“Xenophobia” (Part III)
By: Bucky Adams
PrisonerFan48@yahoo.com
The sun rose to a clear sky above the town. Not a cloud to be seen at all. A brilliance of sunlight shone down upon the town, at the older gentleman’s residence, into his windows, and onto the mute girl’s face, which scrunched as the sunlight touched it. She was a bit sensitive to sudden brightness. Darkness was what she was used to. But, there was no point in avoiding the day. She stood up and started getting dressed.
The young man was awoken by the sunlight also. He joined the mute girl as they both got dressed. Now that her team had rested and recuperated, she was ready to start the day anew. The mute girl and young man both went to check on the little girl. She was not awake yet. She looked so peaceful and innocent lying there. No one had the heart to wake her just yet. Not even the sudden knock on the front door could wake her. The knock did wake up the older gentleman, though. He came out of his bedroom, still dressed in his pajamas. The young man and mute girl both shot a curious look toward the older gentleman, who just shrugged. He thought it was rather early in the day to be getting visitors.
When he opened it, he was surprised to see two uniform police officers standing at his door. One of them spoke, saying that they were there to pass along a message from the mayor. He went on to say that the mayor was very insistent on meeting with the strangers, and wanted to meet with them as soon as possible. The two officers then turned to leave as the older gentleman closed the door slowly. He was awestruck. He (and many other townsfolk) could not figure out why the mayor was afraid of the strangers.
The mute girl could not believe that in the amount of time they had been in the town, that they were still being treated this way. Hostile images filled her head. But then she calmed down and took the “higher path” she took earlier. She needed time to meditate, but decided to wait until she could find a quieter time. Everyone was getting dressed and ready to meet the mayor. The little girl had finally awoken and asked what was happening. The young man explained that they were being forced to meet the mayor. The little girl suddenly looked very worried. She had heard stories about the people of the town’s past who the mayor did not like. They were forced to meet with him, then were never heard from or seen again. The little girl did not want that to happen in this case. She liked the mute girl and young man, she looked up to them. They were slowly becoming her new family.
The young man told the older gentleman that it was time for them to go, and thanked him for his warm hospitality. The mute girl walked up to the older gentleman and gave him a hug, then stood back, clasped her hands together, and bowed her head as a gesture of thanks. And although no one else in the house (or the town for that matter) has thanked anyone the way she did, everyone knew what she meant. She didn’t need to speak in order for others to understand her. The young man told the older gentleman that should they cross paths again, it would be as friends. The three then slowly started walking away from the older gentleman’s residence. As the older gentleman retired to his bedroom, he peeked out of his window to see the mute girl and young man take one last, long look at the house. Then, they turned around and continued walking away from the house, with the little girl following with them.
After walking a short distance away from the older gentleman’s residence, the young man looked behind him and saw the older gentleman following them. The young man told him that this was not his fight and that he did not need to follow them. The older gentleman said that he knew and that he didn’t care. The older gentleman said that he supported them and would be proud to walk with them and speak to the mayor in their honor. So, they all continued walking again, and nobody spoke a word. The young man couldn’t decide what to do or say when they meet the mayor. The older gentleman was still waking up as he was walking. The little girl was just looking up admirably at the mute girl, who still had the old man’s death on her mind.
A few minutes passed again, and the young man heard some mumbling behind him. He turned around and saw that they had gained quite a few more “followers”. The young man just turned around and continued walking. He knew if he could not convince the older gentleman, he could not convince anyone else. He also noticed that the mute girl was walking in front of him, as if she was “leading the pack”. He thought about it as they were walking. She did seem to be more of a leader than he was. And her walking at the front proved that fact to him. The mute girl and young man stopped walking and turned around, The young man tried one last time to convince the crowd that this was not their war. But, the crowd insisted. The shopkeeper came to the front of the crowd and mentioned that if the team was not accepted, then neither were they.
The mute girl could not believe what she was hearing. She had people she didn’t even know supporting her and her friends. She almost got compelled to say something, but didn’t. The crowd could see the expression on her face. She didn’t need to say anything. Her face said it all. And seeing her happy made them happy. She hasn’t been this happy in a very long time. Not since she ran away from home.
As they continued walking, the mute girl didn’t even realize that she was leading anyone. She just walked with a measure of confidence. She started to lead everyone across the town square. Everyone followed behind her: the young man, the little girl, the shopkeeper, the older gentleman, and the rest of the people. By her leading the way, it became decidedly so that that the young man inadvertently passed the leadership role onto her. The little girl looked up at the mute girl with much admiration as they marched through the town square. The little girl could feel the power in the mute girl’s stride. Not one of anger, not one of annoyance, but a stride of confidence.
As they all walked across the town square, the mute girl stopped suddenly. Everyone else stopped when she did. The mute girl slowly turned her head and looked at the statue one more time. The mute girl’s jaw seemed to open and close as if she was mouthing something that she was reading. Then, she had a sudden intake of breath. Unlike everyone else, she got it. She understood. She figured out what shocked the old man to death. It amazed her that something as small as a statue can have it’s entire meaning changed in the small time frame of a day and a half. The young man walked up beside her and stared at the statue with her. She knew he wouldn’t understand. It became more than the spot where the old man died. It was more than just the middle of town.
The little girl looked up at the mute girl and noticed a half-smile. The little girl asked what the mute girl was smiling about. The mute girl didn’t say anything. The little girl wasn’t expecting an answer, she just asked out of instinct. The mute girl turned her attention back to the mayor’s office. She thought that whether they win or lose, it would end there.
The mute girl started walking toward the mayor’s office again. And her team and supporters walked with her again. There was no turning back. Not for her. Not for her team. Not for anyone. She still wondered why meeting them was so important to the mayor. When they reached the front steps of the mayor’s office, they all stopped. It was just the mute girl and her team… for now. At least until her followers were needed.
The team walked up to the door, and the mute girl knocked. A young woman answered the door and introduced herself as the mayor’s secretary. The secretary led the team down a long, dimly lit corridor. At the end of the corridor was the mayor’s office. The secretary opened the door and the team walked in. The mayor looked at the team and questioned where the old man was. The young man informed him that the old man had died. And without any emotion, the mayor said that he was sorry to hear that. The young man could tell that the mayor was only half-listening, so he decided to say something that made him listen. He asked the mayor when the old man used to live in the town.
The mayor’s eyes widened. He didn’t know how the young man could possibly know that. When asked, the young man didn’t answer. He refused to answer, but only replied with the fact that not every question has an answer. The mayor looked confused and asked the young man what he meant by that. The young man replied that he would explain what it meant to the mayor if he would tell what he knew of the old man. The mayor stared blankly at the young man and asked if the answer even mattered at this point. What would it change? The young man raised his voice, saying that the old man was like a father to him and that he left him a gift that he would enjoy for the rest of his life. The mayor interrupted the heartfelt moment and said he wanted to know just one thing. Just the answer to one question, then all this tension and negativity goes away: Why did you come here?
The mute girl and young man looked shocked at each other. They could not believe they were being asked this. But, what would happen if they answered it? But conversely, what would happen if they didn’t? It’s not that they didn’t trust the townsfolk with that information, but an oath is a sacred bond. And the old man’s death sealed that bond. Then the mayor said something that they never thought they would hear another person say. The mayor mentioned what he planned to do with the old man’s body. A look of sheer terror engulfed the young man, mute girl, and little girl. If they violated the oath, they would be disloyal to the old man, but the old man was dead. The mayor stared daggers into the young man’s eyes, and was so focused on trying to intimidate the young man that he failed to notice the little girl slip quietly out of the room. The mute girl smirked a little because she knew what the little girl was up to, thus proving that she really was part of the team.
Outside the mayor’s office, the rally of townsfolk stood united, anxiously awaiting the fate of the team. When the front doors opened, they all gasped as the little girl came running out. She told all the townsfolk what the mayor was planning to do to the old man’s body. Everyone knew it was wrong. Even the young guys that the mute girl encountered in the alley knew it was wrong. Was this the turning point for all the townsfolk? Have their eyes been closed all this time… for so long? A realization hit them all. A sense of sadness permeated throughout the people. They all wanted to take action, but didn’t know what they could possibly do. They thought they were powerless. That’s because they were thinking as a team. And that’s why the mute girl, young man, and old man were a team. They worked as a team, but thought individually. They could think independently.
Back inside the mayor’s office, the arguing continued. The mayor was attacking their values. The young man responded that at least they had values. But, the mute girl could see that the discussion was going nowhere, as she rolled her eyes. She decided to go with her back-up plan. She gestured for the young man to speak with her in the corridor. As angry as the young man was, he politely excused himself. Alone in his office, the mayor just paced back and forth and chuckled to himself. He was absolutely certain he had won, like he was playing a game of chess or something. But, how do you play chess when the board is missing a few pieces? The mute girl and young man didn’t stay in the corridor. They walked outside to rejoin the townsfolk. But, the mute girl didn’t stop walking. She was too focused. Looking beyond the people. Looking beyond the town. Looking beyond it all.
Everyone, surprisingly, followed behind her. They needed, at least for right now, someone new to lead them. And she was the one. Watching from his window, the mayor realized that he had been tricked when he saw what was happening. The townsfolk followed her through the town square and around a corner. By the time that the mayor had reached the front entrance of his office after running through the corridor, they were out of sight. All of them. Half of the town just up and left. The mayor knew that this town could not function with so many people leaving. As he walked down the street, he was surprised to see many townsfolk packing their cars and just leaving everything behind. They didn’t even know where they were going, they just knew they had to get away.
The half of the town that followed the team all flocked together, a huddled mass. It was when they reached the town limits that something happened rather unexpectedly. When they crossed the “You Are Now Leaving” sign, all the townsfolk seemed to separate and go their own way. They were free now. The little girl couldn’t stop smiling. This was a blessing. They would all have to deal with whatever they encounter on their way. The only three that stayed on the road were the little girl, the mute girl, and the young man. They were the new team. The three looked down the road, which seemed to stretch as far as they could see. They didn’t know what was down that road. Whatever was down the road, no matter how far, no matter what obstacles they encountered, they were prepared to explore. The mute girl broke her silence. “Name’s Laura”, she said. Both the little girl and young man turned to look at her.
THE END
Epilogue
Maybe after a few years, when the town would be nothing more than a forgotten historical fact, they would return. Maybe they would come back and visit the old man’s cottage. Many of the old man’s mementos would probably still be there. And the sad fact is that they may be the only people in the world that would understand what any of those mementos meant. They were the items that linked together the old man’s life. And maybe out of respect, they would go into town to the statue where the old man died, and set down flowers and candles at its base. And maybe they would hold hands in a moment of silence, in remembrance of the old man. They would not want him to be forgotten. Maybe they would build a small shrine in his honor. The little girl never had a chance to talk to the old man, but she wish she had. Maybe she would have looked up to him like a grandfather.
And maybe the young man, who had always been the bearer of wrong decision and indecision, would go on to become a well-respected leader of a team, taking with him everything he had learned from the old man. And maybe the mute girl, who hadn’t spoken a word in years, had finally found something to raise her voice about. And maybe the little girl, who knew nothing beyond the borders of the place she called home and had shown a true independent spirit, became a teacher and taught her students to think for themselves. Maybe she became an artist and painted abstracts worth millions. Maybe she became a scientist and discovered the cure to a disease. Maybe, when she got older, she would rebel some more and get arrested for speaking her mind. And then again, maybe none of that happened. Maybe she just led a normal life after leaving the town, after leaving the team, after leaving it all behind.
It is difficult to say what happened to everyone after leaving the town. Some moved far away. Others moved to the next town they came across. Many who lived there will deny any knowledge of anything that happened. Still, others deny the town even existed. Many were hurt by the fact that they lived in ignorance. But, while many people will deny the events that happened there, the evidence surrounding the town suggests otherwise. The crash site outside the town, the rusted out car on the edge of town where the forest begins, the statue in the town square, the cottage within the forest clearing, the forgotten shoebox lost among the trees. All these items left by time will be the only evidence that something did happen there.
Everyone’s lives have changed drastically since the strangers entered the town. The old man, the mute girl, the young man, the little girl, the elderly gentleman, the shopkeeper, most of the townsfolk, even the mayor. And try as they might, they will never forget the events that happened. Especially the mayor, but what happened to him?
