(GE Copy)

Chapter 23: A Broken World (Part 2)

“...My whole life, I’ve only ever thought about me: My struggles, my way out, my survival amidst a thousand...”

Watching the man’s gratitude kick along with every step, Aaron felt somewhat satisfied. He casually trailed the man, seeing his promised travel guide skip on out of sight. Aaron’s lips creased slightly, trying to hide the impact it made. A faint skepticism played as the man trotted away with an alleged fortune. Holding onto a little metal box with windows, the big question looming over Aaron’s head: Was it worth anything?

Aaron stood in the street, not a thing in the world to do but wait. He threw his pack to the ground, searching through his things, when a child came up to him. She bounced a ball against his head, poorly asking to play with him. It was annoyingly cute, just like how him and Zack met: One kid standing in the road, while another rode their bike, ‘you’re in the way’ and not knowing how to say hi, while the other could have simply rode around him, didn’t, and two souls began to speak instead. Her awkward loneliness was just like his, if not a tad more assertive.

“Mr, you’re really bad at playing ball...” Of course she said that...

“And you’re not very good at making friends...”

“Am too! I have five friends!” Holding their hand out for Aaron to count.

“Okay, alright...” Aaron conformed, “Five friends, but do you toss balls at all of their heads?”

She stood upright, “You bet!”

Aaron sighed. “Fine.” Smiling under his facade as he retrieved the saggy ball “I’m going to guess you don’t fill these balls with air, given how heavy they are.”

“That’s my ball! You have to play me for it.”

“Then you’re gonna have to get it past the goalie...” Passing it back to her. In a brief couple of minutes, Aaron had fun seeing the determination on her face with every wise trick, despite her complaints that he was cheating. “If I can do it, so can you. That makes it not cheating.” Even at such a young age, she seemed to understand and pick up what he was doing, if poorly executed and obviously telegraphed before she repeated the lessons. He was still going easy on her, but in a short span, she had become rather proficient.

From the sidelines, a lady called out to the kid. “Kyli, you get back over here right now!” Walking out to meet her. “You don’t know who he is!...”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Aaron muttered, “Guess I had that coming, huh?” Passing back the ball to the two

“What’s this?” Ignoring the ball, “It isn’t ours...”

The lady left, chipping away at Aaron’s confidence until it was time for him to return to pick up his things. Aaron scratched his head as his bag laid toppled over. He didn’t remember it getting hit by the ball. Within it’s flaps, some things had fallen out. Carefully, he returned the tools and items. A lot of stuff sure went flying, even his flip compass and pens and other objects he never used. Maybe it was time to lighten the pack. He returned his tools and his linen sheet, only to find it lighter than it should be. It puzzled him greatly, until Aaron took inventory. He stood, shocked, pondering the last couple hours and concluded that he did in fact bring his tub... Some bitch, just stole his tub... And his jars... And his granola bars! Damnit! They’ve gone too far! He did find three lost silver quarters though, or whatever they’re made of; so he wasn’t too broke anymore. Just mostly.

Aaron searched the streets in vein, hoping somewhere his things were assumed useless by the theif, and ditched by the roadside. He trot up and down the streets, readjusting his shoulder straps but stopped by the village square. He stood somewhat helpless before the greatest opportunity he had. However good it was to make his way past the great unknown, without his water to return from Ahklama or get back to his guardian, it would be suicide to go now. No water, no way home, easily at least. No thief would openly admit to their crime, and he hadn’t seen anyone the whole time. What was he gonna do? “Hi sir, have you seen a five fingered bitch high tailing it with a plastic tub, cost’s about two-fifty? You sure? Large doujin hands, built like a runner, face like a bitch? No? Well golly gee, thanks for the help though!” ‘Sure...’ Aaron reluctantly conceded, there wasn’t much else he could do.

No matter who Aaron reached out to, no one seemed to have any idea what a clear plastic tub was, or who would have done it. Actually, no, that’s a lie, they all had someone in mind, every last one of them. “Was probably the Jukes’s they never wipe their mouths after eating a crumpet.” “No sir, but you know who’s got the guile to do it though? The damn Lenny’s. I see their daughter cough up a snozz and suck it back in through the mouth. Can’t trust a parent that lets that shit slide.” “Kemberly. Definitely the Kemberlys... No reason, just hate them.” “Mat and Pan, they say they stopped smoking the elder grass, but you can’t cover a stench like that.” “Justanna...”

