Part 1:
We arrived back at Rick’s house and collapsed in safety.
Much like in our Florida hotel room.
Yet this time we were much less optimistic.
Gloom filled the air.
We needed a plan.
The frog would likely soon reappear.
And within an hour, there was a knock at the door.
Frogs knock?
“Open up, Hatcher! This is the police. We know you’ve got the fruit. Open this door or we’ll break it down!”
Much like in our Florida hotel room.
Yet this time we were much less optimistic.
Gloom filled the air.
We needed a plan.
The frog would likely soon reappear.
And within an hour, there was a knock at the door.
Frogs knock?
“Open up, Hatcher! This is the police. We know you’ve got the fruit. Open this door or we’ll break it down!”
We prepped for a quick escape. Dale’s defiant face looked ready for battle.
“Where to?” he asked.
“Back to Florida? Maybe somewhere out west?”
The oranges sat strangely quiet.
“Come on, give us some ideas. Do you want to end up in a lab?”
“This is your last chance, Hatcher,” said the voice at the door. “Open up or we’re – ”
We heard a crash and then crunching glass, followed by shouting voices and gunfire.
A peek out the window revealed an overturned police car.
And a familiar reptilian face chewing on a steel-belted radial tire.
“Where to?” he asked.
“Back to Florida? Maybe somewhere out west?”
The oranges sat strangely quiet.
“Come on, give us some ideas. Do you want to end up in a lab?”
“This is your last chance, Hatcher,” said the voice at the door. “Open up or we’re – ”
We heard a crash and then crunching glass, followed by shouting voices and gunfire.
A peek out the window revealed an overturned police car.
And a familiar reptilian face chewing on a steel-belted radial tire.
The group at the door squawked for backup and fired more bullets.
The frog seemed annoyed, hopping frantically, lashing out like a piñata seeking revenge on children with sticks.
“That does it. We’ll never escape,” Cray said.
“It does seem our dilemma has reached its nadir.”
“Come now, you two, don’t wither as the weeds encroach.”
“I reckon you’ve got a point, Axxey.”
“My spirit is buoyed by your council.”
Gunshots crackled in bursts. The frog bounced on slack legs, its every charge repelled by a phalanx of officers.
“We need to talk alone,” Cray said. They abruptly rolled to the kitchen.
Their hushed words snuck in through breaks in the battle outside.
Surely what I heard wasn’t right.
It couldn’t be.
The frog seemed annoyed, hopping frantically, lashing out like a piñata seeking revenge on children with sticks.
“That does it. We’ll never escape,” Cray said.
“It does seem our dilemma has reached its nadir.”
“Come now, you two, don’t wither as the weeds encroach.”
“I reckon you’ve got a point, Axxey.”
“My spirit is buoyed by your council.”
Gunshots crackled in bursts. The frog bounced on slack legs, its every charge repelled by a phalanx of officers.
“We need to talk alone,” Cray said. They abruptly rolled to the kitchen.
Their hushed words snuck in through breaks in the battle outside.
Surely what I heard wasn’t right.
It couldn’t be.
The oranges came back and quickly, calmly, gave us their decision.
They explained their thoughts and told us what we needed to do.
I protested – Dale yelled and sneered – but their feelings were steadfast.
If only things hadn’t happened so fast. There was no time to think.
“Rick! We can’t do this.”
“This is the life process of fruit,” Axxey said. “Even for us, who are changed. We can feel it."
“We're food. Or else a drink in a glass,” Cray added.
“My colleagues are correct. Share our harvest.”
“No! You need to fight." I started to cry. “Just because you’re born for something, that doesn’t mean anything.”
“Our lives are ending. One way or another," Axxey told me. “We prefer to do it with you.”
“Dale, blink them out of here! Some beach somewhere, some island in the tropics."
He looked at me and lowered his head.
And I realized ... that an island in the sun was not to be.
They explained their thoughts and told us what we needed to do.
I protested – Dale yelled and sneered – but their feelings were steadfast.
If only things hadn’t happened so fast. There was no time to think.
“Rick! We can’t do this.”
“This is the life process of fruit,” Axxey said. “Even for us, who are changed. We can feel it."
“We're food. Or else a drink in a glass,” Cray added.
“My colleagues are correct. Share our harvest.”
“No! You need to fight." I started to cry. “Just because you’re born for something, that doesn’t mean anything.”
“Our lives are ending. One way or another," Axxey told me. “We prefer to do it with you.”
“Dale, blink them out of here! Some beach somewhere, some island in the tropics."
He looked at me and lowered his head.
And I realized ... that an island in the sun was not to be.