THE END
Friday, December 10, 2010
"Xenophobia" (Part II)
“Xenophobia” (Part II)
By: Bucky Adams
PrisonerFan48@yahoo.com
Unbeknownst to the strangers, many of the townsfolk gathered at the town hall for an unofficial meeting. They wanted to know why the team had entered their town. What did they want? Who were they? Where did they come from? The town was so set in their ways that they feared change. They all saw the little girl’s action of helping the strangers as a negative action, a gesture of defiance. The town wanted to know what they could do about the two girls. Then, people started to talk out of turn. The whole room began to lose control. One man said that they had not committed any crime and that he doesn’t feel as if they will. He decided that he was going to stop watching them.
Just when the room had almost reached its breaking point, a group of young men entered the room. While they were not as vocal as they usually were, they did try to convince the townsfolk to leave the strangers alone, and to let them finish what they needed to finish. They told everyone in the room how they surrounded the mute girl in the alley. Many people in the room gave them a look of disapproval. The young men also mentioned how they had no intention to harm her. In fact, they didn’t. And in a weird way, she harmed them. Not physically, of course, but psychologically. Without a word being spoken, she made them see the way they were. And because of that one event, the young men have learned the error of their ways.
It seemed that the room was divided. No one could agree on what action to take next, if any at all. Some viewed the girls as a possible threat, some saw the girls negatively if they were with the men on the team, and some just saw innocent girls. The small group of townsfolk that actually supported the girls reiterated the fact that they have not committed any crime nor does it seem that they are going to. The shopkeeper even admitted that when the mute girl left his store, she purchased the item legally. The shopkeeper was beginning to second guess his prejudices.
Back at the car, the girls went through every journal and newspaper clipping. But, they still had no answers. All they could figure out was that the old man used to live in the town a long time ago. Why didn’t the townsfolk acknowledge him? And why didn’t they care when he died? Didn’t he have any family in town? So many questions entered the girls’ minds. Even the little girl, who saw the old man die, seemed to care more than anyone in town. There had to be more information for them to obtain, but where?
In the woods, the young man came upon a small clearing. As ominous as the woods had become the more he trekked it, a brilliance of light shone down through a small gap between the trees and onto a small cottage. Its windows were covered in dust and grime. Cobwebs hung around the edges of the rooftops. It didn’t look as if anyone had lived in the cottage for a long time. The young man approached the front door and knocked on it. He didn’t know why he did that, he knew nobody would answer. He slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. As he looked inside, he saw the whole cottage was in disarray. Whoever had lived here must have left in a hurry. Chairs were overturned, broken dish fragments covered the ground, papers scattered about. But, the young man entered the cottage with eyes of wonderment.
The town meeting was still at a stalemate. No unanimous decision could be reached. Everyone wanted to take different actions. Even the mayor, who had always looked after his people, admitted that he was undecided on what to do next. What the shopkeeper said next made everyone stop and think. He just said, “What if we do nothing?”. There were a few gasps, but other than that, nobody said anything after that. They didn’t know how to respond. The room was filled with so much confusion. From an outsider’s viewpoint, it was hard to imagine a reason behind all this fuss over two young girls. People shot icy stares at one another. There was a lot of tension in the air. While some people in the room could be swayed, it would take a lot to get rid of their irrational fears.
After wandering around aimlessly, the two girls found themselves back in the town square. The little girl pointed out the spot where the old man had died. And it was right in front of the statue, right at the base of it. They looked up at the statue and noticed it had a very powerful presence. It would act as a beacon to any stranger who entered the square. The mute girl pointed up at the face as if inquiring about who he was. The little girl didn’t know. She never really followed the town’s history, but was always at town festivals and celebrations. Only now did she question why she did it. She realized that she had been indoctrinated to think a certain way. But when the strangers walked into town, all that changed.
The young man looked around the cottage and realized that the old man used to live there. As he looked around the room, he noticed a dust-covered photograph on the bookcase. In the photograph, it showed the old man at a much younger age. He was standing with a few other men, but he was the only one wearing a medal of some sort on his chest. From the way that they were standing, it made it appear as if the old man was, for the most part, in charge. The young man wondered where the other men in the photograph were today. Weren’t they part of a team? Why were they all standing in front of the statue? It was hard to see the statue in the photograph. It’s head was just out of the picture. The young man realized that he needed to go back to town to get a better look at the statue.
The two girls wandered back to the car and started to assess the other items in the suitcase again. The mute girl was trying so hard not to look at each item individually, but as a whole. There had to be a bigger picture that she was just not seeing. Her skills in pattern recognition were one thing, but she had a slight feeling that she was looking for answers when there was possibly no question. It was like trying to find a needle when there may not be a haystack. And the little girl was so young that she probably couldn’t fathom all of the events that were transpiring. Both of the girls were so transfixed on finding an answer that they failed to noticed that it started to rain.
The young man exited the cottage and heard the rain. But, the trees were so close together and the tops of the trees were thick with leaves that the rain never touched the ground where he was. He looked up to try seeing the rain, but it was no use. He did notice that getting to the cottage was relatively easy. And, looking back, the path back to town was difficult to see. The young man had the logic that if it was easy to travel from A to B, then it must be the same to travel from B to A. He was great at math, but not so great when it came to logic. He wondered if he would be able to find his way back to town as he walked a path that seemed familiar to him.
‘Defiance’ was not a word that the town really knew. All of the townsfolk just went along with what the other townsfolk did or thought. But, some people were tired of it. Some just stood up and walked out of the town meeting. While it was the general consensus that sunny days were good and rainy days were bad, some walked out into the rain and smiled as they let the rain drench them. But, others stayed inside, partly out of habit, partly to stick to the majority. The ones that were out in the rain pitied those that chose to stay inside. The ones inside could not even appreciate the beauty of the rain.
The two girls finally noticed the rain. The little girl was always told by her mother to stay out of the rain. So, acting on instinct, she started looking around for shelter. The mute girl took her hand and showed her that there was nothing to be afraid of. The little girl looked caringly into the mute girl’s eyes, then softly asked of her family. The mute girl’s smile started to slowly diminish. And her eyes widened as a wave of fear shone of her face. The little girl saw what she had done and started crying as she apologized, and gave her a friendly embrace. But, the mute girl just stared off into space as a flood of unhappy memories engulfed her.
At a point between the cottage and the entrance to the woods, the young man wandered when his feet began to hurt. He saw a fallen tree just off the path and decided to sit and rest his feet. He set the shoebox beside him and briskly rubbed his feet. The rain found its way down between the trees at this point in the woods. Normally, the young man enjoyed the rain. But, the rain only furthered his confusion on which direction to go. It made him so disoriented. In fact, he couldn’t remember which way he was walking on the path. As he looked up toward the tops of the trees, he didn’t realize that he had walked aimlessly off the path. And to make matters worse, he left the shoebox by the fallen tree, which he could no longer see. He began to wonder if he even needed the shoebox anymore. He saw its contents already. What he got from it may have been completely different from what others may have gotten from it. He knew that the shoebox was meant for him, and only him.
The mayor demanded order at the meeting. People were starting to rebel against the authority. In a town that lived on habit, routine, and tradition, this was history in the making. The mayor was getting outraged. He wanted things to go back to the way they were, before the strangers showed up. He said that following the same old routine has kept the town going, no matter how boring the town was. Those that stood outside in the rain watched through the windows as they witnessed the fabric of the town coming apart at the seams.
When the rain started to die off, the girls both looked up toward the sky. The mute girl knew that the little girl was just asking out of concern. But, it opened a floodgate of bad memories nonetheless. The little girl asked her if questions about the mute girl’s past were a bad idea. And the mute girl blankly nodded. She doesn’t understand why someone can’t take someone else as they are. Why must they dig? There always has to be questions. And that fact bothered the mute girl. Without words, she showed the little girl that she accepted her as she was, no questions asked. The little girl felt bad now. A thin wall has grown between them. All because of one small question.
Now that the rain had stopped, the young man was able to get his bearings a lot better. He figured out the path to take which would lead back to town. He knew his way around the woods now. He was able to find his way back to the fallen tree, but the shoebox was nowhere to be found. Maybe it was an omen that he did not need it anymore. He wandered along the path more, noticing a few faint footprints from when he first entered the woods. The rain had washed most of them away. But, there was no mistaking his footprint. He was definitely heading in the right direction. In fact, way up ahead on the path shone a dot of light that he knew was the entrance to the woods. And he smiled as he started to run toward the light.
The townsfolk that stood outside of the town hall started to talk to one another. It was suggested between them that they would help the strangers obtain what they needed to finish the mission they were on. One of the teenage boys in the crowd said that he would scout around and look for the girls. Ever since the strangers had entered the town, he was curious about the mute girl. He wanted to talk with her, get to know her. And now seemed to be the best time to do that. He knew he wasn’t that social. With the exception of school, he wouldn’t really talk to anyone. And lost among the masses, no one really paid much attention to him. He was almost invisible to the other townsfolk. A cog in the machine. But, only now he saw an opening to change things. He didn’t understand why the mayor would not want to welcome newcomers into his town. He wondered if there was something that the mayor was hiding.
The little girl felt the wall that existed between them. Not as close as they once were, the mute girl understood her curiosity. But, the mute girl has a true independent spirit. Even when she was accepted as part of the team, she spent a lot of time on her own. She had inner demons she needed to control. And she feared the questions would bring those demons out. While she didn’t blame the little girl for her question, there was no escaping the fact that bad events have happened.
The young man exited the forest and noticed something very strange. Nobody was watching him like they were before. As he started making his way toward the town square, he noticed that the townsfolk were no longer one mass group like they were before. It seemed as if the numbers of watchers have diminished. The young man noticed the girls by the car off in the distance. Before he went to see the statue, he would need to catch up with them. The little girl saw him, ran up to him, and hugged the young man. She said that she thought that she would never see him again, because anyone that went into the forest before never cam back out.
The mute girl looked at the young man with eyes of gratitude. Her “brother” had returned safely from the woods. She showed him the contents of the suitcase and he shared with them the knowledge of the photograph at the cottage. The little girl felt like she was part of the team at this point. And the mute girl and young man did nothing to discourage that notion. The young man thought it would be interesting to get another person on the team, now that the old man is gone. A new perspective would be good. However, the young man said that he could not share any details of the mission until they have left the town. The little girl could respect that fact.
From nearby, a small group of townsfolk walked toward the team. At first, it seemed that the group was walking with a small degree of hostility. But, as the group got closer, they expressed their desire to help get them the items that they needed to help finish their mission. The mute girl was so happy that she started crying tears of joy. The group even said that they were not going to pry. They just wanted to help the strangers in any way possible.
And much to the surprise of everyone else in that small group of townsfolk, and older gentleman stepped forward and offered the team a place to stay. He said that they were welcome to stay at his home for as long as they liked. He also wished that the team lived in the town, but he knew that would be too good to be true. In his mind, he just tried to imagine what it would be like. He smirked to himself at the thought of that.
The team walked with the older gentleman to his house. He lived alone, but his house was spacious. They all found a section of the house to sleep in. They would worry about putting the pieces of this puzzle together in the morning, when everyone was more awake and alert. With that, everyone fell asleep the minute the lights were turned off. They were very worn out. And for the first time since they entered the town, things were tranquil.
End Part II
By: Bucky Adams
PrisonerFan48@yahoo.com
Unbeknownst to the strangers, many of the townsfolk gathered at the town hall for an unofficial meeting. They wanted to know why the team had entered their town. What did they want? Who were they? Where did they come from? The town was so set in their ways that they feared change. They all saw the little girl’s action of helping the strangers as a negative action, a gesture of defiance. The town wanted to know what they could do about the two girls. Then, people started to talk out of turn. The whole room began to lose control. One man said that they had not committed any crime and that he doesn’t feel as if they will. He decided that he was going to stop watching them.
Just when the room had almost reached its breaking point, a group of young men entered the room. While they were not as vocal as they usually were, they did try to convince the townsfolk to leave the strangers alone, and to let them finish what they needed to finish. They told everyone in the room how they surrounded the mute girl in the alley. Many people in the room gave them a look of disapproval. The young men also mentioned how they had no intention to harm her. In fact, they didn’t. And in a weird way, she harmed them. Not physically, of course, but psychologically. Without a word being spoken, she made them see the way they were. And because of that one event, the young men have learned the error of their ways.
It seemed that the room was divided. No one could agree on what action to take next, if any at all. Some viewed the girls as a possible threat, some saw the girls negatively if they were with the men on the team, and some just saw innocent girls. The small group of townsfolk that actually supported the girls reiterated the fact that they have not committed any crime nor does it seem that they are going to. The shopkeeper even admitted that when the mute girl left his store, she purchased the item legally. The shopkeeper was beginning to second guess his prejudices.
