by Max Masen
Chapter 8:
Are You Here to Stay?
“Follow me,” Jed instructed.
I followed this man through his town. He appeared at least fifty years of age and wore a flannel shirt with a ripped, white undershirt. His visage was covered with a thick black beard. He had long, uncut hair that reached down almost to his eyes. His voice was soothing yet stern.
“You know I’m not pleased with everything you’ve done,” Jed stated rigidly. Jed’s gaze narrowed and his mouth clenched. He didn’t look me in the eyes. Get in line. There’s a lot of people I’ve upset and left disappointed. But I can’t talk to you like that.
“I know, Jed. And you know I’m haunted by all of the deaths I’ve caused,” I replied with real sympathy.
“Your revolution cost me my son. For that, I would have killed you. But you led the enslaved people to freedom as Moses did the Israelites many years before us,” Jed explained. “God sent you and it’s beyond my understanding why my son had to be a casualty. I’ve forgiven you, Marley, and have accepted you as a friend.”
“I appreciate that.”
I was afraid to elaborate. I didn’t really cause the death of Jed’s son but I couldn’t tell him that. I was too far into the lie that it was starting to consume me.
We walked in silence for a few minutes. I observed all of the buildings as we passed them. Many were still miraculously intact. The people there lived as if a revolution had never occurred. Aside from Jed reminding me about his son, not much about this place made me feel guilty. I felt content.
We came upon a baseball diamond where a game was taking place. Residents of the city of all ages were playing. People were cheering and an air of enthusiasm could be felt.
“This is the spirit of America, Marley. It cannot be broken,” Jed said, breaking the silence.
“I never wanted to break it. I know we’re a strong people with an even stronger will. Sometimes you have to break down the people to strengthen their resolve, though. They will come back even stronger and, better yet, wiser,” I explained with charisma. Do I believe that though? Why am I speaking like a politician? Years of giving speeches did this to me.
“A lot of these people have suffered and we have taken them in with open arms. The people from this area, though, haven’t suffered the way you have. We still have electricity in some buildings as you can see. My son had to cross the country for the Liberators. I pray we don’t have to get involved with further bloodshed. The people have travelled far to avoid war. We’re refuge for them,” Jed explained thoroughly, pride coming through in his tone.
“I know I’ve kept to my boundaries so far, but what side are you really on, Jed?” I inquired in a friendly tone.
“I’m on the side of peace.” He didn’t care to elaborate on that.
“Many have made that claim with less than pure intentions. I believe you, though,” I said back. Peace. What does that word mean even mean anymore?
“You’ve grown wiser even since you’ve been here. If you are to win this war, I have enough faith in you to restore what was lost to the best of your ability. I don’t know how, but you’re good at heart, Marley,” he said in a fatherly voice. “Either way, having you in charge is better than those slavers.”
Jed’s starting to put stock in me. I can tell he’s starting to believe in the cause. I don’t think he’d fight, though. He lost too much already from fighting. What is the cause, though? For me, it’s staying alive. Even if that means lying.
“There’s so many threats beyond your walls. Is it ignorant to think the Hyenas even have a chance?” I asked curiously.
“Why would it be? The Hyenas have won almost every major battle so far. They crushed the Liberators and the government is weakening,” Jed explained devoid of interest for sides or factions.
“Aren’t you curious at all?” I questioned him. I asked because I knew he had to be wondering the exact fate of his son’s organization.
“Maybe,” Jed started hesitantly. “What happened with the Liberators?” His voice faltered slightly. He wasn’t sure whether or not he really wanted to know.
“They formed in the west, which leads me to believe you’re originally from the western coast,” I began. “Their base was in California. A lot of people either forget that or don’t know altogether. They began as a few people, high school or college students if I remember correctly, running raids on military outposts and ambushing government convoys. This was before the Hyenas even formed, of course. And Marley, I mean I, actually took many of the ideas from the Liberators for the foundation of the Hyenas. I was watching them closely. They were too small to be considered a threat to the government at the time. However, the military was too busy dealing with riots to hunt down and execute the Liberators. Especially because they were growing in number rapidly. The Hyenas were forming in the east and becoming a serious threat. They formed much faster than the Liberators could have ever hoped to. The Hyenas took D.C., or what was left of it after, and expanded east as the Liberators expanded west at a much slower rate. The two factions finally met up in the middle of Colorado.
