How Things Are

forty-one

Lucas stopped us at the border of the nameless city that scared me half to death. He and a few of his men had a brief conversation he decided I shouldn't be a part of before we entered. Lucas told us all to remove anything resembling his Mafia sign.
Most of us had to improvise by wrapping our visible weapons with torn clothing so the emblem wouldn't show.

As for our tattoos, nothing could be done. Lucas wasn't a coward but he wasn't stupid. He told everyone to cover what we could so they couldn't tell who we were. I was told to pretend to be a good little slave. If it wasn't him he'd lose his tongue.

All the questions they asked me and his reactions made me think he knew more. I wish I was better at eavesdropping. Hearing their little meeting would help. In all honesty, pretending to be a slave isn't something I'm good at. Dress me up as a Samari or even a pirate like when  Winrey and I did and I'll pull it off, but what the heck am I supposed to do? How do slave women act again?

I look back on all the times I traveled and remember the flirting and whimpering down at their masters. It made me shiver thinking Lucas expects me to act like that.

Thinking about Winwrey makes me worry about her. Her name is taboo due to what happened the last time I asked to see her. I rub the L-shaped carving on my lower back remembering that day. Perhaps I can pull this slave thing off. He scares me more than any man ever did.

Looking ahead as we entered the town, I begin to slow my pace so the others can walk ahead. After all, slaves never walk in front of everyone else.

Teedo is now next to me and he hands me a rope already knotted to fit perfectly around my neck. Apparently, this was a part of the plan I wasn't aware of to have this already.

"Where'd you get this?" I grumble

Teedo is in his serious mode right now. His expression is unreadable again and he's alert. "Shh. Slaves don't talk."

It hurts for him to call me that. He's never once treated me like a slave. There's more they know about this place then they're letting me know. I shouldn't have walked away from the conversation earlier.

We walk further into the city and in come the cheeriest human beings I've ever seen for this time in the world. Where Mafia and gangs reign supreme. All fighting for dominance. Yet these citizens smile at us. It's almost like they've been infected with whatever the lake creatures have been. Perhaps at night they're deadly and will attack at any moment.

"Slave come here." I hear Lucas say ahead.

Teedo walks me to him and hands him the rope that's supposed to be pulling me. "What is it?" I whisper

"Why did they never take you when you said  you stayed here?" He whispers in my ear as he plays with my hair. Doing his part of the master I suppose.

I clear my throat "um I suppose its because I never excepted their invitation into their home when they noticed I was here."

His eyebrows come together for a moment "What do you mean 'when they noticed you were here?"

"Well I sort of snuck into the city." I looked sideways hoping nobody was listening "I hid myself and gathered what I thought I'd need to travel down Death Road."

He took my chin and made me look at him "where did you sleep?"

"It's been discovered that we're here Lucas. We can't go to a hideout, we'll be followed." I answer

"I'm not planning to stay there, I'm asking where." He says more sharply.

"There was a place hidden in their park." I look back at the people now staring with curious eyes instead of smiles. "It was discovered by a few people chasing me by Derrick."

Lucas nods "how did they not find you?"

"It has lots of trees." I tell him "it's more like a nature preserve then a play park."

"I've heard." He says more to himself than to me.

He seems to be done talking so we walk in silence. The man I remember from the basement comes forward to greet us.

"Well hello! Welcome to our small city." He says, all too cheerfully for someone who knows how to burn tattoos off of someone's flesh "They voted me the mayor here. How about we get you all a change of clothes and something to eat."

Nome of us reply. Not even Lucas. We just keep walking past him, following his lead.

"You have to be warn out. There's a nice Inn we provide guests who are on there way if you want to rest."

He continues to offer his hospitality and we ignore it due to Lucas actions. He does nothing so no one else does anything either.

Others insist on us staying as we pass. The mayor keeping up. The deeper we get into the city the more I wonder what Lucas is up to.