Back at the car, the girls went through every journal and newspaper clipping. But, they still had no answers. All they could figure out was that the old man used to live in the town a long time ago. Why didn’t the townsfolk acknowledge him? And why didn’t they care when he died? Didn’t he have any family in town? So many questions entered the girls’ minds. Even the little girl, who saw the old man die, seemed to care more than anyone in town. There had to be more information for them to obtain, but where?
In the woods, the young man came upon a small clearing. As ominous as the woods had become the more he trekked it, a brilliance of light shone down through a small gap between the trees and onto a small cottage. Its windows were covered in dust and grime. Cobwebs hung around the edges of the rooftops. It didn’t look as if anyone had lived in the cottage for a long time. The young man approached the front door and knocked on it. He didn’t know why he did that, he knew nobody would answer. He slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. As he looked inside, he saw the whole cottage was in disarray. Whoever had lived here must have left in a hurry. Chairs were overturned, broken dish fragments covered the ground, papers scattered about. But, the young man entered the cottage with eyes of wonderment.
The town meeting was still at a stalemate. No unanimous decision could be reached. Everyone wanted to take different actions. Even the mayor, who had always looked after his people, admitted that he was undecided on what to do next. What the shopkeeper said next made everyone stop and think. He just said, “What if we do nothing?”. There were a few gasps, but other than that, nobody said anything after that. They didn’t know how to respond. The room was filled with so much confusion. From an outsider’s viewpoint, it was hard to imagine a reason behind all this fuss over two young girls. People shot icy stares at one another. There was a lot of tension in the air. While some people in the room could be swayed, it would take a lot to get rid of their irrational fears.
After wandering around aimlessly, the two girls found themselves back in the town square. The little girl pointed out the spot where the old man had died. And it was right in front of the statue, right at the base of it. They looked up at the statue and noticed it had a very powerful presence. It would act as a beacon to any stranger who entered the square. The mute girl pointed up at the face as if inquiring about who he was. The little girl didn’t know. She never really followed the town’s history, but was always at town festivals and celebrations. Only now did she question why she did it. She realized that she had been indoctrinated to think a certain way. But when the strangers walked into town, all that changed.
The young man looked around the cottage and realized that the old man used to live there. As he looked around the room, he noticed a dust-covered photograph on the bookcase. In the photograph, it showed the old man at a much younger age. He was standing with a few other men, but he was the only one wearing a medal of some sort on his chest. From the way that they were standing, it made it appear as if the old man was, for the most part, in charge. The young man wondered where the other men in the photograph were today. Weren’t they part of a team? Why were they all standing in front of the statue? It was hard to see the statue in the photograph. It’s head was just out of the picture. The young man realized that he needed to go back to town to get a better look at the statue.
The two girls wandered back to the car and started to assess the other items in the suitcase again. The mute girl was trying so hard not to look at each item individually, but as a whole. There had to be a bigger picture that she was just not seeing. Her skills in pattern recognition were one thing, but she had a slight feeling that she was looking for answers when there was possibly no question. It was like trying to find a needle when there may not be a haystack. And the little girl was so young that she probably couldn’t fathom all of the events that were transpiring. Both of the girls were so transfixed on finding an answer that they failed to noticed that it started to rain.
The young man exited the cottage and heard the rain. But, the trees were so close together and the tops of the trees were thick with leaves that the rain never touched the ground where he was. He looked up to try seeing the rain, but it was no use. He did notice that getting to the cottage was relatively easy. And, looking back, the path back to town was difficult to see. The young man had the logic that if it was easy to travel from A to B, then it must be the same to travel from B to A. He was great at math, but not so great when it came to logic. He wondered if he would be able to find his way back to town as he walked a path that seemed familiar to him.
‘Defiance’ was not a word that the town really knew. All of the townsfolk just went along with what the other townsfolk did or thought. But, some people were tired of it. Some just stood up and walked out of the town meeting. While it was the general consensus that sunny days were good and rainy days were bad, some walked out into the rain and smiled as they let the rain drench them. But, others stayed inside, partly out of habit, partly to stick to the majority. The ones that were out in the rain pitied those that chose to stay inside. The ones inside could not even appreciate the beauty of the rain.
The two girls finally noticed the rain. The little girl was always told by her mother to stay out of the rain. So, acting on instinct, she started looking around for shelter. The mute girl took her hand and showed her that there was nothing to be afraid of. The little girl looked caringly into the mute girl’s eyes, then softly asked of her family. The mute girl’s smile started to slowly diminish. And her eyes widened as a wave of fear shone of her face. The little girl saw what she had done and started crying as she apologized, and gave her a friendly embrace. But, the mute girl just stared off into space as a flood of unhappy memories engulfed her.
At a point between the cottage and the entrance to the woods, the young man wandered when his feet began to hurt. He saw a fallen tree just off the path and decided to sit and rest his feet. He set the shoebox beside him and briskly rubbed his feet. The rain found its way down between the trees at this point in the woods. Normally, the young man enjoyed the rain. But, the rain only furthered his confusion on which direction to go. It made him so disoriented. In fact, he couldn’t remember which way he was walking on the path. As he looked up toward the tops of the trees, he didn’t realize that he had walked aimlessly off the path. And to make matters worse, he left the shoebox by the fallen tree, which he could no longer see. He began to wonder if he even needed the shoebox anymore. He saw its contents already. What he got from it may have been completely different from what others may have gotten from it. He knew that the shoebox was meant for him, and only him.
The mayor demanded order at the meeting. People were starting to rebel against the authority. In a town that lived on habit, routine, and tradition, this was history in the making. The mayor was getting outraged. He wanted things to go back to the way they were, before the strangers showed up. He said that following the same old routine has kept the town going, no matter how boring the town was. Those that stood outside in the rain watched through the windows as they witnessed the fabric of the town coming apart at the seams.
When the rain started to die off, the girls both looked up toward the sky. The mute girl knew that the little girl was just asking out of concern. But, it opened a floodgate of bad memories nonetheless. The little girl asked her if questions about the mute girl’s past were a bad idea. And the mute girl blankly nodded. She doesn’t understand why someone can’t take someone else as they are. Why must they dig? There always has to be questions. And that fact bothered the mute girl. Without words, she showed the little girl that she accepted her as she was, no questions asked. The little girl felt bad now. A thin wall has grown between them. All because of one small question.
Now that the rain had stopped, the young man was able to get his bearings a lot better. He figured out the path to take which would lead back to town. He knew his way around the woods now. He was able to find his way back to the fallen tree, but the shoebox was nowhere to be found. Maybe it was an omen that he did not need it anymore. He wandered along the path more, noticing a few faint footprints from when he first entered the woods. The rain had washed most of them away. But, there was no mistaking his footprint. He was definitely heading in the right direction. In fact, way up ahead on the path shone a dot of light that he knew was the entrance to the woods. And he smiled as he started to run toward the light.
The townsfolk that stood outside of the town hall started to talk to one another. It was suggested between them that they would help the strangers obtain what they needed to finish the mission they were on. One of the teenage boys in the crowd said that he would scout around and look for the girls. Ever since the strangers had entered the town, he was curious about the mute girl. He wanted to talk with her, get to know her. And now seemed to be the best time to do that. He knew he wasn’t that social. With the exception of school, he wouldn’t really talk to anyone. And lost among the masses, no one really paid much attention to him. He was almost invisible to the other townsfolk. A cog in the machine. But, only now he saw an opening to change things. He didn’t understand why the mayor would not want to welcome newcomers into his town. He wondered if there was something that the mayor was hiding.
The little girl felt the wall that existed between them. Not as close as they once were, the mute girl understood her curiosity. But, the mute girl has a true independent spirit. Even when she was accepted as part of the team, she spent a lot of time on her own. She had inner demons she needed to control. And she feared the questions would bring those demons out. While she didn’t blame the little girl for her question, there was no escaping the fact that bad events have happened.
The young man exited the forest and noticed something very strange. Nobody was watching him like they were before. As he started making his way toward the town square, he noticed that the townsfolk were no longer one mass group like they were before. It seemed as if the numbers of watchers have diminished. The young man noticed the girls by the car off in the distance. Before he went to see the statue, he would need to catch up with them. The little girl saw him, ran up to him, and hugged the young man. She said that she thought that she would never see him again, because anyone that went into the forest before never cam back out.
The mute girl looked at the young man with eyes of gratitude. Her “brother” had returned safely from the woods. She showed him the contents of the suitcase and he shared with them the knowledge of the photograph at the cottage. The little girl felt like she was part of the team at this point. And the mute girl and young man did nothing to discourage that notion. The young man thought it would be interesting to get another person on the team, now that the old man is gone. A new perspective would be good. However, the young man said that he could not share any details of the mission until they have left the town. The little girl could respect that fact.
From nearby, a small group of townsfolk walked toward the team. At first, it seemed that the group was walking with a small degree of hostility. But, as the group got closer, they expressed their desire to help get them the items that they needed to help finish their mission. The mute girl was so happy that she started crying tears of joy. The group even said that they were not going to pry. They just wanted to help the strangers in any way possible.
And much to the surprise of everyone else in that small group of townsfolk, and older gentleman stepped forward and offered the team a place to stay. He said that they were welcome to stay at his home for as long as they liked. He also wished that the team lived in the town, but he knew that would be too good to be true. In his mind, he just tried to imagine what it would be like. He smirked to himself at the thought of that.
The team walked with the older gentleman to his house. He lived alone, but his house was spacious. They all found a section of the house to sleep in. They would worry about putting the pieces of this puzzle together in the morning, when everyone was more awake and alert. With that, everyone fell asleep the minute the lights were turned off. They were very worn out. And for the first time since they entered the town, things were tranquil.
End Part II
"Xenophobia" (Part I)
“Xenophobia” (Part I)
By: Bucky Adams
PrisonerFan48@yahoo.com
The thick black smoke rose rapidly into the early morning sky. Three individuals walked from its source. As they walked, the mute girl looked up at the bright sun, then something off in the distance caught her attention. The old man was walking straight toward that something, giving almost no attention to his younger teammates. The young man just walked beside the old man silently, awaiting further instructions. Even he was wondering about that something they were walking towards.
Nobody knew how they got there. Ending up in a small town that seemed hidden from the rest of the world. A small community out in the middle of nowhere. One tiny road going into town and one tiny road going out. Roads that have not been traveled in a long time. No tire tracks going in and no tire tracks going out. But, on the very path where the tire tracks would have been, three strangers entered the town from the south. As they entered, they were observed with eyes of mistrust and xenophobia by the local townsfolk. The town was not ready to welcome newcomers. Their little society was content the way they were. But still, the three strangers could feel the eyes of all the townsfolk upon them.
The first of three was an elderly man. He was thin and tall, with grey hair. But, he had a presence that just exploded with intellect. From looking at him, it was obvious that he knew a lot about the world. He has traveled it well enough during his younger days, unlike his younger teammates. He would not talk much, unless it was to help out one of his teammates. He was, more or less, a father figure to the other two. He watched over them with care. But, he still kept a distance from them. He chose not to get too close, but still be part of a team again. It has been a long time since he was part of any team.
The second of three was a young man in his twenties. He was in no way the leader of the team, but more of the decision maker. Whenever he tried to be a leader in the past, it never worked out in his favor. His past was filled with wrong decision and indecision. But, after forming the team, he realized that he was the most qualified. And the other two put all their trust in him. He wasn’t going to fail this time. He was going to be a lot more careful so no one would get hurt this time. He was going to protect them.
The third of three was a young girl, the youngest of the team. Her age was very hard to determine. She could have been a teenager. But, there was no point in asking her. She doesn’t speak and is very evasive in her answers. She didn’t really join the team as the other two did. She was lost, alone, and scared when they took her in and treated her as an equal with warmth, understanding, and compassion. An act no previous person in her life has done. So, she was more loyal to them than all the people of her past combined.
As the team of three walked more into town, they noticed that the local townsfolk sitting in front of the barbershop stopped what they were doing. Their conversations turned to whispers as they stared at the three strangers. Why do the locals look at them with such mistrust? Because the three strangers don’t look at the local townsfolk in such a manner. Why do people fear what they don’t know and don’t understand? The oldest member of the team jokingly whispered to his younger teammates they were going to be seeing torches and pitchforks anytime soon.
