The Night Shadow

by William J Gaskins

  Chapter Twelve

  “A town worth fighting for”

  I walked out the door and half expected to feel the sunshine hitting my face, which would have been nice. But what I saw instead, pretty much broke my heart. We were definitely in a cave somewhere deep inside a mountain. It was a big cavern that had been hollowed out and made into a shabby village. Light poles were spaced out around the cavern in no specific order, adding a low glow of yellow ambiance to the already dark and gloomy environment. Somehow they had running power. Lights that were ran by some source that was way over my head to understand, no matter how many different ways they worded it. I just wasn’t that smart.

  Children ran the streets half-starved and dirty. They were my same height, it was amazing. Little kids that were four foot high, kicking a ball around the streets, Screaming and laughing. Their sounds were echoing off the walls, which magnified their joy. The mood in the streets was happy and carefree. In the midst of living in shambles, children always seem to find happiness. The ball made its way to me and hit me in the back of my calf. I reached down to pick it up and the streets became suddenly quite. I could feel the stares burning my skin at every possible angle. I picked up the ball and noticed it was very light in weight. I dropped it and kicked it to the nearest child, lighting a smile up on his face. The noise settled back in as the kids fought over who would have the ball next. Looked almost like soccer, just with more contact. Kids were elbowing other kids and tripping them to get control over the ball. It was very funny.

  Everyone was so friendly here; it reminded me of back home in Kansas. Back where there were waves at every corner with bright and smiling faces. I couldn’t understand how these people lived down here like this, while there was a whole world just feet above them, ready for the taking. Cory led the way into a small rock hut that could fit no more than twenty people inside. There were more of those small yellow orbs emitting light placed around the windows, letting light seep inside to what I assumed to be eager minds waiting to learn. If it was anything like my schools growing up, it would be full of bored minds eager to get out.

  Once inside, there were perfectly carved chairs with kids no more than fifteen years old sitting in them. The chairs were sitting underneath a long table. Two tables altogether with ten kids per table. The room fell silent when I entered it. I guess I should get used to that by now. Cory and I nodded hello to the teacher who sat at the head of the class, and she carried on with her lecture. The teacher was a beautiful blonde with green eyes. She had a slender body and a nice set of legs. It’s safe to say this was the most attractive woman I have seen since I have left Earth. She wore a dark skirt cut just above her knee’s, with a top that showed a decent amount of cleavage. I sat, listening in on a few classes that were being held and learned of their history. I couldn’t help but catch my eyes keep drifting up towards the instructor. Sometimes I hated being a man.

  After a story that sounded something very familiar to our own revolutionary war story, I had to laugh to myself. This must have been what the British felt like after the American colonies smoked them up and sent them packing without a brown bag special. They sure didn’t hide the shame in their defeat to the upper world people which the children knew as the ‘sun people’. “Mr. Will, could you tell us of a conflict or war from your people?” Damn. She called me out. The slender blonde now stood four feet from me, glaring. I could tell now that she was about five foot five. Compared to the rest of the people I have seen here on this planet I would feel compelled to call her a midget or maybe even a smurf. But as far as my people go, she was just right. Her name was Ms. Ashley. And Ms. Ashley was a looker.

  The only war that I knew a lot about was the civil war, so I figured I would spit some facts out about that. “Uhm, sure thing Misses, uhm…ya…misses Ashley.” I cleared my throat obviously fumbling over my words, slightly embarrassed. I hadn’t talked to a woman in I don’t know how long. Clearly the class could tell I was being shy due to the snickers and giggles across the room. Miss Ashley stood there with a beautiful smile on her face and motioned for me to go on. “There was a revolutionary war just like the one you described a second ago, only our side won. The greatest conflict on our lands was that of the Civil War in the eighteen sixties. But even our history books are not accurate as to the true events of why the war was fought.” I climbed to my feet and moved to the center of the classroom, maybe someone would finally listen to my redneck rant and be astonished. I doubt it, but I love to teach and talk, so I took advantage of the situation.

