Prologue

CHAPTER 1: Prologue

21^st street, local coffee shop.

“Police have now confirmed the dead person found near the city centre’s main street this dawn is ‘Armin Scarlet’, a local banker.” The news reporter went on with the report as the customers in Tony’s coffee shop continued glaring at the television with fear and disgust.“ Mr. Armin left home the other day for work. He had not come back home to his family ever since and his contact number was also found to be unreachable. His family made no other inquiry regarding him and they were disheartened at his death. Mr. Armin was shot in the head with a handgun and was left to die. Police have now identified three main suspects basing on the information provided by Mr. Armin’s family. They are now looking into the case as…..” Tony changed the channel as people then left the scary thought of murderers roaming around the city behind and engaged themselves back in their respective work.

A lot of people visit Tony’s coffee shop on work days. It remains crowded even on weekends. The coffee here is cheap but has an amazing taste. The work boys are gentle, polite, well mannered and well dressed. People can spend hours here chatting with one another, munching down cakes & cookies and sipping their coffee. It is never a boring day here in the café. Although these are dark times, the people of this city manage to find joy even in the slightest of things. That however doesn’t lessen the fear they carry along with them every time they leave their homes. Recent events have now made the people feel insecure even in their homes.

In the modern era, ‘dark times’ is not like that in the prehistoric age. You won’t see female children being murdered as soon as they are born. You won’t see cannibalism. You won’t find kings fighting for power. Although current times vary in such events, it is very much the same as it was hundreds and thousands of years ago. The high still devours the low. The sinner still manages to walk among the angels. The devil still hunts as one of us. There are people who manage to find joy even in sadism. Being a sadist is now something one is extremely proud of and it is something one boasts of to his fellow sadists.

The city has somewhat become a sadist paradise in a way. This sadism comes in many forms. Corruption, bribe, harassment, violation of rights and what not. These sinful deeds are committed due to one’s lack of judgment, honor, dignity and most importantly due to the lack of a system that will keep him off this road that leads one astray. Of course, the system is there. It has always been there. But it was never fully functional. It was just a facade. An entity that existed only in pen and paper but not in the real world, not for anyone’s help and support. And we all were made to believe in this system as our protector, our knight in shining armor. We are all merely a part of this so called system, puppets in this play as our strings get pulled by the ones in control of such a system.

Tony’s coffee shop has people coming from all walks of life and of all ages. Some are servicemen, taking a short break from their daily hectic routine, some are teenagers, who are hanging around and having a conversation with their friends about life and what not. One of them is Troy, an eighteen year old high school student, who is attending his senior year in high school. He and his best friend Shawn were the shop’s regular customers. They were always hanging out together.

To Troy, Shawn was more of a brother than a best friend. Troy was an orphan. He saw the world just like any other orphan did. To him, life seemed like a mere luxury he couldn’t afford. He doesn’t talk about his parents. People tell different stories about them. Troy was brought up by his uncle. Although his uncle was never like a parent should be, he was all Troy ever wanted, a family. Misery was all Troy thought he had. He never seemed to learn that life had a brighter side to it, a side he never dared to explore. He considered himself unimportant and unworthy of anyone’s affection. He was always alone in school. Ever since primary school, Troy was always alone. He never felt the necessity of friends or any attachment to anyone. And then one day, Shawn arrived.

Like the sunrise that announces the end of a night, Shawn was the one who made Troy feel like a normal living person should feel. Shawn gave Troy laughter and joy. Troy could see the change in himself. He felt his soul was being cleansed of an evil entity. He soon realized that Shawn as his family as well. Troy never showed his emotions to Shawn. He knew Shawn would make a good joke out of it. But Shawn could read Troy like a book. He knew what Troy felt and he gladly welcomed it. The two were always there for one another.

Shawn: *sipping his glass of cold coffee* Things seem messed up don’t they?

Troy: Things are always messed up. *looking out of the window* It’s becoming quite gloomy outside.

Shawn: It’s always gloomy in this city. Even the sunniest of days seem to be clouded with some sort of darkness. *laughing* We are like characters in a horror script.

Troy: *Faking a laugh* Yeah! a horror script.

Shawn: Classes will be reopening tomorrow. Will you be coming?

Troy: I think so. I need some fresh air. School will have to do I guess.

Shawn: With all that’s been happening around lately, it’s better for us to get our minds off of these things.

Troy: I guess so.

Shawn: Anyways, I need to get going. *leaves his chair* See you tomorrow.

Troy: Goodbye Shawn. Be safe on your way home.

Shawn: *looks outside of the window for a while* I will. You be safe too.

Shawn makes his way out of the shop with Troy watching him from the shop window. The caring thoughts these two friends have developed for each other have now reached its peak. Especially with the current situation the city’s in, the two have made secret vows to themselves that they’ll always look after each other.

After Shawn’s departure, Troy was also about to leave his sit when all on a sudden Mr. Tony called out to him. Troy has been visiting this shop for the last six years. He was well acquainted with Mr. Tony. At times the two would chat about things.

