Post by America on Sept 14, 2010 12:28:30 GMT -6
-Major WIP-
February 4, 1861
The quiet sound of metal being placed filled on wood filled his ears, face now in the palms of his own hands. It wasn't supposed to be like this, this wasn't supposed to happen. The country that he and his people had fought so hard for, for unity and independence not even 100 years before...Was beginning to crumble around him. Everything was beginning to fall apart, everything that he and the men who had paved the path for a new nation, a strong nation, a free nation, and most importantly...A unified nation.
But...His states were beginning to secede from the Union, one by one starting with South Carolina. His words from that meeting still rang in his ears, feeling as though he was stabbed by a bayonet straight through his chest. The stabs that he never got during his own war for freedom and independence, the stabs that he could have gotten from England for being a traitor. No. These were from one of his own states, his brother. One of the men who had fought along side himself and his other brothers and sisters, but now it was brother against brother and sister against sister.
The slamming of hands against a wooden desk, angry shouts filling the room as the room fell quiet. Men owning men, that's what it was all about. Sharp cracks of lightning and the loud boom of thunder came from the outside...A storm was coming.
"You really have always been naive, haven't you Alfred? Don't you get it?! This isn't about us not being happy, this is about our personal rights! Every single one of us from the South will agree to this, you're going to let some Yank new-comer come in here and let him tell us that we can't own our rightful property?! Isn't that what we fought for Alfred? Life, liberty, and property? You know I'm right Alfred, no one here in this room I know will argue with anything that I said."
Whispers filled the room after he finished his piece, each either whispering of agreement, or of dutiful disagreement. Piercing blue eyes stared into the brown eyes of South Carolina as he pushed himself up from his seat, hands tightly clenching to the sides of the desk. A naive fool, one of the last things he had actually heard England say to him after the final battle was over. Alfred kept to his cool, collected expression though on the inside it felt as through a piece of his own soul was trying to rip from his body from the inside out. He had to stop it in any way that he could, he had to keep the union together.
"Is that what you really think Joshua? I know you're not happy about the very high chance that you will lose your slaves, but what do you expect me to do about it? I'm only one man leading an entirely new country, that's what we are, we are new. We just won our independence from England and now...Not even 100 years later...Are already complaining about the loss of what you call 'property'?! These people may be different from us, they may may have a different color of skin, a different language, a different culture than us...They're still PEOPLE, don't you see that? They're not animals like you claim that they are, but...If you and the rest want to keep them, I won't stop you. I don't want you to leave the Union...That goes for all of you. His tone was quiet, yet firm as he spoke to address the other states present, eyes closing behind his glasses before speaking again. "A very wise man once told me that united we stand strong, divided we will fall. All that I ask is that all of you make an educated choice, with the witness of God and all of our brothers and sisters that are here...Since you're being so outspoken...What's your decision then, Joshua Wheeler?"
Seeing the more taken aback by being called by his real name, let alone his full name, Alfred watched and waited as all eyes fell on the now shaking state. Tightly clenched fists gave one last slam onto the wood, turning on heel to turn his back on the rest of the states and America himself...His own brothers and sisters. He was turning his back on his own family...Just like he did.
"I'm leaving...I don't want to be a part of this ridiculous dream any longer. Anyone who wants to join me...You know where to find me." The clicking of boots against the floor below as the creak of the opening door, a door slamming, whispers amongst the others, then the sound of the rain falling outside. Alfred felt his eyes slide closed behind his glasses, feeling a lone, warm tear roll down his cheek. The piece of him that had been trying so hard, so ruthlessly to break away from his body split from his own mind. He felt dizzy and shaky, a hand falling to the side of his head.
So this must be what it felt like when he declared his own independence, to have a piece of your own mind and soul ripping from their very being. More pieces felt as though they were trying to do the same, there was nothing he could do about it...But he would try. He had to keep the union together the best he could...He had too.
A/N: This is something I've been wanting to explore with Alfred for quite some time now, I've always wanted to go into Alfred's psyche when the events that led to the Civil War began. I don't think he split into two people for the North and South, but his mind split between the Union and Confederacy to create an MPD type of disorder until the Civil War ended.
