The rest of that day I walked around town. I stopped into different establishments trying to get a sense of the citizenry. To see if many people acted the way the man that I twice encountered behaved. I was pleasantly surprised that most people were kind, patient, and thoughtful. Late into the day, I stopped at a coffee shop for an espresso. The people there sat and talked while they drank their drinks. Laughing and having a good time they seemed to be enjoying their lives. Over the sound of the hissing of the milk being steamed like a locomotive with the clinking sound of the barista making new drinks I thought I was at a railroad station. The smells of freshly roasted coffee, chi, and baked goods all wafting through the air along with the sounds of the clientele it was a very enjoyable experience.
As I approached the counter to place my order, I noticed a woman behind the counter with an apron bringing freshly baked scones and putting them on the baker’s rack. We made eye contact and smiled at each other. Later after I got my cup, I found a window seat by the entrance. As I continued to people watch for any signs of maleficence the same young woman approached my table.
“May I join you?” she asked as she pulled out a chair to sit down.
“Why of course.” I said as I stood and helped her pull the chair out. “, yes please join me.”
“I just got off my shift. What a day. I need to keep an eye out for my ride.” She mentioned as she leaned toward the window and looked out. “My name is Almathea. I appreciate it. Don’t want to have to walk home again.” She sat back and sipped on a travel cup that she had with her.
“My name is Jove,” I said as I leaned forward to shake her hand.
“Nice to meet you. Are you new to town? I don’t believe we have met. Working at a coffee shop you end up meeting everyone eventually.” She said as she settled back into her chair and exhaled. Still watching the traffic out front of the shop.
“Yes, I am just passing through. On a kind of business trip. A working vacation. Nice town you have here Almathea.” Now I relaxed back into my chair as I watched her. She was a beautiful black woman. She was about thirty years old. Full figured with an athletic build. Beautiful big eyes. Like large emeralds, they watched me as closely as I watched her. Her hair was long and natural and flowed over her shoulder. She had a visceral presence about her. A feline quality of sensuality that disarming as well as a little threatening. I felt attracted to her powerful sense of self and which she exhibited.
“There is my ride. It was very nice to meet you Jove. I hope we run into each other again before you leave town.” She said as she patted me on the back stood up and made her exit.
“I hope so,” I said to myself as I watched her get into a classic forest green jaguar. “Nice car, Almathea.” As I watched her drive off I noticed another woman behind the wheel. They sped off blowing through the red light and disappearing in a flash and cloud of exhaust.
The rest of the day I spent looking for a room to rent or an alternative to sleeping in the woods. Although I enjoyed sleeping beneath the stars and watching the beautiful sunsets that central Pennsylvania has, I thought that I should keep a low profile, and getting arrested for vagrancy was not a good look for an ethereal being from beyond and space.
Taking a break, I visited the town library thinking that perhaps they had a community bulletin board. While I was there I could use one of their computers and get on the Internet and search the web to check the news and to see if the geopolitical situation had gotten any worse. Yes, the epidemic has slowed but the war in Ukraine was escalating, and it seemed that perhaps they had pushed the Russians out of their country.
I googled the small town that I was in. Nothing noteworthy. However, it seemed just outside the city limits on the county line there had been several hate crimes committed. They were against people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. None of them were fatal and none had any people under arrest or suspicion. Odd I thought. In such a small remote town and area where everyone knows each other how no one could be arrested or there be any suspects?
I kept at it and widened my search but kept my focus on this town. It seems that this area was a well-known hot spot for neo-Nazi and Klan activity. Perhaps it was the best-kept secret in town here. I guess something like that you kind of keep under wraps until it affects you personally. Since Almathea was the only person of color that I had met perhaps if I run into her again, I can ask her if she ever had any occurrence of racism or bigotry.
I went for a long walk toward the outskirts of town to see if I could discern any signs of these groups and their activity. As I reached the city limits I noticed a business just on the town line. Triple K lumber yard seemed innocent to me. I walked in the doors and pretended I need some lumber for a deck I was building. As I approached the counter an older man with a red ball cap that had Make America Great Again on it looked at and me shook his head.
“What do you want homo?” chided the man
“I need some lumber for a deck I am building,” I said.
“Well, I wouldn’t advertise that around here. If you know what I am saying.” Said the man curtly.
“What do you mean? That I need some wood?” I asked.
“No that you are a fucking fagot?” he hissed.
“A fagot? I don’t know what you mean. That I am a homosexual? Not that there is anything wrong with that, mind you. But I am not. However, I don’t see what someone’s sexual identity has anything to do with wanting to purchase some lumber?” I asked
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“Well, we don’t like your kind around here.” Shouted the man.
“Do you mean people who need lumber?” I asked poking the proverbial tiger to see where it would go and how far this ignorant man was willing to go. Would he incite violence? Yep there it is.
As I smiled at him, he reached beneath the counter and presented a Louisville Slugger and began to wind up when Almathea walked in the door and stood behind me.
“Go ahead Kletis and take your best shot. I promise you; you will be sorry.” Said my guardian angel as Kletis lowered the bat and put it back in its hiding place.
“I thought so.” She said.
“Let’s go, honey. We don’t do business with stupid crackers.” She said as she put her arm around me and ushered us to the door.
“That’s right we don’t like no nigger loving homes in these parts.” He said as he hid behind the counter waiting for a reprisal.
Almathea just flipped him off and told me to get into the car.
