Part III: Chance Encounters

Life in the riches can be cruel, but life on the streets will be your undoing

THE WICKEDLY

By

Louis M. Warde

Part III: Chance Encounters

        “Who are you?” Victor asked the little boy standing on the edge the moonlit alley.

        “My name is Rive,” he said, “you're new out here aren't you?”

        “Why, yes as a matter of fact I am.” Nerves fully rattled, Victor pulled himself from the streets, clumps of dirt crumbling off his formerly pristine pants. Fear had rendered him stiff. His bones ached and creaked as he stood patting the filth from himself. “May I ask what gave me away?” He inquired.

       

        “For one, I've never seen someone who's been here a while dressed in clothes like yours. Besides that you make yourself way to easy to find. You're too noisy, clumsy, and obviously frightened.” Rive supplied proof like a seasoned detective, he spoke strongly and confident, standing straight and proud.

        “It seems, young sir, that you've uncovered my secret,” Said Victor, assembling his brick seat once more, “I am indeed new to this side of town. In my naivete I failed to comprehend the true danger that could find me out here, and once confronted by it, I was most certainly afraid, and ashamed.”

Victor conceded.

        “Why are you here?” Rive asked.

        “I was framed, Rive. And because of that, I've lost my family, my money, and most importantly, the woman I love.” Victor dropped heavily onto his seat, weary and disheartened.

        “Did you tell them that?”

        “Yes, but how could they believe me,” Victor sighed, “I have no proof to clear my good name and my family of any involvement with this scandal.” Dropping even more, Victor held his face in his hands.

        “If you don't mind sir, what exactly happened?” Curious, Rive cautiously approached Victor. One could never be too careful.

        “I'm not entirely sure, to be honest,” Victor declared, fighting back a fit of tears, “one moment I'm at the theater with my fiance and my best friend, the next I'm waking up outside my fathers business half nude with a woman I've never seen before draped over me wearing some of my clothing. The whole thing sounds absolutely disastrous, but I swear I didn't do it, I love Emilia, never has a foul thought or any consideration of hurting her crossed my mind!” Unintentionally, Victor's voice had raised from his declaration. Typically he was a more reserved young man, but things of such nature, particularly those pertaining to the love he had for Emilia called from him a passion little seen by most of the type of society he was born into.

        Rive allowed him to finish his outburst, but was concerned that the volume of the ordeal would invite other kinds of unwanted guests. He fought with himself, torn between leaving this broken gentleman to fend for himself, or to violate one of his personal rules, by which he has survived for so long. He had already resigned himself, however, just by emerging from the shadows to even speak with Victor.

        “You sure are noisy, Mr.,” Said the boy, “You should follow me, it'll be safer for us both this way.”

        The boy backed away into the darkness, and Victor, slowly realizing why his young companion had become so concerned, followed as he was told.

        Through broken buildings and abandoned businesses long since bankrupt, over walkways bridging alleys, underneath the streets in the caverns used by secret groups for private meetings, they traveled out of sight, and relatively unheard. Victor was new to this sort of behavior. This made their travel time much longer than Rive was used to, but he remained collected, guiding Victor through the safest passages, ensuring their healthy arrival. Following a narrow passageway through what looked to be a mountain of garbage, with a smell to match, they arrived in a dome much larger than a typical living room. Extending some fifteen feet long and at least eight feet tall, Victor realized that this was the boy's home.

        “Did you do all this?” He asked in amazement.

        “Yeah, when you live like I do, you have a lot of free time.” Said the boy.

        “Normally, I only leave to go get food, but I'll only ever expand on this during the day when there's enough noise to drown out the sound of my work. Up here, there's a second floor.”

        Victor followed the boy, awe and respect reflecting in his eyes. Within the walls of the landfill lodging, the boy had framed the entire thing with enough wood that no smells of rotting food, or wet garbage could penetrate into the open space of his sanctuary. He'd carved a table and chairs out old ship wood that could no longer be used. Cabinets and counters were fastened to the farthest corner of the room. Whoever this boy is, He thought, his skill in this craft is far beyond his years.

