Swing Low: Chapter 26

Chapter 26If you're new to this, start atThe Beginning. And thanks for sharing my stories with all your friends.
Installment #27 of:Sing Low: The Hangman of the WoodsBy B.C. Crow (Chapter 26I’ve done all I can. One person can often make all the difference. Usually that one person is never alone. If someone as lowly as me can inspire you, just imagine your potential. I’m no leader, but my conscience is true. What does your heart tell you?“Let me guess, Thing One didn’t even try to help you.”I peered into the dark room the two Things shared. The arrogant voice of Thing Two carried a little more bitterness than usual. I wasn’t in any mood to waste my breath. I just wanted to go to my room and think for a while.I was edging for the hallway when Thing Two added, “Don’t you even want to know how I knew about your little romp with the police?”“Half the town already knows.” I was sure of it. A reporter like Biahn would have seen to that. I realized that I’d be lucky to walk the streets without getting assaulted.“Hey Iddo," he laughed with a touch of rude hysteria. "Hey, don’t ignore me, you self-righteous jerk! You think you’re so much better than me or Duy? You don’t like who we spend our time with? At least I don’t worship a murderer!”I was at the end of the hallway. I stepped into my room and slammed the door before Thing Two could say anything more. I collapsed onto my dirty old mattress, curled into a ball, and filled the futon with a sticky stream of tears.“I heard what happened, Iddo. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”Startled, I sat erect. I’d been weeping for a good twenty minutes, then silently tried to collect myself for ten. I hadn’t even glanced at Duy’s bed. He’d been gone so much that I hadn’t expected him to be home, let alone in our room.“I’ve been nursing a headache all morning,” Duy said casually, as if making an excuse for his intrusion on my privacy. He was still lying on his bed as he talked. “I really should stop partying so much. Eventually I’m going to regret it. But this is college life, eh? Enjoy it while you can, before you need to be responsible, you know, that sort of thing.”“I wish it were that easy,” I mumbled.“Yeah, tell me about it.”“Well, I’ve got to find a way to help the hangman out. He saved my life, you know. He’s not what the newspaper is portraying him as. He’s actually a really good man, if not a little different.”“When I said tell me about it, I meant that as an expression.” Duy paused. I didn’t know what to say. Then he laughed. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. No, seriously, you can go on. But a good man? I heard he’s strangled hundreds of men.”I sighed. Duy was trying, but I wasn’t in the mood. “He has killed a lot of men,” I admitted. “But every one of them was out in the woods to murder their own second or third kids to avoid paying the surplus child taxes. Then he takes those little babies and raises them. He’s got over to a hundred and fifty kids that he’s saved.”“No way—he’s like the destroying angel. You know, kills the wicked and saves the innocent.”“I-I don’t know.” I shook my head. “All I know is that he’s going to be tried and killed. Then there’s Midnight. She’s about my age, and I promised to marry her. Only problem is that she’s going to be taken away somewhere. I have to get her before it’s too late. But I don’t know how.”“Dude!” Duy exclaimed, then put a hand to his head in regret. “Oh, I hate hangovers. But seriously, Iddo, you’re engaged? Why didn’t you tell me?”“Sorry. The circumstances are a little—different. Besides, I didn’t think you’d be interested. I didn’t want you to give me a hard time over it.”“Do you seriously think I’d give you a hard time over anything?” Duy asked with a playful tone.I didn’t want to point out his lifestyle choice; how could I do that without offending? “Maybe not, but if I were you, I’d think it odd to find my roommate engaged to an orphan girl who lived in the woods and was raised by a killer. Especially when you’re enjoying your bachelor status as much as you seem to be.”“Well, anything sounds absurd when you put it that way—but are you kidding, Iddo? A fling with a savage sounds really exotic!”“It’s not like that!” I knew Duy was just trying to sympathize, but his humor was pushing me in the wrong direction.“Okay, okay. But you’re a reporter, why don’t you write some articles in defense of this hangman?”“I’m not a real reporter, I just write campus filler news for the paper to pad their college life section. The real reporters, like Biahn, are already slandering the hangman, anyway. There’s no way my editors will let me publish anything that contradicts their star reporter.”