Mr. Tony was a man in his forty’s. He was a man with a slim figure and short black hair. His choice of clothing was also a sight to watch. He would always be seen in his Hawaiian shirt and dark colored jeans. A classical wrist watch and a pair of broad framed spectacles were always there too.

Mr. Tony: What’s the hurry my boy? How about I get you another cold lemon tea? It’s your favorite right?

Troy: Thank you, Mr. Tony. But I really need to go. It’s getting really gloomy outside, might rain soon.

Mr. Tony: Oh, I see. Well I guess we’re gonna have to talk some other day then.

Troy: I guess.*smiling* I do drop by every now and then you know. I will come back again in the next few days.

Mr. Tony: Speaking of the next few days, I might not be around for some time. *scratching his chin* Not exactly sure when I’ll go though.

Troy: Where are you going?

Mr. Tony: I need to give my old folks a visit. My mother hasn’t been well for the last few days. So I thought I would give her a visit.

Troy: I see. Give her my well wishes when you see her then.

Mr. Tony: I will my boy.

Troy: I better go now, see you soon Mr. Tony.

Mr. Tony kept looking at Troy until he left through the shop’s front door. “It must be harsh for him.” Mr. Tony thought to himself. He knew about Troy and his parents. But for some reason, he couldn’t ask Troy how his parents died. He always let it go thinking it would make him feel miserable. But then again, the boy already had his fair share of misery.

People, who knew Troy and about his conditions, always showed him pity. They were always feeling sorry for his loss and they made it evident through their behavior towards him. Mr. Tony was one of them. He was always there to share a laugh with the boy and keep his spirits high. Troy’s uncle wasn’t much of a supportive and fun loving person. But deep down inside, he too felt sorry for his sister’s little boy. He always had that stiff look upon his face with shoulders as cold as ice. But he too had a soft spot in his heart for Troy. After all, Troy was his own blood. How could he abandon his own blood?

Troy, however, didn’t like this pity that people showed him. He never wanted pity in the first place. He craved for affection, something that seemed unaffordable to him at one time. But as time passed, he managed to overcome the grief of losing his parents. He got a hold of life and started afresh. He had his friends backing him all throughout, especially Shawn. Troy was all but helpless.

As Troy made his way out of the shop, he gazed at the gloomy sky above his head. The sky was dressed in a coat of grey with light peeking through the clouds at different intervals. A strong yet serene breeze blew over Troy’s slim body and through his black, long and smooth hair. “It might rain.” Troy wondered to himself as a fade smell of the ground before a rainfall surrounded him, “Should’ve brought an umbrella.”  As Troy continued to walk at a faster pace, he began thinking about this city, his home.

Velvet city, this is the place where Troy was born. This is the place where he was brought up. This is the place where he lost his parents. It was a beautiful yet cruel city where Troy was living in his nightmares while his dreams were buried in the ground. However, he could not hate this place no matter how hard he tried. Something made him stay here. Was it anger, grief or something rather emotionless that made him stay here? No one knows. Troy has his own reasons for staying here. He has his own story to write.

By the time Troy reached the front gate of his house, it had already started to rain. As he got inside, the rain began falling heavily. He wiped the top of his head with a towel and got changed to dry clothes. But then he remembered something. “Damn it! I was supposed to buy dinner” Troy thought to himself with a gloomy look. His uncle was not home. He was away on a business trip. There was probably nothing to eat at home, but Troy did not seem that much worried. He didn’t even think of going out in this heavy rain again. This wasn’t the first time he forgot to bring home dinner. His uncle remains out of the house a lot. When he is around, he would cook or get some dinner from outside. Troy was pretty careless however. He was smart and clever, but careless about the little things.

Troy made his way into the living room picking out a packet of chips from the cupboard. He sat down on the sofa and turned on the television. As he was busy changing the channels and eating chips, someone rang his doorbell. Troy wondered who it could’ve been in such heavy rainfall. He went across the hall to open the door. As he opened the door he could feel the gush of a chilly wind blow across him and drops of rain splashing on his face. The next thing he saw was someone quite familiar. It was her, Itori.

The smell of the rain and that of her perfume came to Troy’s nose as it made him hold his breath. The sight of her made him feel numb and lost for words. Her hair was black with a slight shade of brown that came up to her waist, her eyes that were deep brown. The wind blew across her short and slender body towards Troy as he continued to watch her with an umbrella in hand from which the drops of water were dripping continuously.

“Hi! Can I come in?” , skimmed Itori. All on a sudden, her melodious voice struck Troy with surprise and he immediately nodded away his head. “Ye.. Yeah. Come in. Sorry for becoming like that.

Itori: It’s ok Troy. *entering the house* Not the first time you’ve reacted to me in such a way. *giggling*

Troy: *looking embarrassed* Sorry again. Get in and have a seat.

Itori: Thank you.

As Itori entered the living room, the packet of chips caught her eyes. It didn’t take her long to realize that Troy had forgotten to bring dinner again.  

