Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Class Contrast and Murder ❯ Class Contrast and Murder ( Chapter 1 )

Class Contrast and Murder
By Melanie Pasché

Life was bad. How did they know? One look around that house, and anyone would know. It was a cold, one room house made from tin slabs that they found sitting next to the putrid brown river that smelled of dead and rotting rats mixed with the smell of disgusting garbage; the floor was non existent. It was dirt, with two small sleeping mats on either side of the tiny fire pit at the middle of the room. Cigarette butts were strewn about in the dirt, and several more packs were piled in the back left corner. In the opposite corner was a pile of filthy, rusty pots and pans. This was the house of the twins: Salem and Crimson Rowe.
The room was often dark at first light and at dusk and Crimson generally sat in the darkest corner of the house day in and day out, swallowed in his own hate for the richer people of the neighboring town. Most often times, all you could see of the youth was the occasional wisp of cigarette smoke, or the glow of the cigarette itself.
It was deep winter, at about five o’clock in the morning and the brothers were huddled together under both the thin blankets they possessed, shivering in front of the poorly made fire, trying to stay warm against the stinging bite of the cold against their faces and fingers. “Crimson?” Salem finally spoke, his teeth chattering. His brother turned his head,
“Yeah?”
“Do you think that maybe there’s something better out there?”
“Better than this life?” Crimson asked, looking back down at the fire.
“Yeah. Better than this life, how we’re living now.”
“Sure there is, Salem. If you even want to call this living. The better life is thrown in front of our faces every morning when we look up the road. Prosperity…that town makes me sick. It’s like they just wanna brag about how rich they are…well fed, warm, rich pricks….that’s all they are. Someone oughta show ‘em what it’s like to have nothing.” He replied angrily, reaching for a cigarette and lighting it in the fire. He took a puff before going on, “the only thing that would make our life better is for it to end.” Salem looked at his brother in alarm.
“You mean,” Salem paused before continuing, “you want to die?!”
“Of course I do, Salem,” Crimson replied coolly as he took another drag on his cigarette, “there’s nothing left here for me, there’s no hope, no prospects, hardly any money…I think it’d be better to just die and be done with life. But I can’t die just yet. Wanna know why?” Salem nodded his response as he blew on his fingers, trying to warm them, “because I have to destroy the people who don’t try to help us. I wouldn’t be able to rest until they were no more.” He finished his cigarette and threw the remains of the butt into the fire, “Anyway, it’s a bit too early in the morning to be thinking about this, don’t you agree, Salem?”
“Yeah. I wonder if there’s any more wood outside that’s dry, I’m gonna go look.” Salem replied hurriedly. Death was not something he liked to talk about and certainly not with Crimson, who obviously wanted it to come sooner than later.
“Mm, sure.” Crimson replied tiredly, releasing his brother from the blankets they were both wrapped in.
“Come home safe.” He whispered after his brother had left the house; then he lay down, and drifted off into a frozen sleep, unsure that he would wake up in the morning, and hopeful he wouldn’t.

Salem stumbled about in the snow with nothing but faint moonlight to guide his steps. “Wood…wood…where am I gonna get it? Crimson’s probably put the fire out at home, so I should try to hurry back before he freezes to…’’ he couldn’t bring himself to say the last word out loud, not after that conversation only an hour ago. As he continued to stumble about, he ran into something firm and he and whatever he ran into fell into the snow. “Whoa, what hit me?” he asked to no one in particular.
“Me, I think.” A familiar voice answered.
“Thanos?”
“The one and only, my young friend with the cat ears hood.” Thanos answered back, helping the boy out of the snow, “what’re you doing out here? Does Crimson know you’re gone?”
“Yeah, he knows. I was out getting fire wood, ‘cause our fire was die---er, I mean, going out. What about you? How come you’re out here?”
