Jesus Abramowitz

Nonhuman humans
March 22, 2010
Contents

1 3-legs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2 Hermo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3 Resurrection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

4 1st rising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

5 1st fall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

6 2nd rising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

7 2nd fall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

8 Remains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

9 10 years after . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

10 Gratefully dead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Preface

True story. From eons ago. Before memory. Generations passed. In family. Never
tell. We were sworn. Lest story repeats. I break oath. For family betrayed me:
Father mated with mother. Expelled from mother’s womb. Raised by Nanny. Genius.
Parents convinced me. Parents died. Wife left. Children left. Sweet revenge.

Unoriginal story. Boring. Busy? Do not read. Publishers. Rejected. Dying of cancer.
No time. Asked Yossi to post. First chapter only.

Jesus
Twenty ten
1

3-legs

Born 3 legged. On north-western Minnesota farm. In Ingemar’s county. Near North

Dakota. Close to Fargo. Day was gray. Clouds constipated. Middle leg protruding
from lower back. Short. Elephant’s shape. Thick skinned foot. Named 3. By parents.
Would never sit in chair.

Mother 2-headed. Each on own neck. Beautiful. Blond. Blue eyes. Head admired
other’s beauty. Starring at each other. Until cross-eyed. 8 feet tall. Skinny. Strong.
Wise. Named 2. Teacher. In Ingemar’s elementary/high. Writes on board. 2 eyes on
pupils.

Children loved 2. Kind and stern simultaneously. 1 head laughed. 1 head admonished.
Sang Flower Duet. Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. Was their favorite. Magic Flute was
next. Reminded them. Color of urine.

Left mouth soprano. Right mezzo soprano. Breaks. Children sit on 4 stairs. At
entrance to school. 2 at top. Tell stories. About beautiful lands. Far away. Children
loved 2’s 2 kisses. 1 for 2. 2 for 1.

Basketball court. North side of school. Mowed in summer. Ice polished in winter.
School behind gas station. Convenience store. Single gas-pump. Ingemarians’ owned.
Station for tourist. Not need for Ingemarians. One-stall windowless latrine. Be-
tween gas station and school. Never used. Christened “Our Tourist of Attraction”.
Long ago. Tourist bus stopped. By station. On cold summer day. Winds gusts 30
miles/hour. Stall clogged. After 2 uses. Tourists crouched. Behind latrine. Children
peered. Through school window. Some on chairs. Tourists soiled. Wet. Children
laughed. Also 2. Lunch break. 2 and children. With shovels. Covered “Remains of
the Day”. Remains smelled. Different from Ingemarians’.

2 grain elevators. Across street. From gas station. Built by brother and sister.
Twins. Opening ceremony. Twins draped flags. From top. Wind blew them away.
Twin Towers. Ingemarians named grain elevators. Buried twins under Twin Towers.
Epitaph: “Wind blew twins away”.

Town-hall. Behind Twin Towers. Peeling paint. White. One-room. Ingemarians

met. First Sunday of month. After church. 2 chaired meetings. Debates. Spring
about summer crops. Summer about fall colors. Fall about winter cold. Winter
about spring’s thaw. Voting. Yeayes always yes. Neys always no. Abstains always
abstain.
4 1 3-legs

Store. Next to Town-hall. Goods sold in bulk. Salt. Rice. Sugar. Dried fish.
Kerosene.

Tsvaisteins (= 2-stones) owned. Lived above store. Son scrawny. 2-steins never
attended Church. Early falls. They would disappear for 10 days. Return pale.
Not Lutherans. Said Ingemarians. Store closed Fridays afternoon. Open Sundays
morning.

Thirteen-years old asked 2-steins. Five years after they came. About their rituals.
They told him. Jewish narrative.

2-steins called son Shmendrick. Funny name. Ingemarians thought. Juxtaposed

syllables. Teeth breaking. Sounded like from Old Testament. Shmendrick. Boy’s
nickname. Boys’s Christian name. Zimmerman. Meaning room-man. In German.
Registered at School. As Zimmermann 2-stein. Room-man 2-stones.

