Kurt and Bobby Opt Out

 

Kurt knew he had to get out. Redcrest Manner was not for him. He had been there ever since a farming accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. He had played out the accident over and over in his mind almost every night before he went to sleep. Javon was a dumbass. Why in the hell had anyone let him drive a tractor? The fool had got it stuck in a bunch of brush. Kurt and another guy, Rolland, had set about pulling some of the brush from under the tractor.

“You clear!” Rolland shouted.

Without thinking, Javon slams the tractor into gear. A moment of shock washed over Kurt’s body as he knew he was about to be crushed. There is an excruciating pain, a sickening bone crushing sound and then… nothing. Somehow, the doctor had managed to save Kurt’s life but leave his body broken. It was hard to believe three years had passed already. Nothing happened to Javon. He never asked how Kurt was doing or had come to visit. Kurt had basically been banished by friends and family. There was no justice. His family now was a revolving door of doctors, orderlies and other patients. “Grandma, I know what hell is now.” Kurt often thought. They had managed to keep him in Redecrest for all of this time with promises of miracle breakthroughs always just right around the corner. Kurt had some how managed to avoid the abuse, beatings and rapes that were all too common in Redcrest but he knew his luck would run out sooner or later. Sooner or later, some new big motherfucker orderly would have an eye for him. No one would ever take him seriously and even if they did, the white people would simply respond with “the nigger is a crazy jive ass.” The saddest part was this always worked. Always. Kurt also saw what happened to others who had tried escape, shock therapy and restraints. They were never the same. But there had to be a way out of this hell.

Once a month, they would take a few inmates, Kurt never thought of them as patients, to a lake for some fresh air and sunshine. They kept everyone together which allowed for little movement. But this trip was different. Billy, another prisoner, was having a severe allergy attack. The nurse and orderlies were hovering over him and it was difficult to tell if they were trying to help or hurt him. It was also late in the day. Everyone and everything had taken on shades of dark blue in the oncoming darkness. Kurt realized this was his best chance and slowly eased back from the group. “A paved parking lot thank God,” he thought. Three inches, six inches, a foot, Kurt slowly eased back not making a sound. He eased around another car and headed for the restroom building. But instead of going in he made his way around back. There was no way he could head off into the woods. All he could do was hope and pray they would overlook him. After a while he heard his name being called. He did not answer. All he could do was wait for discovery and face the consequences. Soon, he heard the cars start up. They were leaving! Maybe he had done it? But this was too easy. Kurt eased his way around the building. Sure enough they were all gone.

“Hey Kurt! Where in the hell have you been?” A voice came from behind him.

He was the new orderly, Bobby, a big strapping white dude.

Kurt turned around with tears starting to well up in his eyes. He knew he was screwed. He hoped the darkness hid his tears.

“Son, I know you don’t belong in there. But where else can you go?”

“Anywhere. I cannot live there anymore,” he sobbed more than said.

Kurt saw something he had never seen before from a staff member, understanding.

“I told them I’d stay behind to find ya. No one will be back for an hour or so. You need to find a better place to hide.”

“There ain’t much around here is there?”

“Let’s get back up the hill and take a few turns. We can get pretty far in a half hour, if you really want to do this. Look, I’ll vouch for ya and say you just got lost. I think you should just come back. It’s not safe for you.”

“I’m gonna die in that place, man. You can stop me if you want to.” Kurt started going in the direction of the parking lot. He felt Bobby’s hands on the back of his old rickety wheel chair propelling him forward. They turned onto a mostly disserted tree lined two lane black top. By now it was completely dark.                                     

“We need to take two or three turns. There’s a junction about a quarter mile up the road. I’ll get you that far and the rest will be up to you,” Bobby said.

“Thanks, man.”

“If they catch you, I’ll be fired if ya tell ‘em I helped. Hell, I may be fired anyway. The odds aren’t good for either of us but what the hell.”

“I ain’t sayin’ nothin.”

“We both know they have ways of making people talk, Kurt.”

“Yeah, but still, I sayin shit!”

“Thanks, kid. Neither am I.”

Bobby got Kurt to the junction where several roads came together. It was out in the middle of nowhere.  They had yet to see a car.

“Get yourself up the road a ways and turn down a long driveway. Then, get off of that if you can. You’re strong. Push that sucker into some bushes and wait for the noise to die down. The cops won’t do a real search until in the mornin’. By then, be far away.”

Bobby stuck out his hand. If felt weird shaking a white man’s hand. It was the first time Kurt had ever done so. Bobby turned and walked off at a brisk pace. He would be back in plenty of time. Kurt saw what he was looking for, a slight downhill angle none of the walking would have ever noticed. He started forward excited, happy and afraid all at once. The old chair slowly picked up speed. “Just hold together,” he thought. When the road leveled out, Kurt turned around. There was no sign of Bobby or anyone else for that matter.  All he could hear was the ever-present singing of crickets. Kurt saw a driveway  up ahead turning off to the right. Freedom was within reach. As he got closer, he could hear a car somewhere, faint but getting closer. Kurt pushed as fast and as hard as he could. Bobby may have had a change of heart or was he only playing a game all along? Just something to break up the day-in and day-out routine. Kurt made it to the edge. There was a small drop, but nothing he could not handle. The car was closer, a lot closer now. Suddenly, Kurt found himself in the spotlight from the car. The cops. His heart sank.

“Where ya goin, son?” A deep voice boomed from behind the spotlight. Kurt did not need to see the deputy to know that he was a big ole, sweaty, fat, bastard, too lazy to even bother getting out of the car. He also knew he did not have to.

“I just goin home suh,” Kurt answered playing dumb.

“Now we both know you don’t live down there. Stop right where you are.”

