Chapter Text
"WOMEN RESPECT WOMEN, ALFRED!"
YOU DID IT AGAIN. YOU MESSED UP. AGAIN. THE ONE WOMAN WHO LOVED YOU. AND YOU BLEW IT. GREAT JOB, DICKHEAD.
"IS *HE* IN ON THIS TOO?!?!"
So loud... Please... Stop shouting... It hurts...
"Alfred I don't HATE you..."
RUN, YOU IDIOT. SHE HATES YOU NOW. RUN.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He'd made it into the woods, finally losing the sound of Janice's voice calling after him. Breathing like he'd just escaped the Grim Reaper himself, he leaned against an ancient Oak to steady himself; to regain some amount of composure and rational thought.
COWARD. YOU ALWAYS DO THIS. RUINING EVERYTHING AND THEN RUNNING AWAY. PATHETIC.
She was so angry.... Why am I always like this?
It's dark in the woods. Which helps... at least a bit. As he slowly regains a regular breathing pattern, he walks over to a forlorn-looking tree stump. He stares down at it with a mixture of sadness and understanding.
*Kick*
Ow.
He plops down onto the poor thing in defeat. It's quite mossy, but it's also uncomfortably low. His knees will not be thanking him for choosing it.
Thoughts whirl through his head like a tornado. Janice's pained expression. The hurt in her eyes. The voice of the interfering stranger... All so very angry at him.
It still hurts.
Why did this always have to happen? Things would be going so well, everything would FINALLY seem like it's all going to be alright and then BAM. He'd mess up.
And the worst part was he could never even register that he had until it was too late. The damage had been done. And he would be all alone again.
MAYBE YOU'RE JUST MEANT TO BE ALONE? EVER CONSIDERED THAT, SHITHEAD? EVER CONSIDERED THAT YOU ONLY SEEM TO MAKE THINGS WORSE FOR PEOPLE YOU CLAIM TO LOVE? DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A GOOD PERSON TO ME...
I.... I just wanted a sandwich. I was just following the same routine as every weekend... I assumed it would be alright- I didn't mean to hurt her....
NEVER ASSUME. PEOPLE HATE WHEN YOU ASSUME. THERE ARE NO SCRIPTS IN LIFE. PEOPLE DON'T FORGIVE. AND AS LONG AS YOU KEEP LETTING YOUR GUARD DOWN IN FRONT OF PEOPLE AND "TRUSTING THEM", THIS WILL NEVER. STOP. HAPPENING. -
Alfred started to cry. Hot, heavy tears. Tears he had held in for weeks, months even. And for once he didn't try to stop them.
STUPID, STUPID MAN. SHE'S THE ONLY ONE WHO PUT UP WITH YOU. SHE LEFT HER FAMILY FOR YOU. AND FOR WHAT? WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU GIVEN HER???
No... please... I tried my best, I promise I did... I want her to be happy.
WELL CLEARLY YOUR BEST ISN'T ENOUGH, IS IT???
He sobbed onto the forest floor, hand clasped over his mouth so he wouldn't be heard.
STUPID, STUPID MAN. THAT'S ALL YOU ARE AND THAT'S ALL YOU'LL EVER BE. JUST THE BIG DUMB OAF THAT PEOPLE PITY.
His vision blurred from his excess emotions. He wished it would stop. All the mistakes, all the pain he mistakenly dealt and received in turn, all the confusion. All the... him.
Please stop shouting at me... I'm really sorry... I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sor-
"Are you alright?"
Alfred jumps, startled- wasn't he alone? He certainly was when he first entered the woods.. Was he not quiet enough?
GOD, YOU CAN'T EVEN CRY RIGHT YOU USELESS TWAT.
He quickly wipes (or rather slaps) the tears from his eyes and coughs- as if it was just athsma and not essentially a mental breakdown in the middle of the forest.
He braces himself, and looks up to see... a policeman?