Shmendrick. Musical talent. Noticed 2. String instrument. Constructed room-man

2-stones. From 1 kerosene container. 1 wood-plank. 6 chicken-wire strings. Saw-like.
Sound. Zimmermann voice. worse. Profound lyrics. 4 built guitar. For Zimmermann.
2 taught him. 18. Zimmermann disappeared. Became famous. Years later. So heard
2.

White-painted Church. Next to All Store. Pointed steeple. Suffering permanent

erection. Crumbling pulpit. So were benches. Acting pastors. Ingemarians took
turns. Pulpit often broke. So did benches.

Ingemar Town: School. Gas station. Lonely latrine. Twin Towers. Town-hall. All
Store. Church.

Mile north. Mile south. Signs. “Welcome to Ingemar City. Population ...”. Numbers
changed frequently.

At a time: 2 read 2 books. Watched 2 televisions. In 1 living room. Right head watch
cooking channel. Left classic movies. 2’s 4 favorites: Buster Keaton. W. C. Fields.
Greta Garbo. Marylin Monroe.

2’s 4 unfavorites: Except when actors died. Day-time-soap-operas. Gone with the
Wind. Never Say Sorry. 3 kinds of people. 2She thought. Those who count. Those
who do not.

2’s husband. Strong. 4 arms. 5 feet tall. Named 4. 1 gray day. 2 swam. Under power
lines. Into town. From where? North Eastern Montana?

2 married 4. 3-legs born. 4 weeks later. Cheerful. Sleeping on stomach. Strong. Sick
not 1ce. 4 finished plough 4th. Harvest 6th. Then help neighbors. Winter nights.
Ingemarians play. Bridge. 2 and 4 played as 2 couples. 1 head with 2 arms. Regularly
lost. Such was their want.

4 would meet 2 after school. Walk home holding hands. 2 of his in 1 of hers. Children
loved 4. Picking 4 at a time. They swinging on his arms.

3 grew up fast. 2 and 4 were growing old. By the time 3 was 10. h He was 6’ 6”. A
11 He ran 100 m in 9.8 seconds. It was world record. Running, 3 push with hind leg.
Pull with fronts. In football. Never brought down. Stand on his tripod. Back and
head angled backwards. Never knock down. They stopped trying. At high school,
 1 3-legs 5

Became famous. In nearby counties. 2 were his best friends. The 3 hid in corn field.
Smoke. Day-dream. 1 day, 4 saw smoke. Found them. Laughed. Gave 3 3 newspaper
wrapped cigarettes. The 3’s day-dreaming sweeter than ever.

The 3 dreamed about Zelda, A junior. Named after the cow.. Zelda died on the day
Zelda was born. Zelda knew. With Zelda around Zelda would no longer be favorite.
Zelda decided. To die.

Ingemarians knew each other. By first name. Last names were forgotten. On election
day. Voted by first name.

High school named after Ingemar. Last name. Ingemar was 7’5”. 30 pounds lower
jaw. Used hands to chew. Bequeathed 62 cows and 1 home. To 125 Ingemarians.
They cut each cow in 1/2. 4 gave up his share. To keep division easy. House was
undivideable. Dismantled. Sold to Fargo’s hardware store. Proceeds used to build
school. School named Ingemar. At the same time. County named Ingemar. Ingemar’s
lower jaw preserved in formaldehyde. In school’s attic. Ceiling underneath sagged.

Until high school, 3 never left county. 1ce, 2 and 4 went to Fargo’s supermarket. Left
3 with Wilhelm and Wilhelma. Children panicked. At supermarket. Afterwards, 3
and 4 gave Alfred a list. Alfred was short-sighted. Guessed their want. Bought them
extra shampoo. Extra shoes. Extra nail clippers. Always brought presents for 3.

Traveling sports began. Ingemar’s high. Won every game. Except one basketball
game. 3 was sick. Irritated. Were coaches 3 dunk. After 375 degrees turn. Always
breaking backboards. Game balls lost. After each of 3’s kick. In football games.

Then the day. Overstar. Bergman’s high basketball coach. They were second. Berg-
manians knew last names only. Bergman was strong. Every winter, added to snow
mountain. In backyard. Snow became ice. Later glacier. Years later. Visitor. Would
be led Bergman’s long melted iceberg.