Itori: Have you considered taking cooking lessons?

Troy: Not exactly. May be after I am done with my finals and entrance exams, I will look into it.

Itori: Coming to school tomorrow?

Troy: Yeah, what about you?

Itori: I will be going. Last few days of high school.

Troy: Yeah, only a few days left for high school to end.

As Troy passed Itori a packet of chips, he began to look back at his days in school and life in this city. Ever since he moved in to this house with his uncle, he got Itori as his neighbor. A shy little girl, who would hardly talk to others, found a special interest in Troy. Somehow, Troy’s loneliness attracted her towards him. Troy got along with her just fine.

The fact that Troy was eating chips at this hour of the day didn’t surprise Itori. It didn’t take her long to realize that Troy didn’t bring home dinner, again.

Itori: Would you like me to make something for you?

Troy: No, its fine. Thank you for the offer though.

Itori: Will you be ok?

Troy: Of course. I have become quite accustomed to these. So yeah, I’ll be just fine.

Their pleasant conversation was brought to a halt suddenly by some breaking news in the television. In the television, the reporter began her report, “The police have now taken Samuel Manor into custody for enquiry about the murder of Armin Scarlet, the banker found dead this dawn. Samuel Manor is a forty year old accountant at the bank Armin Scarlet worked in. The police arrested Samuel from his house an hour ago after he was accused of the murder by Mr. Scarlet’s family.”

 Itori: This town scares me.

Troy: You’re not alone.

Itori: It’s getting late. *looking outside the window* The rain has stopped. I better go now.

Troy: Oh, yeah sure. Thanks for dropping by Itori.

Troy then made sure to escort Itori outside the house. She lived next door. It doesn’t seem much of a buzz that she comes every now and then to visit Troy, but to him, it meant a lot.

With his not so appetizing meal done, Troy made preparations for next day’s class. He was then ready for bed. However, Troy couldn’t sleep. Something about this place and this town always made him feel insecure, uncomfortable. His worries were not new and as time progressed, the worries didn’t bother him anymore. With all sorts of thoughts raging inside his mind, Troy fell asleep without any notice of the fact.

The following day was also a gloomy one. Sitting by his window sit at class, Troy could feel the rain was coming. High School was almost over. Students weren’t coming regularly. Troy, Shawn and Itori were some of the few students who sought something nostalgic in their final school days. Their regularity at class proved so.

After class, Shawn decided to go back home. He had some guests coming. Itori on the other hand went shopping with her mom. Troy was left alone, but he didn’t mind. The soothing weather made Troy feel quite relaxed. He made his way down to Mr. Tony’s coffee shop. As he reached the entrance, he saw Mr. Tony come out of the shop with an umbrella in one hand and a bag in the other.

Mr. Tony: Ah, Troy! How are you doing my boy?

Troy: I’ve been doing well thank you. Where are you going?

Mr. Tony: Well like I told you yesterday, I am going to visit my mother. I was supposed to go a few days later, but the weather might get worse by then. So I decided that I will visit her now.

Troy: Oh I totally forgot. The weather hit my hard. *laughing* I wanted to get some coffee.

Mr. Tony: I am sorry my boy. My employees are not in today. I gave them a few days off.

Troy: Its ok Mr. Tony, May be some other time.

Mr. Tony: Hmm, how about I recommend you another place. It’s just a few blocks down.

I know that place and its owner really well. Haha, their coffee is almost as good as ours.

Why don’t you try it.

Troy: *thinking for a while* I guess I could visit it.

Mr. Tony: Great, go down the 22^nd street into block D. You’ll find it there. It’s the only coffee shop over there so you won’t have any difficulty finding it. I will be on my way then Troy. Take care.

Troy: Thank you Mr. Tony. Have a safe trip.

As Mr. Tony went away calling a cab, Troy made his way down to the 22^nd street. The clouds were now rumbling and a few drops of rain were gently hitting Troy’s face. As he reached block D, he could easily see the coffee shop straight up.

Troy came in front of the entrance. He looked up to the sign of the shop. It read, “Café Marcella”. As he entered the shop, the rain began to pour down. Suddenly, Troy felt a little discomfort. Something was bothering him all on a sudden. He stood on the doorway as rain heavily fell over him. Suddenly a soft voice loudly said, “Hey get in, it’s really pouring down now!” Troy turned to look behind for the source of the voice and as he did so, the source of the voice pushed him in. “Sorry about that, I was late for work and you were standing in the doorway. So I had to push you to get in.” Troy finally looked at that person. It was a young girl, perhaps his age. Troy gently said, “It’s ok.” The girl gave Troy a warm smile and said, “I am Lyana by the way. Oh! and welcome to Café Marcella. Since I gave you so much of a trouble, I shall be the waitress to serve you today. Have a seat.” Troy was feeling a bit relieved now. The cold and gloomy atmosphere, the rain outside and this girl suddenly changed Troy’s mood.  

 

 

 

END 1