“What,” Aaron snidely interrupted, “they put their thumb in a pie just to taste it?”

“Yeah, They did it to you too, didn’t they?”

“Right, I’m getting the picture here...” Aaron waved the man away. Whatever the case was, it seemed no solid answer was going to reunite him with his things, especially not before sundown. To his left, leaning atop a fountain was one last soul to speak to, but her face beamed more distraught then even his own. “Hey...” He called to her, questioning if he should just let her be as the pain in her eyes met with his own. “You... You look like you got worse things going on than I do...” Seeing the visual confusion from her. “You, uh... You need some help?” Seeing her eyes light up, and the wight fell off of the atmosphere. “So, what’s ailing you?”

“My earring...” She replied wearily, “It was sitting on my dresser. He must have taken it. He know’s how much it meant to me.”

“Someone stole something from you too?” Aaron pondered. That seemed recent, or perhaps frequent. Aaron shook his head slowly in pity, it was possible that whoever took her things, may be the same scoundrel that took his own. If nothing else, he was out of leads, and perhaps a local could help him understand the colloquial quirks of these people. Breathing in deeply, he made up his mind. “Sure... I’ll help, where do we start?”

Somehow, her face seemed still, “Sure, what?”

“Sure, as in yes?” Aaron clarified.

The anger from earlier seemed to flush back within her, “Yes, what?”

“Yes... Ma’am?”

“How could you say that?” She retort, though daggers had spawned from her tongue, “What do you think I am?... Like... Like shit to you!?”

“Whoa...” Aaron stepped back, “Just being polite”

“Did I ask you to be polite to me?”

“I’m sorry, what do you want me to say? I already agreed to help you, what more do you want?”

“I can’t even believe you, forcing me like this. It’s not my responsibility to... To... To educate and you’re expecting ME to tell you what you did wrong, you fucking shit bag?”

“Fuck, do it on your own then...”

“So you’re pretending you’re the victim? Oh that’s rich! How dare you leave me to do it by myself, YOU LAMB!”

Casting his hand aside as he turned, Aaron cursed. “Hop in a round hole, find the corner and pray for rain.”

“You can’t even speak properly, and you want to tell me what I shouldn’t be upset at?!”

“I didn’t say... Shit,” Walking away, to an unbearable sleu of insults flung at him from behind.

“You have the nerve to walk away from me?” Still following him through the town. “I’m above you, and you’re below me! I’m above you, and you’re below me!”

Biting the bitter curl of his tongue, Aaron sought to scream back at her but kept walking in spite. He smiled, feeling her pain increase with every frantically deflected curse she laid upon him. It was as though it’s weight curled around her chest and the panic of being ignored almost suffocated her in distress. Like a serpent, curling to choke the life from a knife only to cut itself deeper as a result. Aaron’s ears always tuned to her, listening in case she ran up to strike him in that livid loathsome anger. She stood, whaling, and grating her teeth as he simply left her to scream her crackling heart out.

Well after she left, the adrenaline finally wore off, and Aaron could move past her long slew of hexes. What got to him most, was the laughter of when he realized that after a certain point, she just began to repeat herself and he laughed at the pain it left him. Aaron gripped his face and shook it, feeling himself release, as though a spell really had been put upon him, “There is something wrong with this place, and the sooner I can get out the better...”

To his side, he could see six, maybe eight ladies standing together in the back yard, being very adamant about something. Aaron smirked, wondering just what kind of fucked up ritual would be taken place there. He turned to face the road but his peripherals caught a glimmering sheen and his face was returned onto a shining flexible container; faded W.C. Family logo, broken clasp handle, and numerous scratches from the tools thrown into it. Oh, there’s the rust stains too. Yup, that’s the bitch alright.

