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Potter There Will Be No Fire 1 of 10 Jose de Jesus Arredondo 2267 East Kathleen Road Phoenix AZ 85022 480 438 4913 josedejesusarredondo1 gmail com about 2 700 words THERE WILL BE NO FIRE by Jos Potter Brown wet boots saddled the harness of the horse moving along with the sluggish pace of the crowd American cowboys muscular smart toned in all of their glory this one named Pete patrols up and down in serious silent fashion rising above the rest of them like Death ready to unleash His almighty fury upon the disturber of the peace Unnourished bodies on their way to their weekly rations huddle together like sardines in a can naked sweaty bodies pressed against each other Make way for Pete and his horse the blackest one they had seen called on by many as one of the horses of the apocalypse But they see the horse now gracefully walking forward in all silver barding They see its beauty Nevertheless mother s hold onto their youngest while others tuck their hands into their pockets pretending to hold onto something important scared of the unpredictable nature of beasts Two men break into drunken dance They pull out their dull pocket knives and argue incoherently in Spanish The crowd gathers entertained by their display of machismo The men

Potter There Will Be No Fire 2 of 10 spit venom from their words succumbing to the most delicate of winds becoming more passionate in their hate Before long it s time for it to end Four older gentlemen probably in their forties grab ahold of them but Pete is on his way The drunkards stop and attempt to fix themselves until their wasted urge takes over and he shoots them dead turning the strongest of stomachs some even vomiting others with spoiled appetites Drinking is forbidden here in Square 90 The town clock strikes 9 00 o clock and the doors to Galaxia Humana Building A open The people of Square 90 huddle inside ready to receive their weekly rations Over the wall cars drive on freshly paved roads Wretched women and greedy businessmen in tacky suits honking their horns taking the kids to school whispering curses some out their car window late to work cursing at the whole world least of anyone s worries Suburban teenagers in hormonal angst race down roads that go on for miles straight No care for law or authority far from the godawful stench of Square 90 Only doctors lawyers and Jesus live here unrestricted by Square 90 s boundaries given total freedom the opportunity to thrive passed their ancestors who abandoned their burrow centuries ago like rats leaving their homes sticking their snotty noses in the air taking the fresh air in the sweet smell of roses Mansions were built accordingly around the neighborhood all made the same vibrant colored bricks yellow red purple pink what s in style full floor to ceiling windows breathtaking balconies overgrown with gardens homes occupied by happy people and savage men who sailed violent seas Knives forks and spoons rattle excuse the noise the overwhelming sound of rotors a white light shines blinding everyone When Gustava saw Lucas for the second time in her life nearly half a decade ago back when Square 90 was first constructed she did not hesitate to declare her love for him Why

Potter There Will Be No Fire 3 of 10 wouldn t she She now lived in a tight cramped apartment infested by cockroaches and pestilence To her understanding everyone would eventually fall sick one by one slowly lowering Square 90 s population In World War II Hitler used gas chambers in an attempt to rid the world of Jews Today enemies of the state are taken care of provided with free food and housing just enough to survive and still go insane Words of affection came out easily desiring foolish hearts climbing great mountains but never reaching the end saving it for something else something more bees wandering around old empty flower pots hopeless dreaming of it all baby steps but what good are baby steps nothing yet the same feeling of conflict swept over them making it difficult for Gustava to say I love you They gather in secret in the attic of public housing VI illuminated by a single burning candle hosted by Chucho an old deformed dwarf who resides within the dusty confined space They surround a large wooden table wearing long black robes and masks to protect their identities One week after Square 90 s grand opening when the first wave of Mexicans were mainly Dreamers they held their first meeting recruiting other Mexicans who came not long after illegals residents Mexican Americans Meeting every Sunday as religion is forbidden in Square 90 meeting in the empty void of the attic right under Pete s nose And with every new member the room grew louder heavier with noise from personal opinions to indisputable facts to unfiltered thinking He doesn t fire his gun someone said referring to him as Short Fuse Pete The crowd groaned The image of two men dying drowning in thick pools of blood was still fresh in their minds No no no they were drunk said the man again

