Road listened as he sipped his beer as a man came near him. “Hey stranger, your new here aren’t you?” Road looked up at him. “No, just never came here that is all.” And took another sip. “Mind if I sit?” asked the man, he was just about the same weight as Road maybe 20 pounds more, but with a mustache. Road shaved his head bald, he liked the air.
“Go ahead it is still a free world.” The man sat across from him at the small table and scooted his wooden chair forward. “My name is Brad.” the man said. Road responded. “Mike, glad to meet you.” “So what do you do Mike for a living that is.” Road answered back. “You can say that I find things that people want, and get it for them; at a price of course. Think of it like Ebay but more hands on.” “Ebay?” The man laughed. “What we don’t use that.”
Road answered as he took the last of his one beer down. “We might not yet, but if we are going to try and stay with the times, you do what the masses do. If you don’t mind I do have to go, business.” The man shrugged. “Sure, have a good one.” “You too.”
Road got up and walked to the door, upon opening it his eyes closed to slits for a moment and he put his right hand up, the sun was high and it was much brighter inside. He could smell the smoke on his clothes and did not like it. He thought about what others had said, with Darling gone all were free with their memories. He wanted to see the city for himself.
He kept walking and went down another level. There he noticed the olive garden; but the plants did not look fully healthy. A woman in all white and a big shade hat was tending the garden, she adjusted water flow, and seeing him asked. “Can I help you, would you like to
buy some olive oil?” Road responded.
“Why do the plants look like they're hurting?” He grabbed a leaf and rubbed it crackled a little in his fingers.
“Our queen Darling left.” Road noticed “Our” and mentally made a note. “She would leave before and things were the same; but this time it feels permanent. I have never seen this before while she was here, all of the plants that do not have the right climate here are having trouble right now; she needs to come back.” “I agree.” he said to make it sound like he had been there, but also meant it. “I would like a bottle of olive oil.” The woman said. “Not a problem, follow me.” And she walked over to her store, they entered and there were plenty to get. “Just one.” “That will be 8 dollars even.” Road took out his wallet from the right front pocket. “Please be working.” He thought and opened it, and there was the money.
Road paid and the woman placed the glass bottle in two paper bags and gave it to Road. “Thank you, come again.” “I will, thank you.” he continued to walk around, and the plants were all negatively impacted. He finally made it down to the lowest level and saw the gate was open.
There were a lot of people who seemed to be busy so he being curious went down to look outside. He stopped when he saw bodies wrapped in linen. Fresh graves were covered over, some still to be filled. A man had a notebook and was writing on it, looking at tags pinned to the linens. An older woman came near him. “Sad isn’t it?” Road turned to her. “Say again sorry.”
“I said it is sad isn’t it? After Darling left, her family was attacked, the fight that night cost 27 lives.” Road spoke. “Is Darling’s family here?” The woman said back. “No, just a part of Hunter, I heard when authorities made it to their bedroom they were shocked by the sheer violence of it all. Not only did they attack her family they butchered the bodies. They apparently put up a fight as
three japanese looking men were found later just outside the city where they think they came in and out now.”
“Where are the mourners and people to say good-bye?” The woman looked at him, her right eye down a little. “You were gone then weren’t you?” Road nodded yes honestly. “The people are not sure if they should, there are rumors that the old guard are going to take over completely; the city is torn.” Road asked. “Do they think they know who?” The woman answered. “Oh I am sure, if you can find Christopher the Spaniard I am sure he can fill you in.” Road thanked her for the talk and went back into the city looking one more time.
Blue awoke, she turned in the bed, it was soft and warm and she did not want to move. It took a moment for her eyes to open and she rubbed them gently. The sunlight coming barely through the curtains, she had them all dropped overnight. She finally took a hold of the dress and slipped it over her head and stood on the bed to let it fall down.
She then sat down and grabbed her heels and placed them on her feet. “I’m going to get some better shoes for walking, something different to wear.” She thought and stretched; and breathing in deep exhaled and stood. She walked through the curtains and to the restroom.
She took care of business and washed her face with cool water. She left the restroom and went to the main door and opened it. There was a newspaper as requested waiting on the floor. She grabbed it and walked back towards the kitchen and started some water through the coffee machine with no grinds.
She looked at the back and there was the message. “Oh nice, they added art on the border.” She said softly. Vines with grapes ready to be taken, and a bird in the top right on one of them. She heard a creek and looked over. Mac finally stirred from the couch and looked at her.
“Good morning Blue.” she responded. “Good morning Mac, sorry to awaken you.” “It is okay, I need to get up anyway.” he squinted at her the sun brighter and waited to adjust, he did the same and stretched yawning and stood kinda wobbly. He slept in his clothes and shuffled to the bathroom. “I am getting a pot of water hot, I brought some cacao for myself, but there is coffee on the counter.” “Okay.” Mac said as he shut the door. “The paper came.” She waited for Mac to come out, and by the time he did Blue was sitting down reading it, and drinking hot cocoa.
“Did they get it right?” Mac asked and grabbed a cup, taking a spoon to add instant coffee to the cup. “Yes they did, and they added a nice background to it. Look at that.” Mac looked as he poured the hot water into the cup and stirred it. “Good, so what do you plan on doing?”
“We are going shopping. I need better shoes, your clothes are all wrinkled now. Why did you sleep in them?” Mac said back. “Just being decent, you know just in case.” He sipped the coffee, and asked. “Is there a comic section?” Blue looked over the paper. “Yes and a crossword puzzle.” She handed it to him. “I was thinking, we need to use the same date, but go to different cities with the same message.” Mac nodded “I agree.”