The Guadeloupe Squadeloupe

Chapter X: Perry

"Look out to the future/ But it tells you nothing/ So you take another breath." ~BASTILLE (Icarus)

I don't know what to think about the mining village. It's certainly more civilized than the jungle, but the it looks rough. Even from a mile away, I can make out a saloon, missing bricks, roofless buildings, and something that looks like a pile of bodies, but it could very easily be wood.

"I think we should go over there," says Guad. Despite him being older than me, I still think it's odd when he takes charge.

"You heard the man," Bob says with a face of seriousness. He points towards the village. "Guad Squad out!"

Bob starts walking, and the rest of us hesitantly follow. No one utters a word, everyone in mutual agreement that talking will make things worse; it's probably the closest thing to a cheer we'll get for awhile.

We reach the village in about 15 minutes, despite our lack of sleep. Getting closer, I can make out that most of the building are made of weather-worn bricks and wood. The ground is as littered in broken glass as the beach is with sand, and I hear it crunch under my feet with every step.

"If this place isn't abandoned, everyone will be in the saloon," Bob says, walking over to me. I don't question his statement, but find his confidence towards it strange. He must know from personal experience, I think. "How much money do you have?"

I pull out my wallet, and count my money. "About $100," I say, unsure of where this is going.

"Leave a $5 bill in your wallet, and give the rest to Diana or Alice. If anyone asks, all we have is the $5."

I hand the small wad of cash to Diana, and watch as she struggles to shove it into her front pocket.

"Let Guad and me do the talking. We're gonna see if there's a place to stay," Bob says, taking Janis' hand. "Oh, and stay in pairs. I can tell by the looks of this place that's it's not a super friendly place."

Guad looks confused to why he's not Bob's partner, but decides to just go with it. I expect my sister to want to be my partner, but she "casually" runs over to Guad.

Alice grabs my hand, and drags me towards the rest of the group, who I haven't realized is already walking towards the saloon. The entire place has an eerie feeling to it that gets under my skin, but my lack of mining village experience tells me that I'm just not used to life outside of America.

Maybe the fact that every building looks like it was abandoned some 20 years ago bothers me, or perhaps it's that I feel cornered not knowing the language. Being unable to communicate is like being blind, but worse. The words people speak are what really count.

We stop walking when we reach the saloon steps. It's sadly the nicest building here, made of red brick with significantly fewer broken windows. The floorboards cry out in pain as I walk up the steps.

The inside of the building is much worse than the outside. There's about 50 people stuffed into the room, and they are either playing cards, arguing, or asleep. The room reeks of mildew, and I'm not surprised to see that men scattered throughout the place are consuming alcohol. The ceiling is low, like the energy level of everyone inside.

No one seems to notice us as we walk towards the counter. Bob and Guad take the lead, dragging Janis and Diana along with them. I decide to hang back until Bob summons me.

"So," Bob says to the bartender, resting his arm on the counter casually. "My lady-friend and I need a place to stay." He puts his other hand around Janis, who discreetly moves towards Alice instead. "Oh, and these other people are with us, too. "