He Suffers

Day 11 Part 2 (Seclusion Day 3)- Purpose

After the carnival ended, Arthur didn't have a way to return home. He didn't want to go back anyway.

Being a runaway proved to be tougher than he thought. Arthur travelled along the only road in sight, staying near the edge of the forest. He spent a few nights sleeping on the hard ground beneath the trees. He sustained his hunger and thirst by picking fruits from the low-hanging branches. After each passing day, he walked forward just a little bit more to see wherever that road would take him.

On the fifth day since Arthur's escape, freezing rain poured down from the sky. His clothes got soaked and his teeth chattered from the cold. He was desperate to find someplace warm, so he decided to take a long run in hopes of seeking some shelter.

The wandering adolescent came across a small rural town after journeying for miles. He sat underneath the awning of a convenience store in order to avoid the rainfall.

A few witnesses noticed how sickly and out-of-place Arthur looked, so they called the police to report a lost child. Two officers picked him up and drove him back to Gotham City.

***

Arthur stepped into his apartment, still soaked in his wet clothes. His mother let out a gasp as she rushed up to him.

"Happy, oh my goodness! You had me worried sick! Your school called and told me you were missing! And I called the police every day to see if they found you. Oh, I'm just so glad you're alive," she said with an exhausted breath.

"You didn't show up," he muttered.

"What?"

"The play! You didn't show up!" he raged at her. "You know what would make me "happy"? Try fucking being there for me, for once!" His newly-developed voice cracked as he yelled.

"Don't you dare talk to me that way, young man."

"Why not? You let that asshole talk to you that way for years!" He was referring to her vicious ex-boyfriend, of course, who had always used offensive language.

She looked down, ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry I didn't come. I went to go check on my boss from my old job, Thomas. He's a dear friend of mine. I just wanted to see if he was doing well, since I was away for the year.

Arthur could not believe what he just heard. Some old boss from work was more important than her own son? Couldn't she have picked any other day to go?

"Fuck you, mom! Fuck! You!" he bellowed while pointing at her. Arthur stormed over to his room and slammed the door behind him. He sank down to his knees and leaned against the doorframe.

Penny knocked a few times. "Happy?" she called.

No response.

"Happy, I'm sorry I made you mad," she spoke. "But you have to go back to school. You're about to be expelled."

"I'm not going back."

"But you can't just—"

"I said I'm not going back!" he snapped.

"Okay, okay," she said with a sigh. "Then you need to look for work."

He didn't answer her.

"I'm trying to look for a new job myself, but not many places are willing to hire me. My savings are running low, and pretty soon I won't be able to afford all the bills," she confessed. "If you're really not going anymore, then you need to make money. Walk people's dogs, cut their grass... something. Please."

"Fine."

***

When Penny mentioned that Arthur would have to work one day, he didn't think that day would be so soon.