Keep in Touch

When the time came for the men and women to separate and go in their respective cells, Taurus Vine shuddered at the brisk coldness. He looked at his calendar and noticed the tally marks. Too many oily smudges had destroyed some of the lines. He didn’t care. He ambled over to his rack to find sleep. None came. He had pads on his hands and gauze surrounding his face. He heard the electronic hum of the cell door opening.

“Vine. You’ve gotta phone privilege,” the corrections officer Brace Kondo said gruffly. Vine loosened up his pads and As Vine walked past the CO, he touched him. This simple touch produced a reaction in the CO. He turned black as ink or oil. He felt his chemical composition transform in his body.

“Goddamnit!” He reached for his communication device.

“I have a code on Vine in cell block—” Vine silenced the transmission by choking Kondo untilhe passed out. Kondo still breathed. With limited time, Vine ran to the other cells and freed everyone who was like him who had changed people white, brown, black, yellow or red, just with one touch.

In the tumult, a young woman ran up to Vine. She fell upon his neck, and their skin colors changed like cream blending in black coffee.

“I missed you….” Fayna whispered, hugging Vine.

“I missed you, too. Now, we’ve got to organize everybody. There’s a whole lotta confusion right now and we’re going to need to turn this into an orderly show of resistance.”

Fayna nodded. She walked right up to the other guards and transformed their skin colors. They found themselves too flabbergasted to even say anything. The blaring sirens drove the dozens of inmates towads the exits.

Vine went to the phone and answered. “Remember, keep in touch.”