Mountain Qualia

NaNoWriMo Day 16

Managing expectations is best done after the fact. The elderly couple were waiting in front of the door for it to open so they could go back home or whatever their plans were. Joakim and Julian were patiently waiting behind them. Although a certain dread crept up Joakims legs and into his stomach. There seemed to be an awful lot of uniformed men outside, and they took an enormous interest in the opening of the doors. It struck Joakim as unlikely that they were there for the general well-being and protection of the people. The elderly woman before them could be a cleptomaniac drugs-pusher. Maybe they found Julian's parents, and they came to save him. But that was not really necessary, because Joakim had done all the saving already. This lead to the only conclusion.

"Hands up!" one officer yelled when the elderly couple had made its way out of the cabin. They faked a run as best as their age allowed, which had most of the mimic and none of the speed.

"No, look," Joakim said. He grabbed the two tickets from his pocket. "I have tickets for the ride down, I just forgot to use them."

"Hands up. Now! Let the boy go."

Let the boy go? Joakim looked down and noticed how he was holding Julian tight to protect him from the stressful situation. He let go of his grip, but Julian stayed at his side. When three other officers approached, Joakim raised his hands above his head. They meant business and Joakim was never afraid to comply.

One police officer lured Julian away from Joakim's side. After that things progressed quick. Five men in total closed in on him. They took wide stances as if to catch Joakim if he would try to run away. Joakim had no intention to run away, but these men expected differently. Joakim blinked and before he knew it, two officers grabbed him from behind and dropped him onto the floor like a folding chair. Four of them were sitting on his back, and Joakim could hardly breathe. Blood trickled into his eye and after that the pain of the fall on his face swelled.

"Cuff him and get him up," the only officer standing said. When Joakim was standing on his feet again, he tried to find Julian without success. "Filthy asshole," a voice said behind him and a fist tried to enter his body hard from behind. Joakim cried out.

He had to close his right eye because blood was getting into it. With his left he could make out a familiar shape. It was definitely one of the women meditating on the rock yesterday. Wilmula or something.

"What's going on," Joakim mumbled, mainly because he had nothing more to give. The wait seemed to last forever. Nothing seemed to go forward. He was held by two men. It could also have been one strong man. One officer was constantly chatting on the radio, and two others were keeping the bystanders away who were now shamelessly filming on their smartphones.

The man on the radio walked up to Joakim and pushed up his chin to look at the wound near his eyebrow. When he was satisfied he let go. "You were seen cavorting in the woods with this boy who has been reported as missing. A witness saw you chase after him when he tried to flee from you."

Joakim saw Wilmula point at him while talking to one policeman. "No, I..." he tried.

The officer hissed at Joakim. "You spent the night on that mountain with him. I don't know what sick fantasy you played out there but we'll find out and you won't enjoy it. We looked you up, mister guru almighty. They all seem so wise and charming. But when the party ends, you are just another sexually deranged cult leader, manipulating innocent people into your deranged thoughts."

Joakim wanted to counter the accusations, but other than knowing he did nothing indecent to the boy he had not much to say for himself as a guru, especially concerning the last few years.

"Take him away," he said into Joakim's face. It was understood by the powerful man behind him who was now pushing him forwards towards the filming crowd. In the meantime, the mob had gotten air of the accusations.