A Stranger's Fear Edited

by Beth Hoyer

clothing. He recalled stealing jewelry from the people that looked expensive and had pawned them off in pawn shops littered around in the city using hypnosis onto the clerks to give him the money instead of cooperating with their demands for identification. Jinks recalled using the money for food and clothing which he would exchange clothes in public restrooms then put his old clothes folded on a sidewalk and leaving it there. He remembered stealing a pair of sunglasses from an outside booth distracting the seller by pushing some people into it to make a mess which he had always worn them as a disguise along with various hats keeping his hair up hidden underneath, for hiding while in New York City. Jinks recalled to himself that he came upon a dead homeless male bum in a construction zoned building part of the city and had exchanged clothes putting on his current clothes on and putting his old ones on the dead bum and taking the bum’s hat which he went around the city wearing it unnoticed by people who didn’t seem to know that it was Jinks himself. Jinks frowned as he recalled getting feelings of being filmed by hidden camera while walking on a crowded sidewalk while in the city one day that the feeling freaked him out to disappear into an alley way getting rid of the feeling and coming upon a policeman on walking his horse who he put to sleep by choking him leaving the sunglasses onto the male's face and stole the horse riding it out of the city to the dome's entrance where there was an inn where he got the fresh horse and oxygen mask. Jinks shook his head and continued to read the article that stated that there were attempts by people to contact the man who in response put them to sleep using some mental power and the people have woken up with items on them gone such as money and their jewelry tracked in pawn shops littered around the city which owners there reported seeing the man come in with those items and getting money for them despite some law saying that they had to use ID cards for it. He continued to read that the male was seen on cameras in the stores appearing to use some hypnosis trick to get the store clerks to hand him the money in exchange for the items he gave them. He read that there was a report by Scotland Yard a police force policing Human registered groups who sighted the man and tracked him till he disappeared into an alley way where they found a policeman lying asleep on the ground wearing sunglasses and figured that the man had left the city by stealing the policeman’s horse and could have gone anywhere. He kept reading that they have managed to waken the policeman who told them the sunglasses wasn't his which they took to be fingerprinted and rumored came up with an identity but have refused to say to people or to the newspaper's reporters' inquiries on who that man was despite rumors going around about him identified. Jinks groaned of fear while reading the article and once done with the newspaper went to the newspapers’ case and put it away.

  He groaned softly thinking to himself "It won't take long before Scotland Yard gets desperate find me and will reveal my identity to the public in an attempt to find me."

  He heard nothing in response from Lance as he walked out of the library aimlessly wandering around and came upon the towns green to sit on bench staring at the grass breathing the recycled air deeply. He sat with arms folded and sensed people watching him by senses blaring along with fear hitting him again billowing within him which he lifted his eyes to spot four people appearing to be youths judging by their youngness looks wearing gonoid skin clothes with long black hair and tan skins nearby two staring at him fully with their faces looking in his direction with blue eyes aimed at him while the other two appeared to hide it judging by their faces looking in another direction. Jinks grimaced inwardly feeling himself fearful as he ignored the four young males staring at him recalling an incident with four males in New York City.

  He recalled sitting on a bench lost in thought till a male voice was heard saying "You're in our seat so get off."

  Jinks heard the laughter in the tone looked up to see four males looking Asian to him by the smallness of eyes which one repeated his words while noticing that their clothing were raggedy indicating them as homeless.

  He got up and went to another bench only to get the males following and standing in front of him with one again saying "You're in our seat so get off."

  Jinks felt disgust take hold refused to budge from the bench in response as one of the males spoke in gibberish sounding like foreign language to him before they proceeded to grab his arms yanking him from the seat as another got behind him thrusting his arm around his neck as the fourth stood in front of him raising a hand fisted aimed in his direction with a sneer on his face. Jinks remembered training of self defense moves in combative art proceeded to yank his arms out of the males' grips and yanked the third male's arm off around his neck while ducking as the fourth male threw his fist aimed in his direction.