30 below. Coaches meet. Bergman’s coach motioned. Barring 3 from high school
sports. Sven. Ingemar’s coach. Objected. Motion passed. One objection. Bergma-
nians. Decided to consult. Fargo’s Supermarket’s manager. Manager remembered
prices Of every item. 2 and 4 objected. Foresaw consequences. Motion introduced.
2 and 4 abstained. A delegation. Headed by Wilhelm. Went to Fargo. Manager.
Jo. Bold. Long hair on one side. Combed to the other. Shining with Crisco. Jo
needed time. To think it over. Delegation left. 2 weeks later. Wilhelm spoke. Jo.
Talked to lawyer. From LBJ And Associates. Ingemarians figured. Associates his
last name. And his middle. 3rd floor. Associate’s office. On main street. Delegation
rode elevator. 3rd floor. Tall as Twin Towers. Chairs. In Associate’s office. A waste
of cow hide. Delegation thought. About Godzilla. Holding tiny blond. “What use
was small woman to large Godzilla?”

Mr. Associates sympathetic. After Wilhelm spoke. For 2 hours. Associates decided
to help. Associates had a twitch. Wilhelm observed. Smiling. Otherwise Associates.
3 1/2 feet tall. Wilhelm thought Associates short. Mr. Associates. Said the charge
was $0.15 an hour. They headed. For the door. “OK. Pro-bono.” Associates said.
“Help Pro-bono. Not us?”, asked Wilhelm. Associates explained.

“We sue the league for discrimination”. Said Associates. “Go ahead, Mr. Associates”
said Wilhelm. “Call me LBJ”, said Associates. LBJ arrived to Ingemar. 2 weeks later.
Ingemar’s band welcomed him. Marching in front of his car. From 1 mile north of
6 1 3-legs

town. When LBJ left, they marched him 1 mile south of town. Wilhelm introduced
LBJ. At the school lunch hall. LBJ filed a suit at the Federal District Court. Claiming
discrimination against 3. 2, 3 and 4 would have to testify.

Basket ball season was progressing. Judge agreed to hear their case immediately.
Court room was empty. Except to 2-3-4 and delegation. 3 was minor. Attorneys
argued. Judge asked for 1/2 hour break. All rose, sat, rose and sat again. Judge
declared 3 nonhuman. The dictionary said humans have 2, 2, 1: legs, arms, head. “If
3 wants to become human, he should cut off 1 leg”. Said Judge. Delegation returned
to Ingemar. 2 and 4 were scared.

“We will appeal”. Said LBJ. They voted to appeal, 4 to 2. 2 and 4 abstained. 2
weeks later, LBJ visited Ingemar. Band repeated their ritual. “Court tomorrow”.
Said LBJ. 2nd time, 3 Judges. Attorneys repeated arguments. 3 Judges. a Asked for
1 hour. The 3 rose, sat, rose and sat. Chief sat in the middle. The back-rest of judges
chairs. An abomination. Thought delegation. 3 Judges agreed with 1 Judge. 2 and
4 saw it coming. The delegation voted to appeal. 6 to 2. 2 and 4 voted against. On
to the Supreme Court.

2 weeks later. Delegation arrives. To Washington. Camped on a lawn. Near 1 big

white house. Brought tents. Food. Utensils. Cooking gear. 9 Supremes. Dark.
Imposing. 9 are mourning. Delegation thought. 9 back-rests of 9 chairs. obscene. 2
Supremes hostile. Arguments repeated. Tomorrow. Judgment day. They rose. Back
to camp.

LBJ invited them. To a restaurant. 30 patrons fled. 2’s 2 heads; 3’s 3 legs; 4’s 4
arms. Scared them.

Morning. Supremes declare 3 nonhuman. Coaches cheered. 2 and 4 saw the gathering-
storm. Supremes’ decision spread. Nonhumans barred From sports. Restaurants.
Buses. Libraries. Water fountains. Swimming pools. Property ownership. 4 legal
categories: Humans; Almost Nonhumans; Almost Humans; Nonhumans.

