(GE Copy)

Chapter 23: A Broken World (Part 1)

“In the clearing I heard the long forgotten sound of silence, peace, and quiet. Somewhere, in the simplicity I noticed the convolution and chaos missing within me by what was no longer there, because in peace there is no more...”

Dirt poured out onto the forest floor. A strong hit, an eager arm, determination of the desperate. From here, his knees could barely hide his head under the roof, and he continued. Another shovel, another inch into the wall until his hands felt crippled in weakness. He dropped his spade, picking the loose dirt with his hands and chucked it aside, until even this was tiresome and the remainder was only the packed material inside the hill.

Ditching his dug-in, Aaron scoured the forest, lining the new area with a roof of fallen logs. He found a new bed of moss, enough to cover the entire top, but couldn’t wield the strength to cut it. He shook his hands, they were tired of gripping things. He finally took one last thin tree that fell, if only barely held in his sore hands, and cast it aside the timbers as he sat in his forest hut. “I thought I’d be stronger by now...” Aaron muttered. “I’m still as weak as I was last week, and the week before. I need to do more in a day; faster, better...” And always moving. Something sparked within him that morning, and took hold throughout the day. All he wanted was to get out of the house, and finally get to move his things somewhere safe... Good luck of finishing that one today.

Panting, Aaron inhaled heavily, taking it in and holding it; but the beating of his heart wouldn’t normalize, nor his rapid craving of oxygen. He came to a calm, as his eyes gazed out at the trees. Their calming sway rocked him to peaceful rest as his light head began to feel heavy and bloated again. Aaron closed his eyes, and regained control of his encumbered breath then smiled. The world was alive, and so was he. He did good today, even if it wasn’t enough. He was never enough for his ambitions, never resting even in sleep, but he made due for now.

Aaron lifted a couple of logs overtop one another, patching what little moss he dragged back onto it’s temporary roof and called it for the time being. It wasn’t that visible from across the creek, only if you knew where to start looking.

He poured out into his bedroom, crawling up his dresser for traction. It was bound to fall over on him one day, making a mess and a fast disconnect but he’d sort that out some other time. Aaron retrieved a quick collection of his gemstones and laid them out on his bed in array, separated by type. He retried a few more tools to keep there, and packaged supplies. Knocking something over, Aaron turned to pick it up from the floor only to forget about whatever it was that slid under his bed. Spilled out beside it was a leather pouch, and seven hard earned golden coins that he completely forgotten about. He counted and returned them to his pouch, planting it in his pocket for safe keeping. Nearing his last trip down to the garage, he stopped by Felicity who’s tuned eyes were firmly glued to the T.V. Again. “Still tired?” Aaron remarked, “Didn’t want to bother you this morning... You know, too much of this isn’t good for you...” But no response. Aaron sighed walking off to the last of his collections.

Aaron locked his door behind him like a closet crack addict and transferred his wealth through the portal. There was plenty of room to place them individually at his new base, and covered up the evidence. They seemed weak, as his previous experiments rendered a few of them faulty. Maybe they might recover in time. Aaron pondered the many places he had picked them, and the ease of returning for more, then onto last night’s discovery. It was time to check up on it, and through the water once again.

With the coast clear, Aaron withdrew to his next station with a leaping bound and rolled out on the other side. Running water, gravel shores, sharp rocks pricking his side; Aaron returned to the place he found yesterday. Sure enough, laying like a sloppy pile of phlegm, the jar he used to contain the yellow gem shavings had melted completely under it’s own weight. Poking it with a stick, the glass was still wet, sloppy, rolling aside. He lifted it, finding it still full strength, and without a tare. It was like the glass turned to floppy chicken skin, with similar texture. He tried to cut it open but the glass maintained it’s integrity, and his knife once again warped out of shape. He laid the blade out on a flat rock to harden and lifted his glass sack for the contents to slide out the empty hole but Aaron struggled to manipulate it with forest chopsticks.

If you ever wondered what jelly rocks are like, it’s pretty much what you’d expect them to act like. Plump, never taring, nor cutting; the rocks that were underneath the jar were like soft gelatin bowls and bounced along the ground, folding lazily overtop of itself. How utterly useless. Although, the reforging application did seem pretty unique. Aaron pondered it for a while, how he could apply this but not many things came to mind.