“I was on my way to your place actually. I wanted to make sure Crimson was alright. Heaven knows the boy’s got problems, and I’m not just talkin’ health either.” Salem rolled his eyes in response,
“You’re not kidding, man. I don’t know what’s up with that kid, but dang is he one scary critter! All he seems to want to talk about lately is killing the rich people, showing them what for or some similar silliness.” Thanos nodded then he bent down, picked up something and threw it at Salem, sending him once again hurtling to the ground. “Oof! What the heck, Thanos!? Are you trying to kill me?!” Thanos laughed heartily,
“Nah, Crimson’d kill ME! If ya look down at what’s in your lap, ya’d see I wasn’t at all tryin’ to kill ya.” Salem did as he was told.
“A log? You threw a LOG at me?!” he began to laugh so hard he nearly choked on the biting air. Thanos walked past him,
“Oh, quit your gripin’, boy, and stand up. Let’s go poke your scary brother with a big long stick! ‘See how long it takes for him to get fuming mad.” He cackled cruelly.
“A-are you sure? I mean, he was being pretty spooky, Thanos. I don’t think that it’s a very good idea to do that to him. It’s not a very good idea at all!” Salem answered in alarm as he got up out of the snow with the log under his arm.
“Ok, so I’ll poke him and you can watch. More fun for me.” Thanos told him, not stopping as he did so. Soon enough, the two of them were back at the house.
“Sleepin’ like a baby.” Thanos stated, clicking his tongue in disapproval, “and the fire’s out, how stupid.” He picked up a semi-charred twig from the fire pit and poked Crimson in the face lightly. Salem stood to one side of the room waiting for the worst part of anyone waking his twin. It happened soon enough. Crimson jumped up and tackled Thanos down, twisting his arm behind his back and yelling,
“For god's sake, WHAT?!?!”
“Good morning, sunshine!” came the joking response from Thanos.
“Um, we’re back.” Salem added quietly. Upon realizing who it was he was sitting on, Crimson stood up.
“What’re you doin’ here?” he asked in a frustrated tone. Thanos stood up, moved over to Salem and yanked on one of the cat ears on the hood of his sweater as he answered,
“I found a lost kitten in the snow. For shame, Crimson, sending him out all alone!” Crimson stared at him blankly, arms crossed, with his head cocked to the side,
“I didn’t send him out, he left on his own. And he could have just as easily come home on his own; he didn’t have to bring the trash with him.”
“Aw come on, Crimson, my friend! I know you love me deep down!” Thanos whined, draping his arm around Crimson’s shoulders. The youth quickly moved away, sending Thanos face down into the dirt on the floor of the house.
“Get away from me! I sure as heck do NOT ‘love you deep down’ as you so bone-headedly put it, and I want you out of this house NOW!” Thanos stood up again and spat out a mouthful of dirt, saying, “Well fine, be that way. I won’t tell you my most excellent plan for getting back at the Richies up the road there."
“What is this plan of yours, oh great one?” Crimson asked sarcastically.
“I don’t actually have one!” Thanos exclaimed joyously as he dodged another attack from Crimson.
“Out! Now! Get out! Don’t ever come back, am I clear?!” Came the shouted reply as Crimson pointed at the door. Thanos hung his head in mock defeat and slowly sauntered out the door. Once out, he straightened up and put his smile back on. Salem came running out after him,
“Thanos, are you alright?”
“Yeah, kiddo, I’m fine. I expected him to be unpleasant. I mean, it’s only…” Thanos paused as he looked at his old watch that barely ticked, “six o’clock in the mornin’ and he hasn’t had a smoke yet.”
“But, he used to like you. I’ve never seen him want you out of the house as bad as that before, what changed?” Thanos smiled mischievously,
“It’s a secret, kiddo. Anyway, you better get back in there and make sure he’s not tearin’ up the place…” his voice trailed off, “or what there is of it.” Salem smiled sadly back at Thanos,
“Yeah, it’s not much, is it?” then he turned and began walking back to the shack he shared with his brother.
Later that day, Salem suggested that he and Crimson should go for a walk through the town. “What for? I don’t wanna see anybody and they sure as heck don’t wanna see me.” Crimson told him bitterly.
“Aw, come on, Crimson. You don’t know that. I mean, people don’t see you enough to not want to see you, trust me.” He smiled happily. Crimson rolled his eyes,
“Why am I such a sucker for that smile?” Salem laughed, and Crimson smiled a little.
