Alternative Deterrence. By Steam Train (steam_t2000@yahoo.com)
Chapter 4: Disgraced.
The next morning Tom had as usual prepared breakfast for the Green family.
The morning conversation around the breakfast table was particularly quite.
Flirting glances passed between Melissa and Eric and then back to their parents. Daniel kept his head down and his mouth firmly closed.
He felt ashamed and disgraced. It was obvious his parents had told his brother and his sister all about his run in with the police. Daniel was even too embarrassed to look at Tom who was only a slave.
Daniel reasoned that Tom had undoubtedly heard of his troubles as well and the thought crossed Daniels mind that after tomorrow he might be a slave, albeit a temporary one, just like Tom
The whole family seemed glad when they had finished eating and could get ready for work, college and school. The uneasiness and tension that was present was not pleasant.
As Daniel was about to leave to catch the bus to college from the end of Henson and Devine his mom stopped him and asked. "Got your lunch?"
"Yes mum!"
"Got your college work to hand in?"
"Yes mum!!"
"Got your wallet?"
"Yes mum!!!" Daniel thought she is deliberately treating me like a child again!
"Oh where are your house keys"
"Yes mum!!!!"
"What?" said Mrs Green?
Eric giggled in the background at his brother's mistake
"Oh sorry, I mean I have them mum' replied a slightly embarrassed Daniel.
"Well son you better let me have them" Mrs Green replied.
"Why mum?" a puzzled Daniel asked.
"I am giving them to Eric. After your behaviour yesterday Eric will be taking over as the responsible adult from you. He will let you in after college if Tom is not around until further notice.
"Mum you can't do that it's not fair".
"Daniel it is very fair considering your behaviour yesterday. After you appear in court tomorrow I suspect you will have far worse punishments to contemplate than the loss of your house key privileges".
Daniel took his keys out of his pocket and handed them to an eager Eric who was beaming with pride at his promotion in position over his brother.
It was more a symbolic thing loosing key privileges than a practical punishment. Tom was nearly always at home and so Daniel had hardly ever used the keys, but the loss of status hurt.
All the way to the bus stop Eric jingled the keys in front of Daniel till he could stand it no more.
"Fuck off Eric" Daniel retorted.
"I'm telling mum you swore" Melissa replied.
"Grow up Mel" Daniel responded.
"Don't worry about him Mel, He's just got the shits because he's been demoted from number one son. Wait till the court gets hold of you `little' brother you wont just be demoted you'll be naked" Eric teased.
Melissa and Eric burst into laughter at that thought.
Daniel blushed profusely.
Both were curious about what their brother would look like naked. Neither of them had seen him naked for like eight or nine years.
When he arrived at College Daniel was the centre of attention from his friends who attended college with him and as word quickly spread about his arrest soon many more students gathered to hear his story.
He was bombarded with questions about what happened.
When he told them he was charged and had to appear in the juvenile court tomorrow there was a noticeable gasp.
One of the guys from his year who had been listening in asked, "So Green you going to be a nudie?"
Daniel blushed at this comment but before he could answer the chant started.
"Nudie ^Å. Nudie ^Å. Greens going to be a Nudie"
Even his friends joined in the chant.
Daniel suddenly felt so alone. No one associated with a `nudie' after all they were a slave, albeit a temporary one but still you could never be friends with a slave!
The realisation hit him then that he would be feeling even more alone if that was possible if his friends found out he had snitched on them.
Once classes started the day progressed normally but during lunch break Daniel again had to field numerous questions from students.
At lunch time between the questioning Daniel took particular notice of who at college was a nudie. Some of the Senior's were too old for the scheme unless finishing off a sentence imposed before they turned 21. Sometimes for very minor offences one of the over 21 year olds would be indentured as a slave but allowed to complete their education.
He noticed none of either type at the moment.
The only nudies he found looking around the campus were ten freshmen, seven males and three female and eight sophomores, all males. The bulk of them had been naked since college recommenced.