Plucking it up with a new stick, Aaron flicked the floppy container through the portal before his chopsticks too lost their strength, and followed after. His carrying sticks fell limp as he got back to his base, having it drop outside his doorstep. Aaron retrieved some gemstones from his cabin that he could test to mingle with the new addition, and sure enough, it worked like a hot damn. Aaron honestly expected it to act as a downer, and suffocate the innate ability of whatever stone he set it next to, but no; the stones remained the same, having only drooped and deformed. Even his gemstones could become flexible. How peculiar. “I’m sure that’ll be useful one day, but it’s really difficult to work with...” Aaron sat, figuring where to store his caustic stones, and admired his freedom. In only a few short days, he was almost ready to head out on his own... Except for Felicity, Felicity was being a slouch.

Still sitting in his pocket, sat a leathery sack, and seven solid gold coins. Their considerable weight could be rather valuable. He never really did figure out what you do with the stuff. Do people just buy it to melt into jewellery? Did the bank buy if from you? No one ever really has gold, so no one really talks about how to cash it in. Surely if he could, there would never be another financial issue in his teenage life... Assuming they weren’t fake, or swindled out from him. He wasn’t certain, but Aaron could recall an old story his Father told: Of two young boys back in the old days who went to the candy store with a fifty, and had the owner taken it from them and given it back to their parents for safer keeping; that kids shouldn’t posses such an irresponsibly valuable sum. Was it true? Or was it a warning tale for spending irresponsibly? That’s just the story I was told as a kid, and so was Aaron, apparently. If he was going to cash in, he’d have to be smart about it, or wait until legal age before saying ‘fuck you, it’s my money’.

Aaron kicked up his heels and made way to his next destination, or, he would be if he had any more containers. Cashing in would be rather useful right about now, as he jingled his fathomed wealth, and hesitantly talked himself into searching the house for more washtubs instead. The best Aaron could find was an old plastic toys chest, with a crack in it. Guess that doesn’t count, does it? The old storage room creeped him out as always, and soon it wasn’t worth looking through the old dusty relics. The pantry was a bust, and so was the rest of the kitchen cupboards, not unless he was the size of a cat. Crystal would kill him if he used one of her cookie trays, and abandoned the room.

All this, while Felicity sat ever attentive to the flashing screen, and musicians played in front of crashing meteor strikes. Oh, those early two thousands hard rock bands.

Aaron cruised the garage, hoping to find so much as even an old oil pan, and missed the blindingly blatant opportunity laying right in front of him for about five whole minutes. His eyes finally fell upon the perfect, plastic tray used to hold all the old tools and screws that were collected in attempt to sort themselves back. No one actually ever did, so what harm was there in borrowing the cheap two dollar container? The screws found their new home in the drawer beneath it, with the other mismatch rusted metal, and the rest laid where the tub sat before. He gave it a tap to remove the metal shavings and heard the Garage door open. Aaron felt the hair raise on his neck and walked off with the new portal tub.

“You’re off again, aren’t you?” Paul caught him, walking in from mowing the lawn, as he lowered the door behind him and put his putt-putt aside. “How much am I loosing you?” Guilting Aaron to reconsider.

Aaron turned away. “You’re loosing me, because of a pride that you refuse to get over.”

He was on his way, again on his own. Before him was a road he never seen, never known, never been. A frustration built inside him, and Aaron walked for miles. It came to a point where he had forgotten just how far he came, only that he had in his pack an easy way back. The forest turned to redwoods, then to large bush. He crossed a bridge that lead tangent from the trail that seemed boring and uninteresting and followed the new road through it dark and shaded corridors. Aaron began to question his choices, hoping for a more natural plane to find undiscovered treasures, and now only found himself wanting to stay in easy sight instead. Behind the last dark path was a split amidst an orchard of walnuts that open sky was a small glade between two concerning roads. One was dim like a deep forest trail, the other shined a light in the distance and Aaron took the path most travelled.

Walking under the arboured lattice of the welcoming gate, Aaron could see a town unfolding before him. It was a quiet place with many grassland patches connecting in a wide valley with the distant hills far out of reach. A river ran to his left, sprawling with deer in it’s meadow across it’s mighty waters. Spring air wafted with flowers and the smell of juniper. It was immediately unsettling. Aaron felt as though he fell into one of those nineties toy commercials, with it’s pristine sheen and European flare.

