Aberrant: 2011 - The Begining [Completed]

[Creeper]

The men stood on the bank of the water. It was May 2009 and they had just graduated from college. One had black hair and blue eyes, and what most would call a Celtic face. The other boy had brown hair and eyes and was a bit stockier in build. The black-haired boy asked, "What are you going to do now, Shawn?"

"I'm going to Yale to contiune with my studies. What about you, Joshua? With that brain of yours, you could do practically anything." "I've got to help Aunt Nancy get some money. If not, she'll lose the boarding house. I mean, there's not much my sister's Ada and Sierra can do. I was thinking of going to New York."

"New York! You must be crazy! What can you possibly hope to find there?"

"You said yourself, with a brain like mine, I can do practically anything." He stood up. "How about another swim?"

"You're on!"

The men were in the water when a girl close to their own age approached. "Joshua Solomon! Come out right now! Aunt Nancy wants you!"

"Come in for a swim, Ada. The water's fine," called Joshua.

"I don't have my bathing suit."

"That's okay, we won't look!"

"Shawn, how dare you!" Ada turned to go away, but remembered what she was here for. "Aunt Nancy wants you to help around the house. I'm going to wait until you get out otherwise you'll never leave."

"Nothing like a younger sister to ruin a fun afternoon," said Joshua dejectedly as he waded to shore.

"Yeah, that's why I'm glad I'm an only child," Shawn remarked as he followed Joshua.

Ada threw a towel at them both. "I don't know how you guys can just be lazy when everyone else is working."

"We're taking advantage of the free time we have while we can. Lord knows when we'll be able to do it again." Joshua tied his shoes.

"You and Sierra should join us next time," said Shawn, doing the same.

"Maybe I will, I can't say for Sierra."

Shawn stood. "I knew that under that rough exterior, you were a good kid."

"Of course," said Joshua, putting his arm about her shoulder. "She's my sister."

"And there are times I wish I wasn't," she said with a smile.

"Well, you won't have to put up with me for long." She looked questioningly at him. "I'm planning to go to New York to get a job."

"Does Aunt Nancy know?"

"No, and she's not going to until I'm ready to tell her. Understand?"

"Yes. I promise not to say a word."

"That goes for you, too, Shawn. Not a word."

"Sure thing. I've got to get home. I promised my dad I'd help at the store this afternoon. I'll stop by tonight, okay?"

"That'd be swell. See ya tonight, then." Joshua and Ada waved good- bye and went back to their aunt's boarding house.

For the rest of the month and into June, Joshua did odd jobs around the house waiting for the right moment to tell his aunt about New York. Ada kept her promise and didn't tell. Then, around the second week of June, Nancy received a letter telling her that she would lose the boarding house if she didn't keep up with the mortgage.

"I can't possibly pay within the month. I just don't have the money." "I'm gonna help you," said Joshua. "How can you do that?" "I'm gonna get a real job with real pay." "No job here will pay enough to help with the mortgage." "I know. That's why I'm going to New York." "There should be plenty of jobs there for me to make enough. The least I can do is try." Nancy gave in and Joshua prepared to go to New York.

[Creeper]

Walking along Fifth Avenue in New York at night, Joshua couldn't believe that in a city this size, there were no jobs. He watched the people walk by in their silks and jewels, flaunting their riches while there were people scrounging for money, some even starving. An idea suddenly came to him: why should some people have more while others had less? They probably wouldn't miss it if it were stolen. With the money gained from selling the goods, he could pay off Aunt Nancy's mortgage and donate the rest to some charity--anonymously, of course. A real Robin Hood.

