A Short Story - "The Fugitive "

The sounds of whirling sirens and the shrieking bars of dogs filled the air. Flashlight and headlight beams pursed through the night sky as the three escapees made a desperate flit for survival. If being hunted down by dog and man alike was not enough, the only prison on the island of St. Lucia was found in the heart of a snake infested forest. This clever move by the government, schemed up to deter would be escapees with fear of being bitten by the twelfth most deadly snake in the world. As they continued to flee through the trees which served as a deadly protector, Marcus the human GPS, a real “bushman” plotted a course for a village found on the far side of the island. The other escapees namely Joseph the thief of the group and James the brains behind the operation, just followed bushman Marcus as he led them deep into the tropical forest.

The story of how these three men became entangled in this successful escape attempt might just surprise you. James convicted of murder serving two life sentences had been in jail since he was twenty. The funny thing about James’s story is that he was completely innocent, but the justice system in St. Lucia at the time was flawed. Even if he did not pull that trigger, just by the place he lived and the crowd he hung out with it was enough for him to be convicted of murder. After spending eighteen years in prison James was a changed man, not just in age but in wisdom. He came a long way from the twenty year old juvenile misfit he was, becoming a wise and purpose driven man. It was with that purpose James setup his escape; drafting in the two other men to help him for only the cost of freedom. Marcus who was a Rasta was convicted on the production and intent for sale of marijuana. He was no stranger to the mountainous interior of the forest, because it was in these very parts he set out growing the illegal plant. Joseph on the other hand was a master thief and with his slick and cunning nature he was the one who was able to supply the keys that were instrumental in the escape of the now fugitives.
Marcus continued to lead them on their three day expedition through the interior forest of St. Lucia. Starvation was the last thing on the escapees’ minds. With an abundance of fresh fruits, flowing streams of water and a few wild goats and pigs in the mix they had one thing less to worry about and if need be they could of spent the rest of their lives right there in the mountains. Believing they were safe, they sat down for a much needed break, while still on the lookout, not for the police but that grayish brown devil, the lancehead pit viper. One bite from this deadly snake would leave the victim crippled with no hope of reaching a hospital in time and in addition it would mean giving up the fight for freedom.
As they settled in for the night James reflected on the circumstances that caused him to stage this escape. Before being convicted James had gotten his then girlfriend Jean pregnant but after being convicted he was never able to see his baby girl, the mother of his child had nothing to do with him anymore and didn’t ever come to visit, respond to a letter or any form of communication. It was his mother who had updated James on how his daughter was growing. She sent pictures and told him stories. Those were the things that kept James going for those eighteen years and truthfully the reason he staged this entire escape. Suddenly, the sound of movement broke James’ reflection, the man grew tense looking all around to see what could possibly be making a move for them. Then from behind a tree sprung a wild goat. The fugitives looked at one another with a sigh of relief.
The next morning they continued their trek while the dawn sun began to shine across the sky and shortly after midday the escapees were on the out skirts of the village of Anse la Raye. The men then parted ways, each having their own agendas. Not to mention, traveling together would have probably landed them right back in jail. James continued on feeling somewhat remorseful for setting two criminals free but the time he spent in prison made him tough and for this mission, he would do anything to complete it. James having only two days until d-day had to find a way to hide in plain sight and the only thing going for him was the hope that his brother Ben would understand the message he sent for him.
Off he went and the first stop on his agenda was new clothes. With an abundance of clothing hanging outside on lines in people’s yards, it was just a matter of who wasn’t home and what would fit. After successfully getting clothing, he proceeded to the rendezvous point. To James’ surprise, there was his brother Ben nervously awaiting his arrival. James had worried that there was a slim change of his brother not only understanding his message but risking his own freedom for him. They exchanged an emotional greeting but quickly moved on trying not to draw to much attention to themselves. They left the village of Anse la Raye and proceeded north to a small inn where James would wait the culminating event of his escape. At the inn Ben had everything setup for James; new clothes, a clipper to shave off his hair and enough food so that James never had to leave the room.
At last the day was finally here. James woke up early to prepare, fixing up the room and trying to remove any trace of his presence in an attempt to safe guard his brother. Now it was time. He left the room and headed toward the cultural center where he would finally complete his escape mission. He arrived a bit early to ensure he would have a good viewpoint and not stick out like a sore thumb; even though he didn’t imagine the police would come looking for him here. Momentarily the ceremony began as the famous graduation tune began to play and as his daughter’s class marched down the aisle. His heart raced as the names of each student was called. Then his heart leaped for joy as the most beautiful sight he had seen in the last eighteen years walked down the aisle. By the time the ceremony was done people were congratulating the graduates, and James came to congratulate his daughter. He wrapped his arms around her and with his eyes closed he whispered in her ear “I’m so proud of my child.”