In the Year 2041: Part 3

‘’Well, that’s that,’’ said Louis. ‘’Another day of work’s over. Or the first one for you, Ben. Ben? You… alright there, buddy?’’

Ben stared at the front of the bus, completely silent. He needed a moment to look at Louis’ worried face and give him a few nods.

‘’I know, I know,’’ said Louis, ‘’first days of actual, honest hard work are always fucking terrible. Told you about mine, didn’t I? Can guarantee you that it will get easier. Eventually.’’

‘’They killed him,’’ said Ben with a cracky voice. ‘’With a rope. They killed a man. His body moved like… boiled pasta or something. He was dead.’’

‘’Oh, about that. Yeah, they do that sometimes. They usually leave the rope already hanging, though. Today’s an exception. I guess they wanted a nice entrance since fresh blood had arrived.’’

‘’How do you do this?’’

‘’Do what, now?’’

‘’Just… live like that. They kill people. I know that eventually… but still, how?’’

‘’You’re wondering now, but it really does grow on you eventually. Give it time.’’

‘’No, fuck that. I don’t want to give it time, it makes me sick. A week ago I went to school like I was supposed to. I never caused any serious trouble, so why do I get punished like this? Why is anyone punished like this? This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.’’

‘’Thought so, too, back in the day. The times were different, though, don’t think about it too much. Lay your head low and try to survive.’’

‘’Wait, the guy they hanged was accused of working with the resistance or something. They’re still active, aren’t they? How do I sign up, do you know?’’

‘’Buddy, you’re lucky that nothing in this bus works; neither the air conditioning, nor the microphones. Pray that nobody here is willing to report your ass to his overseer. This enthusiasm of yours will see you beaten up at lunch tomorrow and hanging from the gallows the day after.’’

‘’Oh, sorry,’’ whispered Ben. ‘’So, do you know how to sign up?’’

‘’Talk normally,’’ said Louis, ‘’you’re only pissing me off now. No, I don’t know how to sign up and I don’t care. Doubt they’re going door to door telling you to join and if they do, they’re probably inviting you to a nice honeypot with a free ticket to the nearest police station. Wouldn’t think about joining anything anymore if I were you. You need to start thinking about survival.’’

‘’You keep saying ‘survival’ and ‘surviving,’ like a starving dog. Seriously, how have you lived like that for the past ten years?’’

‘’He takes The Party’s girl cock so far up his ass he can lick it with his tongue,’’ said some guy behind them. Ben recognised the voice from earlier, when he drove to the first day of work in the morning. ‘’Yeah, faggot, look at me. That’s the only way anyone can survive as long as you did and you know it, coward.’’

‘’Stop talking about things you know nothing about, dickhead,’’ shouted Louis. ‘’Didn’t see you charging with a rifle when it was time to do that.’’

‘’Oh, we got ourselves a veteran here, don’t we?’’ the guy said, louder. ‘’The only thing you charged is the battery in your vibrator. You didn’t do shit. Had you done your job properly we wouldn’t have balls hanging from under our chins right now. The war was ours to win and you fucked it up.’’

‘’You’re a veteran?’’ asked Ben, looking at Louis.

‘’The guy’s right,’’ said another voice, squeakier than the first, ‘’you’re no hero. Real heroes died and continue to die today. Your squad should’ve shot you in the back of your head and make some room in the bus for the rest of us.’’

‘’You’re no soldier material, I can already tell. You would waste too many bullets on too many good men and leave nothing for the real enemy.’’

‘’Didn’t care this much about those ’good men’ when you sold them out for spirit alcohol, did you?’’

‘’Say that to my face again. Come here, look me in the eyes and say that again, motherfucker. How dare you, you little shit? Give me another reason to smash your head like an egg, come on.’’

‘’Louis,’’ whispered Ben, ‘’your bus stop.’’

‘’Running away?’’ shouted the first voice. ‘’Come on, take your butt-buddy with you and tell him all about selling your comrades in arms for protection. I bet he can’t wait to hear how much of a bitch you are! Yeah, leave and jump off a bridge.’’

‘’Never come back here again, fag,’’ added the second voice.

The loud laughter that followed ringed in Louis’ ears for a long while after leaving the bus. He tried to calm himself down with the vision of the upcoming evening with bootleg alcohol, but his mind kept coming back to the same words and phrases; bitch, sell, comrades, coward.

Coward hurt the most. Every time he heard it, he winced with disgust and anger. He was a lot of nasty, mean things; but a coward he was not, surely. He remembered buildings, entire districts on fire. He remembered he shot a wagon’s worth of ammunition during the war. Every bastard feared his rifle back in the day. He killed and almost was killed on multiple occasions, including the day of capitulation.

Yes, the day of capitulation he most definitely remembered; how he was thinking about his life and its future; how he was aiming at his own head with the rifle with which he had promised to keep the liberty of men intact; and how, ultimately, he gave it up to The Party’s slimy hands.

‘’Hey man, get over here, quickly,’’ said a hoarse voice behind Louis’ right ear.

Louis turned around to see a weasely-looking face looking at him from around the corner of a dark alley.

‘’So that I can get shanked by your buddies hiding behind you?’’ said Louis. ‘’Fuck off.’’

‘’Man, I’m alone, don’t worry. As if you had something worth stealing. Besides, stabbing and stealing is no way to treat a veteran.’’

‘’How… What I am and what I’m not is none of your business.’’

‘’Is this why you participate in screaming matches on your way home?’’

‘’What do you want from me, freak? Honestly.’’

‘’Get in here and I’ll tell you.’’

Louis looked around. The few other people on the street were occupied with something else and the only police officer present was far away, too busy using a telescopic baton to explain something very clearly to a 3rd grade lad.

Louis approached the alley from a wide angle, only to see that, indeed, the freak was alone.

‘’Yeah, man, make sure to look as suspicious as you possibly can,’’ said the weirdo. ‘’Don’t waste time, he’s almost done with the boy. Now, you’ve surely heard of the Army of Mars, right?’’

‘’Ah, should’ve asked right away. I’ll go home, then. Don’t bother me anymore.’’

‘’No, man, you’ll stay here for just one minute more,’’ the freak said, pulling Louis with a firm grab. ‘’Without beating around the bush: we need people, especially if they carry experience. You in?’’

‘’I was, a decade ago. You’re not making me join again. I did enough evil.’’

‘’If by ‘evil’ you mean killing some pink-haired monkeys then, man, there’s still much evil to be done.’’

‘’I… nevermind. I don’t want the past to come back for me.’’

‘’Whatever you say. Take this here card, in case you change your mind.’’

The card contained a picture of a man with an unnaturally large gaping smile. Next to him, a Comic Sans text read: ‘’Feminist Literature Discussion Club! Challenge your last bits of masculinity! June 21st, 2041, 78 Plater Street.’’

‘’And remember,’’ said the freak, ‘’the Moon is a white pill in the ocean of darkness. Now, go home and don’t turn around. I’ll leave right after you do.’’

Louis left the alley and headed straight forward. Moments after, the freak passed him by on a bike and soon turned right, without looking back once.

‘’A white pill in the ocean of darkness, huh?’’ muttered Louis. He stopped next to a garbage bin. ‘’Idiotism,’’ he said, holding the card above it.