Bill of Human Wrongs

Inside the hotel room, the TV continued to show the battles in the streets of D.C. Eve and Christine had found some cards and started a game of Hearts with the others. Their food supply was now ample and the baby was peacefully sleeping.

Glenda had opted out of the game and was watching the news.

Protesters had progressed through the night, they’d made headway toward Liberty Square. Thousands of marchers were in the street. The sun was setting, it the most dangerous time of the day.

Then it happened.

Gun fire erupted and the leading demonstrators dropped to their knees. Screaming could be heard. The air exploded with smoke from gas canisters being hoisted at the crowd. People scattered, fleeing for their lives.

The card players turned in horror at the screen. Glenda wiped the wet smudges from her face, “You did this, Eve.” She pointed at the dead bodies appearing on the screen, the gassy air clearing to show the massacre. “You are going down in history as the most prolific traitor ever! You sit here smugly, knowing that you’re safe. But your selfish attitude is astounding. Look at it, Eve! These people are dying, and for what? A Latino woman? She’s so important to warrant an outright war?”

“Glenda, if it hadn’t been Conchita, it would have been someone or something else that made this happen.”

They heard more shots. A mob had infiltrated a group of White soldiers and confiscated their guns.  They were now shooting.

“Oh my God! Now the heathens are armed.” She looked at Stephen. “It’s the end of everything, the end of us. We’re all going to be killed! The baby,” she ran into the next room.

Stephen shook his head in sorrow. “Eve, it’s not personal. Glenda’s scared, that’s all. And frankly, we don’t understand people like you, your ways and all. I’ve tried, but my wife is right. Life was good until you started this.” He picked up his gun and left to join his family, closing the door behind him.

Ron grabbed a chair and leaned it against the door so that it was blocked. “Ladies, these folks are beginning to worry me. Tonight, we need to move. The news is disturbing to say the least, but on a more personal note, I think its effect on our neighbors is a little scary.”

“Ron, there’s an old abandoned fire house a few blocks away. If we can break the lock, it might be a safe place to hide.” Eve knew it would be a safe haven for them. And if the building was the coffee house, as she suspected, they would be around friendly people.

Ron looked at Christine. Their years of companionship had taught them to speak a silent language. “Right now? We’re going to change rooms. We’ll go up a few floors and hope that Stephen doesn’t get aggressive. Come on, we all need to take what we can, the food is most important.” He took some food out of the bags and placed it on the counter by the formula. “That should hold them for a few days. Leave the TV on and follow me.”

They went out into the hall, walking in a single file until they found the stairs. They climbed three flights before Ron pointed in the distance. He wanted to take them to the other end of the building. Christine went ahead and selected a room a little more than half way down the corridor. She removed the master card and slowly opened the door for them to enter their new home.

“Honey, give me that thing. I’m going to go turn on all the televisions on the two floors below us, then I’ll be back and do the same on this floor. I wish we had another card, but that’s ok. You two make us some diner.” He winked at Christine. “I’ve got some wine in one of those bags.”

He turned and left, his mission was to make noise in every room of the hotel.