Knight Parade Twelfth Chapter the Walker

Chapter Twelve

The Walker

Now, you may be asking yourselves, how is this group of young people able to gallivant around like this? Well, the most obvious point is that things have changed. There is no longer any school system to occupy the young people after the technology shut down. The Homage group insists that all able people work. This means most young people that are able to, are working in some fashion for the new government. The young people that are not working outside the home are taking care of the home in their parents' absence. The Homage are also clever enough to keep wages low so that all the family that is able to work, has to. So since many young people are working for a living outside the home they grow up quickly. Most parents begin to treat their children more like adults and allow them more freedom to come and go as they please as long as they are contributing to the family income. As for our group if young people, they are all almost adults anyway so they do pretty much as they please. Also, after the technology shut down most families, and some friends, move in together for support and protection. This occurrence, combined with the number of people that left town and those people who have just "disappeared", leaves a large number of empty houses in town.

Of the boys', and Claire's, families all stay in town and all are also forced to work for the Homage government.

Both of Tim's parents get jobs with the Homage clean up and construction crew. This is one of the reasons that Tim joins the Homage guard, to stay away from his father. Tim's aunt watches his brothers along with his other cousins while his folks work.

Paul's folks almost completely forget about him, which Paul really doesn't mind, when they move in with Paul's oldest brother. Paul's folks are older and thus do not work for the government but stay home and watch the grandkids while their children work. Paul also joins the guard to piss off his folks, who believe this occupation is far too dangerous but Paul really doesn't give a frig.

Claire's folks both work in the Homage office processing taxes, not that either are happy with it but it beats physical labor. Claire does not work, she takes care of the home while her parents are working.

Steve and his folks also get jobs with the Homage clean up and construction crew. Steve pretty much does whatever the heck he wants to anyway and continues to do so after the Homage take over.

Pete and his father work for the clean up and construction crew and his mother works in helping rebuild and run the local medical facility. Pete's grandparents, aunt and uncle move in with his family after the technology shut down. They help to watch Pete's siblings while the rest of the family works. The shut down did have one positive affect on Pete's family. Booze is not nearly as readily available as before the shut down and Pete's father does not drink nearly as much and Pete's mom is happier than she has been in years.

Justin is somehow able to slip through the cracks. His mother and sister move in with his uncle shortly after the shutdown but Justin stays at home. So because he does not really have a set residence and did not register with the Homage government he is not forced to work. The boys figure he will get caught eventually and forced to do some sort of work but for now he is just hanging loose.

After the recent conflicts and close calls our gang of rebels decides that it is best to set up some sort of system in case the base is ever raided or inspected while they are out. This was Justin's brainchild and he decides that they need to make the place look as unoccupied as possible. The first step is to sweep up as much dust as possible in the old auditorium and put it in garbage bags so it can be spread around if need be in the future. Second, they practice hiding in the event of an alarm. Each has their own spot either under some old boards in the floor or in a corner closet that they can hide. Third, they make sure to hide their gear as well as they can whenever they are not using it. Finally, they always set watch when they are meeting at the auditorium. The second floor balcony has a ledge that makes a great bird's nest to watch the whole area. They know it is just a matter of time before the building is inspected by the Homage guard.

This idea works out much sooner than any in the group could have anticipated. One late afternoon, ten days after Tim's run in with the Homage guard, Justin, Tim and Paul are all meeting to do some extra training after Tim and Paul's shifts. As they are working on parrying maneuvers they hear the front door crash in and a yell, "This is the guard, anyone in here come out now!"

Unfortunately, they had broken the first rule. They did not set a watch as they decided it would not be necessary with just the three of them there. The guards are in the front foyer and have to come down the main hall and in through the main theater doors to get to the stage where the boys are. But with their practice the three don't even think, they just fall into training. Tim grabs their gear, Justin spreads some dust on the floor and Paul kills the lanterns. Then they split up and make it to their respective hiding places just as the guards make it into the main theater.

The first guard says gruffly as he looks down each isle walking toward the stage, "Looks empty boys. Split up and look around a little and then we can get to the other inspections for the evening."

The second guard looks around seemingly unconvinced by the first guard and answers, "I don't know. I smell smoke, like lanterns or something."

The first guard interrupts, "Probably just some darn kids screwing around. The place is filthy, look at all the dust. No one has been here for years, alright finish up quick and lets move out."

They do just that and twenty minutes later the guards are on their way out of the auditorium. They nail up the front door with some boards, mark the building abandoned and leave. Justin, Tim and Paul hold tight for another ten minutes or so to make sure the coast is clear and then make their back to the main stage. They scout the building to confirm the guards have all left, pack up their gear and go home for the evening. This particular event suits the group just fine. Now people will think twice before coming into the old building. They all just hope that the Homage don't decide to demolish the old thing.

The next couple of weeks pass without too much activity. People in town are beginning to find a routine in their new lives under the direction of the Homage government. Most town people are not very happy with their new government but at least life has some normalcy. A regular job with a steady paycheck which people can buy food and basic supplies with can really help people's moral. With that a sense of safety begins to reemerge in this prairie town. Although the Homage guard does strike fear into people but at least there are armed patrols to protect against whatever chaos is going on in the outside world. But it news of the outside world that shows up fifteen days after Tim's little rogue run in with the Homage guards that brings more fear into town.