“No, that’s the beauty of it. Don’t you see?” Duy sounded serious, maybe even a little conspiratorial. He rolled over on his bunk, linking his arm over the edge of the bed. I still couldn’t see his face. “Okay. Imagine this, Iddo. You pitch to your boss another take on the story, a sort of battle of the wits, as it were. The paper would be showing both sides of the story, creating a little drama between writers that would make the audiences follow the story even closer. You could even throw in some details about your love story to gain support. They could sell more papers in a single week than they would in the whole year otherwise.”I rolled off my bed and stood. “Maybe not the whole year, but you might have a point.” The idea was novel. Maybe, just maybe, I could pull it off and save the hangman and find a way to be with Midnight again. The more I let the idea sink in, the more I liked it. I looked up at Duy, who was taking a break from massaging his temples. His bed-matted hair looked perfectly styled for the big crooked grin now cemented on face.“Duy, some days I could just kiss you.”“No-ho-oh,” he said playfully. “You’re too ugly for me. I prefer—”“I don’t need to know. But all the same, thanks. I gotta run.”“Good luck, Iddo.”I ran into the bathroom, splashed some water on my face, then ran out of the apartment. Thing Two tried to shout some profanity at me, but I was gone before he could finish his line. What was his problem, anyhow? I’d never offended him in any way that I was aware of. Not a big deal. I’d worry about that later, if ever. Considering the bigger picture, Thing Two was low on my list of worries.Not daring to waste any time, I jogged. Well, I jogged for about one block. Then I walked at a more sustainable pace. Either my memory was poor, or I was always overconfident. Every time I felt like jogging or running, I was reminded that my body was not built for the task. My breathing remained heavy for the next two blocks. When I finally reached the publishing house, I was covered in sweat, but otherwise in good control of myself. I was confident and energized. I was going to make a difference.Even on a Sunday, the publishing house was open. The news never stopped, so neither did they. Of course there were fewer people in on a Sunday, and the Monday paper always tended to be lighter, but work went on in some degree, every day of the week.The front door hadn’t fully closed behind me when my excitement got a cold wet towel thrown onto it. There were a few people in view, not like on a weekday, but they were all busy going about their tasks. Only one person noticed me walk in, and her hesitant eyes made me wonder what the bad news could be. Of all people I actually thought she’d have the day off.“Hi Krystal, are you okay?”“Yeah, I’m fine. I didn’t expect you back so soon.”“So you heard what happened?” I asked.“I’m so sorry. I know what Biahn did to you. He used you to find those people, didn’t he?”“That’s what I’m here to talk about. I need to speak to the chief editor.”“I don’t know if that’s a good idea right this minute,” Krystal warned. But as I passed her, she gasped. “Iddo, your back!”I stopped and turned my head. Futile, I knew. There was no way I’d be able to see my back. But I knew what she was looking at. Yet again I’d become so obsessed with an idea that I’d forgotten to think. In this case I’d forgotten to change my clothes. Not only was that unprofessional, but the back of my shirt was ribboned with cuts and blood. Though I’d been aware of the aching pains and crusted scabs, my shirt had seemed unimportant next to freeing Midnight, Daddy Smiling, and all the kids.Krystal must not have been aware of how wide her mouth was open, because she looked a little silly and uncommonly disheveled. She was peering below my ruined shirt at the long slashes, bordered in thick black-and-blue strips. Since I hadn’t cleaned the blood off, it probably looked worse than it was. Maybe it really was worse than I thought.“Did Biahn do this, too?”“His posse did this to me. Don’t ever trust him, Krystal. He’s just like they teach you to be in journalism school. His loyalty and beliefs lie with the best story at any given time.”Krystal shut her mouth. I wondered if she remembered advocating a similar mentality back in school. Well, haggard or not, I was going to speak to the editor. Maybe my battered appearance would help win my case.Before Krystal could stop me, I pushed the office door open and entered the chief editor’s office. He looked up from his computer.“I need to go over something with you,” I blurted.“Iddo, you look terrible. I’m guessing you didn’t like what Krystal had to say?”