Daniel did not know any of them personally; Eastbrook College campus was large so he didn't even know all the guys in his own year, though one of them Greg Pearson was in his English Literature class. Daniel wondered about going up to him and asking advice.
The trouble was `free' students didn't speak to NEWDD slaves whilst they were in the program and besides he distinctly remembered making a request along with his friends to examine a very embarrassed Greg the second day back at college.
Would Greg be willing to talk to him after that? Would Greg laugh at him knowing that he was about to become a nudie too?
Daniel was glad when classes resumed and he could concentrate on other less depressing things.
Daniel came home as quick as possible trying to avoid more questions. He was home in fact before his brother and sister, so seizing the opportunity he dropped his bag in the hall for Tom to collect and put in his room later and went straight to the kitchen.
Tom was there and asked, "Master Daniel would you like a drink?"
"Yes thanks Tom" Daniel replied politely.
As Tom poured out a glass of ice-cold coke, Daniel decided he needed to start learning about how slaves lived whilst his brother and sister were not around and before his parents came home.
Tom had gone back to preparing the dinner and was standing on the opposite side of the kitchen.
Daniel felt a momentary pang of embarrassment; he knew what he wanted to ask Tom, `What was it like to be a slave'? He just didn't know how to start the conversation.
It was the first time in his life he had ever felt any uneasiness around Tom.
Finally Daniel built up the courage and simply asked, "What's it like to be a slave, Tom?"
Tom was facing away from Daniel as he chopped away at some vegetables. Now he turned to face Daniel and looked him straight in the eye.
A slave never looks a free citizen straight in the eye they kept their eyes lowered.
"Master Daniel, I heard about your troubles, so I can guess why you're asking".
Daniel blushed, something he was doing a lot lately.
"What's it like being a slave?"
"Well Master Daniel It's worse than anything you can imagine. You're absolutely helpless as a slave; you have no control over anything in your life. I say that even though I know that with your parents as masters I am very lucky. I talk to other slaves at the shops and most are not as lucky as me. Many have to sleep in cages like animals and get very regular beatings, I get my own room and am only punished when I deserve it".
"You're only going to be a temporary slave Master Daniel for a short time but still my advice to you is, do everything you are told, get your time over in as short a time as possible so you can be free again. Don't fight, submit and obey, that way you will not incur any additional sentences."
"Be very careful Master Daniel because once you're in the system even as a temporary juvenile slave, it's very easy to be trapped forever."
Tom looked directly into Daniels eyes with real genuine concern on his face. He had cared for Daniel since he was born and wished him no harm. In fact he loved the three children but that was something a slave could never admit too.
"What do you mean, Tom?" Daniel asked.
"Master Daniel, when I was sixteen, I was indentured for a year for traffic offences. When my time was nearly up my master went back to court and on some technicality had my term extended. I was not allowed to be present and my family had wiped me because of my reckless behavior so at the hearing their being no objections the application was granted".
"When I found out my indenture had been extended I verbally abused my master and then I lost my temper totally and hit him. A slave cannot touch a free citizen Master Daniel without permission, so as a result of my actions I was enslaved for life, got forty lashes with the bull whip and had to spend two years hard labor in a rehabilitation camp".
`That's why Master Daniel I beg you to do everything you are told as soon as you are told, don't ruin your life like I did."
For the first time Daniel saw Tom in a totally different light. He saw him as a human being just like his father who had feelings and emotions. Tom was a part of the Green household but he most defiantly was not treated as part of the Green family.
Daniel realized sitting they're looking at Tom what a very boring and repetitious life Tom was forced to lead faithfully serving his family. Unless Daniels parents allowed it as his masters, Tom was not allowed access to all those things to occupy his time that Daniel enjoyed and took for granted like sport, music, TV, books and the movies.
What Daniel learnt from Tom was very frightening for him but he was also glad he had asked. It would be a big help in getting him through the next days, weeks and months ahead.
End Chapter 4.
Acknowledgements:
`A Summer in Hell' by L. T. Richards