Humans: Light skin; Average IQ; Fluent; Stuttering; Criminals or not.

Almost nonhumans: black skinned; gray skinned; yellow skinned; rainbow skinned;
humans with extra chromosomes.

Almost humans: Gorillas; Chimpanzees; Talking birds; Dogs walking on 2 legs.

Nonhumans: All others. Including: reptiles; insects; fish; whales; sharks. The likes of
2-3-4.

1 morning, 3 found 2 and 4. Dead. 2 arms hugging 1 head. Ingemarians mourned. For
3 Ingemarians. 3 brought cigarettes. 4 smoked in corn fields. 3 sat in Adirondack.
On porch. Day in. Day out. Quiet. Expressionless. Wilhelma brought meals. 3
starved.

1 morning. Bergman’s sheriff showed up. Ingemarians had no sheriff. Said, “You
cannot own a house. You are registered Nonhuman”. Cannot pay taxes. Cannot
own property. Wilhelma was there. “Register him”. Sheriff said. “As your pet. The
house becomes yours.” Wilhelma cried. 3 was going away. Waited at the gas station.
Bought a ticket. “No nonhumans allowed on aboard. Except with their owners. And
 1 3-legs 7

on leash.” 3 on the highway. Alfred was driving grain Truck to city. Picked up 3.
“Going to the city.” Said 3. “Have anybody there?” Asked Alfred. “Yes” lied 3.

3. Dropped by grain elevators. In city. “Walk down University Avenue.” Said old
man. “At its end. Ask for Dorothy Day Center. Meal. Maybe.” Dark-skinned man.
[At last 3 saw one]. Almost nonhuman. “For nonhumans. No food at center. Two
block away. Restaurant. Manager. Good man. Will feed.” “We close. At 12. Will
give remains of day.”

3 built home. From cartons. Where bridge meets earth. Winter. Freezing. In while.
Restaurant manager. Disappeared. 3 forage in dumpsters. Almost Nonhuman. Extra
chromosomes. Lived on other side. Where bridge meets earth. In carton house. 1
morning, almost Nonhuman found 3. Dead. In city graveyard. A wooden cross. Said.
“Here is buried 3-legs.”
2

Hermo

There came a time when humans no longer tolerated nonhumans. A region, called
“Nonhuman-land” in Northeastern Montana, was set aside. Separated by electric
fence from the rest of the country. And its neighbor to the North. All nonhumans
were expelled to Nonhuman-land. Fact is, no wall was necessary. It would have
been enough to tell nonhumans not to leave Nonhuman-land. For nonhumans knew
neither resistance nor violence. They knew sadness. Nonhuman-land was bordered to
the South by what used to be interstate highway 94, highway 15 to the West, Canada
to the North and North Dakota to the East. It included the former towns of Great
Falls, Lewistown, Glasgow and Miles City. The land was spotted with hot-springs.
Nonhumans found them soothing. Isolation and want bred creativity. Faced with
short supply of resources, nonhumans developed new varieties of fruits, vegetables
and grain (they were vegans). Of their greatest inventions was a light-weight metal—
named petal—thin as paper, strong as 1/2” steel and flexible. After bending, it
would resume its original shape. Among others, they used petal for building and
transportation. Petal was made of a mix of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. Hydrogen
was also used as fuel. Their cars, made of petal would fold to a newspaper size.
Returning from a trip, they would fold their cars and rest them on the coffee table.
Nonhumans produced no pollution. Some of them had special senses of: air pressure,
atmospheric carbon dioxide and pollutants. They did not need instruments. Lately,
the pollution detecting nonhumans noticed worrisome decrease in air quality and rise
in temperature—an impending Armageddon, they thought. A web of tunnels was
dug deep. They would survive in their tunnels indefinitely.

Without natural selection, morphology was no longer inherited. Some of the nonhu-
man’ children could pass as humans. Frequently, humans would foray into Nonhuman-
land, kidnapping human-looking children. They were sold for adoption by humans.
Nonhumans were saddened. Kidnaps became an agent of natural selection. With
time, nonhumans evolved—only nonhuman children were born. Humans no longer
invaded Nonhuman-land. They did not know about nonhuman technology. Nonhu-
mans knew better and kept it secret. Along the fence, humans created a de-humanized
zone, saturated with land mines.

