"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