Remainers

To Those in the Future, Part 5

One week after the incident in which a window-washer took a tumble to the ground, the public had already grown tired of the subject and had moved on to other things. That was a good thing for John, as he could finally walk around town without having to constantly hear about people casting baseless speculation. Unfortunately, their gossiping in general hadn't stopped, but at least he wasn't so close to the subject this time around.

Another unfortunate thing was that the window-washer who fell had yet to return to work. He was still recuperating in the infirmary, though no one could confirm that as he was not allowed visitors. While that was more than understandable considering the incident, John still felt uneasy about the whole thing, as if the Ackertons were trying to hide something. Of course, he had no proof, nor could he attempt an investigation on his own.

Therefore, the only thing John could do was go back to window-washing as if nothing had happened. The days passed peacefully, and he could almost be tricked into thinking there was nothing going on. However, he knew that was far from the case. The people's unease continued to rise, and the resulting clamor was a visible problem. If the Ackertons noticed, they didn't seem to be doing anything about it.

In any case, the restlessness continued to grow and grow, as the public began to feel confined by the shelter that they once regarded as their haven. People seemed to grow distrustful of each other, and resentment began to fester in their hearts. It felt as if the pressure in a canister was beginning to build up, with an explosion happening sooner rather than later.

One day, it happened. Two men began fighting in the middle of the main plaza, almost spontaneously. The fight was short, and it was quickly stopped by two guards, but as an occurrence it was more than enough for the public to began chattering. Many possible causes for the fight were tossed around: some alleged that the fight was over a girl, while others claimed it was a disagreement over work.

Either way, John tried to go through his life without paying too much attention to the hubbub. The chatter was concerning, but he figured that so long as no one was getting into any other fights, there was no need to worry too much. He continued to live as he always did, paying as little attention to the world around him as he did.

A few days after the fight, John was drinking with Julio and Martina in the Ackerton Bar as always. The gossiping had yet to stop, and even the bar was filled with constant chatter about the event.

"How can everyone spend their time talking about nonsense like this?" John grumbled as he took a sip of his whiskey. "I know not much happens in the shelter, but there's only so much rubbernecking I can tolerate."

"It's human nature, after all," Julio sniggered. "We can't help but be interested in the business of others. Give them some time and they'll eventually calm down."

"Sure, so long as another big incident doesn't happen," Martina remarked. "I wonder what it'll be next time. Maybe it'll be a murder!"

"Martina!" John scowled disapprovingly. "Isn't that going a little too far?"

Martina simply shrugged. "Sorry, but you can't blame people for getting bored. I know it's for our own good, but being cooped up in here for so long is going to drive some people crazy. I can't even remember the last time I saw a building that wasn't made of pure white!"

John grumbled worriedly. "I hope it's not a sign of things going wrong. All downsides considered, living in the shelter really is the best option for us."

"So you say. They may have made this shelter big enough for three hundred people, but all that means is that we're not scrunched up against each other. You can't blame people for wanting to get some space."