The walk was nice enough; it was cold, but for some reason, with his brother next to him, Crimson wanted less and less to die. There was weird warmth about Salem. In his smile, his walk, his tone of voice and even the emotion in his eyes was different from Crimson’s. Though the two looked exactly the same, Salem’s eyes glowed with a hope for something new, and Crimson’s glowed with vengeance. And though they both were able to smile; only Salem did. Crimson found no reason for smiling; there was nothing to be joyous about. As Crimson thought about this, he didn’t even notice that there were people looking at him, curious about whom he was. It occurred to him when he was startled out of his reverie by an elderly woman exclaiming his brother’s name. “Oh, Salem! How are you this morning, dear?” She asked happily. Crimson was scared stiff. There are actually people in this town that could be so happy?! He thought to himself.
“Good morning, Mrs. Manning. I’m alright thank you.” Salem returned with a smile.
“That’s wonderful to hear! I’m not so bad myself. I’d be even better if the whether were warmer.” She replied.
“Oh! I’m sorry Mrs. Manning. I completely forgot to ask after your health! But yes, I agree, the day would be nicer if it were warmer. We were trying to stay warm most of the night.”
“Oh it’s alright, dear. I’m feeling fine. My health seems to get better in the winter when that river is frozen over. But you know, I’m very happy; it’s almost Christmas, did you know that?” She told Salem pleasantly. Crimson raised his eyebrows out of curiosity,
“Christmas?” he asked her, “what’s that?” Mrs. Manning looked up at him in surprise,
“Oh, I’m sorry, dear, I didn’t notice you there. What’s your name?” He blushed a bit, but she couldn’t tell as his cheeks were red from the cold.
“Crimson. I’m Salem’s twin.” He told her shortly. She blinked her eyes and adjusted her glasses on her nose as she looked back and forth between the two.
“So you are! It’s been so long since I’ve seen the oldest of the Rowe boys. I think you were about four years old. That was shortly before your parents died…” she sighed, “So sad.” Crimson crossed his arms and rolled his eyes,
“You still haven’t told me what Christmas is.”
“Oh! Forgive me; my mind goes sometimes, it happens with old age.” She smiled and began to explain, “Christmas is a wonderful time of year. People are all so happy and they give gifts to one another and sing special songs, and they have big Christmas trees covered in beautiful lights!” she breathed out as if in a wonderful fantasy, “I love that time of year.” Crimson glared at her, then up the road right at the houses at the beginning of the town of Prosperity,
“You must be talking about what happens with them at this time of year. Like anyone here would have a big tree with lights, or just give stuff away to other people. Some of us have to scrounge for food, never mind make merry with like minded idiots. Leave the stupid stuff for the stupid people.” He told her harshly, and then turned on his brother saying, “I dunno why I even came out here with you. There’s nothin’ out here but more reasons to hate everyone and everything.” As he spoke, Salem began tearing up, his brother was generally harsh, but saying that spending time with him was a reason to hate life really cut deep.
“Fine, go home then if you hate it out here so much!” he shouted back, coughing as he tried to keep a sob back.
“I will!” Crimson screamed back as he ran off. Tears were streaming down Salem’s face as he watched Crimson go, and as he began to cry, a small touch on his arm caused him to look down.
“How long has he been like that?” Mrs. Manning asked gently.
“Not long enough for it not to hurt when he says those things.” He answered her softly, “and he’d be even angrier if he knew that I’ve applied for a job working for a family in Prosperity. I just want to be out of this place so bad, Mrs. Manning. I can’t stand to be here, and if I ever left, I want to take my brother too. I want him to be happy again. I don’t remember much of when we were small, but I do remember that he used to like to be with me, and that he was kind.”
“That reminds me, a man came down here today looking for a Salem Rowe. So, I guess he meant you, my boy. He was from Prosperity, that much was evident; I think he meant to give you a job. Mr. Manning directed him to your home.” Salem froze in alarm, unsure if he was breathing or not, then took off towards his house like a shot. If he meets up with brother at the house, we’ll be dealing with a murder! He thought to himself in a panic. He was right.