Our population was decimated at that point due to the constant fighting and disease. Everyone would rather take up arms than work on making medicine or learn how to administer it. All they knew how to do was administer lead. Useful. Until you or someone in your group gets sick. Twelve million Americans. That’s how many couldn’t live without medical help before the war. Imagine that. All of those people died first, most likely.
Anyway, when the two sides met up in Colorado, most people believed that would be the end of the fighting and the war would finally be over. The pre-war government was but a memory at that point. The fighting was far from over, though. The leaders from each side, the Hyenas and the Liberators, met and talked for three weeks. Talks got heated. The Hyenas wanted to dig for oil in America and expand on the previous way we lived before the war. They wanted to become self-sufficient and keep America’s coal to itself. The Liberators knew the world was far from recovering and selling our resources wouldn’t hurt our country due to a much reduced population of the world. They also knew they were in no condition to fight. The Hyenas had a large standing army that were trained in conventional warfare and most of the soldiers had gone through actual battles. The Liberators were guerilla fighters and much smaller in numbers. The Hyenas prepared themselves and launched a surprise attack on every barracks belonging to the Liberators. They executed their leaders in one final meeting. The way I heard it, there’s no surviving members. I don’t know, though. Maybe a few found their way out.”
“You’re quite the historian, aren’t you?” Jed asked with a downtrodden expression. He was very clearly thinking of his son and what my story implied. Why did I tell him that? I’m too proud of my knowledge of the time and couldn’t hold it back.
“There were heroes on both sides,” I replied with respect for what Jed had lost. “I’m not one of them. That final meeting should have been one of peace but my advisors requested war. We could have made it work. That’s one of my biggest regrets.”
I wasn’t really at the meeting. I was across the country in Michigan at the time. I heard the reports from Jess about it all of the time, though. There was no escaping a fight. That was the way I heard it, anyway. Jess told me it was the Liberators who were gearing for a fight. They were looking for a sneak attack. The Hyenas wouldn’t let them have it, though. They attacked first and wiped out the Liberators.
“My son was dead long before that,” Jed stated abruptly.
I looked down at the ground. Another person who’s faced loss because of me. When is all of this going to end? When will the world fix itself?
An arm was felt on my right shoulder suddenly. I looked to discern who it was. It was Benny who was standing with his arm around me and he suddenly inquired as to what we were talking about. I assured him it was nothing. I didn’t want Benny knowing about Jed’s past. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust
Benny; it was more that Benny was incapable of even attempting to act sympathetic. And why should he have to? He lost just as much as everyone else.
“We’re talking about how I lost my son,” Jed said to Benny.
“Again?” Benny asked with a smile. “This is an everyday occurrence.” Benny began snapping his finger and moving them in a circle.
“Excuse me?” Benny’s mocking motion caused Jed to look surprised.
“Enough of that, Benny,” I said, attempting to quell the rising tensions.
“No, why should old Jed here get to bitch all day long and you don’t even get a say as to what happened to your family?” Benny asked energetically.
“Because all of this is his fault,” Jed replied to Benny as he pointed to me.
“Bullshit, this revolution was coming one way or another,” Benny asserted. “Dust- I mean Marley’s entire family was murdered by looters when the shit hit the fan! He has his little brother that he’s forced to take care of now in this unforgiving world and you want to complain about what you’ve gone through?!”
Jed puffed his chest and gave a slight smirk with his beard moving with his smile. He rotated his arms as to loosen them up. He then proceeded to punch Benny in the face. Benny fell to the ground and held his cheek where he was struck.
“I’m an old man, son. If I want to bitch, then I’m gonna bitch,” Jed said proudly. “And never try to fight an old man again. We’re tired. We won’t fight, we’ll just kill you. This is your warning.”