Potter There Will Be No Fire 4 of 10 Each of them performed various expressions and gestures no fear of any repercussions no fear of death no fear of harm while being caged like filthy animals Indeed Lucas flirted with the idea The belief that one must suffer good in order to reach heaven which is why he only drank once a week an ingenious way to propel himself into the finest of things simply by turning the other cheek Gustava stared at Lucas She wanted so badly his attention to be held and kissed to be his but never in that way No no no not in that way Why would she She was fine as is Plus there was a revolution to lead She couldn t possibly have time for that As it was it was already a big thing in Square 90 With currency being completely eradicated physical services and fair exchanges took place But it was not like Gustava s character to take up any of these services more or less do it for pleasure Gustava thought of a mother who discovered her daughter s hips pressed against a stranger s groin The short stocky man resembling that of a plumber hairy and rough ended and all squeezes tenderly towering over her delicate body as though the possibility of him being there in that exact moment naked in bed would have given pigs wings to fly Gustava shook her head in disgust She couldn t imagine something so vile so incredibly rotten and the sickening families who sold their precious lamb for slaughter having children and taking care of them to adulthood only to strip them of their bodies Gentlewomen as they call themselves sit around in their patios sipping tea sharing erotic stories they heard from Square 90 labeling the residents as sexual deviants Nicole a pale older woman with snowy white hair walks in carrying a clear glass pitcher to refill their cups a fourth generation Mexican American a mindful precaution set during a time of war

Potter There Will Be No Fire 5 of 10 Nicole is the family maid just as her mother was the maid for Mr Cratfield s family maintaining the house sweeping cleaning cooking authentic Mexican tacos for Cinco de Mayo babysitting all five children Irving Joseph Owen Isaac especially helping Mrs Cratfield give birth to her latest son Malcolm The process was especially draining Mrs Cratfield lay submerged in the bathtub with warm water Nicole lit candles and placed them all over the room scattering sunflowers on the ground and on the surface of the water retrieving soft blankets from the closet to cover the cold tile floor Her technique was the same as her mothers carefully massaging the body from head to toe putting focus on the back and belly pressing against the body soothing the skin tending to the soul making sure Mrs Cratfield was relaxed at all times However when the contractions worsened Nicole reached for a plastic water bottle filled with various unidentifiable plants that had turned the water green a special tonic passed on by her mother a family recipe originating from Salamanca Guanajuato and dating back to when the conquistadors first inhabited the lands Careful not to spill a single drop Nicole put the drink to Mrs Cratfield s lips She took a sip and her body immediately relaxed pushing out a healthy baby boy with tremendous ease Nicole fished the boy out of the waters and wrapped him in a soft blanket He s so handsome Mrs Cratfield said reaching out for him The placenta is not out yet replied Nicole handing her her baby

Potter There Will Be No Fire 6 of 10 The plan was in motion Hundreds of people gathered outside Galaxia Humana waiting stone faced unaffected by a speech given out by a simple kid who seemed too uncomfortable to be where he was at The town clock read 11 50 o clock on a clear Saturday morning not yet time but almost there In the meantime the kid continued to speak Pete stood tall his skin gleaming in the sun observing the ocean of people riding back and forth on his black horse His facial expression never changed always the same like a metallic mask emotionless but ready to move at any sign of trouble Deep in the crowd he spotted an intoxicated person slurring their words swinging their arms up and down He pushed forward but the horse neighed ignoring his orders whining expressing his fear of the people but he was in charge gripping the reins and moving forward The horse stepped carefully his hooves tapping softly his eyes dashing from left to right paranoid like an abused dog The hundreds of stares didn t make the situation better murderous angry eyes some sad others blank in their expression beautiful brown eyes By the time Pete reached the center the drunkard was passed out on the floor motionless surprisingly no vomit He jumped off the horse and landed gracefully on the dirt the sound of metal screws shifting throughout his body leading the horse with his rope A cry screeched behind him A sharp swing and a loud thud followed The horse jumped and kicked the person behind him killing them then galloping away frightened leaving Pete behind whose arm now lay severed on the ground somehow still emitting heat Pete stiffened unable to compute stung by the event that had just transpired But the people wasted no time They drew their machetes from underneath their waistbands and attacked hacking off bits of hardware chopping off full limbs squishing his rubbery oily eyes

