It's said that once fear accumulates, it gives birth to a pathway for the evil.
Years ago, the Erenburg colosseum was closed and sealed. The whole town spoke no further of it. It became an existence solely meant to be forgotten.
Years passed, then decades, the quiet and silent Erenburg finally regained some flurry.
In the house of Gregory Derrick, a car drove into the spacious driveway, a black, sleek BMW parked itself in front of the entrance. The chauffeur opened the door and Keith Derrick stepped out, his fingers running on the keyboard of his phone and headphones hung around his neck.
"Mr Gregory is waiting for you inside, Sir," The chauffeur told him. Keith looked at the grand house and smiled bitterly. As he expected, no one came to welcome him.
He lightly acknowledged the chauffeur and walked towards the door. A doorman let him in with a respectful bow. The expensive red carpet and the mahogany furniture gave a fitting image of the Derrick family. However, Keith found the large painting in the middle of the living room, misplaced.
It was a painting of him, his mother and his father. A happy family of a loving couple and a sweet young boy. He wondered why his father hasn't taken it off yet. His new wife must find it unpleasing to look at.
There was a scurry of feet and two teenage boys wearing sports wear rushed down the stairs. They stopped when they saw Keith. Exchanging a glance with each other, they walked up to him.
"Hey! You must be Keith. I'm Liam and this is Mark."
Keith exchanged pleasantries as well. They were his half brothers, that's the least he could do. And anyways, it was his father he didn't like.
"Do you play football?" Mark asked.
Keith paused then nodded hesitantly. He used to be the high school team's quarterback.
"A little bit."
Liam and Mark looked at each other again. They really seemed to have this habit.
"Maybe we could play sometime this summer. Father is in the study. Me and Mark better go now."
The two ran out of the house. Keith went to the study. He knocked and then entered when he heard a response.
"It's you." The slightly raspy voice was just as he remembered. The voice that seemed to belittle everything he didn't like. Perhaps his father also didn't like to be forgotten. Maybe he was mad at Keith for trying to forget him.
"How's life in the city?" He motioned for him to sit down.
"It's good." Keith shortly responded. He didn't want to talk about his life in the city. It was like his father was breaching upon something he had no right to.
"You don't want to live here? With me?"
"I'm good. Thanks." He kept with his short replies. He had no intention to stay with his father. A home where he used to belong to, but not anymore. The addition of new members into the Derrick family had made him estranged even from his own father.
Even though he and his mother weren't very rich in the city, they had a spacious apartment in a good community and they were doing well. The most important thing was, he was happy.
"I see." Gregory paused, "I hope you spend a good summer here, before you go to college."