Although they could not give the reasons or any backstory as to what brought them to the town, they mean no harm to anyone. According to the old man of the team, they were in the isolated town to just get some things, that’s all. At the edge of town where the forest begins sat an old, rusted out car by the side of the road. The weather over the years has damaged the car beyond repair. The younger team members stood and stared as the old man approached the rear of the car. The mute girl and young man of the team joined the old man at the rear of the car. Then, the old man did something which made the mute girl and young man look questioningly at one another. The old man took a small key out from his pocket and unlocked and opened the trunk. As the old man gazed into the trunk, a flood of forgotten memories crashed into his mind, remembering events from long ago. The younger teammates didn’t look into the trunk, they just looked oddly at the old man. Many questions came to the both of them, but the answers would have to come later.
The mute girl of the team looked around and saw that the townsfolk were still watching their every move. She looked down as if she were being ridiculed. This feeling was not new to her. Her past was filled with social torture and ridicule. She had hoped that this place would be different. The young man of the team put his arm around her and tried to comfort her as a big brother would. Then all three looked into the trunk. The only two objects in the trunk were an old, taped up shoebox and a large leather suitcase. The old man picked up the shoebox and was about to close the trunk when the young man stopped him and the mute girl pointed at the suitcase. The old man just said it was not important right now, and proceeded to close and lock the trunk. The townsfolk still watched them with xenophobic curiosity, but did not interfere.
The old man noticed a policeman among the crowd of people, watching them curiously. The team did not want to start any trouble. But, they were not going to be driven out of town when they had done nothing wrong. Their intentions in the town were not hostile. The young man of the team decided it would be better if they split up, each getting a material component they needed. The old man was a little hesitant at first, but reluctantly accepted the decision. But, the old man told his younger teammates to wait while he goes into the town drug store to buy a map of the town to help them find what they needed. The young man and mute girl stood together for a few minutes alone. It was the longest few minutes of their lives. As the old man emerged from the drug store with the town map, he saw his younger teammates looking at the townsfolk with eyes of fear and standing ready to defend themselves. He tried to calm them down and told them to take a “higher path”. Then , he tore the map into three separate pieces and gave two of the pieces to his younger crew, keeping one for himself. Then, each of them separated in different directions: one to the north, one to the east, and one to the south.
As the young man walked north, he realized that the attention of the townsfolk wasn’t on them as a group, but only on one of them. But, it wasn’t him. Oh, there were a few that still watched him with curiosity. He wasn’t left unseen. He looked back in the direction of his other teammates and wondered if they were experiencing the same thing. He turned his attention back to his map. He looked at his portion of the map and looked around, trying to not only familiarize himself with the area, but also find what he was seeking. But, he wasn’t going to ask the townsfolk for any assistance. Although he was part of a team, he was very independent. Plus, he knew that he and his crew were not welcome in the small town. He was going to find what he was looking for on his own.
When the mute girl walked south, she realized the main attention was not on her, but on her older teammate. But, there where still xenophobic eyes trained on her. Oh, she wasn’t left unnoticed, either. She tried to disregard the eyes of the townsfolk by focusing on her portion of the map. The location she needed to reach was just ahead on the other side of two buildings. She thought she could save time by ducking down the alleyway that divided them, thus staying out of the public eye. About halfway down the alleyway, she looked behind her and saw that no one was watching her. Or so she thought. As she turned back around to look forward again, a group of young men surrounded her from different directions. She didn’t know where they came from. She was shocked at how they seemed to come out of nowhere. And when they surrounded her, they could see the fear in her eyes. She was almost quivering, but the young men didn’t care. She hasn’t spoken a single word in years, and she knew if she said the right words, they might let her go. So, she opened her mouth, but no words came out. As much as she wanted to speak, she couldn’t. The young men asked her many questions, but she couldn’t answer any of them.
The old man of the team was heading east into the town square. In the center of the square stood a statue. As the old man approached the statue, he stared at it. He stared at it with more curiosity than awe. A sudden sense of fear took over the old man. Drips of sweat were trickling down his forehead. It was almost as if he had seen a ghost. He slowly turned chalk white and clutched his chest. As he was trying to breathe, he dizzily fell to the ground, looked around, and noticed that the townsfolk were doing nothing to help him. They were just watching him, as they have been doing since he and his team entered the town. As the old man lay there, he clutched the shoebox close to his chest. The observing townsfolk suspected that whatever was in the shoebox must be very important. And then, the old man’s eyes closed, he stopped moving, and drew his last breath. He was dead. His journey ended here,
Then, from out of the crowd, a little girl (about the age of ten or eleven) walked up slowly to the old man’s body. All the townsfolk watched as she took the shoebox from where the old man’s body lay. A random person in the crowd yelled for her to open the shoebox, for all the townsfolk were curious as to what the contents of the shoebox were. The little girl looked deep into the dead man’s eyes and made a silent vow to herself and the old man. The little girl shook her head and made a mad dash around the nearest corner. She ran anywhere she could. Unlike the townsfolk, she had no curiosity to look, but she knew that whatever it was, it must be important. The crowd dispersed quietly as the old man’s body lay lifeless at the base of the statue.
The young man of the team heard a commotion somewhere nearby, but he ignored the noise for now. He wasn’t going to let himself get distracted. He wanted to show the old man of the team that he could be a good leader. He wanted to hear the old man say that he was proud of him. If he could just hear those words, it would mean the world to him. So, it was vital that he remained sharp and focused. As he proceeded north, he noticed his portion of the map had a marking where the item for him to retrieve would be. But, the problem was that nothing was there! All he could see was a small trail leading out of the town and into the woods. Was what he needed to pick up actually in the woods? That didn’t seem right to him. He was told that everything that was needed was within the town. If he ventured into the woods, would he be abandoning his crew?
His memory spanned back to when he first joined the team: how quickly he learned from the old man, how they found the mute girl and took her in and showed her their ways. He thought of the mute girl as a sister. And although she never expressed it, he could sense that she thought of him as a brother. They shared a mysterious connection, one that the old man could not see. But, he was the connection between the old man and the mute girl. And his bond with them was very strong. The old man was his mentor and the mute girl was his sister. If he ventured into the woods and didn’t return, would the rest of his crew be able to survive on their own? He had a feeling that he already knew the answer to that question.
The mute girl of the team emerged from the alley with a burst of speed. Not because of where she was running to, but because of what she was running from. She wasn’t going to let the local guys that surrounded her stop her from what she needed to do. She wasn’t going to let herself be trapped. It has been a very long time since she has spoken a word. She almost had no choice, but then she realized that actions speak louder than words. Actions that only she and the guys in the alley will never forget. And she ran away from the alley with a greater degree of confidence.
The little girl with the shoebox wandered aimlessly around the town, trying to find the rest of the old man’s team. Not only to give the shoebox, but also inform of the old man’s demise. Who would she find first: the young man at the entrance of the woods, or the mute girl outside the alley? She had no idea what was in the shoebox, nor did she care to open it to find out. She was just concerned with finding the other teammates. She was unique among the townsfolk. She hated how they could not think for themselves. And she always wanted to run away but she had nowhere to go. This town was like a prison to her. She did as her parents requested most of the time only under duress. Coming out from the crowd and taking the old man’s shoebox was her first real rebellion. What will she rebel against next?
Back at the town square, the old man’s body had been moved, presumably by the town’s mortician. But, the key he used to open the trunk of the rusted out car somehow slipped out of his pocket and fell to the ground as his body was being moved. It just laid there unnoticed on the ground. The sunshine beamed off of it, but only at a certain angle. And where that angle was, nobody walked. The statue had been in the square for such a long time that the townsfolk walked by it everyday without giving it a second look. Maybe it didn’t mean anything to anyone anymore. Maybe it should be torn down if it has no social value, no artistic value, or no historical value.
The young man looked longingly and indecisively at the entrance to the woods. He turned to look back at the town and saw the little girl walking towards him, carrying the old man’s shoebox. When she reached him, no words were exchanged. None were needed. He fell to his knees and covered his face with his hands. Observing the young man’s emotional downfall, the little girl placed the shoebox carefully onto the ground, walked over to the young man, and gave him a comforting embrace. He realized now that he have a choice. He realized that he had to be the leader now. He had to venture into the woods. He turned his head and looked onward into the woods. He turned back to look at the little girl. She picked up the shoebox and ran towards him. She handed him the shoebox and gave him another hug for good luck. Then, she turned around and darted back into town. So here he was, all by himself again and holding the mysterious shoebox. As he started walking into the woods, following the path, he removed the tape from the shoebox and looked inside. He then looked up toward the sky as a small smile found its way onto his face. He continued on the path. And from outside the woods, it appeared as if a cloak of darkness engulfed him.
The mute girl walked casually into the corner store. She was the only person inside, except the shopkeeper. She was only inside for a few minutes. She exited the corner store carrying a small plastic bag, to which the contents were known only to her and the shopkeeper. Even the shopkeeper watched her with xenophobic eyes. The only time his eyes were off of her was when they were on her money that she used. As she walked away, she wished someone in the town would not look at her with such mistrust. Just because she didn’t talk did not mean that she couldn’t be trusted.
As the little girl ran back to the middle of the town, she decided to check out the town square again. When she arrived, she examined the statue where the old man died. Did the statue have anything to do with her death? She didn’t notice anything unusual about it. Then, she thought that if she re-adjusted her stance or standing position, she could get the old man’s perspective better. And as she did so, she accidentally kicked something. It landed in the grass and became very noticeable. She picked up the key and looked at it. She saw the old man use a key to open the trunk of the old rusted out car. Could she be holding the same key? Unlike most girls her age, she wasn’t going to run to the car to find out. She thought that if the shoebox was for the young man, then maybe the key was for the mute girl.
From across the town square, the mute girl saw the little girl and the little girl saw the mute girl. The little girl started walking toward the mute girl, to which the mute girl took a defensive stance. The little girl held up the key for the mute girl to see. And again, without words, both understood what that meant. But, the mute girl didn’t cry. She didn’t know the old man as well as the young man of the team did. The mute girl invited the little girl to follow her to the car. The little girl accepted, and noticed that the mute girl was not that much older than her. Something she didn’t notice until now.
Now, the local townsfolk were observing both of the girls. They looked at the little girl as if she had defected to the enemy’s side. But, was she really the enemy? Was there an enemy? However the town viewed her and however her family viewed her, there was no going back to the way things were. As soon as she picked up the shoebox, her future would be changed forever. She was “with them” now. And the mute girl knew it, too. She looked down at the little girl as if she were a little sister. With the old man dead, and the young man somewhere unknown, the mute girl took on the role as the protector of the group. She and the little girl would have to complete their mission by themselves. Two young girls, trying to accomplish a task meant for adults. All this was way above their heads, but it was not going to stop them from trying.
Alone in the woods, the young man had a feeling of isolation. Isolated from his people, isolated from the town, even isolated from any other living creature. There were no crickets chirping, no birds flying overhead. He couldn’t even see beyond the trees. What was he looking for? Even he didn’t know. Maybe it was just the wind, but it felt like he was being pulled in a certain direction. But, he decided to let it lead him all the same. Wherever it took him, it may be the answer. He believed that nature held many answers. He was a spiritual man, to a degree. And he felt that the woods were trying to tell him something, and he was listening.
Back in the town, the two girls approached the rusted out car. The mute girl took the key and opened the trunk. Both girls stared at the suitcase for a long time. They were still being watched by the townsfolk, though from more of a distance now. They were trying to hide when possible and watch the two girls secretly, but failing miserably. The mute girl opened the suitcase with much curiosity. But looking inside, she didn’t see anything of real value. She looked through the contents and wondered why the old man would keep them. Inside the suitcase, there were: old calendars, newspaper clippings, chart and graphs, maps, compasses, journals, a lantern, and lots of rope for some reason. Were any of these items relevant? The mute girl needed to ask the old man, but he was gone. She could have asked the young man, but he was gone, too. They were truly alone right now.
End Part I
By: Bucky Adams
PrisonerFan48@yahoo.com
The thick black smoke rose rapidly into the early morning sky. Three individuals walked from its source. As they walked, the mute girl looked up at the bright sun, then something off in the distance caught her attention. The old man was walking straight toward that something, giving almost no attention to his younger teammates. The young man just walked beside the old man silently, awaiting further instructions. Even he was wondering about that something they were walking towards.
Nobody knew how they got there. Ending up in a small town that seemed hidden from the rest of the world. A small community out in the middle of nowhere. One tiny road going into town and one tiny road going out. Roads that have not been traveled in a long time. No tire tracks going in and no tire tracks going out. But, on the very path where the tire tracks would have been, three strangers entered the town from the south. As they entered, they were observed with eyes of mistrust and xenophobia by the local townsfolk. The town was not ready to welcome newcomers. Their little society was content the way they were. But still, the three strangers could feel the eyes of all the townsfolk upon them.
