A Step to Nowhere (15 page)
The buildings in The City of Lost were gray from the side of the road, but when we went through the alley, deeper into the city, we came into a world of colors. The buildings weren’t just painted—it was an art exhibition. I’d never seen anything so beautiful on concrete walls. Fields of flowers, animal scenes, hundreds of portraits of people. I pressed myself to the window. A leaping tiger appeared before my eyes, a flock of flying swans, a laughing girl in a polka dot dress with a bouquet of tulips, clouds over a placid lake, a huge bouquet of roses. On one of the houses, on the sixth floor, I saw a hoist. There was a person in it. I couldn’t say his age or even a gender from my location, but I could see him adding the last strokes to the portrait of a girl with long hair.
People were walking on the streets here, sitting on benches, standing by the entrances of the buildings and talking, yelling from windows. Steve opened the window on his side and I heard unfamiliar music, voices, laughter. This place was anything but what I’d envisioned myself. In my mind’s eye I saw dark walls of tumbledown houses, lost faces of hapless, angry people. Hands stretched for alms, fights in the corners, and odors from opened trash bins.
“People are happy here,” I said, mesmerized. It seemed like we’d entered one more reality, one more alternative universe.
Ronald looked at me, leaning between the seats.
“People pretend to be happy,” he said. “They are outlaws. Social outcasts.”
“It doesn’t appear that they suffer.”
“They don’t have any choice, but to pretend.”
“I don’t understand. Why do you call it The City of Lost? Why don’t police come here?”
“Because of the history of this place,” Steve said. We drove slowly. People from the street sometimes glanced inside our car, waved. Regular folks; women and men of different ages, seemingly sober, normal, mostly dressed, not in uniforms, but in old jeans and T-shirts. They didn’t look like criminals.
“It used to be the poorest area in the city,” Ronald said.
“It’s not rich now,’ Steve said.
“It’s not rich.” Ronald nodded. “These people get help now. Something like sponsorship from our group. But at that time it was a swamp. Shabby houses, abandoned apartments, beggarly, bums, prostitutes. They had brothels here, joints. Robberies and homicides every day. Police could come here and get lost. Doctors didn’t visit sick people, mailmen went around. It was a black hole almost in the center of the city. Then Bristow came and established his
regime
. You probably know about that already, from Velma.”
“She’s told me some things,” I said.
“First, people couldn’t understand what was going on. Just rumors. Then events took a terrible turn. Our lives became an everyday struggle for surviving. It became a competition of who would snitch first. People started to leave, but the borders were closed quickly. Many people couldn’t receive permission to travel. Three years ago we organized Hlifian
.
You know what that is.”
I nodded. We stopped in front of the house with a painted forest all over the façade. Steve turned off the engine.
“My father was a friend of the father of the person who started our movement. He became one of the fathers for Hlifian
,
” Ronald continued.” “My father worked for the government. He could find out the names of suspects, the ones who were going to be arrested because somebody reported on them, and warn them. These people couldn’t leave the country, but they had to hide somewhere, so my father sent them here. The department where he used to work handled The City of Lost. Theoretically. They counted heads, made lists of people when they came here for inspections. Well, no one came for inspections but my father. He was a special man. One of the few who were respected by locals. My father knew that once a person arrived here, he disappeared. People who lived here were outlaws, but it didn’t mean they were heartless. When irnaners started to come, the locals helped them as much as they could.
“As much as they could means – they didn’t touch the irnaners
.
”
“That’s true. Of course, my father couldn’t save everyone. He couldn’t even find out the names of all the people being arrested, but he helped many people. In three years The City of Lost became what you see. Most irnaners are educated. They don’t want to live here. It’s still some sort of jail. They don’t have other choices, so they try to adjust. Our organization hasn’t grown much during this time. People are afraid to join. We’re afraid to accept everyone who
wants
to join. The person could be a spy, so we check everyone thoroughly. All of this requires a lot of money. We collect enough finances to support the movement and the people, but we can’t spend a lot. So, here you can still see the poorest residents of our city. My father has done a lot, but while Bristow is in control – the situation won’t change much. With time, in spite of all the hard work of the new people who get lost here, this place will become what it used to be. Lleh.
“Sounds like hell,” I said.
“Maybe that’s what it is.”
“Does your father still work for the government?” I asked.
“Somebody reported on him.” Ronald left the car and then opened the door for me. “Welcome to The City of Lost.”
I looked at the gun on the seat, wondering if I should take it.
“You can use it,” Steve said, leaning between the seats and looking to the weapon. I finally saw the driver’s face. Dark blond hair, hazel eyes, looked about twenty even though his voice sounded a little older. I shouldn’t have thought badly of him.
“Flowers and animals are nice, but don’t forget that some of them have been painted by murderers.”
I grabbed the gun and stepped outside.
Ronald checked around and I checked him out. He was tall and had wide shoulders. What did his double do in my world?
“I can’t shoot anyway,” I said, when he turned to me.
