The Scarlet Chamber

Chapter Three: Philosophy

Pasty blue light peaked over the horizon, a cloudless sky and golden sun casting out the darkness of the night as a new frigid morning came into existence. Shielding his eyes from the glaring sun Aaron walked down a broken and flora-dominated sidewalk, grass, and dandelions poking their heads through the cracks in the cement. At the end of this war-torn path was a stop sign standing next to a group of kids locked in a tight circle. There was loud chanting and what seemed like a battle cry coming from inside as the barrier of teens moved with the action. 

"It's too early for all this..."

Zipping up his jacket Aaron quickened his pace until he was inside the frenzied crowd splotches of blood painting the ground as a brute of impossible size and stature viciously stomped a young man into the pavement. 

Ever since Devon Thompson arrived in Delmarva, Aaron's quiet little cul-de-sac has become more akin to a gladiatorial arena where everyone has been convicted and Devon is the lion. Disgusting is what it is and what's even filthier is the fact that no one steps up to do anything because the Thompsons are one of those people who can snap their fingers and crash the stock market.

Seriously, this Thompson guy has a certain weight in his presence as if a theme song plays whenever he draws near and readies his fists to atomize some poor soul. It wasn't long before the young soul ceased to respond entirely causing the previously enticed crowd to back away from the scene. He wasn't dead Aaron could tell that much, but he wouldn't be surprised if the cops were at the scene by the time he gets home.

Suddenly the air grew heavy with the smell of smoke as a low mechanical humming noise reached Aaron's ears reminding him of the sound an engine makes...Wait that is an engine! With a trail of oil desperately chasing after it a rusty yellow school bus came barrelling down the road its murky windshield and scratched stop sign the trademark sign of what some kids liked to call "The Charon."

Admittedly the name was quite clever but even that downplayed the danger Charon posed to its passengers. The transmission on that thing was always teetering between barely adequate and insanely precise almost to the point even the driver seemed surprised when the bus would come to a screeching halt. The lights on the stop sign and school bus sign didn't glow and flash like normal, plus the doors on the damn thing weren't even automated, some kid had to open them!

It was a wonder The Charon was permitted to be on the road let alone with children inside! Still, no one seemed to mind too much not until the bus broke down on the way home that was. The squeaking of rubber could be heard as the doors to the bus were forced open allowing the mob of walking axe cans and lip gloss to squeeze through as the hunt for seating began.

Another problem with The Charon was that about 30% of the seats were ripped open and devoid of stuffing making them little more than iron bars wrapped in a coating of cheap leather. The other 70% were a cesspool of social degradation because only those with status were allowed to have a proper seat leaving the outcasts to bask in their glory as if they were peasants unworthy of the title "Human."

Fortunately, Aaron was liked well enough which was usually enough to secure him a seat even if it was a gaudy one at best. Setting his bag down Aaron pulled out his phone content with relaxing until his journey into hell had concluded. As much as he tried to push them out Aaron's thoughts kept coming back to that key he found on his windowsill last night, its cold metallic touch and rustic color were painted in his mind as he recalled the memory and the eerie feeling he suffered.

Reaching into his bag Aaron felt around for his headphones his fingers poking and prodding the small spaces between his books and materials. "Damn! Where'd I put it...?" Aaron groaned. "Looking for something?" Squeaked a small yet piercing voice. Aaron's head twisted around his silver pupils meeting a distant yet present emerald gaze.