One late evening, a lovely couple was walking, holding hands. Lost in their thoughts,
they stepped into the de-humanized zone. A land mine exploded. The man lost his
left leg and right arm and the woman her right leg and left arm. They wanted to
become one. Doctors debated. The couple agreed. He will become the upper part
and she the lower. Both asked for their genitals to be kept intact. The doctors cut the
10 2 Hermo

man from right shoulder, down under the diaphragm, above the liver. They then cut
the esophagus, slightly to the right of the stomach and then up around the stomach.
From there, they cut to the right of his spleen, above his transverse colon, to the right
of his hepatic flexure, ascending colon, ileum cecum, under his appendix, across his
rectum and then to the right of his genitals. They cut the woman to match the man’s
cold cut. They then glued them into a single nonhuman. The blood vessels, peripheral
nervous system and vertebrae were matched at the cutting point. Once the man’s and
woman’s slicing were complete, a question about gluing the lower half backside front
arose. Backside front, thought the doctors, one big leg would face forward. One small
backward; so would it be for the arms. In case of emergency, they could run as fast
and grab as strong either way. The couple asked for a hinge to be installed. When
they wanted, both halves would face the same direction. They could not turn more
than 180 degrees at a time. And then back 180 degrees. Otherwise, blood vessels,
stomach and all would stretch and tangle. When parts were forward-forward, they
looked like humans. They did have to wear long sleeve shirt and pants (they would
later be needed for covert operations in humans land).

He quickly recovered from the operation. His genitals were proximate and he could
intercourse with himself. Forward back and back forward. He named himself Hermo
(had her head was selected, she would have named herself Herma). Hermo begot
a son—Middle-head was his name—soon after the surgery. His son was tall and
fair; his perfectly shaped head (Hermo remembered seeing heads of Greek celebrities)
protruded above the heart. The boy’s helium supply to the brain was faster than any
nonhuman. He was the fastest thinker among nonhumans. Over his shoulders, where
humans head normally is, he had a short neck and a loop of bone and muscles. The
children would ask him to let them play on mark—they would throw a ball, two inches
wide, through the loop and then run around the field (if the ball passed through). To
protect his skull, Middle-head would wear a double crusted petal helmet. The fastest
ball did not heart. Children loved Middle-head.

One gray cloudy day, an expedition of eight from Ingemar arrived—four in each
Ford Model-T—by the fence. Nonhumans remembered, vaguely, that some of their
ancestors lived in Ingemar county. Wilhelm, whose cows’ names were Zelda and
Betsy was the expedition’s head. His head was the biggest among all Ingemarians.
Wilhelm shouted over the fence to a passerby. Asked to talk to relatives of 2-3-4.
Hermo approached the fence close as he dared (albeit the chance to become Herma,
he was not about to blow away leg and arm). Wilhelm thus sprecht about 2-3-4.
About how beloved they had been. About their living memory. About how humans
became nonhumans. Hermo knew the story. He patiently let Wilhelm tell his 4 hour
story (it could have been told in 10 minutes, thought Hermo). The expedition wanted
to bring 2-4 for burial in Nonhuman-country (they did not know where 3 was). They
were afraid the remains of 2-4 would be discovered and desecrated. Hermo promised
to make their wish. Ingemarians used buggies. For travel to Nonhuman-land, they
used the county’s only two motor-vehicles. The cars were parked in an old barn,
behind Twin-towers. It took them four days to reach the fence. They drove away
never to come back.

On their way back, the 8 camped in the Badlands. They erected four tents, two on
each side of the dirt road. The tents were made from their long inherited, green,
army blankets. The blankets had small round cigarette-size holes. Rope and rocks
to tie the blankets. Brush was collected. Dinner cooked: lutefisk with blood pudding
for desert. The night was cold. Motorcycled human gangs roamed the Badlands. In
 2 Hermo 11

the silvery moonlight, a gang spotted two tents on the left of a dirt road. The tents
were torn. The four stripped. Checked for nonhuman traits. Gang leader spotted
dense hair on chest; long hair inside ears and nostrils; Single eyebrow above eyes.
Nonhumans, declared the leader. Naked, the four were hanged by their feet. Wilhelm
new better not to scream (the others always lest him speak). Lest the four on the
other side be discovered. By morning the four were frozen dead. In time, coyotes
would strip them to the bone.

