Rorschach's Journal, September 12th 1983
Landlady hounded me for rent today. Told her I had nothing to give. Made her mad. She was more concerned about the hundred some dollars I owed her than the four or five screaming children surrounding her.
Went to Dreiberg's tonight. Was planning to ask about John. Heard from Frontiersman he was making a new form of matter.
Broke the lock like usual. Decided to wait until he came back. Helped myself to leftovers from Gunga. Checked around kitchen. Found where he kept his emergency cash. The little owl cookie jar above the fridge. Should have guessed. Left a note inside telling him to pick a better hiding spot.
Didn't take any. Didn't want to. He only had twenty dollars and fifteen cents.
Waited for three hours. Checked the time. It was almost four in the morning.
Found it odd Dreiberg wasn't home. Part of me thought something might have happened. Reminded myself he could hold his own, even now.
Left his place knowing I hadn't come to talk about John.
A wasted night for nothing but a twisted sense of obligation to a man who gave up his mantle when society told him to. I fear of becoming what he is. A failure. A man who's given up on everything that ever meant anything to him. How had it come to that?
Keene Act means nothing. The man opening fire on a group of school children, the woman who sells herself on the street for a pinch of powdered escape, the corporations who deal with the devil—those things matter.
What matters when you've given up on stopping those things?
Money in a cookie jar?
Daniel's become like every fleshy vegetable that resides in this "Land of the Free". Free to stand by and watch society slowly drag its way through existence in the cesspools of greed. Free to let it happen.
Now I slink through the streets, working with the rats of the underworld to do the one thing no one will. Walk the streets alone.
Didn't use to.
Author's Ramble: I don't remember who first suggested this theme, but thank you to who ever did! A new poll will be made for the next theme. Currently, I think the runner up to this one was "Justified". If you'd like to have a say in what the next theme is, please take the poll or leave a suggestion in a review. Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed and faved.