We were gathered in the condo of one of my neighbors. We were discussing security options as we had the most awful thing happen the day before and we felt the need to come together and make plans for the future of our well being. We were in the living room and were sitting and prone on the two couches and the many posh, all in white overstuffed chairs. We started our discussion. There was much talking over one another so a small piece of paper was held by my father and he would keep track of how many times each of us had talked which he dutifully kept tally. I must admit I am one of those trying to jump turn. Several times my father would shush me. The condo was primarily of three sides. One side was solid and nearby at an angle to the right of the wall was the door. Next to the solid wall was a long stretch of glass enclosed wall some 20 feet long. The only lack of glass was an exquisitely carved fireplace near the middle. Two-Thirds of the wall overlooked a grand cement walkway up a corridor of cement accented in green that moved on an incline of step from left to the right. Along the walkway was many patterns of squares built out of cement making up sides to the walkway that were quite high. Everywhere you looked up that pathway were angles upon angles. One would think that cement would be unattractive but this was incredibly desirable. It was impressive in size, scope and in the clean cut of every feature. The condo also had at the far end of the glass wall a view of a huge ocean inlet, a blue jewel with rolling waves. Abutting the long stretch of glass was a shorter wall continuing the look out over the ocean. At the very edge of the water was a natural reed and grass bank.
The owners of this condo complex had outlined some general security steps which gave us a starting point to the discussion but now those seemed feeble to us all and questions of how we could be proactive in making sure something didn't happen was now the topic of choice. I had been on the couch and was weighted down by other members of the group as I reclined my position. A large barrel-chested black man that I had a great affection for was next to speak. He had a charming personality and inviting nature but was also a stronger personality and he had decided it was high time for him to speak. The discussion had broken down into first who's place would we be going to and then what might we do to barricade ourselves. This did not sit well with the man and he spoke up in a strong voice. "If something happens we will come here and then some of us guys will get together and do what we call some manly shit!" At this the man reached to me for a palm slap which I was more than happy to give him.
This quieted down the conversation for a bit but a few people needed to make points they thought so once again we were in discussion and most eager to talk over each other. I barged into the conversation when I had half a chance and began to tell them what I had seen the evening before. I had been in our place and had been looking across the long wide walk up the middle of the condo suites and had seen what at first looked like people in a hurry walking around and then in a nearby coffee room that had been given to the owners of the condos. Then it seemed like someone had entered the room and as I watched the activity I felt urgency in the movements I was seeing. Then as I spoke, "...and then all of a sudden, Boom." They knew that I had heard the shot that had been fired that evening or even so much as to seen the shot. Others began to take this account and turn it into another of the discussions.
I went over into the corner where the picturesque view the ocean could be seen and stood there with my father. I was looking out paying little attention to the discussion when I began to see that the waves had grown larger and were now churning in activity. I then looked at the reed and grass at the ocean's edge and saw a flutter of activity. I turned to my father, "Look at that!" My father turned toward the view and I saw his face had began to go through a series of emotions that I knew were a mirror of my own and read something like; this is strange, it never happens and even if it did it doesn't look right. At that time as we both looked on and just past the grasses we could see people walking up our way. In fact to follow sight back to the ocean's edge these people were the activity we had seen there. We followed their walk's progress we could see others all along the walk come out of each side to join them in the middle. Up ahead of them we could see others walking to the center walkway and would soon join the growing ranks of people. As my eyes panned upward and to the right I could hear our room had quieted and that they too were looking out at the progression of walkers. As the walkers and my eyes had nearly reached the high point of the walkway we could see a door open in the corner of the cement wall many floors above the pathway. It was at the adjoining of the wall so it would naturally guide attention to it as a central towering and awe inspiring aperture in the masses of cement.
In the doorway were two men holding another man in between them and a speaker that had come even with them on one side. Others could be seen behind. The speaker began to tell us that this was the man from the evening before something we had began to assume before we were told. They told us that the man was disturbed.
At this time I found myself inside the room with the man being held. This was a large room. A room that spoke of sincerity and purpose. There were people gathered around a great circular depression in the room. This was a enclosed cement coliseum. Many cement steps lead down to a center far below. There was ample room for the man being held, the speaker and the large entourage. I was a spectator. Two men hoisted the man in binds and pulled his hands higher in the air between them. Looking all the world as if showing a hunter's catch to his people.
My viewpoint had changed now and I was at the top of the steps leading down into the sobering center below. There I saw the spokesman, the captive, the henchmen and the entourage with eager, maniacal looking faces accentuated even the more for the surroundings of the perfectly bleached perfection of the cement all around. The captured man began to talk, or actually a form of pleading and mewing which I knew meant nothing to the many faces that surrounded him. In response the men at his arms shook him and made it certain that the man too knew what I had already known. It was not long before the man was placed face up in the floor and was then strapped arms and legs to a separate binder held in the un-giving cement of the floor. A console come out of a hole in the floor to reach perfect height for the man that had walked out to take it's controls. This man was eager to do his job apparent in his eager, swaggering step. He knew that time neared. A bit of glistening sweat and spittle at the mouth was a telltale sign that his step was not in jest.
Our conductor for the day, as I could think of no other equivalence started to knead the controls very softly at first and the captive in the floor began to stretch at the corners just the slightest. He began to try a stretch at the right arm and left leg and screams registered the pain that had been felt. Our conductor then stretched the other combination of leg and arm just to show his since of symmetry. The show now was a mixing bowl of movement as prods from the underside of the man and then hooks coming in at the side were worked with equal joy as the arm and leg stretching had been. In my mind I saw a frothing monster of a man covered in sweat and spittle acting as if a truly demented joker in his own singular Batman film and a senseless lump of a man on the floor the unfortunate recipient.
