Muse and Mischief

Previous Chapter

What happened at Califax Ranch wasn’t the first time T265 saw someone killed and it wouldn’t be the last. It was the first time in several years it affected her this much though. The sight of the T in the grass outside of the wall just won’t leave her alone…

While the prospect of selling her soul for better food was foul, the peaches at the Born Agains’ table did look rather fresh. Instead, this was the third time in two weeks where three sardines, a carrot, and stale bread were passed off as a decent meal. It was a wonder the warden still contracted them out to produce farms. T265 kept her eyes low as she navigated around the room to find an open seat.

“Hey, Sport,” EmCee called out from across the Octagon. Her gentile wave beckoned T265 to an empty seat at her table filled with other Ts.

After many nights where she stood devouring her food along the wall, she sped to the opening on the bench. Standing left her open to thieves; some were desperate enough to knock the tray from her hands and eat off the floor. Hunger drove anyone to extremes to satisfy their needs. Sometimes they even apologized, desperate times and all. She eased into the space across from EmCee.

“How are you?” EmCee asked as a limp sardine hung between her fingers.

“They shot the T working with me today,” T265 answered with little emotion and tore off a piece of her bread, which sent crumbs flying across her tray.

“That’s their word,” EmCee hissed. She slid the sardine between her lips and stretched her hands across the table. “We, are sisters.”

The woman to EmCee’s right, T255, nodded in agreement, her blonde peach fuzz gave her face a little halo effect that reminded T265 of the woman lying in the wildflowers along the highway. This woman’s face was more delicate with fuller lips, though. Perhaps she had facial surgery in her old life.

EmCee took notice of T265’s lingering gaze and started the introductions, “This is Kiddo. Slick is over here on my left,” EmCee continued and patted the arm of a bone thin woman, T851, whose face looked like a barren yard with fissures of red hair bursting from her skin. Her eyes were the most gorgeous green though. She managed a weak smile before looking away. EmCee pointed to T921 next, “You already know Runt.”

To the right, T367, a Hispanic woman with piercing brown eyes caught her gaze. “Boy,” she whispered. There was something familiar about the sultry expression on her face.

“Excuse me?” T265 huffed.

“I’m Boy,” she replied with a giggle.

“I’m Sir,” the soft voice came from the left where, T516, a woman, whose deep umber skin shimmered even in the dim light, leaned against the table. There was a curious tilt to her head while she looked over T265. “You’re a reader or writer, maybe both.”

“I’m sorry what?”

“Your eyes, I’d recognize that hunger for words anywhere.” Sir answered.

“Sir here used to be a librarian on the outside. Give her five minutes of conversation and she can guess your favorite book,” EmCee laughed.

“So, which is it?” Sir asked again.

“All good writers are both.”

Sir leaned in with great interest. “A writer then. Fascinating.”

“Easy now tiger,” Boy cooed with a mouthful of bread.

“Everyone, this is Sport,” EmCee whispered.

“Snaps for Sport,” Kiddo said with a wink and began snapping her fingers. The others snapped along several times as well.

“I’m not a writer anymore,” T265 mumbled through the sardine in her mouth. She shuddered as the consistency of it was longer than she wanted.

“Okay,” EmCee said with a smile and polished off the last two of her own sardines.

“Why did they shoot her?” Slick asked.

The rest of the group looked at her and then at T265, waiting for an answer.

“She was new, made a run for it, didn’t know any better,” T265 said with a shrug.

“That’s another lesson for you Runt. There are safer ways to rebel,” EmCee whispered.

“Is that what you all do?” T265 asked.

There was a twinkle to EmCee’s eye when she nodded. “We’re rebelling right now sugar.”

The muscles in T265’s limbs coiled. Her hands gripped the edge of the table as her glare at EmCee burned for dragging her into this.

EmCee let out a full belly laugh and waved for T265 to unspool herself.

‘Relax, relax,” EmCee said through her continued chuckles. “You’ve been alone too long darlin.” She tapped the table with her fingers. “Let me learn you something right quick.”

T265 eased her body forward, but kept her instinct at the ready.

“Joy is rebellion, honey,’EmCee spoke with such reverence as if the words would reveal mysteries. She waited a moment for T265’s reaction and when none came, she continued. “Their goal is to destroy us, bit by bit if they have to.” She slid her hand over her shaved head. “They take our hair, our breasts, and do their damndest to take our femininity.” EmCee turned her cheek to call attention to the burn scar they all have on their faces. “They leave their mark to break us. But they don’t understand what it means to be a woman.”

“They did break us, look where we are,” T265 hissed.

“Moi, broken? Do I look broken to you?” EmCee replied with the epitome of sass. “They can choke on my fucking laughter.”

The other women mumbled in agreement for a moment until a commotion outside cut the celebration short. The entire dining hall erupted as near a thousand scrambled to pile through the open doors.

“—were caught in fornication—” the Warden’s voice burst through the gasp of air from the outside.

EmCee and the others leapt from the table and clamored into the crowd. Outside, along the periphery, EmCee stood, her mouth agape, looking up at the Spire.

Far above the gathered crowd two men stood outside the railing with three COs behind them. To their right and just a few steps away from T424, the hawkish form of Warden Nettles held a bullhorn to his mouth and continued his speech.

“It is an abomination for man to lay with man and a sin against the Lord our God. It is treason against your country!” He took in the crowd below, and T265 swore she saw him smile. “Your incarceration here was a mercy for your Gender Treason, and you chose to spit in the face of my protection. God does not tolerate those who sin in his Grace, nor do I.” The Warden nodded to the COs and made a final statement. “May the Father’s wrath be swift.”

They fell like sparrows torn from the sky by malicious children. It only took a moment for the ropes to vibrate and settle while the bodies swung in the air. If there were a God, only they would know how long the men remained.

T265 turned to EmCee. 

“Tell me again how joy is rebellion,” she whispered before she walked towards her barracks.