The Scarlet Chamber

Chapter Two: Tribulations

"It's going to be rainy in Delmarva tonight folks. A shadowy overcast had shrouded the entire peninsula and is causing flooding along the southern shoreline. We thought the worst of it had passed but it seems it's only downhill from here folks." The weatherman smiled charismatically, his face damp and shiny from the downpour. "Stay home and stay safe!"

With a press of the power button, the television sputtered before fading away into a dark empty screen the street lights outside reflected in its black abyss. "To hell with that." Charlotte sat the remote down on her glass coffee table as she made her way towards the front door her coat hanging idly on the rack. "Charlotte, you're not seriously thinking about going out there are you?" A tall tan man with messy brown hair followed behind Charlotte his eyes wary and scathing.

"Yeah, I am. I've got a job to do." Without looking up Charlotte continued her sentiment. "Guy gets locked up in the city jail after shooting a "Demon" and the whole town is talking about it? I'm pretty much obligated to get down there." Two days ago there was a murder at a seven eleven in which a man lost his life for being a suspected demon. It wasn't long before the murder was the talk of Delmarva and every man and his dog was buzzing about it. "You were JUST watching the news! You know how bad the storm is right now!"

Charlotte clenched her fist visibly exasperated. "What part of Investigative Journalist do you not understand Andrew?! When the salt spills it's my job to add some pepper!" Andrew blinked rapidly his seething demeanor quickly turning into a befuddled one. "W-What? That doesn't make any sense, Charlotte!" Charlotte was always prone to making nonsensical metaphors such as those and it really had a tendency to tick people off in an argument. "You know what?" Charlotte threw her hands up in surrender. "I'm just gonna go sleep at Roxxane's tonight!" Andrew shook his head a shocked and tired look plastered on his face.

"Charlotte...this is your house..." Too late, the woman was already outside the doorway. "Don't wanna hear it!" Charlotte slammed the door with enough force to cause splinters to come flying out the frame as she stormed down the three flights of steps leading her towards her car. The winds were ghastly and the rain began to turn into hail as it pilled upon the woman's jacket as little droplets of ice. The ground was soaked to the point that it was like a freshly squeezed sponge as the woman walked atop it leaving a trail of muddy tracks on the lawn.

Climbing into the driver's seat Charlotte pressed the ignition just as the door to the house flew open. There were no cars in the street and the road was long enough for any new arrivals to be too far off to pose any real danger so the woman pressed forward practically blasting off into the street as a U-Haul truck came barreling down the road its headlights burning and its brakes absent as it grazed the small red Toyota with its bumper.

The car could move, that's all that mattered to Charlotte as she pulled out of her driveway and into the open road. The way Charlotte's headlights reflected out the truck's mirrors was annoying but not enough to hinder her driving skill as she kept a steady grip on the wheel her sudden brush with death a sobering experience. "Shouldn't I be more worried? Shouldn't my knocking on death's door be enough warning to stay home? Maybe but I can't seem to make any good decisions these days..."

It was then Charlotte began to feel uneasy. "Wait a second, this asshole is going seventy miles an hour in a residential zone..." The other vehicle was far ahead now as its rear lights became faint red hues in the distance. It was then that the truck switched gears and started plowing through a field of corn. "Christ on a...where is this guy even headed?!"

As she approached the place where the truck made its turn Charlotte brought her car to a screeching halt her eyes peering down the strip of destroyed produce. The woman's pupils dilated at the sight of the isles end...