Ronny's axe struck the crack in the stone with a resounding splintering sound, sending shards flying in all directions. Suddenly, the air was filled with the shrill, piercing noise of whistles, echoing like a swarm of angry bees.
Ronny's eyes darted to Arliss, his expression a mix of confusion and worry mirroring the sentiments of the other miners nearby. All eyes turned towards the tunnels where the advancing guards were steadily making their way towards them.
"Vacate the mines!" the guards bellowed angrily over the cacophony of whistles.
"Vacate?" Arliss muttered to himself, his voice trembling with uncertainty, perfectly reflecting the confusion that had gripped the miners.
Arliss and Ronny exchanged fearful glances. There were a few reasons for the mines to be vacated. The most urgent was the imminent use of dynamite to clear a new section.
Where were Saija and Marcus?
"Drop your tools and get out!" Chad, the guard, yelled as he made his way into their clearing.
"Leave our tools?" Arliss questioned, uncertainty lacing his voice.
Chad advanced and screamed inches from Arliss's face, spit accompanying his words, "Did I fucking stutter, old man?! Drop your tools and get out!"
Ronny's body tensed with rage; his fists clenched at his sides as he stormed toward Chad and Arliss.
Arliss grabbed Ronny by his shirt, stopping him from doing anything rash.
Chad smirked and taunted, "Yeah, boy, whatcha ya gonna do?! " His accent was false and mocking of them.
Arliss pulled Ronny away, his sights set on the exit of the tunnel, all while Ronny flared his nostrils and huffed hot breaths in aggravation.
"It ain't worth it, sonny," Arliss reminded him, his hands on him steady and leading.
The closer they got to the outside, the more congested the throng of miners grew. Something was happening at the exit.
The mass of men squished together, their scents mingling and thickening the already dense air. The collection of human bodies so pressed together heightened the warmth, and claustrophobia took hold of some, and sweat poured from others, adding to the physical discomfort.
Ronny's thoughts were consumed by the fear of Saija being lost in the crowd, potentially crushed under the feet of the frantic mob. His worry grew heavier with each breath as he frantically searched for Saija amidst the chaos.
Finally, they reached the outside, but before they could fully savor the relief of fresh air, they were forcibly separated. Ronny and Arliss locked eyes for a fleeting moment before a guard intervened, directing them in opposite directions.
The guard who snatched up Ronny and four others ordered them to remove their shoes and shirts.
Nervously glancing around, Ronny complied, peeling off his boots and overshirt, leaving him standing in his tank top and trousers.
"Belt, too!" the guard commanded.
Ronny took a deep breath, then looked down to unfasten the buckle of his belt, ripped it through the loops, and tossed it to the side along with his boots and shirt.
"Hands up!" the guard barked.
They complied, raising their hands to the sky as instructed. "Feet apart!" was ordered.
Ronny widened his hips, adjusting his stance as commanded. The guard then proceeded to pat him down roughly, checking every inch of his body, his hands smacking against Ronny's arms, chest, abdomen, back, hips, and legs. He was ordered to open his pockets and was searched inside them.
One of the men tensed up while being searched, and like a herd of wolves, the guards descended on him, beating him relentlessly for not complying. To make it worse, they stripped him of his clothes, searching and humiliating him.
Ronny and the others couldn't do anything but avert their gazes and force themselves to stomach the sounds of the man screaming. The guards were armed. They were not.
Their boots were inspected and banged against the ground to find objects hidden inside. Once marked clean of whatever they were searching for, they were ordered to grab their shit and go.
Walking barefoot, Ronny grabbed his clothes and made a quick getaway. As he glanced back at the naked, brutalized man, he discovered why he had tensed up. The man possessed a pistol, something that was strictly prohibited.
He rushed to the street in search of Arliss.
He found him a few minutes later, also clutching his items, shuffling in nothing but his socks.
"Should we wait for Saija?" Ronny asked worriedly while slipping his boots back on.
Arliss sat against an old engine that lay in ruins on the ground and groaned as he fastened his boots back on.
"What if she's already out? Want me to check the Dormitory?" He replied calmly, masking his own anxiety.
"Yeah, yeah... meet me here, would ya?"
Arliss nodded and headed off toward the dormitory with hastened steps.
Ronny's heart raced, and sweat trickled through his body as he kept his eyes peeled on the sea of miners slowly making their way to the street after being inspected.
***
Saija and Marcus carefully maneuvered the cart into the dimly lit mine, where a team of guards swiftly sealed the entrance behind them.
Leaning on Saija for support, Marcus gritted his teeth and pushed through the pain as they made their way through the desolate mine.
The eerie silence, punctuated by the sharp barks of the guards urging them to move faster, intensified Saija's growing sense of unease. The absence of any workers made the mine feel darker, colder, and more unsettling.
Marcus's struggle was palpable in the echoing wheezes that filled the mine. His weight, a burden on Saija's delicate frame, seemed to intensify with each step. Her knees trembled, threatening to give way, while the strain on her back grew with every move. It felt as if the ground itself was pulling her down with each step. Yet, she persevered, pushing forward despite the overwhelming burden.
Somehow, someway, they made it to the exit where the crowd of miners had finally shrunk. They were ordered through and positioned against the wall with the last stragglers like themselves.
A guard, with his rifle at his side, demanded, "Boots and Jackets off!" The reason for this seemingly bizarre request was the strict security measures to ensure the stolen rusnine was not among the miners.
There was a collective shiver of fear and defiance among the miners as they reluctantly complied with the guard's order. Marcus looked down at Saija with fear in his eyes for her; she held courage.
Groans of pain filled the space as Marcus struggled to fulfill the order. Everyone's eyes were concerned for him. It was clear he was not well off. His bloody, bruised face, slowed movements, and audible breaths told this story loud and clear. Still, the guards stood fast, making no move to lessen his burden.
As Saija finished, she knelt down and unlaced Marcus's boots; his hand landed on her head for support. He was seconds from toppling over and doing everything in his power to hold firm.
No one else helped. They all watched as the child removed his boots and then stood back in line. The guards then ordered their hands up and descended upon them, shaking their clothes and patting their bodies aggressively. When a guard made his way to Marcus, the poor man moaned and grunted as his bruised body was carelessly smacked in search of the mineral.
Saija watched with anger beaming in her eyes. They needed to be more careful. He was undoubtedly in tremendous pain.
When the guard approached her, however, and she saw his rough, outstretched hands to grab her, she panicked and took a step back in fear.
YOU ARE READING
The Bitter Truth
Ficción General"Do ya like it?" he asked, eager to know her thoughts. She nodded, her eyes honestly drinking in every detail of the beautiful world just beyond her fingertips. "Imma gets us there one day, Saija," he spoke softly. She tried to hide it, but a smile...