No sooner had Crimson gotten back to the house, out of breath and needing a cigarette like mad, did the man in his warm coat, and fancy shoes come through the snow up to the door…and Crimson. “Excuse me, young man.” He said in a superior tone. Crimson looked over at the man, and upon figuring out where he was from, he glared at the man, vibes emanating from him with the message ‘prepare to die’, written all over them.
“What do you want? You and your fancy clothes don’t belong down here.” Crimson told him gruffly, with a slight hiss as he spoke. The man stepped back at the ferocity and obvious hatred that Crimson held in his tone and gaze.
“I’m looking for a Mr. Salem Rowe. I was told I could find him here.”
“Oh really, and who told you that?”
“I didn’t ask for his name, but I do recall it was an elderly gentleman.”
“Ain’t no one ‘round here’s a gentleman, Stuffed Shirt. Now, before I go inside for my hunting knife, why don’t you get scarce?” it was an empty threat, Crimson didn’t actually have a knife, but it seemed to work very well as the man continued to back away in fear of the youth.
Salem finally arrived at the house and saw that Crimson must have already threatened the man that was standing there as he heard the man say, “Look, son, I’m not asking for any trouble.” Just as he ran up to the two of them.
“No, you’re asking for my brother. What do you want with him?” Crimson replied nastily.
“He’s here about a job for me, Crimson.” Salem interjected nervously. Crimson cringed when he heard those words. He turned around and said,
“As if today wasn’t enough of a disappointment.” Then, stormed into the house. Salem sighed and then smiled at the man,
“I’m sorry about my twin, Sir. He hasn’t been in the best of moods today.”
“Is he really as dangerous as he made himself out to be?” The man asked nervously, coming closer to Salem now as he felt safer with someone else there to restrain Crimson should the need arise.
“For you, he would be. But not for me, he’d never lay a hand on me.” Salem answered shyly, “But anyhow, a woman told me that her husband had directed you here because you’d been looking for me. What can I do for you?”
“I was sent here by my Master, Mr. Amadeus Highwood Sr. He told me to come down here to find you and tell you that he heard from his wife you responded to her flyer, and you are to start work as a housekeeper in his home tomorrow morning. He expects you will be there at ten o’clock. He sent this watch with me, in case you do not have a clock in your…” his voice trailed off as he looked at the rusty tin shack that Salem apparently lived in, “home.” He concluded. He offered the watch to Salem, and cautiously, he took it.
“Thank you. And please, thank Mr. Highwood for this opportunity.” He smiled happily and the man walked off. Salem entered the house and ran into Crimson’s chest. He looked up. “Oh, Brother, I didn’t see you there.”
“I’m kinda hard to miss, don’t ya think? There’s nothin’ else to look at ‘round here.” He replied bitterly. Salem blushed and looked down,
“Yeah, sorry. I guess I’m just happy is all. Too happy to notice anything.”
“A job offer can make a person so happy?” Crimson asked as he knelt down to try to start a fire.
“Well, yeah. It gives a chance for something better.” Salem told him, a little bit more confidently than he’d been speaking, now that it seemed Crimson had calmed down. Crimson sighed heavily in response,
“Someday, you’ll see that you’re going to have to take this life for what it truly is: hopeless. There’s no point in you trying to make things better because no matter how hard you try, you’ll still die with nothing one day.” As he spoke, a spark started the fire.
“I-I still want to try.” Salem replied, “I’m gonna go stay with Thanos tonight, ok? I’ll see you tomorrow after I get home from work. Good night, Crimson.” He hugged his brother hastily from behind then ran out the door.
“Come back safe.” Crimson replied to the empty room.

“Well, I’m off to work! Thanks for letting me stay the night here, Thanos.” Salem said excitedly.
“Sure thing, little buddy,” Thanos told him, “Where was it you said you were working again?”
“For a Mr. Amadeus Highwood, up in the Town of Prosperity,” Salem replied, “strange, isn’t it? That you and he have the same last name, I mean.”
“Not so strange." Thanos shrugged, "Highwood is a pretty popular last name. Anyway, you should get goin’, kiddo. Don’t wanna be late on your first day.”