In the morning, the other four noticed the other four were gone. Only Wilhelm knew
the way back. They are waiting further on the road. They were certain. The four
drove south. At every turn East, they stopped. “Should we turn?” “No.” “Yes.”
As was the Ingemarian’s custom, nay sayers won. They drove South for days. They
noticed strange looking small people with dark skin. They talked fast. In language
the Ingemarians did not recognize. By then, the four realized they had gone too far
south. They unanimously agreed to turn North. They could not ask for directions.
The little people did not speak Ingemarian.

Then they knew: home never to see. Without choice settled in the scrubby hills.
Learned the language. Established a dairy farm. Their cheese became famous. They
inter-married. With time no Ingemarians were distinguishable. Legends had it that
wild men from the North once roamed the land, made cheese, intermarried and are
no longer recognized. The fame of the cheese lived: Ingemar white, yellow, purple,
brown, hard, soft and gel-like.

Weeks after they left, Ingemarians concluded the eight were not coming back. Their
names were engraved on the Western wall of the Western Twin-tower. Wilhelm headed
the list. His name the largest. West was good, thought the Ingemarians. Permanently
in the shade. A respectable side. The engravings would, maybe, last longer.

Hermo put on human clothes. Folded his car. Stowed it under his coat. Through
a tunnel stole under the fence to Human-land. Nonhumans dug tunnels under the
fence. Occasionally they needed exotic supplies they did not have.

Unfolded the car Shaped it like humans’ car. Drove off to Ingemar. Stopped by the
small gas station. Where a school crumbled behind it. Two gain elevators across
the road. He recognized the names of the eight. inscribed on Western Wall of the
Western tower.

Heavy smells in the gas station’s store. He did not know the smells. Saw strange
looking oily shining brows banana size tubes. Some shriveled. Behind hot lighted
glass. They rolled around. Each between two steel pipes. They reminded him of
something he knew. Although he knew he should not, he laughed. It was shortly
before noon. Told the attendant his name; hers was Zelda. Asked about the where-
about 2-4’s graves. She realized he is nonhuman. In Ingemar they were welcome. She
said “come tomorrow. I will take you to the graves.” It was shortly after midday.
“Thank you, Zelda” he said. “My name is Betsy”. “You just said it is Zelda.” She
explained. Her father, Wilhelm, headed a delegation to Nonhumans-land. He never
returned. Wilhelm was the great great grandson of Wilhelm. Her father owned two
cows: Zelda and Betsy. Cows and Wilhelm had special bond. When she was born,
Zelda and Betsy realized they will no longer be favorites. They decided to die. And
did. Wilhelm consulted mother. They decided to call her Zelda and Betsy. Every
year, on her birthday at 12:00 PM, her name would switch until next year. It was
her birthday. Her name just switched. Makes sense, thought Hermo. Asked Betsy
12 2 Hermo

where he could stay for the night. She told him about a small, clean and cheap motel
across the county line, at Bergman’s. He checked in and settled for the night. The
place smelled from chemicals.

The clerk noticed Hermo’s uneven lengths of arm and leg. Nonhuman, he suspected.
He called the Humans Defense Forces (HDF) on their emergency line, 2-3-4. Twenty
of the elite HDF unit surrounded the motel. One knocked on the door and ordered
Hermo to come out. Hermo smelled weapons. Through the ceiling, he climbed to the
roof and hid in the chimney. By morning they were gone. One hid in the bushes,
behind the parking lot. Hermo spotted him. Trapped, he swam out of the chimney
and above the power lines.

