“Ppfft… I-” All at once, the words caught in his throat and Thomas, usually so sure of himself, hesitated. Should I go? He thought to himself. The tempting thought of one night of fun and the chance to have at a solid glass of bee’s knees poked and prodded at the edge of the logical part of his mind. Just maybe he’d be able to find a good looking girl-
Thomas shook his head violently to rid the ridiculous thoughts from his mind.
“You’re bonkers, Eli. There’s no chance you’d find me alive at one of those illegal bars.”
The smirk on Eli’s face faded into a slight grimace. The latter stood suddenly, grabbing Thomas’ shoulder with the foolish hope he’d agree. “Come on, Thomas! Just one nigh-”
Thomas brushed the hand from his shoulder off and sighed, thoroughly exasperated.
“I said no, Eli. I simply can’t risk it.” He slid back inside the familiar darkness of his shabby flat, closing the door behind him. “I’ll see you ‘round.” A small part of him felt a microscopic twinge of guilt. His friend was hopelessly intoxicated in the vacuous dreamland where taking part in such idiotic activities wouldn’t result in avoidable consequences.
The dreary work day seemed to drag on even more slowly than usual. As the sky blue color of the day began to bleed into a darker, more ominous purple, curiosity jabbed at his guilty conscious and Thomas couldn’t help but wonder what kinds of things Eli was doing. Was he off at another speakeasy, getting himself into more trouble than should be legal? Had he found a girl of his own…? Nearing the outskirts of the Tremè, he spotted a rather large gaggle of people, grouped into a what looked like a rushing wave. Upon closer inspection, Thomas heard shouts, cries of outrage, and the maliciously . An uprising?
He exhaled lowly, subconsciously walking closer. Among the surging group, Thomas caught sight of skin a completely different shade than the usual color around this neighborhood and a feeling of dread pooled in the pit of his stomach. His feet moved faster and faster until he stopped suddenly, mouth hanging agape. Lord, what happened now-- His blood ran cold at the sight, a trembling man stood, looking quite infuriated in the hands of two jeering white men. “Eli…” The name came out as a soft whisper but Eli still heard it.
Thomas’ mind raced when Eli’s brown eyes caught him behind the building corner. Colored people had often been discriminated against but never had the victim been so close to him. His fists clenched and he started towards his friend, but something in his mind seemed to hold him back. Those white men were familiar. This could lead to some serious consequences. Oh Lord, what do those people want with Eli?