  “In the mid 1800’s the way of life was simple. We had states that had formed after the revolutionary war; we even had a President in charge of the whole country, except it wasn’t a dictatorship like you guys kinda have going on right now… Long story short there is still a debate on the true reason of why the war started. You see, some history books said “slavery” was the reason the Civil War was fought. (I noticed a lot of blank stares from the people all throughout the room so I decided to elaborate a little.) Slavery is where one man forces another man to do his work for him with no pay. It was very cruel and inhumane. It’s a very bad thing. The slaves would be chained up and beaten when they didn’t obey. And most of them would be slaves for a long time, if not their entire life. Their own people enslaved them for money, sold them to the English and the Americans and it just floated down the line in such a manner. Slavery was a way of life for most people, most people with money, that is. It not only cost money to have a slave in your possession but it also cost money to feed and clothe them as well. Some would say this war was fought solely for the purpose of freeing the slaves, saying it was immoral.”

  I started to finally see the eager minds capture every word that I was speaking so I continued on. “What a lot of people don’t know is the south was responsible for more than 70 percent of the income to the federal government. So when the South wanted to secede peacefully, the North could not afford the loss. There were other reasons as well, such as unfair taxes and laws. Regardless, the country separated, the North versus the South. Once again, according to the books, the North wanted to abolish slavery, and the south wanted to keep them. So, supposedly this war raged for several years just over the right to own slaves.” I let the room sink it in and could hear little side bars on how it was wrong, and they couldn’t believe that slavery was ever allowed in the first place. After the disgusted jeers and snickers of the class room died down, I decided to move on. “What had really happened was this. The southerners were too poor to even own slaves, they were making just enough to get by. Roughly eighty-seven percent of all plantations in the south were owned by rich northerners. So yes, there were some southern owners, but the majority was definitely the Yankee’s from up north. You see in the southern constitution…kind of like a piece of paper that explains all the new rules and guidelines…it clearly stated that the importation of slaves was hereby forbidden. Their plan was to let it die out naturally due to slave uprisings. They were scared the slaves were going to rise up like some others did in this place called Haiti and kill all the owners. ”

  “The war was fought over state’s rights, the north wanted to come in and control how much the south could sell their crops for, and tax them like crazy. They were making federal laws and regulations that were preposterous and threatened the southern way of life, and the freedoms of every one south of the mason Dixon line! If the war was fought over slavery then why did the president of the Northern states make a letter stating that all slaves were to be freed immediately, and then have his own personal slave deliver the message. You do the math. I didn’t make the story; I just tell it how it is. I think it stinks. Regardless, the north ended up winning in the long run, and low and behold my country is still taxed to death on anything that you could think of. You can sell milk for two dollars and sixty-seven cents a gallon but after taxes it ends up being close to four dollars. Doesn’t seem right or fair, but that’s how it is.” I could tell I w
as in the middle of a rant and had lost the entire class; Cory was clearing his throat from behind me, signaling me to sit down and be done. I knew I had plenty more to say but I knew I wouldn’t shut up on my rant any time soon, so I thought I would cut myself off and sit down. Miss Ashley looked at me with unblinking beautiful eyes; I couldn’t help but have that feeling that she found me attractive as well. This was not good. Once again, I really hate being a man sometimes.

  The kids in this class were skinny, bright eyed and smiling. They were nothing but knees and elbows mostly. Scrapes and bruises covered the palms of their hands and the caps on their knees. No doubt from running and falling on the hard ground of the cavern that they call home. There was laughter and smiling, jokes and horseplay. I felt like I had traveled back in time to my old high school. They looked almost sickly, if you stared at them just right. It was almost like I was at some special needs children hospital or something. They were sweet and kind, gentle and caring. They were kids. They were eager to learn and ready to listen. They made me miss my children back home.