Potter There Will Be No Fire 7 of 10 The light in Pete began to dim A man walked over with a gas canister dropping the fluid on him and lighting him on fire People flew like doves but those who stayed gawked at the cameras mounted on the streetlights inflating their chests and giving them the finger Immediately after Lucas rushed on stage taking the bullhorn from the kid patting him on the back He pressed the button but his speech was delayed People cheered him on He spoke into the bullhorn again forming one clear word Viva La Raza The crowd erupted into cheer Gustava watched as Lucas stood proudly a hero of the people destroyer of military grade A I embracing one hundred words of admiration leaving no room for humbleness Finally he spoke another word and Gustava broke into a run She ran to an old abandoned church with its ceiling nearly collapsed She approached a large pile of rubble and began digging After some time a hole on the ground covered by a tarp revealed itself She pulled on the tarp and her eyes glistened Bottles of liquor sat in front of her A sharp laughter escaped her lips surprising even her She grabbed the alcohol by their necks and brought them on stage where already a large mountain of alcohol had begun to take shape A line of people formed at her feet stretching all over the square including men women children The people murmured cheered raved shouted applauded dancing in their place in line Viva La Raza they said Viva La Raza They begged for alcohol even selling their belongings and selves for a single drop of it Gustava felt unnerved watching as they opened their mouths wide for her sticking their tongues out calling her name

Potter There Will Be No Fire 8 of 10 She passed the bottles which were emptied in a matter of seconds Music played as there no longer was any danger People began to loosen up and dance no matter how good they were The government felt euphoric too happy that their natural urge to rebel was satisfied By the time night came everyone was too drunk to dance so they merely wandered about trying to find some mystical beast a unicorn perhaps Some drunk claimed to have found it and fell to his death doing the work for them one by one Gustava once again stood on the sidelines watching the party build to its peak and then slowly begin to die She felt a little tipsy but not so much She passed by Lucas and Chucho sleeping on the street realizing now why she wasn t able to say I love you She walked back to her apartment struggling to open the door but succeeding after several attempts She greeted her cat telling herself to feed her Sorry Flauta Momma is tired Maybe tomorrow Telling herself to brush her teeth but it s only one night She dreamt of a white light a recognizable light getting brighter and brighter a large plane flying over the sky blocking out the sun its engines roaring across the sky shaking the world A giant crate floats down and touches the ground gently Everyone watched awed like looking at fireworks except this was far more unpleasant Children gathered closer surrounding the box until a metallic figure emerged slowly rising Gustava recognized the figure as being none other than Pete He made a sharp whistle using his fingers A devilish smile drew across his face as the galloping of a wild horse grew louder and louder until more noises joined in creating strange disturbing sounds all of which overwhelmed Gustava and frightened her

Potter There Will Be No Fire 9 of 10 Gunshots crying there is no end yelling screaming chaos dogs barking passionate moaning evil laughter bombs going off footsteps ambulances heavy breathing gasping for air dangerous thoughts racing nails against the chalkboard earthquakes rumbling choking the sky falling then repeat The public housing building burned down fires raging inside buildings slowly eating away at the walls Square 90 Smoke filling people s lungs but not killing them sharp needles stabbing people to death on and on every Saturday full continuation stuck in Square 90 never going all the way Gustava woke up Sunday morning with a piercing headache She had told herself to drink water last night but it was no good so she sat in bed mulling over the fact that she had to get up and get dressed thinking of the hard facts she will have to face during the meeting Luckily for her she knew just the right drink to sober up She went into the kitchen and started a pot of the warm tonic that everybody in Square 90 knew how to make pouring it into her favorite mug smirking not wanting to get shot at by Pete She went outside and sat perched on the fire exit hugging it for warmth Suddenly a bright light caught her eye Gustava watched as a crate slowly descended and hit the ground gently A tall lanky figure emerged his movement as graceful as a dancers She sat still thinking the hard facts There is a gun tucked in his holster His face is cold He does not speak He does not fire