act11mini

<i>Dear Mr. K:</i>

<i>I hope all is well. I am writing to you from Mansfield State Prison, it's midnight.</i>

<i>Hardly anything has changed since I first infiltrated the place.</i>

<i>The prison guards like to throw their weight around and do basically nothing else. All the prisoners can do is costume what little sanity they have in fights.</i>

<i>As for me, the prisoners and guards here are treating me with much—</i>

Jesselton ponders at the word 'much' for a brief moment. He takes out a yellowed letter from his pillowcase. The sender of the letter is 'Mr. K,' and he is the recipient.

He quietly reads its contents to himself under the dim light from outside his cell.

'Please wait patiently, for the time being. Do not attract attention or cause trouble...'

'You are still an important asset to Beachbrella, and we will keep your position and benefits unchanged...'

'As long as you maintain good behavior while you are imprisoned, when the time is right, we will restore your freedom and double your compensation...'

Hmph.

The company's too slow to react. Look how long it took just for this letter to reach me.

Jesselton shakes his hand and neatly folds the letter, puts it into the envelope, and stuffs it into his pillow case.

Son of a bitch... That was such an intense dream, and a single piss ended it...

Yo, if it ain't Jesselton. Up late writing letters again?

You wrote one last week, and you're another one now. Who are you writing to anyway?

None of your business.

Come on, what's there to hide? Can't you show us? What'cha writing? Asking your folks for money? Threatening your wife to make sure she stays faithful?

I made a bet with another guy today. Ten cigs on the line.

C'mon, just tell me what you're writing. If I win the smokes, I'll give you half.

Sorry, but I have to ask you to please respect my privacy.

Fine, fine. You got your right to privacy. Sure.

You came in here dressed as a prison guard, ready to do some killing. And not only did you not actually kill anyone, you got locked up here. You might wanna stop acting all haughty, like anyone's got any privacy here.

Is that all of them?

Jesselton's not here yet!

Jesselton? What's with him this time?

He tripped when he left his cell and slammed his head on the bars!

Sorry about that. I was in the infirmary.

Infirmary? Must've been real bad, huh?

Alright, tell me who tripped you. You were my 'coworker,' and you've been behaving. I'll take it out on them for you.

No one tripped me. I just got clumsy, banged my own head.

Really?

Really.

Then stop going to the infirmary every chance you get! Just about everyone here knows you're sturdier than a steel bar!

Alright, all of you, get to work! Jesselton, come with me. I have a special assignment for you.

No, thanks. I can do the same work as the other prisoners—

Can it. With me!

Here. Take the bucket. And some soap, too. Now, go clean all the toilets in A-Zone!

Alright, if that's the mission you had in mind for me.

I don't see a brush, though?

What d'you need a brush for?

Mighty as you are, I bet you can make steel wool with your Arts. Now go! And those bathrooms better be spotless when I check 'em, or you ain't getting dinner tonight!

Ha... haha!

(Takes a deep breath)

As you wish, Jailer. After all, you're the one with the power here and now.

Damn, he got toilet duty, and he's still acting like it's nothing.

Jesselton, you're back?

Nice work. Must be hard, doing a dirty job like that.

No big deal. Nothing I'd ever worry about.

Here's a roll from lunch.

Thanks, Rick. I'm glad I went to the infirmary to poke around for you.

So you didn't actually slam into the steel bars. You faked it to help me out? How could I ever repay you?

So, how's my prognosis?

The doctor is a pain to deal with. It took a small sum of money to get him to talk.

He says your liver disease needs attention now—

Jesselton, you made new friends again, huh?

Grr.

I don't care what you do here, you're fighting with us today!

Sorry, but I'm not interested in your games.

Not interested? You know how we've been getting our asses handed to us by the Infected punks?

Ever since you let Anthony get away, the B-Zone assholes have been giving us less and less respect. This is all your fault, and you're telling me you ain't going?

If you ain't going, then just you wait. The next time you are on toilet duty, we'll have a surprise for you!

Sorry, but I'm not quite as vulgar as your kind. I don't find such lowly violence satisfying in the least.

Jesselton, you should go...

Hey, you. Rick, is it? You've been here for a couple days, right? Here's some serious advice: you better stay away from this guy. He's not the kind-hearted soul you think he is!

What do you mean? Jesselton's helped me out a lot—

Aww, and here I was actually trying to be nice.

Jesselton, the rumble's happening real soon, and you better head on over right now! If you're late, I'll give you a good beating myself!

(Shrugs)

If you want me there so badly, I'll go take a look.

Not just a look—You gotta—

Whatever, I better see you there!

Look who's here!

Hey, Jesselton, you look good in that outfit!

Tired of being a guard? Decided to join the rest of us?

Hahahahahaha!

(Quietly) Jesselton, I heard you could arm wrestle Anthony. These guys gotta be no problem, right?

What a dumb question. I'm actually a little insulted.

A few lone Infected—

Please wait patiently in the prison for the time being. Do not attract attention or cause any trouble.

You heard him, you Infected punks? Jesselton said a few Infected can't take him!

Alright, let's see what this fake jailer's got!

Get him!

Heh, they're fighting again—Hey, who's that?

Jesselton?

Hey, I'm betting on A-Zone today.

Thanks for the free money, then. I bet this doesn't work out for A-Zone.

Jesselton, what are you standing there for like a bump on a log? Get 'em!

Jesselton, you—

Jesselton, motherf—What, are you on their side?!

Hah! You A-Zone pussies can't take us! Your new hero here? He won't save you! Just wait! By the time this is over, we'll put you out of your misery.

You know, beating these guys to death's no fun.

What do you mean?

The one we should really beat the shit out is the fake jailer. He's all bark and no bite, don't you think?

What did he just say? 'A few Infected can't take him?'

Just looking at his face gets me heated. Even if he's not coming for me, I'm getting at least one good hit in—

Mother, son of a—I think I got a few broken bones! He's like a hunk of metal. It's like punching a steel plate!

Take this crowbar!

That's what I'm talking about! Put him down!

(Whistles) It's not gonna hurt him.