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Escape from Janda

By Chuck Semenuk

Lieutenant Pharque struggled to the surface of the foul smelling swamp and tried to get his bearings. He didn’t remember much about the crash of the Light Ship; everything was a blur. Suddenly Ensign Bork clawed his way through the debris filled lake.

“Bork, have you seen any of our crew?”

“I’ve seen a few over in that direction. There seems to be an undercurrent moving that way,” said Bork.

Pharque cleared some debris away. “There must be an outlet. Let’s try to gather as many of our crew as we can and follow the current out of this hell hole.”

The swamp narrowed considerably at the outlet and the current increased. Lieutenant Pharque gathered the remnants of his crew and led them into the fast-moving current. After what seemed an eternity, the current began to slow as the rotten smelling debris began to bunch up and obstruct the flow.

Bork was beginning to panic. “I don’t think we’re going to make it out of here, Lieutenant! I don’t want to die here!”

Pharque slapped him. “Get it together man. You’re going to panic the whole crew. We’ll get out of here. Trust me.”

Pushing clogs of debris out of the way, the hapless crew soldiered onward.

Suddenly, Bork called out “Lieutenant, I think I see an outlet up ahead.”

“By God, you’re right. I told you we’d make it out of here. Come on, men. Follow me. This place is history!”

Bursting through the outlet into the fresh air, they screamed with joy at the top of their lungs.

“Dude! That was gross!”

“Janda, you are one rank SOB.”

“Sorry, guys but it felt so good.”

“Okay, half time. Who wants more beer and munchies?”

“Sounds good but dude, lay off the deviled eggs!”

“Okay. I think the wife has some nachos ready.”


To be published in the Oct./Nov./Dec., 2011 Fall issue of ThBracelet Charm magazine.