Crusade of the Director

1996, July 23rd

4:30pm

Steve, and Rufus sat with Fred Harlem. Fred was one of Steves school yard friends from back in the day, and Fred today had sat with Steve and his dog all day, debating with him on what to do. Steve would say ”they should not risk another slaughter ”, and Fred would say ”the hell with that, they want to take our freedom away! ” eventually it turned into almost a complete argument, but then Steve, managed to calm Freds anger. He explained how they should choose their actions wisely and wait until they move to another location again to possibly break free. Fred reluctantly agreed with his friend, and around eight o clock at night Fred retreated to bed, having trouble sleeping due to the overhead lights not being shut off at all, ever, which annoyed everybody. Steve sat there slowly petting Rufus as he gazed at the blank, emotionless soldiers always guarding the door, they seemed skinnier, which they should be due to them not eating at all, and constantly twenty-four seven guarding the door. They started to smell too he notice, a rank almost like rotting chicken smell came from the guards. This also annoyed the other prisoners. After a while Steve got up and went to the odd-looking water fountain hand made by some of the prisoners, it was extremely handmade, but did the job of hydrating the people. And next to it was a small fold-out picnic table with odd snack, like granola bars, dried fruits, meats, and breads, some sliced some not, and chips, Steve wondered why everyone grabbed a crap load of chips at their last stop/part-time prison. which was in a supermarket. He grabbed a plastic red cup and filled it with water from the handmade fountain, he checked to make sure there was nothing floating in it. Nothing he could see, thankfully. Steve then grabbed a hand-full of dried bacon, and beef then headed back towards Rufus, who waited eagerly for his dried goodies. Steve sat then looked towards the Television now blank, thinking if this was the end. A voice from next to him arose.

”Steve my boy. ” It said with a friendly elderly sound. Steve turned and saw (you guessed it) Arthur Merriam sitting casually with one leg crossed smiling at him. Steve was quite surprised he didn feel the bed shift when Arthur sat down, He then noticed that this man was not injured or beat up in any way like the rest of them, in fact he looked so clean he almost glowed.

”How do you know my name? ” Steve asked.

”Never you mind that but listen to what I have to say. You shall be my messenger to these kind, scared folk. ” Arthur then remembered.

”Ah you see I up and did it again, continuing without any explanation of who I am and what Im here for. Silly me, anyways I am Arthur Merriam, and I wish to guide you through these dark and terrible day with whatever light I can produce. ” Arthur spoke with a bow. Steve couldn help but smile at the old mans goofiness and queerness, but he also felt something that he almost forgot he could feel, hope.

”Are you and angle? ” Steve said without thought.

”Heavens no. At least not to my knowledge, ha! Thats, a first never been asked that before. ” Arthur chuckled. Steve turned a little red with embarrassment. Wondering why he asked that.

”Sorry, Im not so sure I am all there still after the events of the past couple of days. ” Steve said apologetically.

”Not to worry, not to worry… Now look Steve, these guards will do anything to get you to The Directors stronghold in the north, you know that don you? ” Arthur asked

”Why? ” Steve answering with another question

”Why, because you are in his way thats why. He is here to create a road and you are merely rocks in his way. He wished to turn you all to his will and oppress your world. Until he can summon his masters. ” Steve heard this and shuddered.

”What can we do, hes already got control of our government? ”

”You must do, exactly what is obvious. Escape, and leave his clutches and fast, you draw ever closer to his domain. Head to Canada and I will meet you and whoever goes with you there, I have others on the way so even if you go only by yourself, know that in the end you won be by yourself forever. I would go with you, but I have someone I must look after for the time being, anyways I put a pistol in your bed mattress to use when the time is right, do not hesitate. Those soldiers are but mindless servants to The Director, you cannot help them. Now I must be off the guards may hear. ” Arthur explained pointing to the soldiers by the tent exit. Steve followed Arthurs hand and saw that they were looking at him with a blank stare, their eyes hazy grey.

”How am I-. ”Steve saw that Arthur was gone, and he felt almost sad, but then he felt determined and thought deeply on the words of the old man, and then wondered who he was. Is he still in the tent and I just missed him, he looked around and saw he was nowhere to be seen. Then he remembered the pistol, he slowly felt in between the mattress and frame and felt the handle of the weapon. ”Well son of a bitch. ” Steve thought. And then wondered how he was going to convince them to go with him to Canada, and why did the old man want him to go there.

”I guess its not a bad idea. ” Steve jumped and turned to see Fred Harlem standing behind him.

”Don worry I heard the whole thing, didn see where that guy went though. Did you feel that though, it was like getting high on pure goodness. ” Fred stated, and Steve agreed

”Well, I say lets do it, what the hell its not like we got any other choice, and I don want to turn into a mindless soldier for some dictator, holy shit this is just like a movie. ” Fred was going in all different directions, as he usually did. Steve brought him back.

”First Fred you great oaf, we gotta get the others involved and then find out how to get past the other guards outside our prison tent. This isn gonna be easy I feel, including after we escape and head north. I think the worse will come when we are pursued, and we must be ready. ” Fred took a deep breath and nodded. Steve and Fred instead of arguing were now working together on escaping and getting the rest of them out of this place