SWITCHBLADE TRAVIS

PART FIVE: COURTHOUSE

It seemed as if Travis gained back his sense of direction when walking with Charley. After all, a dog is man's best friend. For two days, Travis and Charley were on the move in the Texas solitude. They stopped to drink dirty water in nearly dried-out ponds along the way with nothing to eat. Once they got to the city, a black sedan pulled up alongside Travis. Travis knew he was out of place, due to the fact that he was the only one wearing a cowboy hat and smelling like sweat, blood, and heartache. A man wearing a beige suit hopped out of the car and told Travis to get in. When Travis declined, the man showed a monotone expression and threw Travis into the backseat of the sedan before knocking him unconscious and restraining his hands. The man looked at Charley before getting in the car and driving off, leaving Charley stranded in a dangerous city. It seemed like hours, but it had only been minutes. When Travis finally woke up, he was surrounded by cement blocks and a small window with his hands still bound. The same man walked to the window and told Travis to step out of the cell. As the man opened the cell door, Travis felt that he had been done wrong. In life, you can never go back and redo the mistakes. What's done is done. At this point, Travis knew he could not escape from reality like he used to. He could not just get on a horse and ride off into the wilderness, never returning to what he did not like. Travis thought to himself, "I wanna go home, but I am home. I wanna be free, but I am free. If that's what freedom feels like, then that's sad." He was walked down a dark corridor and led into a room full of despise and evil. The courtroom was silent as everyone, including the judge, who looked upon Travis with hateful eyes and a disgusted face. No lawyer was present for the noble cowboy, who had his hope drained out of him like rain going down a sewer drain. Travis looked at the judge and asked him, "Why am I here?" The judge glared at Travis before speaking. "I will ask the questions, you dirty hick. See, you are here because you are simply not like the rest of us. You have no room here. The big, strong, noble cowboy wants to defend himself. Come on. Let us see just how noble you really are. Tell us your story, and we might let you walk." Travis gulped and spoke. "I did not do a thing. If I did commit a crime, I'm not sorry. I will not let my soul be harnessed by plant-munchers. I plead the fifth." The judge signaled for security to take Travis away. The judge spoke. "The fifth? That's not a thing anymore, hick. You walked into my world without permission. You are hurting animals. Speaking of animals, your dog, we let him loose. He is now free to roam wherever he chooses. If you want to eat, you can eat some plant-based meat. The last thing I need is for a yeehaw redneck covered in dirt to come waltzing into my town like he owns the place. Got it? Get out of my sight." Security escorted Travis back down the corridor, pushed him back into the small cell, and placed down a tiny plate of fake meat onto the cold cement floor.