Walking down the way, the bright shiny cobblestone path passed Aaron’s nose by a particular aroma that wafted sweet perfume. His eyes took great focus to his side; A pie on the window? An actual pie, on an actual window! Aaron was definitely confused what time period he just stumbled onto. It smelled like pears, that’s a new one; especially given the surplus of walnuts in the area... Aaron shook his head, and muttered, “What a quaint little place...” And began to fall in love with the pleasant villa.

“Boy” A man called out. Aaron turned to the sound, to find the man hollering at his ingrate son.

“Man, sure made you jump!” Another called to Aaron, chuckling a roll of laughs “Everyone’s got their tone. Thirty years later, my old man still puts a shiver down my spine when I hear him use it. So what’s your story? You’re new here, got a name?”

“Aaron.”

“Quick, to the point, your folks must be pretty annoying to raise a man with manners like that. Need a little character in your life, spice things up a bit, make them laugh a little. Anyway, I saw you, figured I’d make sure you weren’t no highway bandit dressed as you are. I gotta go finish the lawn, and that’s not much fun. Got the blades in the smithy coz they keep rusting on me, so I gotta do it with the kitchen knife; not the good kitchen knife either, those gotta go in next week. Been putting it off because the prices are getting higher. Damn road men don’t come by here as often to sell us iron so it’s got us in a drought. I was thinking I’d just dig the whole carpet up and plant it fresh in the spring but the roots are already down to the clay and ain’t no breaking that off.” Raising his finger to interrupt, Aaron was swiftly overtaken “Billber said he’d be over last week to help trim the hedge but his wife wouldn’t let him leave the house, coz he might end up in my wife. Well, I sure as hell don’t worry about that shit, so why should she? I wouldn’t end up in her if I was over, I got standards... But as it stands I’m down a man and could use the extra hand...”

“I’m really not a work boy... I don’t even know you...”

But it seemed as though the man never even heard Aaron, that or he instantly accepted his statement, as the man continued. “Could get Donni to lend me his ox but I owe him a favour already, and I’m not really up for paying my tab quite yet. It’s got me going to Smith’s for a drink on Thursdays just so I don’t see him but I think he’s tracking me down because he used to go on Tuesdays, and now he’s taking up Thursday as well. They say he’s just an alcoholic, but I think he has it out for me.”

“Look, I have no idea who these people are, or why you keep going on about them, I only just showed up. Usually I get everyone’s backstory near the back side of the book.”

“Dagg’it!” Stamping his foot on the ground “Don’t you appreciate a good story!? First you ask how my day is and now you don’t have the slightest care to hear it? Lowesey, good for nothing...”

“Dude! you approached me...”

“My name’s not ‘dude’, dude...” Walking off in a huff.

“At this point I would be shy of jaw slackened...” Aaron Picked up his feet, “But I guess that’s just life out here.” Walking further out into the town. All around him, the townsfolk smiled peacefully, carrying on with their day and gabbing openly in the street. Aaron couldn’t shake the oddity of his encounter, but pacified it with the sights. “Everyone else seems a lot more normal; just my luck to run into the town’s nut on the first day...” Walking out past the town square, he came upon an empty stable, decked with hay and half open.

Laying with his leg fixed upon the handrail, laid a main who swiftly tucked his shirt back in under his belt. Turning quickly, Aaron apologized, “Sorry about that, didn’t see you...”

“Nah,” the man assured, “it’s fine. No shame in it. Not the worst people’ve caught me at.” Calling Aaron back “Hey, come here a minute... You wouldn’t happen to know where a man might catch some work, would you?”

“Not a clue...” Aaron continued to leave the situation.”

“I said hold on a minute! Everyone’s all leaving me for crows, don’t tell me you’re running off too...” Successfully halting Aaron. “Look... All I need is somewhere I can make an honest living, can you help me out? I’ve got bad luck since the day I was born, maybe someone else could break that for me, put in a good word. Every time anyone ever looks at me, they find something better to do.”

Facing the man, Aaron’s eyes met with his, and they seemed just like his own. The creases around his cheek bones were tilted like gravity had worn down on them but the man simply refused to let their droop pull down his spirits. His shallow cheeks were of a man who was starved, yet he had not an ounce of guile behind his eyes. His muscles pronounced with thick veins across his shrill thin body, and standing taller than him probably weighed no more than a hundred and forty pounds. Aaron pitied the man, feeling the more remorseful as he repeated, “I still don’t know. I’d ask around, but no one knows me here either.”