Waltzing up past the gate, Aaron heard the cackling hens swoon and praise the plastic perfection. “Well,” The thief explained, “that’s because it’s so hard to make, even a skilled professional would stumble and scrape it’s bottom.” They all seemed to suck it up like a cheap carnival act. Aaron walked past the deck, seeing the rest of his nicked possessions laid lazily about in a hurry to showcase her prize.

“Oh Hailie, you’re so smart, it’s no wonder Massēḵâ blessed you to have it.” Another questioning “But how much did you pay for it?”

“Would you believe only a hundred tapos?” Hailie gloated further, “I’m kidding, the man was so smitten with me that I talked him down for half off.”

“You’re so rich, I should start praying to Massēḵâ too!” “Is there anyone that Hailie can’t talk down?” Everyone laughed, “So what are you gonna put in it?” “Her jewellery, of course!” As their laughter continued.

“What’s it made of?” Aaron inquired, as he strolled up, “Looks like polyurethane. I hear they don’t make that around here...”

“Silly boy, what do you know?” One woman heckled.

“No, no Lucca.” Hailie assured, soaking up the praise. “This boy know’s beauty when he see’s it, but no... It’s actually manyurethane, common mistake.”

“His clothes are pretty fae...” One girl sided, “Perhaps he does know something after all...”

“As I said,” Aaron continued, “Poly... like amorous, or ‘Poly-wanna-cracker.” Turning to one lady, “Isn’t that right?” Watching her nod, claiming to understand perfectly. “It’s a specialty of Staganial, land of the entropes, sheeple of the street. I knew you were a lady of distinction, but I never knew you were a world traveller as well... Such tallent, such tallent...”

“Well, clearly.” Hailie bluffed, “Just the other month I went for a visit there, they have the most exquisite birch forests...” Boasting around to her garden of riveted lawn ornaments. (For the reader’s clarification, it most certainly does not)

“Have you been to their sanitariums? What about their catch basin’ tours? You should take one some time, have a taste testing while you’re there; I hear the water closets are most excellent this time of year.

“Of course I have, they’re the wettest around... But I was in such a rush... I’ll have the see the rest some other day.”

“Of course, you’re a very busy lady. Are you aware of how they make polyurethane?” But Hailie seemed to be too nervous to answer the knowledgeable fellow, “Oil, hardened oil, or at least most plastics are, do you know about them too? Stagalnia, the land of clay and iron might as well be built upon them; fibre glass, titanium alloys, rebar, all Staganian creations; fine as can be, milled down to the millimetre in perfection, and sold for the same price as a glass of root beer... And consequently that worn down, crappy, plastic bin used to belong to me.” Watching the guilt shutter like a flame inside Hailie’s droopy eyes, until her offence spat out her mouth.

“You’re a pretentious little liar!” Hailie scowled, invigorated by her wrath.

“It can’t be yours, Hailie said she bought it!” “How dare you insinuate that Hailie would do such a thing!” “I knew you were trouble the moment you walked in here!”

Stepping up, Aaron reached out his hand towards the guilty party, to be given back his possession “And who would buy an old plastic tub with a broken handle, and a crack running along it’s rim? Half off?” Aaron laughed, “Half off wouldn’t even pay the trash collector to toss it away for you. Now, may I have MY tub, please!?”

“Why do you want it if it was worthless?” “You’re a pathetic liar!” “You’re the real thief!”

“You side with the biggest liar this town has to offer, do you seriously not question a single claim she makes? You eat her tall tales like like they were Valiums; question her, and you’ll hear it soon enou...” But the accusation were met with outrage.

“You only wish you could afford such a treasure you beggar boy with your begging pants!” Putting a bitter spite in the boy as they mocked him, pushing him further back with their voice. “Watch him walk away like the liar he is!” “Couldn’t steal it so ya gotta run away, huh?” “Can’t take what ain’t yours!” Stamping away from the two dollar setback, Aaron could feel the grin widening sickly behind him upon Hailie’s face, without even needing to see her greedy selfish eyes. It wasn’t worth it.

Aaron rounded the corner, stealing back his jars from the porch out of sight where they were lazily left for the rough and not the diamond. These were all he really needed anyway.