  A soldier has to find a fine line not to cross when it comes to family and war. If you think about them and miss them then your mind becomes conflicted with the best interest of the mission. If you learn to not miss them, time goes by faster and you are more effective at your job. I could tell their way of life living in these dark caves has taken a deathly toll on their health. It was definitely time to free these people. Someone had to or these beautiful children would surely die.

  I followed Cory outside after class. There were rows of rock building lining both sides of what appeared to be a street. Laughter came out of some, cries from small children out of others. No one really seemed to mind me being there. I got waves and head nods on every corner. The sounds made from the kids playing in the streets echoed inside of my head as we made our way to the local bar, where we were to meet some of his friends. “Now, make sure to tell me if you are hurting too much to go on, and we will go home immediately,” Cory told me in a very motherly voice. “I promise you that I am fine. I need to be out and about anyways, it is better for the healing,” I assured him. We had reached the small tavern looking building about a half a block down on the left side of the street. The building was made of a mixture of rock and logs, puttied together with hardened mud and some sort of other chalky substance. The windows were like glass, with that same yellow light shining from within. It was strange, you couldn’t actually see through them, and when you tapped on them, they were as hard as the side of the mountain itself.

  We entered into the dimly lit room that revealed a group of four burly looking men in the back corner smoking on some sort of pipe. Man, what I wouldn’t do for a hit off a smoke or a pinch of snuff… something with nicotine in it would be fantastic. The bar became immediately silent when I walked in. I felt that feeling of being uncomfortable immediately. These were not friendly stares. They must have been friends of the men I had killed upon my capture. I remember too well the feeling of an enemy being captured after blowing up a few of my fellow comrades. The government wanted to give him a fair trial and hold him accountable for his actions, and all we wanted was equal justice. Just kill the punk and all will be ok. That hatred sickening feeling that I have known over and over, I was sure they were feeling this same feeling towards me and it made me sick to my stomach.

  Those men were someone’s friends, lovers, and family, and I took their lives. What made my life worth living more than theirs? Hell, if it wasn’t for me they would probably be sitting around this smoky bar right now, laughing and telling jokes. They would be playing with their kids in the street. “Look, guys…I did what I had to do and I am forever sorry. I was protecting myself. If this is going to be awkward or one of you guys are going to stab me while I’m in the bathroom, just let me know and I will leave now.” My words broke the silence that hung over us like a stream of hot water on ice cubes, cracking with a more than loud enough whip. Everyone shook their heads no, and motioned for me to sit down.

  The bar came back to life the instant that I sat down, and I felt like I had been accepted. All bad vibes and ill intentions seemed to fade away just as quickly as they had arrived. One of them passed the pipe my way and I took a puff, coughing instantly. This naturally triggered a group of laughter out of everyone at the table. I figured it would be tobacco but I was wrong. It tasted strangely similar to pot from back home. A slight spicy taste lingered in the roof of my mouth. It had been probably fifteen years since I have smoked pot, but I figured what the hell… might as well blend in and have a good time. It wasn’t the taste or the strength of the smoke that startled me, it was like when you go to take a drink of water and it ends up being straight vodka. It just takes you completely off guard. A feeling of warmth waved over my entire body and singled in on my chest wound. Making it feel warm and tolerable. The pain I had been feeling for so long now just disappeared.

  I took a couple of passes and handed the pipe to the guy on my left. They were making small talk about the weather upstairs, and what Sun people they had encountered. Battles won and battles lost. It was completely a normal smoke and joke session. There were six of them total, all built stronger than what I had seen floating around the cavern streets…much stronger. I didn’t do much talking this time, I mostly observed. I don’t know if this was due to the fact that I was completely worn out and exhausted from being up and around for the first time in a while…or simply because I was ridiculously high from the herb we had been smoking for the past hour.