“Okay, bye Thanos!” Salem waved and ran out the door of Thanos’ wood house.
“Have fun!” Thanos called after him.
Salem reached Highwood Manor ten minutes early. He rang the bell and the butler answered the door. He looked disapprovingly at Salem for a moment, but once Salem had explained he had been given a job as one of many housekeepers, he was let inside, given a uniform, and sent up to the third floor of the house to wake Cerys Highwood, the only daughter of the Highwood family, following this, he was to wake up the heir of the household, Amadeus Highwood II.
Cautiously, he knocked on the door to Cerys’ room. He hesitated for another moment, unsure of how to approach waking her and finally, decided to approach it as if he were waking Crimson, just to be on the safe side of the line. Softly, he opened the door and was amazed to see the size of her bedroom. It must have been the same size as the largest house in Poverty, and that was saying a lot for it. The largest house was Thanos’ house; it had a fire pit and two rooms on either side of the main room, the house itself was about thirty feet by thirty feet in total area. As Salem looked around, he noted a large dressing table, many plush animals strewn about the room, capricious doors to what he assumed must be a large closet, and in the very centre of the room was the massive bed. The windows were extremely large French styled ones with velvet curtains blanketing them and he could smell something like a light rose perfume in the air. He approached the bed quietly, whispering,
“Miss Cerys, its time to wake up. Its after eleven in the morning, it wouldn’t be good if you slept the entire day away.” Once he’d gotten to the bed, he paused suddenly. She was the prettiest girl he’d ever seen. The way her extensively long, chocolate brown hair strayed about her body as if blowing in the wind, or moving with the current of water, her long thick eyelashes caressing her cheeks as she slept, and her delicate little mouth that was turned up in a smile because of a pleasant dream. Blinking himself back to reality, he touched her shoulder gently and shook her slightly. Her big, forest green eyes fluttered open and she blinked the sleep from them. She turned her head to look at him and yawned softly. “Good morning, Miss Cerys.” He said finally. She sat up and smiled kindly at him,
“Good morning. What time is it?” There was a clock sitting right next to her, but she didn’t want to bother looking herself. Her voice was sweet and gentle, even when it was worn down with sleep.
“It’s ten minutes after eleven in the morning, Miss Cerys.”
“Oh dear, it certainly is late. Thank you for waking me so gently this morning…what did you say your name was?”
“I didn’t say. My name is Salem Rowe.” He answered her, looking to the floor as he did so.
“Oh, you’re the new one my mother was telling me about. She said you would be here to help out from now on. How nice. You have a very sweet looking face. I can tell already you are a good boy.” She touched his cheek lightly and he blushed,
“Th-thank you…Miss Cerys. But now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and wake Master Amadeus.”
“Alright then, if you must, you must, but I will want to speak to you again.” She giggled and allowed him to take his leave. Once he’d gone she thought out loud to herself, “Maybe he’ll be able to tell me about that Thanos boy in the photograph Brother and I found...if our assumptions were correct about where he is, that is.” Then proceeded to ring for a maid to dress her.
Salem woke Amadeus in a similar manner to Cerys, and was surprised to note the complete differences in Amadeus’ appearance and Cerys’ in contrast to them being siblings. While Cerys had dark brown hair, Amadeus had dirty blonde, and though her eyes were green, his were a clear crystal blue. Their demeanor, however, was very much the same. Salem could tell he was going to enjoy working there for the Highwood family.

Meanwhile, back in the town of Poverty, an unexpectedly calm Crimson appeared in the doorway of Thanos’ house. “Hey.” He said plainly, knocking on the wood of the doorway. Thanos turned around from cooking some sort of small animal.
“Well, well, if it isn’t my best little friend, Crimson!” Thanos said excitedly, standing up and fully facing Crimson, “what do I owe the visit to?” Crimson looked sadly down at the dirt floor of Thanos’ house as he replied,
“Salem. He said he was gonna stay here with you last night. I was hoping that was the case, he tends to just run off sometimes.”
