Why are you looking at me like that? Stop it.
I totally deserve to be a captain-what, you don�t think so? You think I, like, murdered someone? Why would you think that? Quiet, you!
�Oh, I�m sorry.�
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| I | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Secret Shall Enter First | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On my right hand was a stack of disposable plastic cups, bright red, and a sharpie marker with which people were to write their names so as not to lose their bright red glasses. On my head was a brightly colored pointed party hat, with a flashy mylar tassel. The hall was deserted of partygoers at so late an hour and my footsteps echoed across the reformatory walls as I went about the quiet duty of scouring the place after the celebrating and well wishing had receded. The staff had been strongly put-off by the dourness of my aspect following the funeral and many had been asking in hushed tones when the mood would return to normal. The party had been my concession as I was now the Captain of that reformatory, by way of circumstances which really aren�t important. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No, really, they�re not.
Why are you looking at me like that? Stop it. I totally deserve to be a captain-what, you don�t think so? You think I, like, murdered someone? Why would you think that? Quiet, you! |
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| Pushing the broom across the black and white checkered tiles, piling used forks, paper plates, nameless cups, amorphous swollen cheese-doodles, I wondered at the nature people and life. One minute they were all in the hall, laughing and singing the praise of the new man who�d risen to take my old position, Percy Harrison. Percy was a popular man amongst the crew of the reformatory, formerly mate to the Chief of Reforms, Bed-making and Dirty Bedrooms Department. The speech given by my first mate of the reformatory before the cutting of the cake was highly praiseworthy, and the crew�s recitation of �For he�s a jolly good fellow� was so vigorous as to suggest that the man was more than just a jolly good fellow, but a superior candidate for captaincy of the reformatory, at least in their eyes. Fearing the possibility of an unconscious agreement with the sentiment, I suggested we have a raucous game of Limbo. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| In the aftermath I dismissed the staff for the weekend, deciding to announce an impromptu Half-day Friday. While the crew was happy enough to head out chanting �shooters!� my first mate had asked me whether there was wisdom in such a plan, as the height of the Summer Youth Discipline campaign was to be upon us next week. I repeated the order for a half-day, and informed him that I would clean up the party and make the preparations for the Discipline drive. After disposing of the bags of party detritus I strolled the halls of the reformatory at leisure for a bit. It was my first time alone with the reformatory, as captain. I wondered at that late hour how well I should handle the reformatory, trusted to my care. And given the recent events of my stormy past, would I be able to handle myself, even? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Passing by the cafeteria I saw that the port-side reformatory ladder had been left out, hanging from a window into the building courtyard. It occurred to me that it was my fault it was there; at lunch I had challenged the second mate to a test of fire safety readiness and the emergency escape ladder had been broken out in the proceedings, along with the fire extinguishers and the hazardous chemical cleanup suits. I went to haul in the ladder, but my pull couldn�t move it; it was as thought the thing were connected to some mysterious doppelganger. I stuck my head out the window to see what was the matter. Below, the courtyard was dark as could be. I gave the ladder another tug, and was greeted by an uncouth shout. �What�s the deal, Jerk Face?!� Something stirred in the courtyard, illuminated by a swarm of fireflies. I saw one leg, a body, and arms-but no hat! A hatless, peg-legged, talking corpse! �I�m not dead, you idiot!�
�Oh, I�m sorry.� |
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| FORWARD! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BACK! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||