Symphony of the Universe : Unwanted Children
This is a story about Seth Ignatious from the series Symphony of the Universe.
Seth had just finished dropping Seth off at the home of her "aunt-of-no-relation." Adelle had always had many aunts-of-no-relation. Any female adult friend of Seth's was given the title of aunt. There was Aunt Becky, Aunt Sylvia, Aunt Mabel...tons of them. Seth met them at book clubs, at library events or while volunteering for tutoring programs for underprivileged children.
Seth never fully understood their attention. He thought of himself as a skin-and-bones thin nerdy weakling and a tedious pedagogue. But Seth was intelligent, kind and had pleasing features and the ladies loved him for it. Unfortunately, these ladies were in their fifties or older and Seth had no interest in them - nor did it even occur to him that they were interested in him. He took advantage of the two things that the older women had to offer him, help supporting his daughter and an endless supply of food. Since Seth was so rail-thin, they delighted in feeding him. Aunt Becky made a delicious potato casserole. Aunt Sylvia made chicken and rice soup with real lemon that was divine. Aunt Mabel could create the most delightful desserts. Since Seth's wallet was generally as thin as his waistline, he happily took full advantage of this.
Aunt Gretel was not one of them that Adelle was familiar with yet. She didn't cook, she didn't smile much, she didn't even like Seth very much. But Seth had tutored her grandson for free and helped him pass a history class and thus she grudgingly agreed to watch Adelle without notice or pay. Adelle watched Seth from the window as he sped away in his grandfather mobile. Adelle didn't like this much at all and she wondered where he was going to in such a hurry.
Seth drove and drove, he rolled by the nice suburbs and their neatly manicured lawns, he shifted gears and crossed the train tracks. He looked at the split sidewalks, the bent road signs, the boarded up windows of houses and the iron gated windows of pawn shops.
Seth finally parked his car in the old familiar parking lot outside of Milton's apartment complex. He got out and paused for a moment, observing the way that the sun made the shattered glass on the ground glitter. Seth locked his car door and began his way up the rickety stairwell. Nervously, he knocked on Milt's door and waited.
He didn't have to wait long before Milton swung it open. Milton looked exactly the same as he did six years ago, the same goatee, the same slicked back hair, the same ruddy complexion. Milton was wearing a black bowling shirt with a silhouetted trucker-flap girl on the blue stripe to the left side and baggy black pants.
"Seth get your ass in here." Milt said, opening the door wider and stepping aside so Seth could pass through.
Seth remained in the doorway and said. "I had a dream about you Milton, I want to know if you are up to something."
Milton tilted his head a bit and walked to the kitchen without another word. Seth entered the apartment slowly, looking around at the tasteless posters on the wall, the shag carpeting, the lava lamps. Milton took a pack of Swisher Sweets out of a drawer and lit up.
"Up to something? You don't talk to me for six years and then you come here asking me if I'm up to something?" Milton cocked an eyebrow.
Seth frowned. "I don't want to be involved, do you understand? I don't-"
Milton growled in reply. "Fuck you Seth, you know what your problem is? You think you are better than me, but really you are just a fucking coward."
Seth replied calmly. "You are up to something then, and you do want my help."
"It takes two for a contract." Milton explained.
Seth started back toward the door. Milton shoved into his way with the aggression of a MVP soccer goalie defending the net from a tie-breaking score.
Milton said. "Get off your damn pedestal and listen up Seth. If you don't help me we are both fucked, and that includes the little princess you are trying to hide from me. Do you got that?"
Seth stood as tall as he could and tightened his hands into fists. "Milton, if you ever touch her I will--"
"Shut-up." Milton bellowed. "SHUT-UP! I'm not going after your play family, pisssakes! How can someone so smart be so fucking stupid!? We've got an angel on our hands Seth."
Seth paused and looked at Milton quizzically.
"Valerian." Milton continued. "He's an angel, and a hunter. He is here to kill you Seth."