“Nice car,” I said as I climbed into the passenger side. “Mercury right? Specifically, a Cougar, am I right?” I asked as she sped off down the road in her brown Cougar towards town.
“So, what’s your point?” she quipped.
“I am starting to see a pattern. Jaguar, Cougar.” I said as I smiled at her and laughed.
“Whatever do you mean Mister Jove?” she said as she giggled and stepped on the gas.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“You’ll see when we get there.” She said.
“I was going to ask you about racism and bigotry in this area, but you have already answered my question,” I said as I sat there and started to realize that something was going on that had not become clear yet. “Thanks for saving my bacon back there. I could have handled Kletis. But I am glad you came along. How did you know I was out here on my own? In need of help”
“Let’s just say - I have a kind of radar or GPS and you have a certain signature that is easy for me to pick up. Suffice to say that I felt that I had to keep a watchful eye on you unless you were to get into trouble Pilgrim.” She said as she looked at me with an affectionate side eye before she rolled them.
“Pilgrim. Unusual word choice gave the circumstance. But OK.” I said as I pondered what could be afoot.
“Hold on Jove. The sun is going down and we need to be in position before it does. I will explain when we get there.” She said as she put the pedal to the metal and the big cat of a car roared as she shifted into third gear.
“Where are we going?” I asked as the sun was beginning to set.
“We are here. Jove I want you to follow my lead. Do not, I repeat say anything. Anything. Are we clear? Do you understand?” she said as she glared at me.
“Yes. Mam. I get it. I will follow your lead. Pray, tell us what we are doing here?” I asked as I joined her crouched behind a big oak tree on the outskirts of a clearing.
“I want you to see what goes on here so that you will have a better understanding of how things are down here below the clouds.” She said as if I should understand her meaning. “Ok now hush and stay hidden. Hear that? They are almost here.” She said as she motioned for me to get behind her and to stay quiet.
Within seconds there was a large truck making its way into the clearing before us. I recognized the wording on the side of the truck. It said - Triple K Lumber in big red Gothic lettering on the side of the vehicle. Triple K odd name for a company maybe Kletis spelled his name with a K and had siblings with similar names like Klarence and Kurt or it was an abbreviation for Ku Klux Klan? I don’t know. But it makes one think. Especially after Kletis’s behavior earlier.
When the truck stopped other cars and trucks pulled in behind them. The rabble that assembled were all white men with shaved heads wearing what appeared to be white robes. They hurriedly began to unload the truck full of lumber and began to construct what appeared to be a very large cross in the center of the clearing. When the structure was finished everyone seemed to disappear for a spell before returning now hooded. Several of the congregation fetched cans of gasoline from the truck and began dowsing the platform the structure was built upon.
“What are they doing?” I whispered to Almathea. “Is this a religious ritual we are observing?”
“No.” She whispered back. “But they think it is. Their religion is hatred and violence. The burning cross is a distorted way of using intimidation. They get their rocks off. They get all riled up and feel empowered to try and disempower and disenfranchise others because they somehow know deep down that they have no power. Because hate is toxic and caustic and cancerous. They are cowards and try to bully those they see as subhuman. I have seen this ritual several times but lately, they seem to be more often and bigger. Afterward, there are always acts of violence and I feel that eventually, someone is going to die.
As we watched Almathea glanced at me as if something was amiss. It seemed that from around the truck someone also had a hood on but who was also blindfolded and had their hands tied behind them was being escorted to the platform and was being shackled to the phallic cross in the center of the clearing.
“No fucking way!” exclaimed Almathea beneath her breath. “No fucking way!”
“What are they doing? Is this a human sacrifice?” I mouthed as I stared at Almathea in astonishment.
“Sure, the hell looks like it. Don’t it Jove?” she cursed.
As I nodded in the affirmative, I could feel a cold sensation against my back. I could sense a person's heartbeat and feel his breathing. It was Kletis.
“Put your hands up homo. Or I will shoot you in the head!” Kletis threatened.
Almathea slowly turned to see that Kletis had a pistol pointed at my head.
“One step lady and he gets it. No funny stuff. Or the fag gets it.” Kletis said as he smiled an almost toothless grin.
Before Kletis knew what hit him, Almathea had reached over and bent his arm back. I could hear the sudden crack of bones breaking. And pointed the gun in Kletis’s face and she pulled the trigger. Within seconds the other hooded demons had grabbed their weapons and had started firing at the oak tree that we were behind. However, in a microsecond, Almathea grabbed me lifted me into the air, and with otherworldly speed set me down behind the truck behind the sacrifice on the platform and instructed me through thought speak to help the person under the cross and get them to safety and to stay put.
Within seconds what appeared to be a purple whirlwind cyclone through the center of the clearing and around the area until the shooting and screaming stopped. I had in the meantime untied the person from the cross and got them safe behind a large boulder behind a grouping of trees.
The next sound I heard was Almathea calling me to come out and that it was safe. I helped up the poor soul who was still bound and gagged and hooded and walked them to where Almathea was standing. Around the circle beneath the large cross lay all the hooded men now corpses. Some had lost their heads and some arms, some legs, torn asunder swimming in pools of their blood. All dead. All dead. They were all dead.
The poor soul who I had rescued collapsed in my arms and fell to the ground. I quickly pulled the gag and hood off the person, and it was the man who had accosted me twice on the street. He vomited on himself before slowly waking to the scene before him. He looked up at me and realized that it was I who had rescued him. The Hobo. The Homo. The subhuman that he had treated so unkindly before losing consciousness again.