“Yeah, he came here last night. Said he couldn’t stand seeing you so mad at him for trying harder at life. He told me that you said him getting a job was a big disappointment.” Thanos replied, crossing his arms, “You really should be nicer to him, Crimson. You’re lettin’ your hate for our neighbors up the road there get between you and him. All he wants is a better life for the both of ya, you know.”
“Now wait just one blinkin’ minute there, man.” Crimson exclaimed defensively, “You’re only twenty, so that’s three years older than us, so don’t you be talkin’ down to me. I know I should be nicer to him, but I always say such terrible things to him. I’m never mad at him in particular, but it always seems I want to take out my rage on him.” Thanos smirked and turned back around to finish cooking whatever it was he was making,
“Well if you always feel bad after you do it, why don’t you ever apologize?” Crimson groaned and grabbed his hair in frustration,
“I don’t know!!! I just don’t.”
“Maybe you should try it tonight when he gets back. He’ll be back soon. And I betcha he’d forgive ya, he seemed to be in a real good mood when he left.”Crimson nodded,
“Yeah. Listen, d’you have any more of that stuff you’re eatin’? I haven’t found anything in close to three days.” Thanos handed him a piece of the meat, “thanks. You know, you’re not so bad…for an ex rich guy.” Thanos laughed,
“Well thanks, kiddo. You’re not so bad for a dirty, angry teenager, either.”

Salem was happy as a clam as he worked, but on one of his trips between rooms, he bumped into Cerys. The two of them fell to the floor. He immediately jumped up and extended a hand to her, “I’m so sorry, Miss Cerys! I didn’t see you there.” She giggled,
“Oh it’s alright, Salem. Not to worry, I’m just fine.” She accepted his offered hand and stood up, “you weren’t exactly a hard or firm obstacle for me to hit. I’m surprised. Actually, now that I look at you more closely, you look so hungry. When was it last that you ate?”
“About three days ago I think. My brother and I try to find hibernating rodents most of the time during the winter, but lately, we haven’t found any holes. It’s not the best way to live, but it’s the only way we have.” Salem replied honestly, still not completely sure about Cerys’ personality.
“Do you mind if I ask you some questions? The Town of Poverty has always fascinated me, but my parents and brother are too scared to go down there with me, and won’t let me go alone, so I got curious about it. For example, why it’s so frightening? You’re just people, nothing to be afraid of there, don’t you think?” She began walking and he followed her, eventually falling into step with her,
“Why is it so frightening? Well, if I may say what I think, I’d say that it’s only scary because people don’t know it. It’s unfamiliar to them, so they’re afraid to know about it. You’re right, we’re just people…except for my brother, he’s really the only one to be afraid of, but he’s not out much so it’s really not a scary place.” Was his answer. She nodded and looked over at him,
“How can the brother of someone so sweet looking be so scary?”
“He’s bitter. Our parents were murdered when we were very small. They were the leaders of the town. And the people that murdered them were…” his voice trailed off. Cerys saw his nervousness about saying it and touched his arm comfortingly,
“Were?” She encouraged.
“From here.” He admitted quietly. Cerys stepped back a bit in shock,
“Why were they murdered?” Salem shrugged as he answered,
“I dunno. I guess the people from here thought that without the town leaders, the town would dissolve further into the nothingness that it is, and slowly disappear…I don’t really remember much about my parents, but I’ve been told stories about them by the older people of the village. I was so small then, when they died. I took the stories for what they were: occurrences of life; but my twin, Crimson, took them as a motive to get revenge.” Cerys looked down at the ground as they walked,
“Oh. I see. What about the other people in the town? Do you have any friends?” She looked up at him again, interested. She wanted to see if her and her brother’s assumptions about the picture were right. Salem beamed back at her,
“Yeah! I have some really good friends. Most of them are the older people in town, but of friends my age, I only have 2. My brother and Thanos.” Cerys blinked happily and got nose to nose with Salem in excitement, making him a bit nervous, but she exclaimed happily,
“You have a friend named Thanos?! I knew it! I knew he lived down there! What’s he like?” Salem blushed at her close proximity.
“He’s…nice. He seems to tick off my brother a lot though. But, how do you know about him, Miss Cerys?” Cerys reached into the folds of her dress and produced a photo. It had two parents, two babies, and a toddler.
