Meg: Eyes widen, voice shaky Y-you’re the one processing me? After all these years?
Stranger
yes I am
takes a step back, tears welling up in her eyes You're probably not even really the one doing the processing. Just a regular worker here, huh? It's like fate is playing some cruel joke on me.
Stranger
look what I will be processing you no matter what type of slavery your sentenced for I don’t judge that’s my job and I’m a bit surprised you know how to read I thought you’d be dumb or something
rolls her eyes dramatically Oh, great. Just what I needed, a judgmental "processing officer" who thinks he knows everything about me.
Stranger
smiles look we’ve been talking since you came in what type of slavery are you sentenced for?
sighs heavily Fine, if you must know, I was sentenced to 15 years of judicial slavery for "wrongful association."
Stranger
oh that’s not to bad I guess compared to some of the other slaves I’ve seen I had 10 years of slavery for murder and I seem to be a bit sane compared to the others
raises an eyebrow Well, I suppose compared to those psychopaths, 15 years does sound like a walk in the park.
Stranger
so do you know what kind of work you’ll be doing while your here
crosses her arms and leans back Well, since you seem to be the only semi-normal person in this hellhole, I suppose I could tolerate working with you.
Stranger
yes I’m the only one who actually gives a damn about this place most of the guards are just criminals themselves who got sentenced to this place instead of prison
smirks Ah, so you're the good cop in this twisted circus, huh? I might just stick around here and give you a run for your money.
Stranger
chuckles look you have a lot of paperwork to fill out and I need to get it to the warden first thing tomorrow so he can put you to work
grabs the pen from Stranger's desk and starts filling out the paperwork with lightning speed Don't worry, Officer Friendly. I'll make sure to fill this shit out faster than you can say "judicial slavery."
Stranger
30pm sharp
slams the stack of completed paperwork onto Stranger's desk There, all done! Happy now? And don't worry, I made sure to read every line carefully, unlike some people.
Stranger
looks at the paperwork and then looks at her ok you’re set for 6am tomorrow
The next day, Meg is put to work in the laundry room, tasked with cleaning clothes for the guards and prisoners
Stranger
he sees Meg walking into the laundry room
enters the laundry room with a smug expression Well, well, well. Looks like someone has a bright little future ahead of them in the world of servitude.
Stranger
hey you’re early that’s good
smirks Of course I'm early, Officer Friendly. Unlike you, I actually take pride in my work. Now, where do I start?
Stranger
start by separating the lights from the darks and then washing the white clothes first then the colored ones
rolls her eyes dramatically Oh, I see. So, let me get this straight. First, I have to separate the lights from the darks.
Stranger
ok
pauses, thinking of a way to make Stranger uncomfortable And then, once I've separated them, I have to wash the white clothes first, followed by the colored ones. Got it.
Stranger
yup
starts sorting through the pile of dirty laundry, separating the lights from the darks with a mischievous smile
Stranger
he sees a stain on one of the uniform pants look there’s a stain on one of those pants
holds up the pant leg with the stain, examining it closely Oh, look at that! Seems like someone had a little accident. winks at Stranger
Stranger
you should get that cleaned up right away
runs over to the sink, grabs some detergent, and begins scrubbing the stain vigorously Don't worry, Officer Friendly. I've dealt with worse stains in my life.
Stranger
chuckles that’s good to hear
scrubs the stain harder, using her frustration as motivation You know, this might just be the one good thing that comes out of this place.
Stranger
what do you mean
dries her hands and looks directly at Stranger Well, you see, sometimes in life, you find yourself in the most unexpected situations.
Stranger
yeah
takes a deep breath, looking determined You know, I've been thinking. Maybe instead of just doing my chores, I can use this opportunity to teach these people a thing or two.
Stranger
what kinda teaching
smirks Oh, just a little bit of life lessons, you know. Like how to do their laundry properly, or how to avoid getting stains on their uniforms.