  He heard a loud groaning grunt in response along with "Sorry missed him."

  He frowned as he slid to the ground and rolled away on it till he got up and eyed the males to see the one who had arm around his neck had grabbed the fisted male by the shirt and was yelling "Sorry?! You're sorry?!"

  Jinks frowned as the males got into an argument on the sorry state as he backed up into the bushes hiding out of sight watching them get into fist fights aimed at each other which he shook his head and left the scene figuring it was best to be away from them. He groaned from the memory hitting him saw the sun become low in the sky walked to the airlock entrance while sensing himself being followed which his senses told him were the young males by seeing them following. He reached the airlock entrance to go inside picking up an oxygen mask putting it on and waited for the computer voice to say it was safe for him to get out which he walked through the drawbridge entrance passed people and walked out of the town ignoring people’s chatter becoming silent seeing him. He continued to walk till he reached the graveyard and went inside then turned on the electricity by the box switch. He walked to Janel’s grave to sit leaning his back on the gravestone eyes staring at the sky showing the colors of the sunset.

  He sighed and spoke out loud “Janel, wish you were here with me. I could use your friendship and words of advice you always given me to assure me that everything will be alright.”

  Jinks paused then continued as the sun disappeared below the horizon “I don’t know where to go besides here to hide from the religious fanatics who seem to see me as a prize object. I don’t know who to trust to keep me away from them and let me have a life as I please to do with it my way.”

  He paused to adjust his position till his back was on the ground and then added while yanking off his hat putting it on his chest “Sometimes I wish life was the way it was when you and Roosevelt were alive. Me living anonymously doing what I wanted without having people spying on me giving me no freedom and no privacy and people treating me as something worth worshipping. Ugh it’s not what I had in mind with my life hence me here with you in hiding.”

  He felt sadness hitting him hard followed by his eyes watering tears which he didn’t resist to the emotion allowed it through to cry softly. He cried as tears spilled from his eyes falling down his cheeks and he rolled over onto his side curling into a ball with hands touching the oxygen mask fogging up the glass part of it while breathing hard through his mouth as the familiar computer voice sounded to wail a loud cry of anguish then became silent. Jinks cried to himself as he felt sleepiness hit him hard breathed deeply through his nose as the fog and computer voice went away making his sight clear and shut his eyes willing himself to sleep despite nights of reportedly staying awake for trouble while on horse back. He dreamed of himself walking on a beach wearing clothing that felt girlish to the feel like tights and dress like to the touch and comfortable to his skin. He paused from walking to stare at the water and felt a hand on his arm to look at his left to see a man he recognized as Lance Richard with the crown on his head who had a frown in his face and eyes. Jinks sighed as Lance pulled him towards him which he didn’t resist and allowed his father to hug him which he burst into tears weeping very hard sobbing.

  Jinks weep out “Why oh why?”

  He heard nothing fro
m Lance but felt himself soothed by his father’s hands on his back and on the back of his head hugging him tighter. He cried more tears till they stopped coming and felt Lance gently rubbing his back with a hand on it. Jinks placed his hands on Lance’s sides gripping his father’s clothing in a tight grip as he felt the tears stopped.

  He groaned out “I can’t stand not having privacy and freedom to do what I want without people spying on me and some of those people are religious fanatics who see me as their religious deity Lord the Master to worship me as that. I couldn’t take it anymore went into hiding. I didn’t know who to trust or where to go so I went to where I could be safe which is with her.”

  Jinks paused from talking as Lance continued to rub his back which he placed his chin on his father's shoulder letting go of Lance’s clothing.

  He continued speaking “With her is the only place I could be safe and live anonymously as myself without religious fanatics bothering me. She brought friendship to my life and I miss her terribly that I sleep on her grave. I miss my life with her when she was alive. I’m upset that death seemingly