Page 26 of Their Broken Legend

See-ya.That’s a contronym phrase—if there is such a thing. I know there isn’t, but it’s still strange how language works. See-ya: See you. It means to leave someone and to find them.

As I exit the gym with my case, entering mynewworld—my new shit—I secretly hope that our “see ya” involves finding each other.

.

CHAPTERNINE

kaya

“Can you pull over?”

“Are you feelin’ sick?” The older Cabi man says, his tone hoarse like he chain smokes although the car doesn’t smell of tobacco but of salt. Before I can answer, he throws the car to the side, mounting the grass quickly.

My navy Maddison day dress catches the wind as I jump out of the old white Mazda. My lashes fan against the sun’s brilliance, my eyes locked on the bright-red picketed sign.

I stand there, just staring at it.

A picketed sign?

It has an obnoxious arrow that points to theoff-road. The wooden stake is buried deep in the earth and the board has Clover Hill Remand in big block letters—a warning and a directional guide, I assume.

What the actual fuck?

Google Maps not enough?

I frown hard. Hating it. I’ve never seen a directional for a permanent structure before, least of all for this kind of business. For like, food trucks and display homes and—

Roll-in.

Roll-out.

Mobile businesses.

It’s an advertisement.

That’s a cruel joke.

Surely, the government would prefer the general public, whatever, to just coast by completely unaware that there is a cage filled with human beings who have family members at home that cry themselves to sleep every night.

That worry about them.

Some of the incarcerated are innocent. I mean, that is what a remand centre is. It’s pre-conviction. Not that my dad is innocent…

Will he adapt?

Will I?

I muse in front of the sign until a car honk pulls me from my thoughts, the sound of a stranger wolf-whistling as they rush past stokes my contempt to outright anger.

Growling, I clutch hold of the plastic board and shake it, rock it, twist it, and fight to loosen the dirt around the stake.

It’s.

I try to tug it out.

My fingers slip from the plastic.

Not.

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