We All Bleed Red

This story takes place in the small town of Harrison Arkansas and located smack dab in the middle of the Ozark Mountains. You can take a scenic drive and enjoy the beautiful scenery that we have here. There are a lot of places to explore here and in the surrounding area. Despite the history of this town it is still a friendly place to live and one couple was hoping that this would finally be the town they could settle in after two weeks of traveling and being kicked out of every town just because their skin was a different color. They had no idea what troubles they were going to have just moving there though but they were bound and determined to live there given the history and past. 

Chapter 1

Cornelius and Corinne Johnson had just pulled in to the hotel on the outskirts of town where they were going to be staying for a while until they both can get jobs and get money saved up to get a place. The couple had sold most of their belongings and only brought with them what they could haul in the vehicle. “ Do you think we will be welcomed here or ran out of town because we are a different race?” she asked her husband as he parked.
They had been going from town to town for two weeks just searching for a place to settle but was ran out because of their skin color. They were tired of the looks they got everywhere they went. People did not want anyone of a different color other than white in their towns. When they got to the towns people would shout racial slurs and people through things at them and their car. When they tried to go into a restaurant or gas station they were turned away and refused service. He grabbed his wife's hand and squeezed it.
“ I don't have an idea but I don't intend on leaving any time soon. I am tired of driving and trying to find a place that will accept us no matter what.” he told her as he pulled into a parking place.

Corrine loved her husband and would stay with him no matter what because all she needed was him beside her.  She grabbed her purse and they got out. She hoped that they let them stay here because she could not travel anymore. She had just found out a couple of days before they moved that she was pregnant and she hadn't found the right time to tell her husband. She didn't want to tell him yet because of the current situation but she knew she had too. “ I have something to tell you before we go in.” she said to him as she stopped walking.
“ What is it baby?” he asked her. He knew that she was keeping something from him but just didn't know what.
“ I am pregnant. I found out two days before we left.” she told him.
“ Why didn't you say something then?” he asked her.
“ I knew if I did then we would have stayed and I couldn't let us do that because we both wanted to make a fresh start.” she told him

He knew that she was right but he still wished that she would have said something because now they would have to fight tooth and nail just to stay here. He took her hand and the couple walked in the hotel entrance holding hands. They walked up to the front desk and right away they were scowled at. The clerk didn't even greet them as they walked up to the desk.
“ We need to rent a room for a while.” Cornelius told the clerk.
“ Sorry we don't have any left.” she said to him
“ The sign outside said that you have rooms available.” he said to her.
“ Well we just rented the last one.” she said to him as she continued to do what she was doing and not making eye contact.

He wanted to stay and argue with the woman but instead he and his wife turned and quickly walked away. Corrine could tell that her husband was fuming and she was too but there was nothing the two of them could do. As soon as they exited the motel lobby a white couple entered and gave them the stare down and moved as far away as possible from them so that they could pass.
“ I can't stand racist people.” he said as they got into the car. His wife felt the same way and she knew that the white couple they saw would get a room. He didn't understand why people had to be racist just because they were black, They all bleed red and were just like them except their color was different.

She had to use the restroom but at this moment all she could think about was the same thing every time. She looked out the window and watched the road pass and cars drive by and the people staring at them. She even seen some of them flipping them off too. Cornelius wanted to cheer his wife up but he didn't know how too. He hoped that he could get a room someplace.  He spotted another motel and turned in. “ I need to use the restroom.” she said as he parked and they got out.
“ Ok and I will see if I can get us a room.” he said as he headed towards the desk and she went into the nearby guest restroom. The clerk looked up and smiled. He hoped that was a good sign and not just a fluke.
“ I need to rent a room for awhile. I will pay extra if I have too.” he said to her as he took out his wallet.
“ I do have one room available that is way in the back and towards the end.” she said to him as she typed on her computer. He didn't care where it was just as long as they could get a room.
“ That's fine. I don't care where it is at as long as it has a bed and running water.” he said to her.
“ Ok how long will you be staying?” she asked him.
“ I'm not sure a month at least or two. Just need to be able to stay until I can find a job and get some money saved up to get an apartment or a house.” he said to her.

He spotted his wife coming out of the bathroom and smiled as she was walking up. He put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder. “ Ok the cost will be $ 1,450 If you end up staying longer than just come up and pay some more. If it is shorter than we will refund the rest.” she told him.

He slapped down fifteen hundred on the desk.” Keep the change.” he said to her as she handed him the key. “ Enjoy your stay.” she said to him. The couple than walked out and out to the car. He couldn't believe they had gotten a room. “ I guess she was feeling generous tonight.” he said to her.  He backed out of the parking space and drove until they found the room. “ She wasn't lying when she said it was way in the back.” he said as they found the room.

The room was on the back of the hotel and secluded. He didn't care because he knew that beggars can't be too picky. “ I hope the room is at least decent.” she said to him as he parked.  They got out and walked up to the room. “Here it goes.” he said as he unlocked the door. The room didn't look that bad with it being located where it was at. “ The room looks ok.” she said as she stepped inside.
“ I will be right back. I am going to go get the two bags we will need for at least a few days. I don't wanna haul all of them in.” he said as he turned.
“ Grab the big blue cloth one and the medium dark green one because those are the two that we will need right now.” she said to him as he turned and walked out the door.  She laid down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. She was glad that they were able to get a room even if it was secluded it just made it more romantic. She also knew that the reason why they got this room was so no one would see them coming and going.
“ Here you go sweetie.” he said as he came back into the room and set the two suitcases down. Corrine than went over to one of them and opened it. “ I think I am going to get comfortable.” she said to him as she got out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt as well as some other items.
“ While you are doing that I think I will see if I can find us some food.” he said to her as he opened the door. She then watched him leave and went into the bathroom. She hoped he would be able to get something to eat without problems because of the fact he was a different skin color.
Tomorrow they were going to go looking for jobs but knew that it was not going to be easy because no one was going to hire them because of their color regardless of their references, resume, and work history. She knew that the position was going to go to a white person regardless of their experience. She then laid on the bed and turned the television on and waited for her husband to get back, She wanted to do some research online but she was too tired and drained to care tonight.
Cornelius had just got rejected from ordering at yet another place and was trying to figure out where to go. They were hungry and all he wanted was some food even if it was just a burger, but he was yet scoffed at, had racial slurs shouted at him, and almost thrown out of numerous places tonight. They had some junk food in the car that they could eat but that would only due for a few nights until they grew tired of it but tonight he was tired of driving so he drove back to the hotel.



As he was driving he was almost ran off the road but none other than a local cop. He was able to keep the vehicle in control and pulled off to the side of the road and set there until he regained his composure and started back to the hotel. He hoped that it wasn't going to be like this and that people warmed up to them once they got to know them because they weren't going anywhere. They were tired of being ran out of town just because they were black. They were tired of the scowls and looks, of the mumbling of racial slurs under people's breaths, and the things people threw at them. They wasn't going to run anymore. Even if it killed them they were staying here.
He then turned into the motel and drove back to the back where the room was located. He then parked, grabbed the bag of snacks, got two bottles of water, and went inside to where his wife was. The two then forgot about the days events and enjoyed each others company. They would worry about tomorrow when it came.