MALUM

Chapter 10

Walking through the heavy snowflakes in her snow attire, Ava walked through her neighborhood as she soaked in the atmosphere. Something about its archaic architecture felt unnatural and eerie but somehow pleasant simultaneously. Like a dream someone has but doesn't know they're dreaming, feeling real at the moment but looking more and more of a facade as the dream continues. However, the dream that Ava felt like she had been trapped in had been very much a reality. She couldn't help but feel disassociated from everything around her and the world she had woken up to. She was even feeling as if she could have still been asleep. That would have been quite the revelation for her to discover. That all of the odd encounters and strange events were nothing more than a dream. Nothing felt natural or authentic to her, but as she walked and the afternoon drug onto the evening, her mind raced and spiraled into what felt like a bottomless abyss.

The sun had set, and darkness started to make itself known as she continued. Deep in thought, as she continued to walk around the block, she was immediately ripped back into reality as a city bus stopped next to her. Looking to her right, she hadn't even realized that a small bus stop along with an old, small, weathered bus stop shelter with a bench. It had scratched, faded plastic windows that had once been clear and clean. Providing a once transparent, clean small pavilion for people to gather under during the snow and rain. Random graffiti scribbles and permanent markers were sporadically scattered across the faded plastic as people had vandalized it over the decades. Huddled underneath, like a group of hibernating animals all trying to stay warm, they grabbed their nearby belongings as they began to form a line. Ready to board the city transit bus and feel the warmth inside that came with it. The doors swung up, and Ava's curious nature got the better of her. She walked slower as she turned her head, eventually stopping altogether and not even knowing why she had stopped to stare in the first place. Perhaps she longed to up and leave, and the bus was that outlet to let her imagination wander. Or maybe it was the longing to go somewhere and do something exciting? She felt like a mad woman, standing and staring from the sidewalk. The bus, being old and dated, had a small, worn stainless steel plaque above the door that read "Acheron Motors." It's likely just branding the company that made the once beautiful transit bus that looked as though it were on death's door. Facing the bridge that crossed the Minnesota River a couple blocks down, its old brakes screeched to a halt as its doors opened wide.

Uniformly, people started boarding the bus one after another, swiping a small paper bus transfer through a makeshift card reader that sat next to the driver. Inside, vibrant blue lights flooded the interior with an intensity like no other. It was an odd look, but the city had implemented the blue lights to prevent bus riders and people experiencing homelessness alike from sleeping on the bus. Some rumors floated around the town like wildfire that the purpose of the blue lights was to detour drug-addicted passengers from shooting up; blue making it harder to see veins in your arm, most likely? Some even said the blue light inside would help with glare and keep the drivers awake and mentally stimulated. No firm answers ever came to the surface, though, creating nothing more than an eyesore to most people. Through the old windows of the bus, Ava could see the silhouettes of people staring and staring out of them. At her. Or what looked like at her. Standing there with no movement or emotion. Like wax statues that one would see at a museum or some tacky side road attraction. But the blue light around them made them look uncanny. Soaking in the blue light and almost looking like they were corpses that had been posed to stand and stare. Their presence looked unsettling, and Ava found herself staring back at them. Before she knew it, the last person in line had boarded the bus, leaving the driver to sit and stare at Ava curiously. She was a short, stubby woman with her hair pulled perfectly into a tight bun. A name tag that read "Charon" in big, obnoxious letters displayed itself to Ava as she stood and stared awkwardly.

"Well, are you getting on or what?" Charon asked bluntly.
"Oh, um, no," Ava said awkwardly, trying to find the words she wanted to speak.
"You sure? This is the last route, missy, and we have the room." She said bluntly again. Being called 'missy' irked Ava a bit.
"No, I'm fine. Thank you, though." Ava said—a bit more confidently that time.

She rolled her eyes as she closed the doors and started to drive away. All the passengers had turned to stare back at Ava standing there. Sending chills down her spine. Quickly interrupted by the loudest noise. The growling sound of two Rottweilers sounded off behind her as she quickly jumped from the sound, letting out a small scream. In a nearby alley behind her, two Rottweilers on leashes viciously snarled and growled at each other as they fought over a piece of what appeared to be raw meat—sounding as if they were inches away from nearly killing each other over it. The raw red meat oozed with blood as chunks of it flew around them. Not even realizing they were destroying the precious meat that they were desperately fighting over in the first place. Suddenly, the figure holding the leases and laughing at the dogs had walked into view. He was a fat swine-like man who looked like he had never heard the words "soap" and "shower" in his life. A greasy man that looked repulsive to even look at. His face had been covered with scars and pockmarks, and his black, greasy hair was wild and unkempt. From the looks of it, the alleyway had an open doorway that led to his home; however, it was unsure if the dogs were kept inside or out. The leashes made Ava believe they were inside dogs, given that there was no natural way to chain them up outside, but the poor beasts looked sickly. Starved and beaten their whole life to possibly be converted into fighting dogs. Which would have explained why the disgusting owner took pleasure in watching them fight for raw, bloody meat. Seeing Ava, his grease-stained smirk grew into a large grin. Chuckling, his abhorrent, decaying, toothy grin consumed his whole face. He found an odd amusement in Ava's utter disgust. "What the fuck you lookin' at? You want some meat, too? I got a big piece right here for ya." He said as he grabbed his fat, stinking crotch. He began to chuckle as Ava, in absolute disgust, said, "Fucking pig," as she stormed off.

She could hear his laughter and the dogs as she walked closer to home.