Kurt knew he was at the mercy of this fat sweaty bastard. “He could shoot me dead. No witnesses.” Kurt though and froze.

“Call back Redcrest. Tell ‘em we found him. Send deputy Thomas over to the lake to get that nurse and the others. He’s their problem now. I’m on Angel Hill Rd at ole man Parker’s driveway. We’ll be here.    

You just stay right there, son.”

There was nothing else Kurt could do but curse Javon in his mind, along with the people who ran and worked at Redcrest, all of them except Bobby. All he could do now was hold on to his secret. He would, “even if they killed me,” he thought.

Soon enough they were all there, the old nurse, the other orderlies and Bobby. Things were bad enough but they had to go on and make it even worse. The old nurse was screaming some gibberish about loosing her job and how could he even do such a thing to those who had cared for him and on and on. Bobby could not watch. He was looking down the driveway. The old nurse finished her tirade at last and punctuated it with a hard slap across the mouth. Kurt waited for what ever was next. “God, let this end.” He thought. Kurt had given up on religion and cursed himself for the thought. Sometimes, they just slipped out. Everything had gone quiet. Kurt noticed everybody was now looking in the same direction as Bobby. Two kids dressed in all in white were approaching, a boy and a girl. The deputy was getting out of the patrol car.

“You people leave him alone! The boy shouted full of fear and determination.

“This is police business, son. You’re trespassing. You better get outtah here.”

“You better leave the man in the chair alone!”

The deputy drew his gun.

“Ankius! Help!” The boy shouted.

A tree crashed close by and a mountain emerged onto the road also dressed in bright white. A long black dagger sliced through the air cutting into the deputy’s wrist causing him to scream and drop the gun. Bobby recognized the torch looking thing above the giant’s right shoulder for what it was, a flamethrower.  They were all frozen in place.

The giant’s voice boomed addressing Kurt, “Do you seek asylum?”

Kurt was smart and knew what the giant was asking but could not speak.

“Do you seek asylum, sir?” The giant asked slowly walking forward drawing weapons.

“Yes,” The girl told him to answer in his mind. Her voice was soft and kind.

“Yes,” Kurt answered.

Ankius fired his plasma rifles, one in each hand, just over their heads bursting several nearby trees into flames and charred wood. It was now apparent the two kids were armed with similar weapons and they were now on either side of the giant moving slowly forward.

“I’m not aiming for trees next time! Be gone or die!”

They all took off running, except Bobby. Ankius took a few quick steps and seized the deputy by the scruff of the neck.

“My dagger.” He quickly and effortlessly pulled it out of the freighted man’s arm wiping the blood off on his shoulder. “You will heal up. You and the others would do well to forget this night ever happened.”

With that, he shoved the deputy forward. He burst into a sprint.

Bobby picked up the gun and aimed it at the giant who responded by calmly returning the dagger to it’s sheath on his belt.

“I don’t know who you people are, but I’m not going to let you harm Kurt.”

“What happens next is for Kurt to decide. He has requested and been granted asylum. He is under our protection as long as he so desires.”

“They were the ones who wanted to hurt him, sir. You will just make Ankius mad if you shoot him with that. I will then have to kill you. I don’t like killing.” The boy calmly added. He was deadly serious.                  

Bobby wisely lowered the gun. “Okay, I know. Who are you people?”

Ankius answered, “Your ancestors. Your long lost relatives. But the more pressing question is for Kurt. Do you want to stay here or come with us, sir? We cannot stay here.  We can no longer protect you when we go.”

“Are you angels?” Kurt asked not sure if this was even really happening.

           The giant, Ankius chuckled. “No, we are only mortals like both of you. We just get around a little more. If you choose to go with us, there is no coming back here… Ever.”

           “Can we leave now?” Kurt asked.

“Yes. I think we should. They will not stay gone long,” Ankius answered and pushed a few buttons on a rather wide black wristband.

“Will you come with us, Bobby?” Kurt asked.

“I guess a state job and a divorce are not much to leave behind. May I go as well, Ankius? If I stay here, I’ll be in big trouble. May I request Asylum, Ankius?”

“Yes, sir. Please follow us. Kurt, I need to pick you up, is that okay?”

“Yeah!”

Ankius picked Kurt up gently and carried him through the trees on his hip, like a father would carry a small child. They came into a large open field.

“I am Ankius, this is Adon, Yuki and Ziv. We roam the stars on a ship capable of inter galactic travel, called The Phoebe Sofia. Once aboard your asylum changes and you will be expected to perform duties assigned as any other crewmember.  Your stay with us must be voluntary. You can leave at any safe stop or port. This can be years or even decades from now. Once we leave here this is no going back. If you wish to return, we will not stop you. The problem is this world will no longer exist as you know it.”

The heard a dull rumble from above, which grew louder and louder. The Ishtar came in over the trees on the other side of the field and landed gently close by. A ramp at the rear opened to the ground beckoning them inside. An eerie silence fell over the field. Even the bugs were quiet. Two human-looking figures peered out at them.  

“Now is the moment of truth. Do you accept what I told you and still wish to come?” Ankius asked both of them.

“Yes.” Kurt answered.

“Sure.” Bobby answered.

Ankius lead the way up the ramp ducking into the dark ship.

“This is Tio and Mari. I asked them to protect the ship while we were gone. Kurt and Bobby have requested asylum. I am duty bound to take them in.”

“Yes, Ankius,” Mari answered.         

Bobby followed and Adon, Yuki and Ziv came in last looking to see if anyone was watching. Ankius sat Kurt down in a seat and motioned for Bobby to sit next to him. The ramp closed. Small floor lights filled the space with a purple glow. Kurt could feel his heart pounding. “What have I got myself into?” He thought to himself. He was glad Bobby had come along.