“Where did you get it?” Steve asked. “It’s Shtine 252! Do they make them in your world?”
“Shtine, shmine.” I turned the gun in my hand. Heavy, shiny, with a cross on the handle. “I took it from your cop. Or hunter, or whatever he was.”
“Hunter?” Steve and Ronald asked simultaneously.
I shrugged like it was not a big deal.
“I said I had laser eyes. He chickened out and gave it to me.”
“You’re lying!” Steve opened his mouth in surprise.
“Right.” I rolled my eyes. “I have nothing better to do.”
The guys laughed.
“They tell us so much pard about people from Planet Two, no wonder he believed you.”
“Can I?” Ronald reached his hand for the gun and I gave it to him. Steve walked over to us and stopped close. Unlike Ronald, he was just a little taller than my 5’6 and slightly overweight. Ronald had a black uniform on, Steve—light gray.
“I tried to fire,” I said. “It didn’t work.”
“You can tell a person who’s never held a gun.” Steve smiled. “They told us that everyone on Planet Two carries a gun, because you have more crimes.”
“That’s why everyone wants to come to our planet? Iron logic.”
“The gun is on safety, that’s it,” Ronald said, without looking at me or Steve. – “We need to pull it out.”
Ronald moved something on the top of the gun.
“It’s going to fire now?” I asked.
“It will be a good idea for you to practice. You can do it here, if we have time. We practice in basements. If you’re not familiar with weapons, it’s better to engage the safety, so you won’t shoot your leg or something by mistake.”
“Thanks for the warning. You think I’ll need it?” I asked.
“I hope not.”
Ronald put the safety back on and gave the gun to me, demanding that I repeat what he’d done. It wasn’t difficult and I stuck the gun under the belt of my uniform without fear of shooting through my foot.
“Armed and dangerous.” I joked, but it went unappreciated. Actually, I didn’t think it was funny either. Why was I like that? I had to stick in a joke no matter what the situation.
I’d never held a gun in my hands before, but innovation didn’t surprise and didn’t excite. I didn’t believe in guns for one thing, but then—what wasn’t new for me today? It seemed nothing could surprise me anymore. Well, if dragons were to start flying over my head or an elephant should walk out of the building with the president from my planet on his back, then maybe. Even that could be taken as unusual happenings in another universe.
“Steve doesn’t live here,” Ronald said as he looked up. I did the same. I saw two heads sticking out of the windows. A light-haired woman and a man with a mustache stared at us. “I live in this building on the fifteenth floor with my girlfriend. She’s pregnant.”
“Congratulations,” I said. Ronald’s facial expression didn’t show happiness.
“Yes,” he said and smiled. “We expect our first child in The City of Lost. It’s not important though. I need to warn her that I’m not alone. She doesn’t mind and is happy to help. She just doesn’t like surprises. I can’t tell her about it over the phone and I need to help her with cleaning.”
“Don’t worry about it. Actually, can we rent an apartment for a night here? I’m sure the person who gave me this wonderful opportunity to get here, will pay you.
I
also have money.” I patted my pockets and discovered that I forgot the money in the other uniform. Damn, no restaurants for me. Yet another joke that would go unappreciated even said out loud.
“It’s not easy and takes time. We have an empty bedroom for the baby. I think you’ll be comfortable there. It’s an honor for me to help a person from Planet Two.”
“Yes, you’re the first from there.”
“I don’t know if I should cry or laugh,” I said.
“Okay. I’ll run upstairs and you can come up there with Steve in a few minutes. I’ll try to find another car as soon as possible so I can send you where you need to be. Park Street?”
I nodded.
“Should I tell her?” Steve asked.
“Not now. Let’s get inside first.” Ronald looked up one more time and ran in the door of the building. It looked like he entered the trunk of a giant three.
“Tell me
what
?” I turned to Steve. He waved his hand.
“Nothing serious, really. Just a few details about our world that you can use. Ronald will tell you. He’s our leader.”
“I don’t like it when people start saying something and don’t finish,” I said.
“Sorry,” Steve shrugged. “If Ron said later it means later. I don’t do things against him.”
“ Okay.”
“Let’s sit.” He nodded in the direction of the gazebo in the middle of the courtyard. It was empty. There was another gazebo close by and I noticed a hugging couple inside.
“This place looks like paradise,” I said. “It’s difficult to imagine anything bad happening here. Criminals.”
“It’s nice on the surface, I agree. I hope you won’t see what’s inside. Usually at night, it’s not as quiet as now. Plus...” Steve looked at the upper floors and I followed his gaze. “Plus, people here don’t welcome strangers. If you’re with us, nothing to worry about. But there’re plenty of snipers.”
I swallowed and wished to reduce the open space.
We sat on the bench under the gazebo’s roof. It had started getting darker, even though it was difficult to believe. I’d spent less than twenty four hours in this place, but it seemed like a century. I was sure my family and friends were already looking for me. Mom probably was dialing number after number, my friends, work, Jason, who likely, also tortured the phone.
