Island of the Unemployed

FREDDY SINGS LIKE A BIRD

"Where's Freddy? He's supposed to be here!" Derrick peered from behind a bush at the two soldiers still standing guard.

"Derrick." A'dacus said, waking for the first time since coming down from the mountain.

"What?" Derrick looked down at his pale friend. He looked so sick! He needed to get him home now! With or without Freddy.

"Who were those people?"

"The people on the mountain? I don't know. It was weird. They just appeared out of nowhere."

"They just appeared?"

"Yeah. I started calling for help, and they appeared."

"Why was that woman kneeling over me?"

"Because she was the one that healed you."

A'dacus scrunched his face. "Healed me? What do you mean 'healed me'?"

It struck Derrick that A'dacus had no idea his heart had stopped. "You don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"You know you died, right?"

"Died!" A'dacus replied, a little too loudly. "What are you talking about?"

"Shhh. The guards are going to hear you. Your heart stopped. I saw it. And you stopped breathing too. I'm telling you, A'dacus, you were dead!"

"That's impossible!"

"It's true! That woman brought you back to life!"

"Noooo!"

"Yes!"

"She did? Are you sure?"

"I swear!"

"Cool!"

"She healed your heart with her bare hands! I saw it! I saw the whole thing! I don't know how she did it, but she saved your life!"

"And they just came out of nowhere?"

"I started calling for help, and suddenly they appeared."

"No way! Hey! Maybe they were angels! Maybe that's where angels live. Maybe that's why they don't let people in there."

"No. I don't think so. There's no such thing as angels."

"How else do you explain it?"

Derrick looked back at the guards, and ignored the question.

"Are you ready? We're going to tell your parents you hurt your leg and that's why we couldn't get back in time. Got it?"

"Okay, but I'm not sure I can walk."

Derrick helped A'dacus to a standing position. They emerged from the bushes with A'dacus hanging on Derrick's shoulder. They walked across the border, and Derrick eased A'dacus down to the ground.

"Flight or invisibility?" the short guard said to the tall one.

"Flight, of course!" the tall guard responded as if the answer was obvious.

"What? No way! Invisibility. That's way better!"

"Invisibility? What can you do with that? If I could fly, I could go anywhere I want."

"Don't be stupid! Who cares? This is a tiny island. Where are you going to go?"

"No, I mean anywhere on the planet!"

"On the planet? No! You can't do that! You'd get too tired."

"Tired? You don't get tired, stupid. This is a superpower!"