Island of the Unemployed

THE ISLAND OF UNEMPLOYED MISFITS

"My friend Lum 'ere is going to help ye oot," said the man wearing fatigues. His name was Cian.

River looked Cian up and down. He looked and sounded so strange! The avatars in the Grid were all mere variations on a common theme of blonde hair, blue eyes, and light skin. One height for men and one for women. Deja's appearance was consistent with all the avatars River had ever seen. Cian, on the other hand, had a short stature for a man, red hair, and freckles on his face! Maybe he's an alien! He wanted to ask Deja about it, but the aliens were standing right there.

Deja examined the two men's clothing. It was odd that the smaller man wore fatigues, with bloodstains splashed here and there on them, while the larger wore the same standard issue white clothes she and River wore. Adding to the mystery was the fact that the large man's clothes were as small on him as River's was large on him. If these men were soldiers, why weren't the both wearing fatigues that fit them?

The large man extended his hand to River. River hesitated, and looked at Deja. She nodded. He extended his hand, and felt his arm nearly rip out of its socket, as the man plucked him out with one effortless motion.

"I'm goin' to 'aff to tie yer hands," Cian said, pointing to River's hand holding his pants up.

"What about my pants?" River trembled in fear of the strange looking man.

"We'll tie them in fron' of ye," Cian said. "That wey ye kin keep a haud o' your pants."

The large man pulled Deja out next, and began tying her hands.

"Sorry we hud to do this, friends," Cian said. "We just didn't see a way aroond it. Didn't wan' things to git problematic, if ye ken wha' I mean."

"We aren't your friends, and I don't ken what you mean!" Deja seethed. "If we're your friends, why are you tying us up?"

"Because ye don't know us, and we don' know you. Once we come to an understandin', we'll untie yer hands. We'll tell each other our stories, and we'll see what happens from there."

Lum tightened the last knot on Deja's hands, and they headed down a path.

"Why can't we tell our stories here?" Deja hissed.

"Coz there are others waitin' fur us," Cian replied.

River slushed along in his wet clothes, holding his pants as high as possible. They're taking us somewhere to punish us! His movements became mechanical and his face went blank.

"Look at what you're doing to him! He has a mental condition! You need to untie him right now!"

"He's okay. He'll be fin' in a few days," Cian replied.

"How do you know that?" she snapped. "It's all right, River. It's going to be okay."

"She's right, friend. There's na reason to be scared." Cian said.

"No one asked you!"

"Ah, well. Mah mistake, then."

They arrived at a campsite equipped with a fire, a table, chairs, and a pavilion. Four individuals sat beneath the pavilion, appearing to be fully expecting them. Lum guided Deja and River to two empty chairs situated near the group of four.

Among those waiting was a tall, lanky man with thick lips and skin that was almost black, with a deadly serious expression on his face. There was a woman with short black hair, and thick eyelids sitting on her heels, smiling incessantly. Then there was a woman with light skin and red hair. She appeared put off by all of the fuss associated with the presence of the newcomers. The fourth person was a woman with dark skin, and thick lips like the tall, serious man. She looked at River and Deja with a scowl on her face.