That evening, Joshua made his way to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Even though this was his first break-in, he felt like an old pro--maybe it was from all those mysteries he read. He studied the wall behind the reception desk, noting the cubbyholes with keys in them. He then chose a floor at random and walked down the hallway to one of the rooms whose number he had memorized. He picked the lock with just a little difficulty-five tries-- and entered the room. In a hotel like this, he felt that the more expensive rooms would have individual safes. The suite he entered must have sparkled in the daylight. He noticed that one part of the wood paneling was darker than the rest. The safe must be there. He approached the safe quietly and slowly. He wiped his hands against his thighs, forgetting that he was wearing gloves. He applied pressure to select points around the safe hoping to find the secret catch. The panel popped open and he flinched, anticipating an alarm. When nothing went off, he then stared at the dial facing him. How to go about this? He had heard that sometimes you could feel the vibrations of the tumblers or even hear them. He took a deep breath and made his first attempt. Nothing. He tried three more times and was ready to throw the damn thing out the window! He took a few more calming breaths. He had to get this done before the occupants woke up. One more time and then I call it quits. He did it slowly and meticulously and it opened. After staring at the open safe in shock, he moved quickly, only removing the jewels, leaving the bills untouched. He went into two more rooms and did the same thing. He left unnoticed.

[Creeper]

On the walk home, he argued with himself about his new "career". Granted, it was morally wrong to steal, but it wasn't as morally wrong as people starving within 5 miles of others with more than enough. "Robin Hood was considered an outlaw by the aristocratic Normans," he said out loud, "yet a hero by the Saxon peasants." Then and there, he decided to model himself after that famous figure.

His walk took towards the West Side in search of fence to hawk his newly acquired wares. He found one he was looking for in a small store run by a pale Englishman. "Ah, hello there, my friend. What can I do for you?" "I don't have time to chit-chat, mister. I have some things I'd like you to take a look at." "Certainly, come into my office." The Englishman led Steven into a small room. "Let's see what you have today." Joshua took the jewels from his bag. "Ah, very good quality." He examined them closely. "Very good quality, indeed. Not bad at all. I'll get you the money." He walked to the safe. "I can trust you not to rob me?" he asked. "As long as you're on my side, you're safe." "Good." The Englishman handed him the money. "Charlie’s the name and I get the feeling that you're going to go places, my friend. I'm sure of it." "Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll remember that when I'm on the run." He counted the bills. “Three thousand, just what I need” Joshua thinks to himself as he heads out the door to his Aunt's house.

[Creeper]

A few days after his theft Joshua’s normal life ended and a new one began. He was working in the yard on a Sunday afternoon when two policemen walked up to him. He straightened up from his raking. "What can I do for you, gentlemen?” "You are Joshua Solomon?" "Yes," Steven answered hesitantly. "We have a warrant for your arrest." The policeman took out his handcuffs and proceeded to put them on Steven. The other officer began to read him his rights and as he finished Joshua asked “What's going on here? Arrested for what?" "Jewel theft at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on the night of June 15," the first officer answered.

"This is preposterous!" Joshua felt a strong sense of despair that his new career was coming to a crashing halt in the worst way. Jail. “What evidence do you have that says I’m a thief?" The second policeman smiled at his partner before he spoke. "The jewels were found and traced to a shop in New York. Under questioning, the owner gave a description. We asked in all train stations and bus terminals and followed all our leads. We were given a name when we asked at the drugstore in town. They told us how to get here." "But there are many people who could fit that same description," Joshua remarked. “Tell it to your lawyer; now get in the car punk" was all the responce he got as he put into the back of the police car.

Sitting in the back seat of the police car, Joshua began to go over his possibilites and came up with only one opiton; immediate escape. His fear of ending up in jail and not being able to help out his family began to take ahold of him. His head began to pound and suddenly his whole body began to tingle in an unknown way. He went quite and his vision blurred as his body began to break apart into thousands of ant like creatures, intent on only one thing escaping the police car. The passenger cop turned his head to ask Jousha something when he saw what was happening. "Oh shit! Bob stop the car now the kids freaking me out." A quick slam of the breaks and the cops exit the vechile, all the while Joshua has completed his transformation into the swarm. He first reaction is to speed off towards the side of the road leaving the cops in stunned disbielf unable to do anything except stand there with dumbfounded looks on their faces.