“This is me, and my two brothers: Amadeus…”she paused as she pointed to one of the babies, “and Thanos.”She pointed to the toddler. Salem went wide eyed; the kid she was pointing at looked exactly like the Thanos he knew.
“P-please excuse me, Miss Cerys, but I think I should be doing what your dad hired me to do.” He replied to her as he rushed off. So that’s why Brother hates Thanos so much; he’s originally from Prosperity!!!

Salem walked home alone in the dark. He was nervous; he’d never had to pass through Prosperity to Poverty in the dark alone before. It scared him terribly, and he wished that Crimson was there with him. Despite how Crimson acted completely ferociously, Salem felt safer with someone like that by him. He finally got down to Poverty, and felt a little better as he approached his house. He walked in, thinking to see a fire there, and Crimson, but there was nothing. Where could he have gone to? Salem thought to himself. The cold darkness scared him, even when it was his own home. It felt like death in the house because of the fierce chill both in the air, and emanating from the metal walls of the house and also from the sheer silence of it all. He backed up nervously, suddenly becoming engulfed in what he assumed was someone’s arms. Briefly, he panicked, but when the smell of cigarette smoke from the sleeves of the person holding him reached his nose, he relaxed; it was Crimson. “You scared me, Brother.” He admitted, turning around in his brother’s embrace and returning with a hug of his own.
“I know.” Crimson replied sadistically, letting go of his brother, “I thought you wouldn’t be too safe or feel too safe walkin’ home by yourself, so I followed ya home to make sure you were okay. And anyway, you’re a nervous wreck anyways.” He moved past his brother and went to make a fire, “I found something to eat while you were gone; it’s not much, but its food.” Once the fire started, Crimson grabbed a small knife that they had and began pulling the fur off of two rats, “Welcome back, by the way.” Salem was surprised at how kind Crimson was being to him.
“Thanks.”
“How was the job? First day, right? They nice to you?”
“Yeah! Miss Cerys was really kind to me, she likes to talk I noticed. And Mr. Amadeus was kind too, but I think he’s secretly afraid of me.” Salem told him excitedly.
“Afraid of you?” Crimson laughed, “You’re too sweet lookin’ to scare anyone!”
“Yeah, I guess. But I think, from what Miss Cerys told me, that he’s just afraid of all of us.” He laughed, “I told her you were the only thing to be afraid of down here.” He sat down across from his brother, on the other side of the fire, “So, Thanos used to live in Prosperity, huh?”
“Yeah. He told me one day when we were out lookin’ for supplies. He ran away from home when he was five. ‘Been livin’ here ever since. Why in heck anyone would wanna move from there to here…is completely beyond me. I don’t really like him anymore.”
“Because of where he used to live? Come on, Crimson, think about it, he reduced himself to this, and what’s more, he showed us kindness after mom and dad were murdered.” Crimson said nothing, but just stared into the fire for a few moments.
“And what’s to stop them from doing what they did to mom and dad to you and me?” Salem stood up indignantly,
“Must you hate everyone who isn’t like you?!” he ran out the door before Crimson could stop him. Crimson hugged his knees to his chest.
“Yes.” He said into the darkness.

Christmas came and went, as did the months, and before anyone knew, it was March. Salem continued working for the Highwood family, but one afternoon, he was walking back home from being dismissed for the day, he came into a town in panic. There was a circle of people in the middle of the street all speaking in loud tones. Salem ran up to them, “What’s happened?” he inquired. Before anyone could answer something red and thick, ran in a stream next to his shoes. Salem panicked. He knew what that was. Blood. Someone pushed past him with their arms full of rags. He couldn’t stand being there with blood on his shoes and not knowing whose blood it was, so he ran back to his house.
Upon arriving at home, Salem was out of breath and scared. Had what Crimson told him about the people of Prosperity been right? Had someone else been murdered? And if so, who was it? And who had done it? “Crimson?” he asked, walking in. Again, the room was empty. He left the house again and went in a frenzied panic to Thanos’ house and inquired of Thanos to tell him where his brother was. After Thanos told him he hadn’t seen Crimson at all that day, Salem melted down into a fit of tears.