“She hasn’t told me anything other than the fact that I look like a rag doll. She can’t help me, anyway. I need to go over this with you.”The chief editor folded his arms and leaned back in his chair.I laid out my plan. “That’s pretty much it. I know you’re going to publish Biahn regardless. Just let me do some stories from the other point of view. I promise, people everywhere will read about the controversy. It’ll be good for the paper. It might even go international.”The editor rocked in his chair for about five seconds. “I suppose you’ll want a small raise for this, too.”I couldn’t believe it. I needed a raise. This would make renting a place for me and Midnight so much easier. I should have said, I don’t care about the money. I’ll do it for free. This is just a story that has to be told! Instead, what came out was, “Thank you, that would be great.”The chief editor tossed a pen onto the table. “I told Krystal to tell you this, and I still stand behind it. You’re fired.”With eyes bulged and mouth agape, I was at a loss for words.“Biahn is one of our best reporters. If you sympathize with a murderer, then we don’t need you here. Not for your current pay, not for a raise. I wouldn’t even keep you on for free. You disgust me, Iddo. Get out of my office now, and don’t come back!”My jaw hung limp, and I just stared at my former employer. He picked up his pen, turned to the other side of his L-shaped desk, and said over his shoulder, “You may leave now.” As if he had called me in for a minor editing remark. I stood, then dragged my feet out the door. I looked back once, but his back was still to me.When his office door clicked shut behind me, I looked up to see Krystal. She was standing not five feet away, biting at her knuckles. Had she been listening at the door?“I’m so sorry, Iddo. I tried to tell you. It’s just that when I saw what they did to you—then you marched into his office so fast—I just, I’m sorry.”Still in shock, I walked right past Krystal, failing to acknowledge her with more than a brief nod. Her pity bored into my back as I silently exited the building. The aches and pains of my lacerated back seemed to attack with a new vigor. My body acted as if it too, were betraying me. I walked only two blocks, far enough away that the publishing house was out of view. With no more willpower to put one foot in front of the other, I sat on the curb next to the street.Crying was out of the question. Not only had I already spent my tears, but also it now seemed pointless. I’d been betrayed, beaten, ridiculed, fired, and on top of that, my mother had died, my fiancée was going to be taken away, and there was nothing I could do to stop it or save the hangman. Even Krystal had come full circle and now pitied me again. This seemed only to put an official stamp on my dejection.I had nothing left in me. If someone were to come along and pick me up by my leg, I would probably not even change position while they turned me over and shook the rags off my back. They could place my naked body right back on the curb, and I doubt I would have even blinked once. I felt completely and unsalvageably defeated.After an hour, maybe two, I stood and walked. I walked so long that when I lifted my gaze from my feet, I didn’t recognize where I was. I’d moped my way into some border town I’d never visited. I wasn’t exactly lost; it’s hard to get lost when you know the direction you just came from. Showing less reluctance than I felt, I turned around and placed one foot in front of the other. I didn’t know how long I’d walked to get here. I didn’t know where I was or where I wanted to be. I was beyond caring at this point. Though I knew how to find my way back home, I was lost more deeply than any map could help with.As each step took me closer to my apartment, the smog filling my brain only thickened. For a long time, I kicked stones down the street, imagining that each rock was my body bouncing irregularly as it rolled along the rough asphalt.At other times I don’t remember seeing the street. I just remember seeing Midnight’s pleading lips as they trembled or accused me of betraying her. I even imagined my mother, who’d always supported me, telling me how I’d disappointed her.Somewhere deep inside I could see that I was becoming my own worst enemy. I knew that the self-loathing was tearing me down and I shouldn’t let it happen. Still, I felt powerless to stop it. When my feet felt too tired to continue, I untucked my chin from my chest long enough to realize that I’d walked past my apartment by at least ten kilometers. I was at the edge of the woods again.Night had fallen, and I could see the yellow glow emanating from so many little lights of the college town. It looked inviting and warm. I turned to the woods, which seemed dark and engulfing. My feet hurt. I’m sure blisters had formed and broken. Instead of working my way back home, I stumbled the last few hundred