The Escapist Read Online Free Page B

disobedience going unpunished.  
    “So Osscar.” Edmund hissed, the sibilants drawn out provocatively through his jutting jaw.  As he spoke the boy rested an elbow on the rail of Oscar’s bunk so that the scene almost had the appearance of a casual conversation between friends.  Yet Oscar felt far from relaxed, eyeing Edmund warily in the full knowledge that he was anything but a friend.  He could not help but be conscious of Edmund’s hand, which never seemed to stray very far from the handle of the whittling knife.
    “Edmund .” Oscar nodded an acknowledgement and shifted as casually as possible into an upright and more defensible position.  Piggy’s face remained frozen, peering over the end of the bunk as his eyes darted between the two figures facing up to each other nearby.
    “Did you miss me Osscar?”  Edmund said, again placing an altered emphasis on the name.  His eyes burnt through the side of Oscar’s face as the boy did not turn to address him.
    “Hmph.  Can’t say I’ve given it much thought.” Oscar wasn’t going to give Edmund the satisfaction of deferring to him but would instead walk closely along the cliff edge that any small act of defiance represented.
    “Well, I must say I’m quite hurt, Oscar!  I would have enjoyed a day’s outing as well, you know.” Oscar didn’t really want to look into those thuggish features, let alone enrage them, but the opportunity to tease him just a little seemed too tempting to resist.
    “Well next time I go, Ed-munnnd,” Oscar pushed his luck mimicking Edmund’s drawn out pronunciation. “Maybe I'll send you an invite.”  He looked at the huge boy keeping his expression deadpan and wondered if the taunt would be registered.  Edmund showed no hint that the teasing had hit home but moved his face a little closer.
    “Well, Osscar, how about you just tell me how you did it and I can get out in my own time?”  Although Edmund experienced relaxed supervision during his stay at the Institute, the place was well enclosed and it wasn’t just the matrons he had to worry about.  Wardens regularly patrolled the area and would show no hesitation in giving Edmund a kicking, despite his relatively grand stature.
    “I’m sorry Edmund.” Oscar’s voice dripped insincerity.  “I’m keeping that one for myself.  I might need it for the future and I wouldn’t want it getting discovered beforehand.”  The two boys stared at each other, eyes locked in an internal battle for power.  Edmund broke the gaze with a harrowing laugh
    “Alright Ossscar, you keep your little secret for now. I’ll get it in due time.”  His hand strayed further towards the hilt of his whittling knife, perhaps seeking comfort in light of the confrontation.
    “Get lost Edmund, Oscar’s said his bit.” Piggy’s comment was almost lost, it had so little volume.  Almost lost.  With a slow twist of the head Edmund’s focus shifted.  He thrust out the knife so that the tip was only inches from Piggy’s face.
    “Shut it, you, or I’ll stick you like the pig you are.”
    “Is there a problem here?” Oscar couldn’t believe how happy he could be to hear a matron’s voice.
    “Hmph.  No problem here.” Edmund remarked and stalked back to his bunk, very nearly barging the middle aged woman.
    “Right! Well!  Lights out then.”
    Thanks to that little confrontation bed time was imposed on them fifteen minutes earlier than usual, though to Oscar this was blessed relief.  The hard day’s labour and lack of nourishment ensured that he passed quickly into the deepest of sleeps.
    Some hours later Oscar awoke in a dazed stupor, his eyes attempting to focus in near darkness.  The small, shuttered windows high up in the dormitory allowed only the faintest rays of moonlight through.  He vaguely made out the dark shape of a figure sitting up in a bed along the opposite wall, perhaps Edmund.  Yet, the drain on his body overwhelmed his mind and for now he couldn’t