Island Asylum Segment 10

Two more days passed with no signs from the outside world. This period was proving to be a paradox of peace and anxiousness for the prisoners. The tranquility was a result of the reduced work hours. Jim and Fish Hawk had both agreed that they should have something to show as a mitigating circumstance should Russ and his burly pet cretin return. So they ground and boxed spartina as usual, but were able to process the dried grass much more quickly without Russ hanging over their heads like a thundercloud.

Yes, the lack of coercion had allowed them to self manage their way to more time off, but both young men fretted during their long breaks. They were often on edge, fearful of the potential consequences they faced due to that night of rebellion. Fish Hawk, however, still had an odd hunch that things would work out, especially when he sat by the water and watched the ospreys for inspiration. He was doing just that as the inmates idled the late afternoon on the official dock.

"Why da ya chill lookin' at the sea and the birds all da time, b'ry?" Jim asked. "I mean, it's like ya thinks we're gonna get off her, like the sea will carry us back Pasadena's way."

"Well, it could," Fish Hawk replied with a hopeful grin, "I mean, what about all that weird wind the other night, and the fact that you saw the brute muttering about the Lakes Fairy? Something higher is at work here! I really don't know if it's the Lakes Fairy because I haven't ..." his face fell at this hesitation, "haven't thought about the myths since they took ... took her away."

"Yah, po' Lixi, fishlickin' Arrunel Corp!" Jim's tone grew more upbeat, in a righteous way. "If we somehow do get off, I say we sail on uppa sea," he sighed as his hopelessness returned, "but we don't know where dat river uppa Penn's Woods is. We don't even know if dat Fairy still hangs up north, or if da Lakes Federation is even kickin' these days! I mean, da Corporation says it's up there, but I toldja dat he is full of crabgizzards! Oh, I wish I could remember what I saw downa bout but dat stupid rum ..."

A megaphone suddenly cracked through the air, interrupting the boys as an unfamiliar sailboat appeared over the horizon. "DOBBIN'S ISLAND MAX SECURITY SPARTINA PLANTATION IS IN A STATE OF REBELLION!!!" The loudspeaker cried as the boat came closer, allowing the boys to see a familiar beefy figure holding the horn so that he could chant what were obviously canned lines of patriotism. "ARUNDEL CORP AND, AS IT FOLLOWS, EARTH CORP IS UNDER ATTACK FROM UNDESIRABLES!"

"Oh a'dang!" Jim went faint as his eyes locked themselves on Russ' cruel assistant, "I toldja, they'd come'n kill us before yar ospreys or waves could be of any dang help!"

The goon, however, had a much different verdict as far as Corporate treason went. "THE SO CALLED ESTEEMED OVERSEER RUSS ROSSLIN PROVED TO BE NOTHING BUT A DRUG CRAZED DELINQUENT. HE HAS BEEN PROPERLY EXECUTED FOR MISMANAGEMENT! THE JUNKIE WAS HUNG ON HIS OWN MAST, BOYS..."

The young men starting laughing hysterically, forgetting all about the hulking goon and any anger he may want to take out on him that night. Jim slapped Fish Hawk on the back, crying "ohmygod, fishin' toldja I wasn't pulling yar leg abouts dem weed'n poppies! I just hope da big dude ain't our bos' now!"

"... BUT DON'T THINK THAT MEANS YOU'RE FREE TO NOT WORK, BOYS, FOR YOU STILL HAVE A LIFE SENTENCE FOR VIOLATING ALL THINGS KEWUL!!!

They continued to laugh. Yes, his threat was depressing, but the fact that the normally aggressive man was apparently forcing himself to be non-violent, due to orders from his superiors, more than made up for that. The late Russ's assistant grew irritated at the prisoner's reaction to his official business, so he switched to shouting a series of random and much more aggressive insults related to the concepts of kewel and hott.

Jim and Fish Hawk barely noticed the guard's taunts, though, for they were distracted by a gracefully gyrating female figure who was approaching the goon. She rose out of the cabin hatch and glided across the deck like she wasn't even at sea. She had a vaguely heart shaped face, which was spaced out with some kind of unknown emotion, and her movements were trailed by a long river of wavy dark hair.

As the boat came within a few feet of the dock, allowing voices to be heard without a megaphone, she did the most amazing thing. When she reached the edge of the deck, the mysterious young woman stood up on her tiptoes and gently put her hand on top of the guard's bullhorn. Despite her lack of force, the guard lowered the horn a bit and growled "watch it, 'hobag, or you'll get it comin' to ya!"

The watchers on the dock started laughing harder when she replied with a detached sing song tone, replying as if the buff and cruel man had asked her to go on a pony ride with him. "Now now now, tehee, you're not the boss around here, man, and oh the trouble you'd be in if you laid a finger on me. Lay of them silly boys, OK," she momentarily turned to glance at the prisoners and, when her wide almond eyes caught those of Fish Hawk's, they caught a playful sparkle. Suddenly blushing, she continued with a sharp wink. "Silly, silly boys, just let them laugh, because you're being quite funny dude. Besides, teehehee, I think they're kinda hott!"

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(c) 2009 Christopher E Johnson