“Now, now little buddy, what’s got you so worked up?” Thanos asked him, kneeling down and taking the shaking boy into his arms to try to console him.
“Someone was bleeding on the main road when I came home from work. And there was a crowd around them, so I couldn’t see who it was, but their blood ran across my shoe, and it scared me. I wanted to find Crimson, ‘cause I usually feel safe when I’m with him, but I can’t find him!”
“Well, we should go look around for him. C’mon, let’s go. Maybe some of the people in the crowd that you saw know where he might be.” Thanos said. Salem sniffled and nodded his head.
They walked past many people who looked positively crestfallen, and this indicated to Salem that someone very loved by all had been murdered. But something he heard one of the old women say scared him senseless.
“First Yuichi and Shasta, and now this! What do people of Prosperity have against us?! We can’t harm them, so what’s the point?” and the man she was talking to replied to her,
“Yes, it’s so cruel what they do to people down here, I don’t understand either. But who is going to break the news to him?”
“Well, perhaps we won’t have to tell him at all. Marie said that he’d probably be fine now that the blood has stopped gushing from him.” Salem gripped Thanos’ arm in alarm after hearing that conversation.
“Thanos! Did you hear what they just said? They said something about my parents!”
“Yeah, I heard ‘em. Let’s go to Marie’s. See what she knows, yeah?”
“Yeah. Let’s go.”

Thanos wasted no time in barging into “Dr.” Marie Dunlop’s house. He called for her as he walked in, “Marie! Its Thanos and Salem!” she came out of the second room she had.
“Oh, Thanos. I wasn’t expecting anyone.” She told him in a sweet, but stern voice, as if telling him to leave.
“Ah, I know,” Thanos said, plopping down on the dirt floor of her home, “But Salem out there,” he jerked his thumb in the direction of the doorway, where Salem was standing nervously, “Got a bit panicked when he came home from work this afternoon and couldn’t find his brother anywhere. Any ideas?” Marie looked sadly at the floor,
“Unfortunately, I do. He’s dying from loss of blood, in my back room there.” she looked up at Salem, “I’m so sorry dear.” Salem was too stunned to speak as he looked down at his shoe; the blood had long since dried. Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at it; the blood that was on his foot was his own. His brother had been…attacked.

“What?” Salem choked out at last, “How?”
“Someone from Prosperity came down here with a gun. He was masked, no one knew who he was, just like the time your parents, poor Yuichi and Shasta, were killed. The man was going after Mr. and Mrs. Manning, and your brother took the shots for them. He was so brave, there were five shots in all, and I guess once the gunner found out that Crimson was the oldest son of the former town leaders that sufficed well enough for him. At least that’s the impression he gave to all of us.” Marie answered. For the first time in his life, Thanos looked grave,
“And I’m gonna wager that guy is gonna be back to finish what he started.” Salem couldn’t listen to them anymore and ran past them into the back room where Crimson lay dying. Crimson turned his head and smiled at Salem.
“I guess you couldn’t reach your dream after all, Brother.” Salem choked out. Crimson coughed out blood and sneered,
“Nah, but,” he grimaced, “this is better. This is what I always,” he flinched in pain, “wanted, right?” Salem was tearing up again.
“You can’t die! Who will I have left then?!”
“That big ape outside.” Crimson whispered, “Who else? And besides, you have lotsa people who like ya. You’ll be fine.”
“But it’s not fair!” Salem went down on his knees next to his brother.
“Life isn’t fair.” Crimson smiled one last time at Salem, and then his body went limp.
Salem cried for days, and no one saw much of him again after that, but eventually, he recovered from his sadness. He eventually married a girl by the name of Eris Rutherford. They had one child whom they named Ceron Crimson Rowe. At age 30, Salem too suffered the fate of his family, and eventually, the Town of Poverty dissolved into nothing, just as was the desire of the murderer.

It was not until years later that anyone found out that the murderer of Yuichi, Shasta, Crimson and the remainder of the Rowe Family was none other than Amadeus Highwood Sr.