A Thing To Be Read

First segment. More to come. Very Tired.

"Composition 2"

His name is Charlie. He is walking through downtown; the tram wires are slashes on the skyline. Charlie is meeting Samuel, his father. They are going to discuss what is to be done with Judy’s ashes. Judy is the mother of Charlie and the wife of Samuel. Samuel had great affections for her before he lost it all. Samuel only cared for his drink, then. Charlie felt alienated from Judy; Charlie is an atheist, and he always felt an enormous distrust (and an allegorical hatred) for this symbol of Catholicism.

But Judy is no longer a Catholic. She is dead. All that remains of her papist tendencies is a tender silver vase. Samuel wants the ashes to remain in his house forevermore. Charlie wants to see to it that they are scattered beneath the willow tree that stands at Judy’s familial summer home. Samuel loathes Judy’s family. Judy’s family loathes Samuel. There is a great group of people who could with ease congregate and discuss their mutual loathing of Samuel, with the source of these hate-filled waters acting as the foremost member.

Charlie is early. He is drinking his fourth cup of coffee. He’s been waiting for forty-five minutes. Charlie’s throat is scorched. “Christ,” he mutters upon realizing how much this place charges for coffee. He is sitting outside, so he leaves. He does not care to see his father, so Charlie decides that the best course of action would be to not. He has not seen his father since the service and would like to go to great lengths to preserve that.

Charlie is walking through downtown; the winos are pissing in the alleys. Charlie needs to get back to his apartment. It will be late soon. It will be dark soon. Charlie can see the vibrations of the disordered city. He knows what happens when the sinners arrive. The sidewalks crackle with their electricity. They are living. Charlie is terrified of them. They live without thinking. Charlie thinks first. At least they are living. There is the great majority in this evil place who only exist, allowing Newton’s forces to work upon them and not much else. Charlie avoids the Existers and will chum about with the Sinners when the time is right for friendships. They flatter him; compliment his turn of phrase and turn of cheek.

“Shit, I’m lost.” Charlie is lost. He was enticed by the bright lights and rhythms of the boulevard on which he now stands. The Sinners are out in full force. They look happy. Charlie looks happy to them; even more than that, Charlie looks established to them. “What’s a guy like that doing here?” they whisper as he walks by.