The first of three was an elderly man. He was thin and tall, with grey hair. But, he had a presence that just exploded with intellect. From looking at him, it was obvious that he knew a lot about the world. He has traveled it well enough during his younger days, unlike his younger teammates. He would not talk much, unless it was to help out one of his teammates. He was, more or less, a father figure to the other two. He watched over them with care. But, he still kept a distance from them. He chose not to get too close, but still be part of a team again. It has been a long time since he was part of any team.
The second of three was a young man in his twenties. He was in no way the leader of the team, but more of the decision maker. Whenever he tried to be a leader in the past, it never worked out in his favor. His past was filled with wrong decision and indecision. But, after forming the team, he realized that he was the most qualified. And the other two put all their trust in him. He wasn’t going to fail this time. He was going to be a lot more careful so no one would get hurt this time. He was going to protect them.
The third of three was a young girl, the youngest of the team. Her age was very hard to determine. She could have been a teenager. But, there was no point in asking her. She doesn’t speak and is very evasive in her answers. She didn’t really join the team as the other two did. She was lost, alone, and scared when they took her in and treated her as an equal with warmth, understanding, and compassion. An act no previous person in her life has done. So, she was more loyal to them than all the people of her past combined.
As the team of three walked more into town, they noticed that the local townsfolk sitting in front of the barbershop stopped what they were doing. Their conversations turned to whispers as they stared at the three strangers. Why do the locals look at them with such mistrust? Because the three strangers don’t look at the local townsfolk in such a manner. Why do people fear what they don’t know and don’t understand? The oldest member of the team jokingly whispered to his younger teammates they were going to be seeing torches and pitchforks anytime soon.
Although they could not give the reasons or any backstory as to what brought them to the town, they mean no harm to anyone. According to the old man of the team, they were in the isolated town to just get some things, that’s all. At the edge of town where the forest begins sat an old, rusted out car by the side of the road. The weather over the years has damaged the car beyond repair. The younger team members stood and stared as the old man approached the rear of the car. The mute girl and young man of the team joined the old man at the rear of the car. Then, the old man did something which made the mute girl and young man look questioningly at one another. The old man took a small key out from his pocket and unlocked and opened the trunk. As the old man gazed into the trunk, a flood of forgotten memories crashed into his mind, remembering events from long ago. The younger teammates didn’t look into the trunk, they just looked oddly at the old man. Many questions came to the both of them, but the answers would have to come later.
The mute girl of the team looked around and saw that the townsfolk were still watching their every move. She looked down as if she were being ridiculed. This feeling was not new to her. Her past was filled with social torture and ridicule. She had hoped that this place would be different. The young man of the team put his arm around her and tried to comfort her as a big brother would. Then all three looked into the trunk. The only two objects in the trunk were an old, taped up shoebox and a large leather suitcase. The old man picked up the shoebox and was about to close the trunk when the young man stopped him and the mute girl pointed at the suitcase. The old man just said it was not important right now, and proceeded to close and lock the trunk. The townsfolk still watched them with xenophobic curiosity, but did not interfere.
The old man noticed a policeman among the crowd of people, watching them curiously. The team did not want to start any trouble. But, they were not going to be driven out of town when they had done nothing wrong. Their intentions in the town were not hostile. The young man of the team decided it would be better if they split up, each getting a material component they needed. The old man was a little hesitant at first, but reluctantly accepted the decision. But, the old man told his younger teammates to wait while he goes into the town drug store to buy a map of the town to help them find what they needed. The young man and mute girl stood together for a few minutes alone. It was the longest few minutes of their lives. As the old man emerged from the drug store with the town map, he saw his younger teammates looking at the townsfolk with eyes of fear and standing ready to defend themselves. He tried to calm them down and told them to take a “higher path”. Then , he tore the map into three separate pieces and gave two of the pieces to his younger crew, keeping one for himself. Then, each of them separated in different directions: one to the north, one to the east, and one to the south.
As the young man walked north, he realized that the attention of the townsfolk wasn’t on them as a group, but only on one of them. But, it wasn’t him. Oh, there were a few that still watched him with curiosity. He wasn’t left unseen. He looked back in the direction of his other teammates and wondered if they were experiencing the same thing. He turned his attention back to his map. He looked at his portion of the map and looked around, trying to not only familiarize himself with the area, but also find what he was seeking. But, he wasn’t going to ask the townsfolk for any assistance. Although he was part of a team, he was very independent. Plus, he knew that he and his crew were not welcome in the small town. He was going to find what he was looking for on his own.
When the mute girl walked south, she realized the main attention was not on her, but on her older teammate. But, there where still xenophobic eyes trained on her. Oh, she wasn’t left unnoticed, either. She tried to disregard the eyes of the townsfolk by focusing on her portion of the map. The location she needed to reach was just ahead on the other side of two buildings. She thought she could save time by ducking down the alleyway that divided them, thus staying out of the public eye. About halfway down the alleyway, she looked behind her and saw that no one was watching her. Or so she thought. As she turned back around to look forward again, a group of young men surrounded her from different directions. She didn’t know where they came from. She was shocked at how they seemed to come out of nowhere. And when they surrounded her, they could see the fear in her eyes. She was almost quivering, but the young men didn’t care. She hasn’t spoken a single word in years, and she knew if she said the right words, they might let her go. So, she opened her mouth, but no words came out. As much as she wanted to speak, she couldn’t. The young men asked her many questions, but she couldn’t answer any of them.
The old man of the team was heading east into the town square. In the center of the square stood a statue. As the old man approached the statue, he stared at it. He stared at it with more curiosity than awe. A sudden sense of fear took over the old man. Drips of sweat were trickling down his forehead. It was almost as if he had seen a ghost. He slowly turned chalk white and clutched his chest. As he was trying to breathe, he dizzily fell to the ground, looked around, and noticed that the townsfolk were doing nothing to help him. They were just watching him, as they have been doing since he and his team entered the town. As the old man lay there, he clutched the shoebox close to his chest. The observing townsfolk suspected that whatever was in the shoebox must be very important. And then, the old man’s eyes closed, he stopped moving, and drew his last breath. He was dead. His journey ended here,
Then, from out of the crowd, a little girl (about the age of ten or eleven) walked up slowly to the old man’s body. All the townsfolk watched as she took the shoebox from where the old man’s body lay. A random person in the crowd yelled for her to open the shoebox, for all the townsfolk were curious as to what the contents of the shoebox were. The little girl looked deep into the dead man’s eyes and made a silent vow to herself and the old man. The little girl shook her head and made a mad dash around the nearest corner. She ran anywhere she could. Unlike the townsfolk, she had no curiosity to look, but she knew that whatever it was, it must be important. The crowd dispersed quietly as the old man’s body lay lifeless at the base of the statue.
The young man of the team heard a commotion somewhere nearby, but he ignored the noise for now. He wasn’t going to let himself get distracted. He wanted to show the old man of the team that he could be a good leader. He wanted to hear the old man say that he was proud of him. If he could just hear those words, it would mean the world to him. So, it was vital that he remained sharp and focused. As he proceeded north, he noticed his portion of the map had a marking where the item for him to retrieve would be. But, the problem was that nothing was there! All he could see was a small trail leading out of the town and into the woods. Was what he needed to pick up actually in the woods? That didn’t seem right to him. He was told that everything that was needed was within the town. If he ventured into the woods, would he be abandoning his crew?
His memory spanned back to when he first joined the team: how quickly he learned from the old man, how they found the mute girl and took her in and showed her their ways. He thought of the mute girl as a sister. And although she never expressed it, he could sense that she thought of him as a brother. They shared a mysterious connection, one that the old man could not see. But, he was the connection between the old man and the mute girl. And his bond with them was very strong. The old man was his mentor and the mute girl was his sister. If he ventured into the woods and didn’t return, would the rest of his crew be able to survive on their own? He had a feeling that he already knew the answer to that question.
The mute girl of the team emerged from the alley with a burst of speed. Not because of where she was running to, but because of what she was running from. She wasn’t going to let the local guys that surrounded her stop her from what she needed to do. She wasn’t going to let herself be trapped. It has been a very long time since she has spoken a word. She almost had no choice, but then she realized that actions speak louder than words. Actions that only she and the guys in the alley will never forget. And she ran away from the alley with a greater degree of confidence.
The little girl with the shoebox wandered aimlessly around the town, trying to find the rest of the old man’s team. Not only to give the shoebox, but also inform of the old man’s demise. Who would she find first: the young man at the entrance of the woods, or the mute girl outside the alley? She had no idea what was in the shoebox, nor did she care to open it to find out. She was just concerned with finding the other teammates. She was unique among the townsfolk. She hated how they could not think for themselves. And she always wanted to run away but she had nowhere to go. This town was like a prison to her. She did as her parents requested most of the time only under duress. Coming out from the crowd and taking the old man’s shoebox was her first real rebellion. What will she rebel against next?
Back at the town square, the old man’s body had been moved, presumably by the town’s mortician. But, the key he used to open the trunk of the rusted out car somehow slipped out of his pocket and fell to the ground as his body was being moved. It just laid there unnoticed on the ground. The sunshine beamed off of it, but only at a certain angle. And where that angle was, nobody walked. The statue had been in the square for such a long time that the townsfolk walked by it everyday without giving it a second look. Maybe it didn’t mean anything to anyone anymore. Maybe it should be torn down if it has no social value, no artistic value, or no historical value.
The young man looked longingly and indecisively at the entrance to the woods. He turned to look back at the town and saw the little girl walking towards him, carrying the old man’s shoebox. When she reached him, no words were exchanged. None were needed. He fell to his knees and covered his face with his hands. Observing the young man’s emotional downfall, the little girl placed the shoebox carefully onto the ground, walked over to the young man, and gave him a comforting embrace. He realized now that he have a choice. He realized that he had to be the leader now. He had to venture into the woods. He turned his head and looked onward into the woods. He turned back to look at the little girl. She picked up the shoebox and ran towards him. She handed him the shoebox and gave him another hug for good luck. Then, she turned around and darted back into town. So here he was, all by himself again and holding the mysterious shoebox. As he started walking into the woods, following the path, he removed the tape from the shoebox and looked inside. He then looked up toward the sky as a small smile found its way onto his face. He continued on the path. And from outside the woods, it appeared as if a cloak of darkness engulfed him.
The mute girl walked casually into the corner store. She was the only person inside, except the shopkeeper. She was only inside for a few minutes. She exited the corner store carrying a small plastic bag, to which the contents were known only to her and the shopkeeper. Even the shopkeeper watched her with xenophobic eyes. The only time his eyes were off of her was when they were on her money that she used. As she walked away, she wished someone in the town would not look at her with such mistrust. Just because she didn’t talk did not mean that she couldn’t be trusted.
As the little girl ran back to the middle of the town, she decided to check out the town square again. When she arrived, she examined the statue where the old man died. Did the statue have anything to do with her death? She didn’t notice anything unusual about it. Then, she thought that if she re-adjusted her stance or standing position, she could get the old man’s perspective better. And as she did so, she accidentally kicked something. It landed in the grass and became very noticeable. She picked up the key and looked at it. She saw the old man use a key to open the trunk of the old rusted out car. Could she be holding the same key? Unlike most girls her age, she wasn’t going to run to the car to find out. She thought that if the shoebox was for the young man, then maybe the key was for the mute girl.
From across the town square, the mute girl saw the little girl and the little girl saw the mute girl. The little girl started walking toward the mute girl, to which the mute girl took a defensive stance. The little girl held up the key for the mute girl to see. And again, without words, both understood what that meant. But, the mute girl didn’t cry. She didn’t know the old man as well as the young man of the team did. The mute girl invited the little girl to follow her to the car. The little girl accepted, and noticed that the mute girl was not that much older than her. Something she didn’t notice until now.
Now, the local townsfolk were observing both of the girls. They looked at the little girl as if she had defected to the enemy’s side. But, was she really the enemy? Was there an enemy? However the town viewed her and however her family viewed her, there was no going back to the way things were. As soon as she picked up the shoebox, her future would be changed forever. She was “with them” now. And the mute girl knew it, too. She looked down at the little girl as if she were a little sister. With the old man dead, and the young man somewhere unknown, the mute girl took on the role as the protector of the group. She and the little girl would have to complete their mission by themselves. Two young girls, trying to accomplish a task meant for adults. All this was way above their heads, but it was not going to stop them from trying.
