Project Village

   I suppose it was not unlikely that one day I should be abducted and wake up amongst you........what am I writing? Of course it was highly unlikely that one day I should be abducted and wake up amongst you..... Yet here I am, why? "Wouldn't you like to know" the voice said. I wanted to know who he was, he said he is Number Two. "It's been 45 years since the Prisoner resigned, was nerve gassed, and abducted to the Village." I told him that I knew that. "Ah, but he's old hat. Passed his prime. It's time for his replacement to be brought to the Village, that's why you are here." Me, why? "We did look at other applicants, but you have an advantage." "Advantage?" I asked "You bear a remarkable resemblance to the former Number Six." I picked up the file from the desk before me and opened it, looking at the file picture. "I don't look like that any more, that's no longer me!"
   "Yes, well" Number 2 began "Admittedly you have put on a few pounds, and you have long hair now. That was not reported to me. Who do you think you are, somekind of bohemian? You're not a violin player you know!"
   So I was taken to the hairdressers, my hair cut and styled. My old clothes were burnt, and I was given a new set of clothes, piped blazer, deck shoes, the whole wardrobe. I was asked to join Number 2 for breakfast, even though it was half past two in the afternoon!
   "Ah there you are, do come in, do come in. What would you like for breakfast?" Number 2 asked in friendly tone. "It's a bit late for breakfast I told him." "Yes, well coffee then?" he offered, and I accepted.
    "So what is it you want?"
    "I want you to try and escape!"
    "Escape?"
    "Yes."
    "How?"
    "Can you fly a helicopter?"
    "No."
    "Well you could make your own tools, stone axe, chisel. Fell a tree, carve out a boat, build a raft and sail away."
    "That sounds like a lot of hard work. what might be my chances?"
    "What of drowning, very high I should think!"
    "No, I mean of escape?"
    "Oh very slim. No-one has managed to escape before."
    "Then I won't try. I think I'll stop here!"
    "What? It is the right of every prisoner to try and escape. By helicopter, boat, sea-going raft, motor boat, even by land in one of our own vehicles."
    "Isn't all that a bit on the repetative side?"
    "Well perhaps you can think of something more original."
    "Yes, I'll simply stay here. The Village doesn't look too bad. I could get a job, perhaps something in Administration."
    Number 2 shook his head.
    "Well I used to work in Security, I could be an observer."
    Again Number 2 shook his head.
    "Well I like gardening, I could be a gardener."
    Number 2 nodded his head and exclaimed "You could dig a tunnel!"
   "A tunnel!"
   "Yes, no-one has tried to tunnel his way out of the Village!"
   "This is the Village, not Stalag-Luft 7!"
   "We don't have the number seven in the Village, you of all people should know that."
   "Me?"
   "Yes, you are admirably suited for the Village."
    "Me?!"
    "You know all about the Village, that's why you have been brought here. We have a copy of your manuscript."
    "You've read it?"
    "Oh yes. We cannot possibly allow you to have this published" he said tossing the well thumbed manuscript onto his desk.
    "That, that's fiction, based on fiction!"
    "All of it?"
    "Well not all of it....."
    "But enough to have you brought here. What's more you've been writing that blog of yours, you cannot go on doing that you know, you really can't."
    "Look, you can't tell me what I can and cannot do. What's more you can't hold me here, I'm leaving!"
    "That's the ticket Number 6. I'll look forward to our adventures together. Good day."
  The pair of steel doors slid open, and I departed the office of Number 2, and shown the door by a diminutive bowing Butler!

BCNU