Lucifer's Army
By: Louisa Gaudette
Chapter-1
'It's another cold night in the city. Birds swooping high above seem almost silent compared to the bustle of the cars below. Almost every car and taxi echoing with the loud sounds of impatient drivers or favorite songs seems to fill the world with human fury. Pedestrians littering the sidewalks and alleys rush to get home in time to enjoy a decently warm meal. At first glance, one could say Boston is a lovely city full of life and joy. When a common Boston commuter like me walks these streets, all I see is a bunch of grumbling people, trying to fight the flow of traffic.
Not long ago I was once like the amateur tourists, flashing my camera at every little sight to be seen. That life is a thing of the past now. I once lived on a little crop of land in Vermont. It was a quiet spot with two acres of land at which deer and elk often grazed. My house was a simple little plot with hardwood flooring and a toasty fireplace to warm the living room. Every morning I walked the long, dirt roads until my legs were sore. A person can breathe the fresh air in Vermont without the fear of sucking in another's cigarette smoke.
Now, at only nineteen years old, I live in Boston and work a dull job at the docks. Before I left my life behind, I was given the nickname Aria; meaning a melody. I guess you could say that back in Vermont, I always used to sing any random song while walking the roads or tending to the fire. Those were the good days. Although, life in Boston isn't completely disastrous as I thought it might be.
Just yesterday I moved in with an old friend by the name of Lexy Pennworth. She is a waitress at some fancy restaurant named Shub's Restaurant. The name doesn't sound fancy, but then again names can be deceiving. Lexy welcomed me to the city by helping me get a job. Nothing special, just cleaning up the docked boats in the harbor. Lexy has grown up so much since I last saw her. Her hair grew out into a fiery-orange mane of curls. She really is beautiful now.
As for her apartment, it could have used some work. A small kitchen as you walked in the door, led to a large living room. Two small rooms branched off of the living room as well as the bathroom. It wasn't much of a sight, but Lexy tried to liven it up with various fixtures and furnishings. When it all came together in one it really looked much more homely.'
"Hey Aria. How's the new job going for you so far?" Lexy says, putting one foot on the rim of the boat.
"It's okay. I'd rather help you clean up your place a bit though," I reply coyly, whipping my hands on a rag. My hair tied up behind my head in a messy ponytail.
Lexy smiles and pulls her beanie down over her forehead, "I can't let you do that, hun. It might ruin any surprises I have in store for you."
"Well, we wouldn't want that now would we," I retort, whipping the rag at her foot.
Lexy in turn takes her foot off of the boat rim and giggles, "Oh, of course not darling."
I scoop up my cleaners and various sponges and hop onto the dock. Lexy pats me lightly on the shoulder as we begin to walk away from the boat. A few minutes of silence and we reach my station. I place my cleaning reagents into the booth and punch out of my shift.
The sidewalks are almost vacant this time of the day. Lexy and I managed to stroll into the apartment only forty-five minutes after leaving the docks. I toss my hoody onto the coat rack and drag lazily to the beanbag chairs. I finally manage to plop myself down on one of them and start to relax. Lexy places her coat on the rack and goes back into the kitchen to grab us two cups of hot coffee. Moments later, she slides by me, placing a mug of warm, hazelnut coffee onto the coffee table beside me. She, in turn, slips into the other nearby beanbag chair and begins to drink a few sips of the coffee.
I raise my cup to my nose and take in the delicious smell of hazelnut and cream. I manage to gulp down a few mouthfuls of the coffee before placing it down again on the table. Lexy and I watch her fireplace crackle and snap as it burns the new logs. One more sip from the coffee for both of us breaks the silence filling the air.
"Aria," Lexy begins. "Mind if I ask you a question?"
I gulp down another mouthful of coffee, "Go ahead."
"Well… What's it like? Being in a city I mean. After living in the woods for all this time," Lexy asks curiously, swirling her coffee lightly in her mug.
"Well, Lexy, it sure is a change. That much is certain. I guess I do miss watching the elk nibble the grass at my door," I reply with a light giggle.
Lexy smiles, a bit at ease, "I don't know about any elks in Boston, but a sea lion could always escape the aquarium and come here looking for a juicy fish to eat." Lexy laughs.
I chuckle lightly at the comment.
"If I wasn't a vegan, I would have a nice fish to give it," I say with a hint of silliness in my tone.
"At least you still walk a lot in the city," Lexy adds, trying to stop herself from giggling more.
"The sidewalks are no dirt road, but they will do," I mutter between sips.
"Speaking of which, do you want to go to the aquarium?"
"How did you get aquarium from walking on dirt roads, might I ask?"
"I got it from the idea of a sea lion breaking out and begging you for fish, silly," Lexy responds with a smile.
I place my mug on the table and nod, "Sure."
"Good," she says, standing up and placing her mug on the table as well. She walks over to me and waits a moment.
"Wait, you mean right this second?" I ask.
"Yes, right now. Let's go," She replies, grabbing her coat and placing it on. She takes my hoody from the rack and throws it at me. I barely manage to catch it.
I slide out from the chair and slip on my hoody, following Lexy out the door. We walk down the hall while carrying on mindless chatter about things we saw today. Lexy opened the elevator door and held it for me. I shimmied to the corner with her close by. One push of the base floor button and the elevator doors shut. Within five minutes, we were walking out of the apartment complex doors and into the city again. More people rushing past us made me remember that five o' clock was nearing. We began walking and reached the aquarium ticket booth in little under thirty minutes. Lexy paid for the tickets as we began to enjoy the sights.
The gift shop and bathrooms greeted our entry in through the double doors. A sight truly to be seen, however, was in the large, coral tank that shot through the middle of the room in front of us. I watched as every kind of fish I could imagine began to swim and swirl around the coral center. Two sharks slithered along the glass like prowling tigers. A small clown fish squirmed his way towards the glass. I began to giggle at the sight of him.
My attention was then directed to the sound of awe as the majestic moray eel began to slither around the coral. His green-yellow skin amazing my eyes every moment they saw it. His black maw glistening in the water was almost too much for me to handle. I felt almost speechless at the sight of his beauty. He looked to be almost ten feet in length, yet he swam like as if he was the size of the little clown fish.
The rest of the time we spent looking at each individual tank. Jellyfish of every size, manatees gliding on the tank floor, sharks looking devious in their darkened tank. My favorite sight to see was the large enclosure for the penguins. A giggle escaped my mouth when I noticed one of the rock hopper penguins had slipped and plunked into the cool water.
After we felt done seeing the sights, I managed to snag a fluffy penguin plushy from a shelf and purchase it. A smile forming fast on my face from the fun time Lexy has just showed me. One glance at my watch informed me that it is almost seven-thirty.
"Would you like to get something to eat, Aria? My treat," Lexy offered.
"That sounds good," I reply, squeezing my penguin plushy in my arms.
We begin to head across the street to Shub's Restaurant for a bite to eat, avoiding the impatient drivers as we go.