Alone in the woods, the young man had a feeling of isolation. Isolated from his people, isolated from the town, even isolated from any other living creature. There were no crickets chirping, no birds flying overhead. He couldn’t even see beyond the trees. What was he looking for? Even he didn’t know. Maybe it was just the wind, but it felt like he was being pulled in a certain direction. But, he decided to let it lead him all the same. Wherever it took him, it may be the answer. He believed that nature held many answers. He was a spiritual man, to a degree. And he felt that the woods were trying to tell him something, and he was listening.
Back in the town, the two girls approached the rusted out car. The mute girl took the key and opened the trunk. Both girls stared at the suitcase for a long time. They were still being watched by the townsfolk, though from more of a distance now. They were trying to hide when possible and watch the two girls secretly, but failing miserably. The mute girl opened the suitcase with much curiosity. But looking inside, she didn’t see anything of real value. She looked through the contents and wondered why the old man would keep them. Inside the suitcase, there were: old calendars, newspaper clippings, chart and graphs, maps, compasses, journals, a lantern, and lots of rope for some reason. Were any of these items relevant? The mute girl needed to ask the old man, but he was gone. She could have asked the young man, but he was gone, too. They were truly alone right now.
End Part I
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Short Story- "The Contract" (Part III)
“The Contract” (Part III)
By: Bucky Adams
PrisonerFan48@yahoo.com
I never expected for her to say that she loved me. Again, I was at a loss for words. Not for shock, but for emotion. I did not know how I was supposed to feel in this social situation. Like an actor without any cue cards. I waited for her to say something else, anything else.
She told me that’s what she had been realizing for a very long time. She couldn’t tell me that without her eyes getting watery. And when she told me that she had kept her promises for 13 years like I had done, I started to get a little teary-eyed also. It’s a good thing we were sitting in darkened corners.
When our server came to our table to check on us, she asked us what was wrong. I told her that nothing was wrong. We were just bonding with each other. The server then said she would leave us to bond, as she had other tables to check up on. It was just her and I in that corner by ourselves.
As I continued looking over the contract, she said softly, “What about the last one?”. The last thing on the contract that we promised each other was undeniably the most serious. Dying together on the same day. To us, there was nothing more serious than life and death. Most of the conversations we had were about that very topic, usually while we would hang out in graveyards. I was snapped back to reality when she repeated, “What about the last one?”.
I asked her what she thought of it. She confessed that it was part of the reason she left. She didn’t want us to be within physical proximity of each other when the year 2016 comes around. She did it to protect me, to protect us. But, the confusing part was why she returned. Why now? For something that is not going to happen for another six years.
I decided not to question her about it right now. If she wanted to tell me, she would. And she did. She asked me if she and I could alter the contract. I wondered if that would be a good idea, or even if it would be ethical. We didn’t alter any other part of the contract. So, my main thought was why would she want to alter it? What would she change it to?
It turns out that her last few years were not so different than mine. She also had trouble finding someone to connect with. She also wandered alone. And that was part of the reason she returned. But, I was wrong about why. She wanted to change the date of our last promise. She didn’t want to push the date ahead, she wanted to pull it back. And I was confused as to why.
Depression seemed to have hit her hard. She told me that I was the shining light in the shroud of darkness that was her life. She had no reason to keep living her life, she had nothing to live for. No friends, no job, nowhere to live, so she came back to me so that she had somewhere to die. And she told me that she had a dream that we went back to the graveyard and died together, side-by-side.
When we left the diner, we walked around aimlessly just talking about life and the afterlife all over again. She asked if I would still be willing to end her life. When I initially made the promise, I meant every word. But, I’m not so sure how much of it I meant when she came back. Things were different then. But, after all the years that have passed, she wasn’t.
It wasn’t planned, but we ended up standing in front of the graveyard. I think memories of the past hit us hard, because we both stood still and stared for a good few minutes. She then turned to me and said, “You wanna… for old time’s sake?”. So, we both bolted to our spot, and laid down, looking up at the sky, while her head rested upon my stomach. We spent a long time just talking softly with one another, mostly about how important and how much of an impact altering the contract would be. While I was not really close to anyone, there were people I my life.
If I had suffered as much as I did with very few people in my life, it made me wonder how much more she had suffered with absolutely no one. No family, no friends, no acquaintances. No one to notice her existence, except me. I guess at that point in time, I was the most important person in her life.
She stood up and said, “Should we meet back here tomorrow for our final act?”. Final act? What did she mean by that? I replied, “Sure, I’m loving our time together”. I was still lying on my back as she left. I was wondering where she would be moving to this time. I figured I would ask her when we met up again.
The next morning, I woke up after a restless night. I don’t know why, but I didn’t sleep well. When I got to the graveyard, I was still rubbing my eyes. It took me a while to really wake. I saw that she got there before me. She was on a headstone, clutching a shoebox. I wasn’t sure how long she had been waiting for me. As I embraced her, she began to cry.
“It’s time” was all she chose to say begin with. She opened up the shoebox and I saw two guns inside. She took one out and handed it to me. She took the other one out and said, “Welcome to the final act… our final act”. I could feel fear in her voice. She pulled out the contract and handed it to me. I opened it and saw that she had changed the date of our last promise to today’s date. She had signed her name next to the change and asked for my signature also. I signed it so the contract would be complete. So, it would be official.
We both stood about ten feet away from each other. She raised her gun and pointed it at me. I raised mine and pointed it at her. She then said, “Farewell, my Romeo”. As I was replying back with, “Farewell, my Juliet”, it started to rain. She noticed the rain and lowered her gun. I noticed something about her that I never noticed before. She loved the rain. She spun around gleefully as the rain showered over her. If she didn’t have the gun in her hand, it would have made the most beautiful image.
But, what worried me was the fact that still had the gun in her hand. I was still holding the one she gave me also. I don’t know why. I don’t think I could shoot her now. Although, it was her ideal way to die, in a graveyard, while it was raining. It seemed weird that she was smiling. She just seemed so happy at this point.
Then, out of nowhere, she moved the gun and positioned it in her mouth. There was a loud bang before I could even do anything. And her body fell to the ground . I stood in shock for a few minutes as this turn of events took me by surprise. Some of the things I did next I wasn’t too proud of. Like how I got rid of the guns. A couple of coffins have a little extra added. But, I left her body there, as it was.
I think she always knew that I would breach the contract. And she went to great lengths to prove so. Does it make me a bad person that I broke the contract? Does the fact that my gun was empty mean that she intended for me to live all along? Was this all just some weird test to her? She left me again for the last time. I wonder if, over time, she would forgive me for breaching the contract.
By: Bucky Adams
PrisonerFan48@yahoo.com
I never expected for her to say that she loved me. Again, I was at a loss for words. Not for shock, but for emotion. I did not know how I was supposed to feel in this social situation. Like an actor without any cue cards. I waited for her to say something else, anything else.
She told me that’s what she had been realizing for a very long time. She couldn’t tell me that without her eyes getting watery. And when she told me that she had kept her promises for 13 years like I had done, I started to get a little teary-eyed also. It’s a good thing we were sitting in darkened corners.
When our server came to our table to check on us, she asked us what was wrong. I told her that nothing was wrong. We were just bonding with each other. The server then said she would leave us to bond, as she had other tables to check up on. It was just her and I in that corner by ourselves.
As I continued looking over the contract, she said softly, “What about the last one?”. The last thing on the contract that we promised each other was undeniably the most serious. Dying together on the same day. To us, there was nothing more serious than life and death. Most of the conversations we had were about that very topic, usually while we would hang out in graveyards. I was snapped back to reality when she repeated, “What about the last one?”.
I asked her what she thought of it. She confessed that it was part of the reason she left. She didn’t want us to be within physical proximity of each other when the year 2016 comes around. She did it to protect me, to protect us. But, the confusing part was why she returned. Why now? For something that is not going to happen for another six years.
I decided not to question her about it right now. If she wanted to tell me, she would. And she did. She asked me if she and I could alter the contract. I wondered if that would be a good idea, or even if it would be ethical. We didn’t alter any other part of the contract. So, my main thought was why would she want to alter it? What would she change it to?
It turns out that her last few years were not so different than mine. She also had trouble finding someone to connect with. She also wandered alone. And that was part of the reason she returned. But, I was wrong about why. She wanted to change the date of our last promise. She didn’t want to push the date ahead, she wanted to pull it back. And I was confused as to why.
Depression seemed to have hit her hard. She told me that I was the shining light in the shroud of darkness that was her life. She had no reason to keep living her life, she had nothing to live for. No friends, no job, nowhere to live, so she came back to me so that she had somewhere to die. And she told me that she had a dream that we went back to the graveyard and died together, side-by-side.
When we left the diner, we walked around aimlessly just talking about life and the afterlife all over again. She asked if I would still be willing to end her life. When I initially made the promise, I meant every word. But, I’m not so sure how much of it I meant when she came back. Things were different then. But, after all the years that have passed, she wasn’t.
It wasn’t planned, but we ended up standing in front of the graveyard. I think memories of the past hit us hard, because we both stood still and stared for a good few minutes. She then turned to me and said, “You wanna… for old time’s sake?”. So, we both bolted to our spot, and laid down, looking up at the sky, while her head rested upon my stomach. We spent a long time just talking softly with one another, mostly about how important and how much of an impact altering the contract would be. While I was not really close to anyone, there were people I my life.
If I had suffered as much as I did with very few people in my life, it made me wonder how much more she had suffered with absolutely no one. No family, no friends, no acquaintances. No one to notice her existence, except me. I guess at that point in time, I was the most important person in her life.
She stood up and said, “Should we meet back here tomorrow for our final act?”. Final act? What did she mean by that? I replied, “Sure, I’m loving our time together”. I was still lying on my back as she left. I was wondering where she would be moving to this time. I figured I would ask her when we met up again.
The next morning, I woke up after a restless night. I don’t know why, but I didn’t sleep well. When I got to the graveyard, I was still rubbing my eyes. It took me a while to really wake. I saw that she got there before me. She was on a headstone, clutching a shoebox. I wasn’t sure how long she had been waiting for me. As I embraced her, she began to cry.
“It’s time” was all she chose to say begin with. She opened up the shoebox and I saw two guns inside. She took one out and handed it to me. She took the other one out and said, “Welcome to the final act… our final act”. I could feel fear in her voice. She pulled out the contract and handed it to me. I opened it and saw that she had changed the date of our last promise to today’s date. She had signed her name next to the change and asked for my signature also. I signed it so the contract would be complete. So, it would be official.
We both stood about ten feet away from each other. She raised her gun and pointed it at me. I raised mine and pointed it at her. She then said, “Farewell, my Romeo”. As I was replying back with, “Farewell, my Juliet”, it started to rain. She noticed the rain and lowered her gun. I noticed something about her that I never noticed before. She loved the rain. She spun around gleefully as the rain showered over her. If she didn’t have the gun in her hand, it would have made the most beautiful image.
But, what worried me was the fact that still had the gun in her hand. I was still holding the one she gave me also. I don’t know why. I don’t think I could shoot her now. Although, it was her ideal way to die, in a graveyard, while it was raining. It seemed weird that she was smiling. She just seemed so happy at this point.
Then, out of nowhere, she moved the gun and positioned it in her mouth. There was a loud bang before I could even do anything. And her body fell to the ground . I stood in shock for a few minutes as this turn of events took me by surprise. Some of the things I did next I wasn’t too proud of. Like how I got rid of the guns. A couple of coffins have a little extra added. But, I left her body there, as it was.
I think she always knew that I would breach the contract. And she went to great lengths to prove so. Does it make me a bad person that I broke the contract? Does the fact that my gun was empty mean that she intended for me to live all along? Was this all just some weird test to her? She left me again for the last time. I wonder if, over time, she would forgive me for breaching the contract.
Monday, May 31, 2010
"The Contract" (Part II)
“The Contract” (Part II)
By: Bucky Adams
PrisonerFan48@yahoo.com
It took a while, but I had adapted to being alone. Part of the reason being that I didn’t trust anyone else. No one else had what she had. Hanging out in graveyards just didn’t feel right without her. But when I was there, I did think about her. Sometimes just lying on a headstone, looking up at the sky, can be just the right setting to think. I spent a good deal of time there, bringing a notebook with me to write down my thoughts. And her name came up quite a bit. It’s true, I did think of her more than normal.