meters to the base of the woods, where the dark blanket of trees seemed to fit my mood much better. There I let myself collapse next to a thorny bush. It poked at my shoulder, but I didn’t move away. I just let it bother me to sleep.That night dreams of everyone I loved plagued me. Thing One became one of the whipping mobsters. Duy joined Thing Two in bullying me. My mother chose to ignore me. Daddy Smiling tried fastening his rope around my neck. The only one who didn’t turn on me was Midnight, but in my dreams she kept reaching for me, and I couldn’t even lift my arm to help. Last of all, the Laidy of the Woods screamed, “Me owns you now, boy! You be doin’ what me tells you do, for now and always!”I startled awake. The sun was just rising above the horizon. All was calm. Hidden birds were singing the morning in. My thumping heart slowed in relief, then, it nearly stopped. Something was on my leg. I lifted my head. The prickly bush I’d fallen asleep next to dug into my cheek. Then I saw it, the largest krait ever was slithering across my leg, warming itself on me. The deadly snake brought back every memory of the witch from my dream. I choked back panic. Was this the work of a witch? But the snake remained calm. No, it was just a wild snake looking for a warm rock to sun itself on.Something about my unsettling dream and this snake brought back a resolve that I’d allowed to diminish. I remembered that I’d escaped the witch’s snakes through faith. Faith in a God I still barely comprehended. Faith in a God who'd protected me, despite myself.Light from the rising sun pushed away the shadows. As the morning rays warmed my skin, the light of understanding filled me. If faith could protect me from a witch and a mess of serpents, why couldn’t it support me in a good cause? And what better cause was there for me than to help Daddy Smiling and his children?I’d heard of people striving to accomplish their goals, referencing God as their supporter. When the war staged around my broken country, I’d heard that both sides fought in the name of their god, not to mention many of my people in the middle, pleading to the same god for protection.I doubt I could ever say whose side, if any side, God had been on back then, but I felt something now. I had a reason to go on. I had a reason to fight for my convictions. I would save Daddy Smiling. I would marry Midnight. I would help the children of the woods find refuge. I would find the means to support myself through college. Most of all, I would not give up.Another thought entered my mind, as if someone else was hinting deeper truths. Are you only going to turn to Him when you need Him most?I drew in a deep breath. No, I couldn’t. I was growing beyond that. If I was to call on His grace and actually expect to receive it, I would have to finally commit. I’d told myself more than once that I’d learn of God, but I’d procrastinated. I made a promise to Him right then and there that I would not pursue him so idly any more. I would turn my life over to Him. As I made this commitment, my heart burned with joy.I half laughed. So is this what faith feels like? Duy might not be the best example, but if this feeling of unearthly confidence was the same that supported his people, then I might actually become a Believer after all.Gently I reached under the giant snake. The sun is coming up, my friend. It’s time for you to find a warm spot someplace else. The poisonous reptile allowed me to lift it off of my legs and place it on the ground next to me. It took one look at me, staring unwaveringly into my eyes, that steady flickering tongue the only movement between us. To me it almost felt like it was saying, Good job, Iddo. I came here to get you thinking. You’ll be just fine.I’m sure it was just trying to decide why its warming stone had just picked it up and moved it. It might have been wondering if I was a threat. If it did consider me dangerous, it must have decided that chipping a fang on such an unusual rock was riskier than just slithering away.For my part, I stood, stretched, and brushed myself off. My back felt swollen, and I wondered if I should worry about infection. But the morning was fresh. I was fresh. However my body ached, my mind was invigorated. The road ahead might be difficult, but I was bursting with holy resolution. God was on my side. There were many things that could stop me, but nothing would. I would see to that.Click here to read Chapter 27Copyright 2017: While I encourage you to share this link with your friends and family, please keep in mind that this is copyrighted material. Under no circumstances do you have the right to re-publish any or part of this content without specific written permission from BC Crow and Blue House Publishing.