Looking about, Aaron searched for a flat plate of some sort, which to crack his jars into and return home for a proper meal, and wait it out in the safety of his own abode; but nowhere seemed prime, always crooked in some fashion, and nothing to hold any water before seeping back into the earth. “Maybe I can just find a place along the road somewhere... Maybe Ahklama has a proper return point...” but he would still need to meet the man he paid, a fortune like that doesn’t just get spent every day. What he needed was a place to hide it out.

Aaron threw himself upon the hay, laying there as time melted around him. Feeling his hunger digging into him, Aaron threw his head aside. Between the cracks he could see a store. He remembered the two nickles in his pocket, then the three quarters he found in his bag. They wouldn’t take his mint, but perhaps he could barter their clean pristine production... Two of them, anyway, one of the quarters was scratched all to shit.

With all the eyes around him in unexpected places, Aaron picked up his metal box and moseyed down the lane. All the while, Aaron compiled every response he could give ahead of time, until realizing it was futile; none of the crazies before him ever came at it logically, why start now?

Aaron passed the front doors, carrying his large device. The young clerk stared pensively at the carry-on in Aaron’s hands, and asked “What the hell is that?” Pointing at the obvious “Leave it at the door.”

Aaron huffed a chuckle, not after the last incident he wasn’t. “It's my carrying case, it's like a car radio. You take them with you so no one steals your shit while your car is parked...” Before the complacent eyes of the Clerk, Aaron continued “Have you never heard of it?”

“Well get rid of it if your so worried about losing it. It's your fault for owning it.”

“What?” Reorienting himself from the sidewinder, Aaron took a step back from the argument, and introduced, “I'm just in for a drink and some beef jerky.”

“My dad beats me.” And, there it was... “I don't care about your problems, it's your fault for even coming in.”

“Dude, keep your problems at home. Will you sell me... a drink... and some snacks?”

“I'm not taking abuse from you, you need to leave. Tell your friends, Jake's dad beats kids.”

“Is there a manager here?”

“HELP! HELP! I'M BEING ROBBED! CALL THE COPS, HE'S GOT A KNIFE!”

“Dude, you need to stop this shit right now...”

“HE'S GOT A GUN NOW!”

Storming out, Aaron grit his hands and clenched his teeth. “Shit!” Aaron spat. “Does everyone strap their dick on backwards when the sun goes over the yard arm or what?” Dropping his case on the ground. “Heh...” Wiping the grit from his forehead. “I’m glad I’m the only hearing to hear that... Don’t think anyone else would know what I just said. Damnit, I’m getting really tired of this shithole, and of all places this is where I sit and wait for a chariot to sweep me away. And how the hell does he even know what a damned gun is?!” Before continuing to cuss a little stronger.

Aaron sighed, having finally refuted his recent stress. Aaron glanced at his ball and chain, and it’s internal gear moving behind a glass wall, then pitied himself. “What’s even the likelihood I wasn’t just swindled, too?” Staring at the metal casing of his insurance policy. He picked it up, inspecting it’s worth, if it was worth anything. He just wanted to go home. Heck, even his Father’s heckling sounded fair about now.

Before him, a young woman walked by, stopped, and pitied him too. “Are you alright?” The light charm echoing out from her shy exterior.

“Don’t suppose you can lend me a couple dollars, could you?...” Aaron scoffed, “Not that it would do my any good with Domestic Jake behind the counter.”

“He gets like that some times... Normally, I just pay the counter what I owe. He’s kind of cute when we refuses to count the change. Are you hungry? What’s your name? I’m Avalyn.”

“I’m glad at least one person has their eyes open in this town. All anyone seems to see is themselves... Anyone that comes to see me, at least.... You might be the first decent soul I’ve seen since I’ve arrived. The only other one is off somewhere, probably laughing his guts out while I hold this dollar store radio in my hands.”

“Please, don’t give up hope. I’m certain your friend is just having difficulties. Please... Let... Let me give you something to eat. You can eat as much as you like.”

“I don’t need much... Just enough to get me by until sundown.” Stretched out, a hand laid before him. Aaron smiled through weary eyes, and his own hand met to reach hers as she helped him to his knees. “It’s people like you that give me hope... Please, don’t hurt me like the ones before.”