The HDF trooper opened fire; by then, Hermo was high up, almost out of sight. He
knew they will be waiting for him at the convenience store. By night, exhausted from
the long swim, he landed on top of the Western Twin-tower. He spotted a HDF car,
behind the store, next to an out house. An officer was micturating on store’s wall,
outside. Hermo wondered why was he not using the out house. Behind the towers,
he spotted a store; there was candle light above the store. He stole behind the store
and knocked on the door. A short, dark skinned middle aged man opened the door.
Behind him peaked a woman and six children. A nonhuman. Said the man to himself.
Invited Hermo in. Told him in broken English that HDF officers are looking for him.
Pedro told Hermo that he is safe with them. Hermo told Pedro about his quest. Next
early morning, Pedro led Hermo to a mound. behind a long deserted house. Hermo
dug 2-4 out. Poured gel on their skeletons. Revived them. The three swam away.

They swam high as they could. It was difficult to swim North-west against the jet
stream. They landed on an isolated dirt road. Hermo unfolded the car. They drove
away. Soon after, they saw four skeletons. Hanging from a tree on the right side of
the road. Hermo recognized the bone features. They were Wilhelm’s. Two bloodied
green blankets were crumpled under the skeletons. They wrapped the skeletons with
the blankets. Tied them to the car’s roof. And drove to Ingemar. Stole into the
gas-station-convenience-store. Betsy was shocked. They drove away, North-west.

Next morning, Ingemarians buried the skeletons. In the open 2-4 graves. They curved
the story under the four’s epitaph on the Western Twin-tower cracked wall. Over the
years, Ingemarians would pilgrim to the tower and insert paper notes in the cracks.
No one revealed to no one what the notes said.

By next morning the three arrived to yesterday’s massacre spot. The sun was rising
over the badlands. Cracks in the flood plane walls were dark. The walls were pink and
gray. Lamenting, they drove over the border into Montana. They were repeatedly
stopped at HDF roadblocks. 2-4 were hiding between the double petal plates under
the car.

Shortly after crossing to Montana. Hermo spotted shacks. Inhabited by people with
dark skin. The faces of the elderly were deeply furrowed. The adults were big and
heavy. Broad shouldered. They were thick, from chest down. Their bellies were not
like balloons. The light-skinned had those bellies. Hanging over skinny sunburned
chicken-like legs.

Almost nonhumans, thought Hermo. They took a risk. Asked for food and shelter.
An elderly man. Long, thick white hair. “You are welcome, nonhumans”.
 2 Hermo 13

Evening. A celebration. The three were invited. The almost nonhumans were sitting
in a circle. Fire in the middle. Smoking pipes with long pipes. Smoke was offered.
The three refused. Nonhumans had simple brains. Those were sensitive to mind
altering chemicals. Later the almost nonhumans drank dark tea. The three tried it.
A sip. The three were unconscious. Lying in the mud. Old women covered them with
blankets. Made of animal skins.

Next morning. The three’s heads were thumping. Hurting. Hermo sprayed their
three skulls with constrictor.

Leaving the settlement. Old man offered a gift. A bottle of dark tea. They refused.
He insisted. Hermo threw it in 2-4’s hideout. Forgot about it. Before entering the
tunnel to Nonhuman-land, Hermo folded the car. Vaguely felt a bulge in a fold. Dry
mud, he thought.

Home. The three settled in chairs, exhausted. The car folded, on the gel table. They
talked about 3-legs. No trace of him. They went to sleep. Middle-head came late.
From a game with the children.

Saw the bulge in the fold. It was dark tea. Sipped some. Lost consciousness. Morning.
Headache. Evening. Craving dark tea. Drank more. Three days past. Middle head
addiction to dark tea was complete. Invited friends for dark tea. three more days.
They were addicted.

In a month’s time. All nonhumans, except Hermo, 2 and 4 were addicted. Nonhumans
society collapsed. Fights broke. Nonhumans learned to hate. Refuse. Envy. They
already knew love.

Humans watched across the fence. Invaded Nonhuman land. Killed as many as they
could. The rest of nonhumans scattered over the country. Went into hiding.
3

Resurrection
4

1st rising
5

1st fall
6

2nd rising
7

2nd fall
8

Remains
9

10 years after
10

Gratefully dead