One time, we did question our feelings for one another. We had to know if there was anything potentially beyond our hugs. So, to see what potential we had, if any, we kissed. And this is the part where many of you reading this were expecting the sparks to fly. But unfortunately, that was not what happened. There were no romantic feelings shared between us. And although I was upset with that fact at first, I eventually accepted it. And later, embraced it.
Back then, I felt a need to put a label on things. But, did I actually need a ‘girlfriend’? No, I just needed someone to be there for me. Someone to listen to me, and someone to listen to. So, I refused to put a label on it. Even she asked what we were to each other. I told her we were just us. And I was fine with that. And so was she. So, we decided to keep it at that.
Searching for a new friend after she had left proved to be a difficult task. I had a lot of issues which limited what I could physically do and who I could socially be around. It was hard to find someone to compliment my weaknesses. I couldn’t forget about her, but the more I interacted with other people, the less I would think about her. I didn’t mean to forget her, it just happened over time. I didn’t mean to let her go. Unless I had a verbal trigger, she left me… twice.
I became the ultimate living example of a loner. And my life went on. A new identity was slowly starting to form within me. I changed. My politics changed. My tastes changed. My whole outlook on life changed. From the way I viewed people to the way I viewed the world. Where before I shut out and ignored other people, this time I listened.
And, for a short time, there were people I hung out with, but I was never really “with” them. They always made me feel as if I was standing just outside the circle. But, even during our happiest of times, I knew they would not be in my life a few years later. So, I raised the walls. Very few people could scale it. Very few have actually tried, but for their own selfish reasons.
If I had led a normal life, I would be depressed and on the verge of suicide. Don’t get me wrong, though. That subject does cross my mind a lot. But ultimately, I would never do that. At least, not at this point anyway. Because not only would I be the aggressor, but also a victim. And I was not going to let that happen.
So, life went on. I worked. Quit. Got another job. And I talked with my co-workers. Some of the ladies I worked with sat with me and talked with me during our shared lunch hour. Very few of the ladies got to see the true me, the real me. They took the time to get to know me, not based on the outside, but based on the inside: the true core of a person.
But, not long after working there, on a night just like any other, something happened which almost caused me to have an asthma attack. Despite the fact that I don’t have asthma. I was working in close proximity with my co-workers, with customers passing me by, left and right. I immediately got the feeling that I was being watched. Call me paranoid, but I looked around to find a source. I walked down the closest aisle, still trying to find it. I heard someone on the next aisle half-whisper “Is that him?”. I walked to the end of the aisle to try getting a sneak peek at who was on the next aisle. I was shocked when my way was physically blocked by the one person I thought I would never see again.
My body didn’t know how to react. It was shivering, shaking, warm, and breaking out in cold sweats. I almost lost consciousness. Her outer shell had changed, as did mine. But, it didn’t matter. I knew it was her. It seemed as if I was staring for eons. But, eons were mere seconds. This led to an even bigger problem: What do I say? Should I say anything? Should I wait for her to initiate the conversation?
My mouth opened, but I still couldn’t speak. My co-workers just watched, almost in shock, at my inability to speak. I was usually the type of guy to verbally express what was on my mind. Always had a word or sentence for anything. But, this event proved to be quite challenging to my diction. The awkwardness of silence befell everyone involved.
I snapped back to reality when a co-worker grabbed my attention and let me know our manager was walking our way. I opened my mouth and ended up saying to her, “I can’t talk right now. Meet me at the diner on the corner in two hours. Does that sound good?”. And now I was one hundred percent sure it was her, because the way she nodded had the same movement and mannerisms as thirteen years prior.
The next two hours proved to be most challenging. I was trying my best to do my job, but she was all I could think about. I was constantly watching the clock. Hour and a half to go. Hour to go. Just half an hour to go. Fifteen minutes, almost there. Ten minutes and then I’m gone. Down to five now. I went to the restroom to freshen up a bit before I left. Brushing my hair and making sure I didn’t reek of sweat.
I made a mad dash through the parking lot to my car. I could have just walked there, but decided to drive there because I wasn’t sure what would happen after seeing each other. At this time of day, the parking lot of the diner was not very populated. Few cars scattered about. So, playing a little game, I tried to guess which car was hers, and parked right next to it.
As I entered the diner, I looked around. The hostess walked up to me and asked if I would like a table. I told her I was meeting someone. I continued looking while walking through the diner. She was sitting in a dimly lit corner. She knew I always had a weakness for darkened corners.
So, I sat at her table and my heart was racing. I think she knew that because without a word, she placed her hand upon my chest. Within seconds, I was relaxed. Despite the years and distance between us, we were still “connected”. I watched her hand as it touched my chest. That hand was connected to an arm. That arm was connected to her. And at this point, I had seen and studied her as she was now.
But, something didn’t feel right. It was as if I was not sitting across from someone I once knew. She pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and placed it on the table between us. I asked, “Is that it?”. She just nodded. I could tell that she wanted to say something but was afraid for some reason. I opened up the paper and reviewed all the things we promised each other.
As I was reading, I could tell she was staring at me. I was re-reading everything I had promised. And I was happy that I did not break a single promise. One thing we promised each other was that we would not consume alcohol. I have remained loyal to that promise, as well as many others. We were each other’s protectors.
I looked up from the paper and into her eyes, which were gazing into mine. Her eyes were saying a lot. It is amazing how much body language is in the eyes. But, there was one thing that her eyes couldn’t say. And it threw me for a loop. I couldn’t read it in her eyes. So, her mouth opened and very softly, she said, “I love you”.
By: Bucky Adams
PrisonerFan48@yahoo.com
It took a while, but I had adapted to being alone. Part of the reason being that I didn’t trust anyone else. No one else had what she had. Hanging out in graveyards just didn’t feel right without her. But when I was there, I did think about her. Sometimes just lying on a headstone, looking up at the sky, can be just the right setting to think. I spent a good deal of time there, bringing a notebook with me to write down my thoughts. And her name came up quite a bit. It’s true, I did think of her more than normal.
One time, we did question our feelings for one another. We had to know if there was anything potentially beyond our hugs. So, to see what potential we had, if any, we kissed. And this is the part where many of you reading this were expecting the sparks to fly. But unfortunately, that was not what happened. There were no romantic feelings shared between us. And although I was upset with that fact at first, I eventually accepted it. And later, embraced it.
Back then, I felt a need to put a label on things. But, did I actually need a ‘girlfriend’? No, I just needed someone to be there for me. Someone to listen to me, and someone to listen to. So, I refused to put a label on it. Even she asked what we were to each other. I told her we were just us. And I was fine with that. And so was she. So, we decided to keep it at that.
Searching for a new friend after she had left proved to be a difficult task. I had a lot of issues which limited what I could physically do and who I could socially be around. It was hard to find someone to compliment my weaknesses. I couldn’t forget about her, but the more I interacted with other people, the less I would think about her. I didn’t mean to forget her, it just happened over time. I didn’t mean to let her go. Unless I had a verbal trigger, she left me… twice.
I became the ultimate living example of a loner. And my life went on. A new identity was slowly starting to form within me. I changed. My politics changed. My tastes changed. My whole outlook on life changed. From the way I viewed people to the way I viewed the world. Where before I shut out and ignored other people, this time I listened.
And, for a short time, there were people I hung out with, but I was never really “with” them. They always made me feel as if I was standing just outside the circle. But, even during our happiest of times, I knew they would not be in my life a few years later. So, I raised the walls. Very few people could scale it. Very few have actually tried, but for their own selfish reasons.
If I had led a normal life, I would be depressed and on the verge of suicide. Don’t get me wrong, though. That subject does cross my mind a lot. But ultimately, I would never do that. At least, not at this point anyway. Because not only would I be the aggressor, but also a victim. And I was not going to let that happen.
So, life went on. I worked. Quit. Got another job. And I talked with my co-workers. Some of the ladies I worked with sat with me and talked with me during our shared lunch hour. Very few of the ladies got to see the true me, the real me. They took the time to get to know me, not based on the outside, but based on the inside: the true core of a person.
But, not long after working there, on a night just like any other, something happened which almost caused me to have an asthma attack. Despite the fact that I don’t have asthma. I was working in close proximity with my co-workers, with customers passing me by, left and right. I immediately got the feeling that I was being watched. Call me paranoid, but I looked around to find a source. I walked down the closest aisle, still trying to find it. I heard someone on the next aisle half-whisper “Is that him?”. I walked to the end of the aisle to try getting a sneak peek at who was on the next aisle. I was shocked when my way was physically blocked by the one person I thought I would never see again.
My body didn’t know how to react. It was shivering, shaking, warm, and breaking out in cold sweats. I almost lost consciousness. Her outer shell had changed, as did mine. But, it didn’t matter. I knew it was her. It seemed as if I was staring for eons. But, eons were mere seconds. This led to an even bigger problem: What do I say? Should I say anything? Should I wait for her to initiate the conversation?
My mouth opened, but I still couldn’t speak. My co-workers just watched, almost in shock, at my inability to speak. I was usually the type of guy to verbally express what was on my mind. Always had a word or sentence for anything. But, this event proved to be quite challenging to my diction. The awkwardness of silence befell everyone involved.
I snapped back to reality when a co-worker grabbed my attention and let me know our manager was walking our way. I opened my mouth and ended up saying to her, “I can’t talk right now. Meet me at the diner on the corner in two hours. Does that sound good?”. And now I was one hundred percent sure it was her, because the way she nodded had the same movement and mannerisms as thirteen years prior.
The next two hours proved to be most challenging. I was trying my best to do my job, but she was all I could think about. I was constantly watching the clock. Hour and a half to go. Hour to go. Just half an hour to go. Fifteen minutes, almost there. Ten minutes and then I’m gone. Down to five now. I went to the restroom to freshen up a bit before I left. Brushing my hair and making sure I didn’t reek of sweat.
I made a mad dash through the parking lot to my car. I could have just walked there, but decided to drive there because I wasn’t sure what would happen after seeing each other. At this time of day, the parking lot of the diner was not very populated. Few cars scattered about. So, playing a little game, I tried to guess which car was hers, and parked right next to it.
As I entered the diner, I looked around. The hostess walked up to me and asked if I would like a table. I told her I was meeting someone. I continued looking while walking through the diner. She was sitting in a dimly lit corner. She knew I always had a weakness for darkened corners.
So, I sat at her table and my heart was racing. I think she knew that because without a word, she placed her hand upon my chest. Within seconds, I was relaxed. Despite the years and distance between us, we were still “connected”. I watched her hand as it touched my chest. That hand was connected to an arm. That arm was connected to her. And at this point, I had seen and studied her as she was now.
But, something didn’t feel right. It was as if I was not sitting across from someone I once knew. She pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and placed it on the table between us. I asked, “Is that it?”. She just nodded. I could tell that she wanted to say something but was afraid for some reason. I opened up the paper and reviewed all the things we promised each other.
As I was reading, I could tell she was staring at me. I was re-reading everything I had promised. And I was happy that I did not break a single promise. One thing we promised each other was that we would not consume alcohol. I have remained loyal to that promise, as well as many others. We were each other’s protectors.
I looked up from the paper and into her eyes, which were gazing into mine. Her eyes were saying a lot. It is amazing how much body language is in the eyes. But, there was one thing that her eyes couldn’t say. And it threw me for a loop. I couldn’t read it in her eyes. So, her mouth opened and very softly, she said, “I love you”.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Short Story: "The Contract" (Part I)
“The Contract” (Part I)
A Half-Truth
By: Bucky Adams
PrisonerFan48@yahoo.com
I am going to die, just like everyone else. That is a fact. The only difference is that everyone else doesn’t know when or even sometimes how they are going to die. Except for me, I do know. I was given that information. It was decided a while back. It was part of a verbal contract I had with another. She will also die on that same day. It has been decided, determined, and drawn. And that day is February 14th, 2016.
At a point in time between when we made the contract and now, we had lost contact with one another. We never meant for that to happen, but it did. But, does that in any way lessen the bond of a contract? Is there ever an expiration date to a promise. We promised certain things to each other and I have upheld my end of the contract for over 13 years now. I wonder how she is doing with what she promised me.
I know it was a long time ago. We were young. We did stupid things. But, we bonded. We did things together that no other person could understand. I miss that type of connection. Not long after we parted ways, I became a lone wolf. And I miss having that someone around. I know many of you reading this are under the impression that she was my girlfriend. But, she wasn’t. It’s hard to define what we were to each other. If I had to call her anything, it would be “a social experiment”.