Got to fight another fight - I gotta run another night
Get it out - check it out
I'm on my way and I don't feel right
_________________
Get it out - check it out
I'm on my way and I don't feel right
_________________
February 4, 1861
The quiet sound of metal being placed filled on wood filled his ears, face now in the palms of his own hands. It wasn't supposed to be like this, this wasn't supposed to happen. The country that he and his people had fought so hard for, for unity and independence not even 100 years before...Was beginning to crumble around him. Everything was beginning to fall apart, everything that he and the men who had paved the path for a new nation, a strong nation, a free nation, and most importantly...A unified nation.
But...His states were beginning to secede from the Union, one by one starting with South Carolina. His words from that meeting still rang in his ears, feeling as though he was stabbed by a bayonet straight through his chest. The stabs that he never got during his own war for freedom and independence, the stabs that he could have gotten from England for being a traitor. No. These were from one of his own states, his brother. One of the men who had fought along side himself and his other brothers and sisters, but now it was brother against brother and sister against sister.
____________
The slamming of hands against a wooden desk, angry shouts filling the room as the room fell quiet. Men owning men, that's what it was all about. Sharp cracks of lightning and the loud boom of thunder came from the outside...A storm was coming.
"You really have always been naive, haven't you Alfred? Don't you get it?! This isn't about us not being happy, this is about our personal rights! Every single one of us from the South will agree to this, you're going to let some Yank new-comer come in here and let him tell us that we can't own our rightful property?! Isn't that what we fought for Alfred? Life, liberty, and property? You know I'm right Alfred, no one here in this room I know will argue with anything that I said."
Whispers filled the room after he finished his piece, each either whispering of agreement, or of dutiful disagreement. Piercing blue eyes stared into the brown eyes of South Carolina as he pushed himself up from his seat, hands tightly clenching to the sides of the desk. A naive fool, one of the last things he had actually heard England say to him after the final battle was over. Alfred kept to his cool, collected expression though on the inside it felt as through a piece of his own soul was trying to rip from his body from the inside out. He had to stop it in any way that he could, he had to keep the union together.
"Is that what you really think Joshua? I know you're not happy about the very high chance that you will lose your slaves, but what do you expect me to do about it? I'm only one man leading an entirely new country, that's what we are, we are new. We just won our independence from England and now...Not even 100 years later...Are already complaining about the loss of what you call 'property'?! These people may be different from us, they may may have a different color of skin, a different language, a different culture than us...They're still PEOPLE, don't you see that? They're not animals like you claim that they are, but...If you and the rest want to keep them, I won't stop you. I don't want you to leave the Union...That goes for all of you. His tone was quiet, yet firm as he spoke to address the other states present, eyes closing behind his glasses before speaking again. "A very wise man once told me that united we stand strong, divided we will fall. All that I ask is that all of you make an educated choice, with the witness of God and all of our brothers and sisters that are here...Since you're being so outspoken...What's your decision then, Joshua Wheeler?"
Seeing the more taken aback by being called by his real name, let alone his full name, Alfred watched and waited as all eyes fell on the now shaking state. Tightly clenched fists gave one last slam onto the wood, turning on heel to turn his back on the rest of the states and America himself...His own brothers and sisters. He was turning his back on his own family...Just like he did.
"I'm leaving...I don't want to be a part of this ridiculous dream any longer. Anyone who wants to join me...You know where to find me." The clicking of boots against the floor below as the creak of the opening door, a door slamming, whispers amongst the others, then the sound of the rain falling outside. Alfred felt his eyes slide closed behind his glasses, feeling a lone, warm tear roll down his cheek. The piece of him that had been trying so hard, so ruthlessly to break away from his body split from his own mind. He felt dizzy and shaky, a hand falling to the side of his head.
So this must be what it felt like when he declared his own independence, to have a piece of your own mind and soul ripping from their very being. More pieces felt as though they were trying to do the same, there was nothing he could do about it...But he would try. He had to keep the union together the best he could...He had too.
__________
Don't judge a thing until you know what's inside it
Dont' push me - I'll fight it
Never gonna give in - never gonna give it up no
Dont' push me - I'll fight it
Never gonna give in - never gonna give it up no
I gotta get me back - I can't be beat and that's a fact
It's OK - I'll find a way
You ain't gonna take me down no way
_________________
It's OK - I'll find a way
You ain't gonna take me down no way
_________________
A/N: This is something I've been wanting to explore with Alfred for quite some time now, I've always wanted to go into Alfred's psyche when the events that led to the Civil War began. I don't think he split into two people for the North and South, but his mind split between the Union and Confederacy to create an MPD type of disorder until the Civil War ended.
