[ How did everything go to hell so quickly? All Alan wanted was to get away. To get away from the tension at home, the stilted conversations, the fights. Doors would slam, one or both of them would stomp away (how many noise complaints had they gotten? Alan couldn't remember), and usually, Alan would end up sleeping alone on the couch.
Maybe it wouldn't make sense to anyone who hadn't gone through relationship troubles, but when the hammer finally came down and the paperwork to finalize the separation arrived, he felt relieved. Nothing was signed yet, but the papers were there. He just had to put his name on them, send them off to his lawyer, and the process would be in motion.
But there was a delay of some kind, so his lawyer recommended he just relax a little bit, maybe not worry about what was going to happen. It wasn't really what anyone wanted, but Alan decided to get away for a little while. The city was home, of course, but it was starting to feel stifling. He's not really sure how he landed on Bright Falls; maybe he opened an atlas, pointed at a spot, and that's where he decided to go.
It's not really surprising that when he got there, the whole town was set abuzz. Of course people knew him. They even dragged out a cutout of him from somewhere. People wanted to talk to him, wanted him to sign things, and for the most part, he did what they wanted. It kept him from thinking too much, and that really was the trouble with him. If he thought too much, he started to get a little crazy. If he could just put on the celebrity author face and sign a few books, he could maybe feel a little normal.
As close to normal as he could get, anyway.
But then things abruptly stopped being normal. Alan's memories of it all are hazy. He remembers collecting the keys to a cabin, and everything went weird from there. There was something about a kidnapping- no, not just a kidnapping. Alice was kidnapped. Alan had to find her. But when he tried to find her, he just kept getting turned around. Looped back on himself. Lost. He never found Alice. There's blood on his hands, but he doesn't remember how it got there. His hands feel like they're bruised too. Did he get in a fight with Alice's kidnapper? What the hell?
Nothing really makes sense. He can barely keep track of what time it is, and his head is all foggy like he's been drugged. Was I drugged? I think- Barry. Barry was there. And Rose. Rose did something, though. But what?
That girl in the diner, the one with all the notes on the table. She looked like she knew something. Or maybe she doesn't. But she looked like the type of person who overhears things. People overlook her, but she's there listening. Maybe she heard something. I need to talk to her.
And that's what led him to her door, where he stands there banging erratically on it. He hears rustling from inside, so someone's there, but they're taking their time coming to the door. He keeps knocking until he sees the door start to move. The chain is still on it, but that doesn't bother him. With how paranoid he feels, it makes sense.
He peers in through the crack in the door. Of course she knows his name. Who doesn't, around here? ]
Yeah. Look, I- I'm... I need a hand with something, and- it sounds insane, but maybe you can help.
no subject
Maybe it wouldn't make sense to anyone who hadn't gone through relationship troubles, but when the hammer finally came down and the paperwork to finalize the separation arrived, he felt relieved. Nothing was signed yet, but the papers were there. He just had to put his name on them, send them off to his lawyer, and the process would be in motion.
But there was a delay of some kind, so his lawyer recommended he just relax a little bit, maybe not worry about what was going to happen. It wasn't really what anyone wanted, but Alan decided to get away for a little while. The city was home, of course, but it was starting to feel stifling. He's not really sure how he landed on Bright Falls; maybe he opened an atlas, pointed at a spot, and that's where he decided to go.
It's not really surprising that when he got there, the whole town was set abuzz. Of course people knew him. They even dragged out a cutout of him from somewhere. People wanted to talk to him, wanted him to sign things, and for the most part, he did what they wanted. It kept him from thinking too much, and that really was the trouble with him. If he thought too much, he started to get a little crazy. If he could just put on the celebrity author face and sign a few books, he could maybe feel a little normal.
As close to normal as he could get, anyway.
But then things abruptly stopped being normal. Alan's memories of it all are hazy. He remembers collecting the keys to a cabin, and everything went weird from there. There was something about a kidnapping- no, not just a kidnapping. Alice was kidnapped. Alan had to find her. But when he tried to find her, he just kept getting turned around. Looped back on himself. Lost. He never found Alice. There's blood on his hands, but he doesn't remember how it got there. His hands feel like they're bruised too. Did he get in a fight with Alice's kidnapper? What the hell?
Nothing really makes sense. He can barely keep track of what time it is, and his head is all foggy like he's been drugged. Was I drugged? I think- Barry. Barry was there. And Rose. Rose did something, though. But what?
That girl in the diner, the one with all the notes on the table. She looked like she knew something. Or maybe she doesn't. But she looked like the type of person who overhears things. People overlook her, but she's there listening. Maybe she heard something. I need to talk to her.
And that's what led him to her door, where he stands there banging erratically on it. He hears rustling from inside, so someone's there, but they're taking their time coming to the door. He keeps knocking until he sees the door start to move. The chain is still on it, but that doesn't bother him. With how paranoid he feels, it makes sense.
He peers in through the crack in the door. Of course she knows his name. Who doesn't, around here? ]
Yeah. Look, I- I'm... I need a hand with something, and- it sounds insane, but maybe you can help.