“Well, that’s a mighty shame, guess some things don’t change after all, even with a new set of hands. You wouldn’t happen to have some spare coin, would you?” He blurted out, catching himself with the silent reply. “Nah, that’s okay. I’ve never been given much anyway, I don’t hold it against you... So, no sense in me being a stranger, what’s brought you out to these parts?”

“Just... Looking...”

“We all looking for something little guy...”

“Anything. I’m young, hunted, hoping to find somewhere that’ll accept me, or keep me hidden, one or the other.”

“I see they’ve tried to tare you down too, haven’t they? Age don’t matter to the world, they’ll pull you over their knee the second you open your mouth it seems. I’d love to have the luxury of being able to hide, but they always find me eventually. See, I’m not unaccustomed to being hunted myself, though, to no fault of my own. Been that way all my life. Hatred lives to smite people like us, no idea why; and every time I ask why they hate me, they can never answer, only to hate me harder for even asking. It’s always been that way... Especially around here, hence my asking; but if they hate you too then no point in seeking work where you’re not wanted... Been fooling myself around double crossers all my life. Sure enough, they’ll stab you in the back first chance they get. Anywhere in particular you looking for? I’ve never been in one place for too long, so I’ve gotten around a fair bit.”

“Anywhere they can’t find me... I haven’t given up on that idea yet. I’d take up life as a hermit and like old man Kaylemen at this point. The more I think about it the more comforting it sounds to leave all the luxury of home behind me for a single moment’s peace. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I did something I wanted to do anymore, always running from something... I hear Ahklama isn’t the easiest to reach, but it’s the best I can think of.

“Oh, you want a journey then, do you? Ahklama sounds really nice right about now.” Aaron’s eyes lit up, “Only hassle is... No, actually, no hassle at all. You might just very well be the first stroke of luck I’ve received in a long while. Tell you what. I don’t suppose you could help me a little, could ya? You know, I could take you there... Consider my travel as payment for you squaring up my loans for me. Just a token a trust that you won’t end up ruining me like the others.”

“Loans aren’t cheap, not the ones that people want you over...” Aaron shied away, “How much we talking? I might be able to sell some things, if you really can get me there. You can, can’t you? Ahklama?”

“About eight hundred Tapos, I think that’s roughly, 1 baw-khan, or about seven Mopets”

Aaron sighed and reached into his pockets for the seven coins he had in there “So, are these Tapos or baw-khans? I’m not acquainted with the minting here...”

As he held them out, the man’s face lit up, counting his blessings “One, two... Five, six... There really is a God this side of the gates... How did you get your hands on such a fortune?”

“Their...” Looking at the seemingly pitiful sum of coins as their value glistened before him. The old farmer truly gave him everything he needed after all. In a moment of slighting, Aaron pondered their true value, and the value of keeping them to find the mystical city on his own time... Then to the troubles he already had, and it’s value to meet it. It was only a place, somewhere in the world, yet surely it could teach him all he’d need to protect himself where his own hands could not: And quickly at that. Aaron struggled with it, gripping the coins in his hands until another doubt claimed him, of loosing his fortune to a stranger. The risk and the upside pressed him until Aaron he was ready to cave. “What about half now, half when we get there?”

The man actually pondered it, looking more discontent the longer he gave it though until shaking his head. “Has to be all now, or nothing. I cannot fix what is broken from the finish line” Aaron sighed harder, and gives the man the coins. The man seemed to be in complete disbelief, until the pressed gold slid into the clasp of his hands. The joy seemed to return to him like fluid to a sponge, and a weight could be felt falling off of him. As he looked back towards Aaron in gratitude, he noticed the discontent in the boy. “Please, let me get something.” Running into the barn where he had his things. Retrieving a handheld device, he returned to Aaron, holding it out to him. “Please, consider it my assurance that I’ll be back. Please don’t loose it, it’s even more valuable than my debts if you can believe it. I’d sell it, but even if I could find a buyer, it’d make defunct my purpose of even being here. It was... My old means of squaring up, now, that lays within you.”

Aaron’s clouded eyes cleared up, as the looming doubts melted against the hope he felt. “How long will it take?”

“If I can meet who I need to, I’ll be done before the sun sets over the hills.”