A houseboat. Finegan Fine

greeted by a wagging Barney. Finegan, who is first on the plank, throws

a comment over his shoulder to Joey.

I like our stuff better.

Joey grins and laughs in agreement.

98

Slave Labor

The houseboat is approaching a rock outcropping and water fall. Finegan

is on the roof, with Joey peddling. The water is deep, but because of

the rock outcropping Finegan is being cautious. Suddenly he holds his

hand out to stop Joey.

Whoa!

Finegan is in shock.

Holy shit.

Dozens of skeletons, picked clean by fish and crabs, are under the

clear mountain water. Some are of children. Some pieces of clothing in

tatters are here and there still on the bodies, but mostly the

skeletons are white and quite visible. Joey comes bounding up the boxes

from the rear of the houseboat to see. He and Finegan stand side by

side, in silence.

As the houseboat is moving along the rocky shoreline, in the

background, in the woods, we see movement, a man crouching behind a

rock. Finegan motions silently for Joey to stop peddling and to drift,

and to stay where he is. Having seen the bodies and seeing the man’s

caution, Finegan speaks quietly, not knowing what might be nearby.

Yo. Is there danger nearby? We saw those

bodies.

The escapee looks over his shoulder and then steps forward to the

water’s edge.

Can you get me outta here? I’m too old to work

anymore, scheduled for termination. . . Please.

They’ve got dogs, they’re gonna be tracking me.

Having seen children’s bones, Finegan does not assume this man to be a

criminal, and hops down to get the canoe.

______________________________

The houseboat is approaching a small wooded island. It is surrounded by

deep water, at least a mile from the rocky coastline they just left.

The houseboat is maneuvered to a bay at the back of the island, and all

three aboard tie the houseboat to partially submerged trees there. Now

that they are invisible, they can talk. The escapee is eating some cold

potatoes and fish and a tomato, with gusto. Finegan says,

I’d cook you a proper breakfast but if they

have dogs, that’d give us away.

Finegan looks around him to double-check their location.

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As is, they can’t sight us, and if they weren’t

looking this way when we left, they’re

clueless.

Joey says,

I was watching, and I seen no activity. I think

we’re clean away.

The escapee starts to cry, not sobbing but just tears running down his

face as he stuffs the food into his mouth and chews away. Barney comes

up and sits by his feet, looking up - an attempt to comfort the

escapee. Finally, Finegan can wait no longer and picks up the story

line where they presumably left off earlier.

So these guys chasing you, they’re guards?

Guarding what?

The escapee looks at him incredulously, as though everyone has guards

and should understand what he has been through.

The workers. Wait, I though you knew. Aren’t

you both runaways too?

The escapee glances at Joey.

I should’a figured. The first thing they did

was kill the kids . . and the sick . . and the

old . . ah, anyone over 50 is considered past

their prime. . . threw em off a cliff to let

them rot.

The escapee hands his empty platter to Finegan, who is looking aghast

at this systematic extermination. Joey has become very quiet. The

escapee continues with his story.

We were told to come to a military base where

some wealthy folks had set up with supplies. It

was like they were gonna share their supplies,

and like the military would protect us.

The escapee lets out a guffaw at the absurdity of his expectations,

compared to what happened afterwards.

Soon as the phone lines went dead and the roads

were ripped up, things changed. . . The

commander was in thick with them rich folks,

always going up to their bunker and all. . .

Next thing you know they were herding us all

into that yard, behind barbed wire. I thought

that was gonna be for criminals, ya know, but

we all got sent in there. . . Then they pulls

out those from 15 to 50 years of age, healthy

men and women not pregnant, and we got sent to

put up new homes for them wealthy folk.

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