Walking the Ruins

Questions, and an asshole

Anna is eating her apple, occasionally watching me from the corner of her eyes, with an air of defiance.

What am I to do next?

I'm mulling over what she has told me. The people from the bunker, this 'government', in their hole in the ground. Drugging the villagers by implanting chips into their brains, taking away their emotions, hollowing them out, depriving them of what makes them human. Turning them into obedient machines. This 'government', knocking out innocent strangers that come to them for help, and dragging them into their caves.

I welcome the anger that my thoughts entail.

"You haven't got a clue." The words escape me before I can think about them. But I let them go freely, I am tired of holding back. "You haven't got a clue about what brought me here. The path I've walked. You can't imagine what I've seen ... and you wouldn't believe me if I told you. I wouldn't believe it either."

I take a breath, but I can't stop. "And I don't care. I don't care if you believe me. I'll get my friends from that hole of yours. And some pale ... rockworms living in a cave, they won't be able to stop me. I don't care if you call yourselves government. I don't care if you've turned the villagers into ... vegetables. With these chips in their heads. You're nothing but tyrants and bullies."

I point my finger right at her nose, like a pistol. "I tell you one thing. If your people don't set Steve and Jenny free ... they'll regret it."

I stop, out of breath and out of words.

Shouldn't she be the one who does the talking?

Anna stares, saying nothing. Then she swallows the last piece of her apple. I wonder what she's thinking now. Probably she assumes that the savage forest pirate has finally lost her mind for good.

But then she nods, as if making some sense of my rambling. "So you're with the two that Jan took prisoner? I thought so."

"Jan?" I ask. "Is he the one who captured my friends?"

Her pale cheeks blush. Apparently, I'm not the only one who's talking more than she planned.

"Jan, is he the boss of your government? Your Chief? Your Guru?" It feels good to call him names, and I keep searching my vocabulary. "Your alpha monkey? Your lead bull?"

She looks at me with obvious confusion. "He's the president."

I give her a disdainful snort. "Great title, he has. Your president. And why did your honorable president give orders to capture my friends? They were just seeking help. Why did he tell one of his thugs to hit Steve over the head?"

She hesitates. "You have to ask him, not me", she finally says, shrugging.

"I don't feel like talking to that guy. But I may smash his brains with my poker." I imagine the face of the blond general moments before it makes contact with my iron. It holds a satisfactory look of utter surprise. "He's the tall one, with the blond, short hair, is he?"

Anna nods.

I remember his face, his proud gait, and his bossy demeanor. An obvious leader, and I never liked him.

Anna's face is now strangely empty of emotions. My anger has found a welcome target with Jan, while I don't feel mad at her anymore, at least for now.

I take my water bottle from my pack, open it, and pass it to her. "Water?"

She takes it, saying thanks, and drinks eagerly.

"Have you seen them?" I ask. "I mean Steve and Jenny. The two that your exalted president has taken prisoner. In his ... unfathomable wisdom?"

"Just briefly," she answers. "I saw them when your friends were brought to the cells. They passed the mess room on their way."

"How was Steve? The boy?"

"He was bleeding from his head. He looked dizzy. But ... but I don't think that he was hurt seriously. People would have talked about it ... if it had been serious, I mean. I guess he was locked into a cell. And the girl too. Only Jan and his people have access to the cells."

"Steve and Jenny," I start, looking at her, willing her to understand, "they're my friends. I'm worried. Can you understand that?"

She holds my gaze, gulps, then nods. "Yes. I understand. And ... I'm sorry. But, you know, Jan ... he's an asshole."

Asshole? I burst into laughter.

"What's so funny about this?" she asks, scowling at me now.

"Sorry ... it's not funny. But, you know, the word you've just used, ... asshole ... I'm relieved to hear that it still exists. It shows that ... some things haven't changed."

She frowns, looking puzzled. I feel like the mad hatter.