        “Here we are, you may sleep here if you like, It's an extra room I've been making.” Rive showed the gentleman into a smaller room, with a single bed in it. It wasn't much in the way of glamor, but it was more than enough to ease the anxiety in Victors heart for the time being.”

        “Thank you very much, Rive.” he said, still smiling in amazement. “I could never repay you for the generosity you've showed me, but I can only stay this very night.”

        “Why is that?” Asked the boy.

        “Tomorrow I am to find a job, so that I may find a proper lodging in an apartment. I have the money, but without an occupation to promise more will come, no-one seems to be willing to rent me a room. Trouble is, I've no idea where to begin, so I must get up as early as I can to begin my search.” Victor knew he would get lost on the streets, but as much as he wanted to entreat the boy for assistance, he could ask for no further generosity from him.

        “I know some of the people around here, during the day I pose as the child of a rich man from another city. It lets me walk among citizens without being treated like some dirty old trash. Usually I can get people to even get me things for free. I can show you around, I'm sure someone around here is bound to need help with something.”

        “I couldn't ask that of you--”

        “It's alright, you'd probably just get lost without my help anyway.”

        How perceptive of you, thought Victor as they said their good-nights and went to sleep, eagerly awaiting the suns return.

        The next day found the two of them surprisingly well rested, though, it took Victor longer to get to sleep than he would normally have. The smell of the dingy blanket used on his makeshift bed was something of a distraction he wasn't accustomed to. Eating their breakfast they headed out into the streets.

        Rive dressed as a wealthy looking child. He did his best to keep the cloths as spotless as possible, but he didn't always have access to clean water. Though he didn't tell him, Rive knew exactly where he would take his new friend to begin his journey, knowing just the right place to bring him.

        They arrived at a small, but well kept shop on the corner, deep into the middle class industrial area. The sweet scent of sugar filling the air instantly made their mouths water. The windows of the shop were filled with many different kinds of cakes and small, but successful experiments. Entering the shop, the two felt almost pulled in by the soft fragrance. Their eyes drifted left across the counter at the far end, where yet another display rack stood, this one holding free samples of everything offered. Several people stood in a line, eager to set their teeth gnashing at the finely made cakes. The girl behind the counter rushed back and forth, barely keeping up with the requests, but quickly diminishing the line.

        As they waited, Victor thought hard about the night of the incident, the fact that he couldn't seem to remember much of anything. Slowly, though, during their walk, small details began to emerge, and as much as Victor hoped they would illuminate his situation, they only seemed to complicate his understanding more. Until he saw her, The woman second in line. It was her auburn hair and loose curls that gave her away. She wore a revealing, very expensive green dress, but she wore a red one that night. He couldn't see her face, but he recognized her voice. He knew he remembered her, but he couldn't quite figure out how. Never-the-less, this was a clue. Something that might help him solve the mystery. He had to talk to her.

        “Be right back, stay right there, Mr.,” Said Rive as he disappeared into the back room of the shop as though he belonged there.

        Victor knew he needed to stay put, but with the woman now at the head of the line, his opportunity to converse with her was quickly waning.

        Paying for her order she turned around to leave, catching Victor's eyes as she approached. The woman stopped and stood perfectly still in her tracks, eyes wide with surprise.  Her lips parted slightly as she gasped. Victor's eyes widened as well, taken aback by her shock to see him. She recognized him.

        “Excuse me, Miss?” He asked.

The woman quickly turned, handed her purchase to a stranger in line, and burst through the door. Victor, tormented with his conflicting situation had little time to react.

        It was at this time that Rive came out from the back room, skipping all the while, seemingly without a care in the world.

       “Hey, Victor, my friend would like to talk to...you?” Rive looked out through the glass barely in time to see Victor running with a frightened, yet determined look on his face.

If you liked this writing, please look for the next installment on July, 28th 2013

Author's Note

I have to apologize. It seems that I'm having some sort of spacing problem with the text in the document. The current revision is the closest I've come so far to a spacing consistent with the rest of the series.