  It took me a little while to realize the herb even had an effect on me. Cory brought it to my attention that I had already ate five bowls of nuts and that he was going to order me some real food from the waitress. We all laughed together as I told him to go ahead because I could eat a horse right now. I could tell immediately that the waitress had a thing going on for Cory, and it appeared he felt the same way back. She was much taller than the slender teacher I had met at the school house. Dark black hair was messy on the top of an otherwise slimming face. Her eyes were blue and they would not leave Cory’s. I finally realized that Cory just wanted a reason to talk to the lady. I had to laugh to myself about this, but couldn’t bring myself to intervene in someone else’s affairs. The waitress was in her mid-thirty’s and even though she definitely looked old, she still had an attractive appeal about her. She wasn’t exactly a looker, kind of chunky if you ask me, but something in her eyes made her seem desirable.

  Her name was Anne and Anne was very loud and obnoxious. Apparently Cory liked this about her, probably because he was quite chunky himself and had a loud annoying laugh. I couldn’t tell you what Cory see’s in her, but I can tell he sees it. While I was trying to get rid of her and shut her up; Cory was enticing her to tell stories, and trying to make her laugh. I was growing weary of this woman and her ridiculous charades, but once Cory ordered me up some grub, it was on the table in less than four minutes flat. I was very impressed with the time standard here.

  There was some sort of vegetable that was smothered in gravy, surrounded by mashed potatoes. I don’t really do “vegetables,” but one thing I will never turn down is mashed potatoes. Well, two things, a cookie and mashed potatoes. The smell was so strong it made the taste buds inside the corners of my mouth start a boxing match with my jaw muscles. It smelled delicious, so why not? I took the first bite and was immediately made aware of one fact; Cory couldn’t cook to save his life. This was as big a difference as eating pot roast for dinner versus a bowl of noodles you can heat up in the microwave. This was the best thing I have eaten in over a year and there wasn’t a shred of meat in it. Either way I was enjoying myself, my meal and my company. And everything thing about this evening, I found surprisingly humorous. A wooden fat goblet was slammed on the table in front of me and I was motioned to drink up. A foamy top covered the glass and it don’t matter where you are in this galaxy, that could only be one thing, alcohol. A quick taste brought all my taste
buds into action. A nice thick beer flavor flooded my body. It tasted so natural, so delicious I finished it with two big gulps and kindly asked for another. Everyone now was enjoying their drinks and getting louder and louder. More and more people came into the bar, singing and laughing. Two men started wrestling in the corner knocking over tables and chairs and breaking plates. I expected to see someone break it up, but everyone including Cory just cheered them on. Even Anne had her hand at the jeering.

  After what had seemed like five hours in the bar, the hour had grown late and I was past worn out and ready to turn in for the night. I stood up, barely able to stand and Cory stabled me on my left. We said our goodbye’s and headed for the door. I even got a few hand shakes out of it. These were definitely good people here. The best people I have actually met in a long time. I know it was against my better judgment but I started to feel like this place was a good place to call home. But home was with Stephanie, and Stephanie was not here. She needed me to get home and quick. Once we were outside the bar the temperature inside the cave had dropped at least twenty degree’s. I could see the breath in front of my face mist up and spread upwards. I turned the corner to the house and ran smack dab into a tall lanky set of beady eyes staring at me almost hyperventilating.

  “I hate to intrude on you like this but I am a huge fan of yours! My name is Chuck and I will do pretty much anything to learn at least half the things that you know. I have already been up in the sun many times; I’ve hunted and even killed before. It’s too easy.” The kid barely took a breath between sentences. I was tired and slightly annoyed so I brushed him off. “Go home kid, your parents are probably worried about you right now. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, ok, bud?” Once inside of Cory’s hut, he clued me in on this kid. “Chuck has no parents, Will. They were killed the same way my dad was. He has tried coming out on hunting trips with us, but he is too young and very head strong. He is loud and obnoxious, thinks he is a tough guy. He has been in trouble many times for going outside without the proper permissions. He’s a trouble maker if you ask me.” I sat and thought about it for a little while. “Sounds a lot like myself if you ask me.” I said aloud to Cory.