I met her in a creative writing class in college. It wasn’t until the last day of class that we even spoke to each other. She told me that she liked a lot of the stories that I had written for class. But, also provided constructive criticism for those that she didn’t like. A lot of people in class thought that she was weird. I never saw her as that, I saw her as unique. She was Goth, so she dressed differently than most. I thought she would be interesting to get to know. And for some reason, she told me that she would like to know me better. And so she took me into her world. We hung out in graveyards and talked about life and the afterlife for hours on end.
She helped me see the world for what it truly was. Before that point, I was blissfully ignorant. It was difficult for me to take in everything she had shown me. But, she helped me to understand and accept it. Where others had abandoned me, she stayed. Where others chose to ignore me, she listened. She and I were not that different. Two lone wolves amidst the flocks of sheep. Everybody else were sheep following their friends blindly. But, we were independent and individual. We saw each other for who we truly were.
We didn’t put up any phony faces to please other people. We were the real deal. And most people avoided us because of that. We both had trouble conforming. It wasn’t what we were. It was weird, however, that we each saw one another as the more normal one. But, we both didn’t see what the other saw. And so, we told each other. An actual conversation that had depth and emotion. It was rare for me to encounter that, especially when the only other people I conversed with were shallow.
Other people couldn’t see her and I being together. They didn’t understand what was going through my mind. While it was true she and I were from different worlds, I wanted to explore her world. And most people couldn’t fathom why. She was exciting, she was different. And she could help me get out of the rut I was in. Before she entered my world, my life was grey and bleak. Then after, it became more of a vibrant red. Maybe not red exactly, but a more bold and powerful color.
I knew that, together, we could do practically anything. There was no stopping us. We made a good team. It seemed too good to be true. I don’t think I have ever been as happy as I was during that time in my life. And it was at that point she showed me something that could only be done with me and nobody else. She handed me a deck of playing cards and told me to shuffle them. I had no idea what she had in mind. She told me to draw any card in the deck and look at it, as she turned to look away. The exact moment I looked at the card, she told me what it was.
We were linked. I’ve never experienced that with anyone before. I’ve only heard stories. Then, I asked her how she knew. She said that she didn’t, but she had a hunch. So, we tested each other every chance we got. We even took a day trip to the local casino to see if any common numbers would pop up between us at the roulette table. We were literally able to look into each other’s heads, although she was better at reading it than I was.
Then came a day which will stay with me until the day I die: the day we made the contract. She told me it would help bond us more. This was the point in time where we made promises to each other. One of the strangest promises made was that we would die together. We put all of it down on paper. We both signed it. Looking back, maybe it was a mistake, but most of all, it was a promise.
Not long after, we both graduated. We both got jobs that would separate us. She moved away, and it happened too suddenly. But, I still called her whenever I could. We used to talk a lot more before that point. I was lucky if I got a few minutes to talk to her. It seemed as if she didn’t really want to talk to me after a while. Then one day when I tried calling, I got an error message saying her number was no longer valid.
I was worried at this point. Was she trying to avoid me for some reason? Was our friendship over? Did I do something wrong? Maybe she re-invented herself with a new life and personality, but was afraid to show me. I wondered why. I thought she knew I would be proud of her, no matter what. She was someone I was glad to call a friend. Maybe I was worrying for nothing.
But, the fact remained: I was all alone again. The transition from being with someone to being alone is just as difficult as being alone to being with someone. And I had trouble with that transition. I was constantly walking around downtrodden and depressed. People who didn’t even know me would stop me and ask me what was wrong. But, I couldn’t tell them. I knew they wouldn’t understand.
It was more than losing a friend or a loved one. It felt like a part of me had withered away and died. I actually felt incomplete. We were a great team turned into an unnoticed solo act, a one-man band. I felt like a magician who made his female assistant disappear and was unable to make her reappear. And all in front of an auditorium of empty seats.
**********************************End Part I**************************
A Half-Truth
By: Bucky Adams
PrisonerFan48@yahoo.com
I am going to die, just like everyone else. That is a fact. The only difference is that everyone else doesn’t know when or even sometimes how they are going to die. Except for me, I do know. I was given that information. It was decided a while back. It was part of a verbal contract I had with another. She will also die on that same day. It has been decided, determined, and drawn. And that day is February 14th, 2016.
At a point in time between when we made the contract and now, we had lost contact with one another. We never meant for that to happen, but it did. But, does that in any way lessen the bond of a contract? Is there ever an expiration date to a promise. We promised certain things to each other and I have upheld my end of the contract for over 13 years now. I wonder how she is doing with what she promised me.
I know it was a long time ago. We were young. We did stupid things. But, we bonded. We did things together that no other person could understand. I miss that type of connection. Not long after we parted ways, I became a lone wolf. And I miss having that someone around. I know many of you reading this are under the impression that she was my girlfriend. But, she wasn’t. It’s hard to define what we were to each other. If I had to call her anything, it would be “a social experiment”.
I met her in a creative writing class in college. It wasn’t until the last day of class that we even spoke to each other. She told me that she liked a lot of the stories that I had written for class. But, also provided constructive criticism for those that she didn’t like. A lot of people in class thought that she was weird. I never saw her as that, I saw her as unique. She was Goth, so she dressed differently than most. I thought she would be interesting to get to know. And for some reason, she told me that she would like to know me better. And so she took me into her world. We hung out in graveyards and talked about life and the afterlife for hours on end.
She helped me see the world for what it truly was. Before that point, I was blissfully ignorant. It was difficult for me to take in everything she had shown me. But, she helped me to understand and accept it. Where others had abandoned me, she stayed. Where others chose to ignore me, she listened. She and I were not that different. Two lone wolves amidst the flocks of sheep. Everybody else were sheep following their friends blindly. But, we were independent and individual. We saw each other for who we truly were.
We didn’t put up any phony faces to please other people. We were the real deal. And most people avoided us because of that. We both had trouble conforming. It wasn’t what we were. It was weird, however, that we each saw one another as the more normal one. But, we both didn’t see what the other saw. And so, we told each other. An actual conversation that had depth and emotion. It was rare for me to encounter that, especially when the only other people I conversed with were shallow.
Other people couldn’t see her and I being together. They didn’t understand what was going through my mind. While it was true she and I were from different worlds, I wanted to explore her world. And most people couldn’t fathom why. She was exciting, she was different. And she could help me get out of the rut I was in. Before she entered my world, my life was grey and bleak. Then after, it became more of a vibrant red. Maybe not red exactly, but a more bold and powerful color.
I knew that, together, we could do practically anything. There was no stopping us. We made a good team. It seemed too good to be true. I don’t think I have ever been as happy as I was during that time in my life. And it was at that point she showed me something that could only be done with me and nobody else. She handed me a deck of playing cards and told me to shuffle them. I had no idea what she had in mind. She told me to draw any card in the deck and look at it, as she turned to look away. The exact moment I looked at the card, she told me what it was.
We were linked. I’ve never experienced that with anyone before. I’ve only heard stories. Then, I asked her how she knew. She said that she didn’t, but she had a hunch. So, we tested each other every chance we got. We even took a day trip to the local casino to see if any common numbers would pop up between us at the roulette table. We were literally able to look into each other’s heads, although she was better at reading it than I was.
Then came a day which will stay with me until the day I die: the day we made the contract. She told me it would help bond us more. This was the point in time where we made promises to each other. One of the strangest promises made was that we would die together. We put all of it down on paper. We both signed it. Looking back, maybe it was a mistake, but most of all, it was a promise.
Not long after, we both graduated. We both got jobs that would separate us. She moved away, and it happened too suddenly. But, I still called her whenever I could. We used to talk a lot more before that point. I was lucky if I got a few minutes to talk to her. It seemed as if she didn’t really want to talk to me after a while. Then one day when I tried calling, I got an error message saying her number was no longer valid.
I was worried at this point. Was she trying to avoid me for some reason? Was our friendship over? Did I do something wrong? Maybe she re-invented herself with a new life and personality, but was afraid to show me. I wondered why. I thought she knew I would be proud of her, no matter what. She was someone I was glad to call a friend. Maybe I was worrying for nothing.
But, the fact remained: I was all alone again. The transition from being with someone to being alone is just as difficult as being alone to being with someone. And I had trouble with that transition. I was constantly walking around downtrodden and depressed. People who didn’t even know me would stop me and ask me what was wrong. But, I couldn’t tell them. I knew they wouldn’t understand.
It was more than losing a friend or a loved one. It felt like a part of me had withered away and died. I actually felt incomplete. We were a great team turned into an unnoticed solo act, a one-man band. I felt like a magician who made his female assistant disappear and was unable to make her reappear. And all in front of an auditorium of empty seats.
**********************************End Part I**************************
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Short Story- "Untitled"
“Untitled”
A short story partially based on
true events that never happened
By: Bucky Adams
PrisonerFan48@yahoo.com
If you withhold information from someone, is that the same as lying to them? He and I both competed for her attention and affection. She had been my friend for a long time, but never saw me as anything more. Not even potentially. And she had just met him recently. She even let me know that she was interested in him. I gave her every reason in the world to go out with me and not him. She said she would need time to think it over. And during that time, he came up to me. He decided to push his luck and told me that he was going to rape her when he gets the chance.
It wasn’t until two days later that we all met up again. And she said she had made her decision, but it wasn’t me she chose. I was shocked at her choice. There was an actual depth to our friendship, a foundation. I was almost positive she would choose me. She saw the expression on my face and told me to give her one good reason why she should choose me and not him. This was my chance to tell her what he was planning to do. But instead, I just tried convincing her with all my heart everything I had to offer. But, she made her decision, to the point of walking away with him, hand in hand.
The next morning, she called me up. She was crying. We talked back and forth for a very long time, like we used to do. I listened to everything she had to say, with an open heart. When she mentioned that he raped her, I told her passively that I knew about it already. Her crying turned to yelling. She wondered how I could possibly know about it. And when I told her, she asked why I didn’t tell her. I knew she wouldn’t understand my reasoning. If I told her, she would choose him just to spite me. And I didn’t want to reduce our friendship to that. I was not going to affect her free will, either. Also, if I told her, I might appear selfish. No matter what I did, the consequences would almost always be negative. And others viewed it as such.
She had told our circle of friends, and I was put in “social exile”, all because I did what I thought I should. Was the decision I made really that bad? Was what happened to her even my fault? If he had not told me what he was going to do, would the events still have transpired? After all was said and done, there was no one to spend time with, no one to have a meal with, I was truly alone. I was worse than being alone actually. I was ignored, shunned, and outcast. When I sat at a table in the library or anywhere else, all others at the table stood up and left without a word being spoken. Even people who didn’t know me would ignore me. I guess word of mouth travels fast. It was, undoubtedly, my darkest hour.
But then, after a few years had passed and we all graduated and went our separate ways, I saw her by herself in a small bookstore. It turns out that neither of us moved anywhere. I didn’t think she saw me see her as I ducked away, trying to remain unnoticed. I saw that she looked up from her book as I tried to shift away from her view. So, I tiptoed through the rows of books, quietly, so as not to be heard. But, as it turns out, she did see me. She cut off my tiptoeing at the end of the Romance section. How ironic. My jaw opened and closed a few times, but no words came out. I didn’t know what to say.
Now, I had a chance to see her. I mean, really see her. I noticed the ring on her finger, but I didn’t pry or inquire about it. That is her business. If she wanted to tell me, she would. One of us was going to have to break the silence. I moved my mouth close to her ear and whispered “Sorry… for everything”. She looked deep into my eyes and just nodded. That was all I needed. The emotional dark cloud that had been looming over me ever since, had cleared away. I could now smile. I walked away, knowing that should we cross paths again, it would be on more peaceful terms. Maybe I could regain a chance to protect her again, like I should have done years ago. It’s amazing how one can be so stubborn and hardheaded about an incident for so long, then view it in a totally different perspective a few years later.
As it turn out, not long after seeing her in the bookstore, we came across each other again. I knew I owed her a debt of servitude. So, we exchanged phone numbers. And later that night, at a restaurant between where we both lived, years and years of tears rained down between us, as we both poured our souls out. Patrons looked at us oddly. But, they didn’t know. The emotional bonding we had could not be understood beyond the booth we sat in. And that became “our place”. If there was a point between friend and girlfriend, we reached that point. And I was happy with that. And so was she.
The End
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Watch this space for upcoming short stories
Hey everyone, I guess i will be using Blogspot to post some of my short stories. I will be posting them as i write them, then posting the link on Facebook
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