.Â
Doug doesnât realize heâs on his face until heâs face to face with Dominik. His arm is stretched out wide, starting to curl into a fist, when Minkowski catches it.Â
âHey, knock it off you tw--â
âMaybe youâre the reason he left! Do you know what he told me while I was talking to him? He said that itâs sickening being around people who are disgusted by you. Who do you think he was talking about? Because it sure as hell wasnât me.â
Dominik doesnât flinch, even as Dougâs voice rises. Heâs lucky that his wife his holding the rabid communications officer back.
âIâm just saying, Douglas. You could do better.â
Doug isnât sure how long he walks for. At one point, he swears he feels his feet aching, feels blisters forming on the soles as sand and other detritus rub and grind at the skin. That felt like hours ago though, and while the pain lingers on, heâs become almost numb to it.
A handful of weeks ago, theyâd been on this beach. Theyâd laughed, Daniel had gotten embarrassed as Doug ran around naked, then frustrated when he insisted on quoting Star Wars. The ash from their bonfire had long since been buried, maybe even dragged out to sea, but the memory lingered.
Of course, that was some distance back. Not far from the parking lot. Doug isnât sure where he is or how long heâs been walking. How long heâs been yelling. Itâs enough for his throat to ache, but he ignores it.
Ignores it until he stumbles, pitches forward and falls onto his stomach.Â
When Minkowski finds him some time later (he doesnât know how long, or how she got there) the sand beneath his face is saturated. Her hands are gentle on his shoulders but itâs clear she doesnât know what to do or say.
Itâs fine by him. Doug doesnât know what to do either.
âWe should... go home,â she says. âMaybe heâll be waiting.â
Doug shakes his head. He stands up and begin trudging toward the car (he didnât know why he was surprised that sheâd been following him).
âThe other direction.â He motions back toward the way heâd come from. âWe donât know... we donât know that he went south.â
