Apocrypha

Chapter 6

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
Psalm 23:4

BEFORE STEPPING INTO JACKSON, the men heard some cheers and shouts coming from a bit ahead. There was also the sound of an engine that roared and got closer.

"Hide there!" Lysander pointed to a bush on the side of the road.

The two men quickly jumped behind the bush and peered from the top. They watched as a large truck drove by.

The gray truck was covered in several flags: The American flag, a yellow flag with a snake, and the Confederate flag. There were also posters and stickers that showed the current President of the United States, David Barrington, with a halo around him.

The men in the truck were standing on the back wearing stained robed. Some had their hats on, which pointed to a cone on top. The other men who had their hoods off had large smiles and their necks covered in tattoos.

"What the..." Gabriel muttered. As the truck drove by, the men in the bush got a view of what they were dragging. It was a rope that led to a tied body that was getting dragged. Gabriel tried to see what color the person was, but most of their skin was either scraped off or any remaining skin was stained in blood.

As the truck drove by, it left a trail of blood behind. The truck continued its drive down the street, exiting the main city area and into the woods where they had just come from.

Gabriel didn't notice his heavy breathing. He fell back and sat on his rear as he kept thinking about that person who was being dragged behind. The optimistic part of him hoped that the person was at least alive.

"Come on. Before they come back." Lysander said. Gabriel looked at him, wondering why he was brushing what he just saw off.

"What was going on? And why are we just leaving? What in the world were those people doing to them?" Gabriel asked. Lysander sighed and kneeled beside the panicking man.

"Look, while you lived in your cushy house for your entire life with people protecting you all the time and having a thick wallet, almost everyone else had much different lives. What you just saw is just the tip of the iceberg that goes on in this great country you call home. I've seen much worse things, And you might too." Lysander said.

But he realized that this was all unknown to Gabriel. He rubbed the bump on his nose and thought for a moment.

"There's no point in thinking over this. The most we can do is continue with our lives and live for that person." Lysander added. He stood up and readjusted his backpack.

"Wait!" Gabriel said. He was still shaken up but managed to gather all his courage to stand up. "I would like to say a prayer for that person."

Lysander leaned against a nearby tree and gave him the go-ahead. Gabriel recited a passage and closed his eyes as he asked God to keep that man safe and to show him mercy, for he did not deserve such a gruesome death.

Gabriel ended his prayer. "Now we can go."

They both continued their walk. Lysander chose to walk next to the road to block Gabriel being able to see the red pavement that was stained with blood and body parts. He could've sworn he saw a few teeth and fingers that were on the road.

Before they continued, Lysander stepped back and looked at the overview of the city. In the distance was a large city center with high rises. Jackson is one of the cities that was chosen after the birth of the new government and was prioritized due to its location in the South.