After a well deserved meal from a friendly little shop, we finally decided it was time to meet Adir.
"Where are we supposed to meet him again?" Naomi asked.
"At the bar by the inn. It will probably be apparent when we get to the inn." I answered.
"And this Adir guy has no idea you're coming?" Keshet too, asked.
"Nope." I said, playfully.
We continued through the village. It was very nice, brick paved roads, and high-quality wooded establishments.
The inn stuck out like a sore thumb. It was the tallest building around the area, at a whopping 4 stories. There was a beautiful, yet worn sign for the inn. Simply marking, "Plain Point Inn."
I searched left and right for a bar, but couldn't find it. After a minute of panic, Keshet pointed it out.
"Is it that one?" He asked. He pointed to a tiny, dark, stained building. This one's sign was a fun game of, 'Fill in the blanks,' reading, "Pl-i- M--'s Ba-" because of the decay.
The bar blended into the area, because its door was an off-color of the wall.
Very reluctantly I nodded to Keshet, and pressed in the door.
Inside, was very similar to the first bar I had entered, except with more people. It was still claustrophobic, it was still dim, and it still reeked of alcohol. I grimaced, and stepped further inside. The bartender noticed us, and without making eye contact, said a quick,
"Welcome."
I sat down at one of the stools in the front.
"Excuse me," I said, leaning in towards the bartender, "Is there an, 'Adir,' here?"
Without saying anything, the bartender pointed to a lonely man in the back of the establishment. He sat in a booth, visibly a little intoxicated. He was a man with little hair clinging to his head, so clearly on the older side. His eyes were slim, bringing attention to his aggressively hooked nose. The short man carries some muscle, mostly in his upper body, and fat in his stomach. Despite his seemingly aggressive body-type, he bore an, 'ear-to-ear,' grin.
"Thanks," I said to the bartender, and walked off to speak with Adir. I was a little nervous, but we had come all this way, I couldn't stop here.
"E- excuse me." I began, "A man named Abram, from north of here, told me to meet with you."
"Ah! The ol' Abram feller's finally got some customers." Adir responded, joyfully. "Now, what brings yer to the middle of f*ck all?" Although a little put off by his casual swearing, I answered.
"We- we're just passing through. We're really trying to get to Crater." As soon as the word Crater left my mouth, his grin transformed into a disappointed frown.
"You should go home kid. We're not f*cking around here."
"Nor am I. I'm serious."
"Do you realize how many kids just like you I've seen f*cking die out there? This isn't some joke-around bullsh*t."
"I'm serious! If I can't go to Crater, I have nowhere to go." I paused, "A dear friend of mine is there, and all I ever wanted to do was ask him about the world." I began to quiet down, "He was going to be my Father figure, but he's not even here anymore." As I finished, a loud sound stopped Adir from retorting.
"Stop! We've been ordered by the government to do a search here, so please refrain from resisting."
Me, Keshet, and Naomi froze.
In the doorway stood a guard-looking man, who had swung the door open so violently it left a dent in the wall.
Our hoods made us stand out, it made it look obvious we were trying to hide something. If this guard saw our eyes, he would know exactly who we are.
One step at a time, the guard approached closer and closer.
Creak. Creak. Creak.
It's just as it was in the outskirts with the guards. It's the same feeling. We'll get caught, and we'll be sent back. Sent back there. To Red.
Lost for options, I broke into prayer. Lowering my head, I begged G-d for grace.
The guard came extremely close. He stood directly above me, but I kept my back turned away from him. Even if I couldn't see him, I could feel his presence closing in.
He reached out towards my hood, ready to pull it down and see my incriminating blood-red eyes…
My heart rate soared into the heavens above. I closed my eyes tightly, ready to run out the door with them shut.
The guard reached over my hood, and grabbed Adir's glass.
"Drinking?"
"Why yes." Adir answered.
"Still? I saw you here this morning."
Adir looked down, so as not to reveal to the guard that he was showing weakness.
"F*cking drunkard." The guard threw the glass at the wall, shattering it, and spilling beer across the floor.
The guard turned towards the door, and walked out, exclaiming, "All clear!"
I fell to the floor, clutching my chest. I was a hair's width away from going right back to where I started.
"Who was that?" Keshet asked Adir.
"A Keeper of the Peace. Those f*ckers control every g-d damn aspect of our lives."
Had I really escaped Red? Physically, yes. However, in reality I had escaped to a place that's not much better than the place I came from.
Adir glared at me.
"Come with me. All 3 of you." Adir got up from his booth, and walked out the door. All 3 of us followed right behind. As we followed on the beautiful brick road, Adir asked us a few questions.
"You, in the purple, what's your name?"
"Lavi." I answered. "Lavi Baumann."
"And the taller boy in the black?" Adir asked.
"Keshet."
"And the shorter one in the black?"
"Naomi."
"Well," Adir said, "It's good to meet you all. Where are you from?" The worst question. We just have to be as vague as possible. Keshet answered before me.
"The west. We're from west of here." Although not completely sure what to make of it, Adir was satisfied with that answer.
We followed Adir through the center of town, before he led us through a branch, then an alleyway, then a dead end. It was a gate of metal wire.
"Don't worry, it won't kill yer to jump a fence or two." Adir tried to reassure.
Keshet made it up and over fine, but I had to help Naomi.
On the other side of the fence was an open field, with grass that went up to my waist. In the middle of the grass, was a small brick, worn down building.
"What is this?" I asked aloud. We walked closer to the building. Adir leaned on it, and said,
"This is me ol' shop. I sell a variety o' things, so take a look inside, will yer?"