Early on that morning a very tall man, almost seven feet, with jet black hair half-way down his back arrives in town. The man has piercing grey eyes that seem to look not into you, but through you. He strolls into town not really walking but gliding, and sets himself up just a few blocks from the center of town and begins to preach his "news"

With a booming voice that carries more than it naturally should begins his story, "The world has changed my good people. Something has happened that has not happened in almost 1500 years with the fall of the Roman Empire. The world has reverted to an earlier, simpler time, where the strong and aggressive rule over the lesser peoples. But what has happened now is much more significant, as civilization has not just been put on hold but has almost been destroyed. Do not be deceived, the nuclear attack has shut down civilization as you know it. You pathetic people have become too dependent on your technology. True, your technology was very powerful but it proved a very fragile, very temporary thing. Now the world stands on a precipice, the tools are there and they can be picked up and used again by the right people. But that is not what is happening and not what is meant to be. There are those that are taking advantage of the situation. They are grasping power and destroying the tools of technology which will be forever lost as will those that have the knowledge to use them. This has happened before, great civilizations have fallen and their knowledge lost. The great peoples of Atlantis, the Egyptians, the Incas, all of these great civilizations have fallen and their knowledge was lost. The present knowledge that has been lost will take centuries to recover, if not longer. Do not trust those that try and pacify you with talk of security and protection. These are the ones you must be mindful of, for they know only how to speak lies. They wish to destroy your lives and technology in order to gain power. They know that if you do not have technology to rely on you will have to rely on them. They will do what they must in order to guarantee your submission. This is the way things are meant to go, but what these people who control you do not know is that something else has been awakened, something older and deeper. Violence and death have awakened an old power. You see good people, technology acts as a sedative. It is a thin mask over the great powers of the world. It is man that has feared what he cannot see or understand and this is why mankind seeks out those things he can understand and control. Thus man creates things, technology, which makes life easier yes, but more important it makes life understandable. There are great powers in the world that cannot be seen or understood. Mankind ignores them because of fear and replaces them with technology that people can understand. But if you take that technology away, you are taking away this thin mask. This is something that those that rule you did not anticipate. They have awakened great powers that cannot be completely understood or controlled, these are thing of children's stories of magic and monsters, things of make-believe and imagination. But remember that all stories are based somewhere in fact. Do you think it is a coincidence that these things are children's stories? What a better way to hide a truth than to make it childish. To believe in such things is utter nonsense, it is childish. It is no wonder you people have lost your belief, have lost your faith. Lies and masks have hidden great and deep truths, things that will soon become evident. Do not be deceived, those that rule over you are not concerned with your well-being or making your lives better. They desire power and they have their own agendas. But do not fear, in the chaos and oppression there will be one who arises. A pureblood, an omnipresent, omnipotent being that will triumph over all foes and he will decide the fate of all, for good or ill. He will hold the fate of all in the palm of his hand. The pureblood will come from the west like a powerful storm, cleansing all in his wake."

Now of course this stranger attracts all sorts of attention, especially from the Homage group. The Homage do not appreciate the accusations and verbal assaults of this out-of-towner. They attempt to silence this stranger to no avail. The first team of four guards sent in attempts to seize the man but can not touch him. Now I mean they really can't physically touch him. They go in to grab him and are stopped by some force, like an invisible wall or something out of a sci-fi movie. The next day the man again is in the same spot, with the same message, and preaching to even larger gathering crowds. Again the Homage group attempts to silence the man and send in twenty guards but to no avail. The man cannot be touched by hands or rocks or arrows. The stranger just continues on with his message of destruction and deliverance. It is on this second day that Justin and the boys, and Claire too, go to check out what is going on with the strange visitor. Most of the town is there despite the Homage attempting to keep people away. Many still leave their homes and work to listen to the stranger. While they are listening Justin, typically skeptical, asks the stranger a question.

Justin shouting loudly to get the strangers attention, "So my good man, how do you know all of this?"

The stranger looks at Justin, very perturbed that he has been interrupted, answers angrily, "I have foreseen what is to come and I have been called to share my message."

Justin chuckles loud enough so the stranger knows he is being laughed at and asks skeptically, "And how do we know you are telling the truth."

The stranger smiles a very sinister smile, obviously very pleased with himself, answers loudly, "You cannot know Justin son of Daniel, but faith is what will see us through the coming days of trouble."

Justin is terribly taken back by the use of his father's name, a name he has not heard in a very long time. Justin asks, obviously frustrated, "How the heck do you know me, or my father?"

The stranger turns his attention away from Justin but continues to speak, "I see many things my boy, many things, but the future is never certain. Each choice is a different variable in a grand equation. Seeing the past is easy, as it is set, the future is more difficult to see, as it ebbs and flows."

At that, the usually vocal Justin is quiet, as is the rest of the group. They have no idea what to think of the stranger and what his message may mean for them. But they all know that they need to have the input from their last member. They decide unanimously that someone needs to go get Mike and bring him in on this now. Paul and Pete are selected to keep an eye on the new stranger and the rest ride out to inform Mike. By the time they leave it is already afternoon and they know the stranger will be gone by night fall. No one knows where the stranger goes but at dusk he always wraps up his message and disappears into the country. The group hopes that Mike will be able to come in first thing tomorrow and they also hope that the stranger will still be around.