Emily ran over to Benny’s aid. She looked at Jed in disgust and then looked to me as to perceive my expression. Emily and Benny had grown close since we moved into this new town. They always had each other’s backs and would sneak over to each other’s rooms in the middle of the night. They didn’t think Levi and I could hear, but we all could.
“I’m alright,” Benny said to reassure Emily.
“If this fighting continues, we’ll have to leave,” Emily said frantically, not really meaning what she was saying.
“And go where, lady?” Jed asked with a slight chuckle. “Face it, you’re stuck here. This is paradise compared to all of the slave camps out there. You think you can make it to the next Hyena outpost by yourselves? Think again. It won’t even be the government that catches you. The raiders, slavers, or worse will get to you first. Maybe even a bear.”
“Enough,” I demanded. “We know the situation. We’re grateful, Jed. And yes, I am sorry about your son, but Benny is right, I lost my family too. And so did everyone else here. We’re all broken. That’s why we’re here. For a fresh start.”
“I appreciate your words, Marley. You’re respectful to my town and these people. You truly are a man of the people,” Jed said praising me.
“Quit sucking up to the kid,” Benny said in disgust.
I bent down and grabbed Benny’s arm to help him to his feet. He looked at me with a remorseful glance.
“And what about you, sinners?” Jed asked Benny and Emily.
“I have no idea what that means,” Benny replied with frustration in his voice. He barely acknowledged Jed as he cleaned his suit jacket off from the dust.
“You sneak over to her room in the middle of the night every night and think we wouldn’t notice. You’re both sinners,” Jed affirmed with a sense of moral superiority.
“How dare you say that?” Emily said to Jed. This can’t be good. If they keep this up then Jed is going to kick us out for sure.
“It’s true and we all know it. That behavior isn’t welcome here,” Jed stated.
“You’re a prude, old Jed. Nobody’s going to hell,” Benny said. “Everybody’s boning here and you just don’t know it.”
“Maybe Marley stays and you two leave. How does that sound?” Jed asked rhetorically, wanting to anger the two of them.
“It sounds to me like it’s time I broke in,” I stated. “Jed, this is pointless. If you keep arguing with Benny, you’re giving him what he wants. Let’s talk about something that matters.”
“Like what?” Jed replied with a slight anger in his voice.
“Like the fact that your entire group lives ignorantly. You all think the war won’t come here. But that doesn’t matter, does it? Just look at Joe’s group. They managed to establish right next door to you,” I affirmed my opinion.
“We dealt with those slavers,” Jed said in a monotone voice. He was still staring at Benny.
“I dealt with those slavers, you mean.” I was still proud of my barbaric victory at the slave camp.
“We would have taken care of it had you not,” Jed said with uncertainty.
“Regardless, you’ve demilitarized since then. Your people are back to playing games instead of preparing for the next group that moves in,” I said.
“The kid’s right.” Benny was backing me up. Whether it was just to get back at Jed, I wasn’t sure.
“Demilitarized?” Jed said laughing. “We were never militarized. We don’t plan on it. We planned on taking out one evil man and we did. There’s no point in training an army here,” Jed stated.
“Your oasis will fall,” Emily cut in nervously. “You have to arm yourselves.”
Jed didn’t respond. He looked around at us. He knew the supporters of my notion outnumbered him.
“Look, Jed, we don’t want to lose this place just like you don’t. We like it here. It’s safe. We want to help keep it safe. We can help raise an army,” Benny said.
Jed glared at him.
“Police force? Call it what you want, but there needs to be armed people here,” Benny asserted. He sounded more willing to work peacefully with Jed.
“I don’t come into your home and tell you that you need more guns,” Jed said.
“This isn’t just your home anymore,” I broke in again. “We all paid the price for this land. It’s all of ours and we need to decide together.”
“What are you saying?” Jed asked.
“We can call a city meeting. This needs to be a direct democracy,” I explained.
“Tomorrow. We’ll call a city meeting tomorrow. Then you’ll all see that everyone agrees with me. We’re safe.” Jed didn’t sound entirely sure. All he knew was that he wanted to be right about there being no more threats.
