[Billy squirms like he's doing battle with himself, with the truth.]
Y-you know how little kids are, they... they love heroes. Good vs. Evil. It's a good story, kids eat it up. But, uh...
...I was 8. I got to see my favorite hero in action against his archnemesis, Mister Maniacal. I had a black eye from a classmate who was four years older than me, and I... I realized that my hero sounded like the bully who... who hit me.
[His voice has faded out to almost silence, now.]
And the people around me, they- they didn't see--! They still don't see that being smart isn't- isn't bad! They glorify ignorance because that's all that they can comprehend, a-and anything else is... is horrible.
[He leans forward and presses the heels of his palms against his eyes, and for all that his voice is muffled he just sounds sad and scared, like a little boy caught in over his head.]
no subject
Y-you know how little kids are, they... they love heroes. Good vs. Evil. It's a good story, kids eat it up. But, uh...
...I was 8. I got to see my favorite hero in action against his archnemesis, Mister Maniacal. I had a black eye from a classmate who was four years older than me, and I... I realized that my hero sounded like the bully who... who hit me.
[His voice has faded out to almost silence, now.]
And the people around me, they- they didn't see--! They still don't see that being smart isn't- isn't bad! They glorify ignorance because that's all that they can comprehend, a-and anything else is... is horrible.
[He leans forward and presses the heels of his palms against his eyes, and for all that his voice is muffled he just sounds sad and scared, like a little boy caught in over his head.]
I never wanted to kill anyone...