Have you ever wished everything is easy? Have you ever thought that maybe life is where you win the good fight or good always happened to you? Have you ever wanted to get through life unscathed so you can be the very first Mr Perfect? If you were stuck in a situation you can't get out of, you ever live in a fantasy where everything will work out for you? Well, some people do and some people want these things, but they can't. Life isn't a fairy tale where you always found your true love and live happily ever after. That could be the same for the situation that Groomer, Max Thomas Parker, and the cano-mutants are in. Prison life, as Morgan Freeman would put it, consists routine, and routine, and routine, and more routine. That's how it was for them every day.
Every morning, an alarm rings. They get out of their beds, and they would use the term 'bed' lightly. The beds had to be one of the worst beds they slept and laid on. The mattress and pillow were mats, but felt like they were putting their heads on rocks or metal that were hard and uncomfortable. They also had a smell to them, like you putting away something for over a decade and when you take it out, it has this old smell to it. The smell wasn't overbearing for them and they got used to the smell overtime. After they get out of the beds, they wipe their face off with the water from the sink. The water smelled and tasted like it came from the local sewer. The sinks were old and the porcelain on it had cracks on them. Even their running toilets were old and cracked as well. The water from the toilet smelled exactly as the sink. Sometimes the toilet would get clogged and they had to use old plungers that would break off after overuse.
They step out of their cells and move their way to the cafeteria to get their food, if you can even call what they gave them as 'food'. For breakfast, they were given a cold and wet slice of bread that was so stale that when you bit into it, it felt like where you trying to eat a piece of a hockey puck. They were also given cold oatmeal that was so watery, it might as well be considered soup. Then there was eggs and bacon that were overcooked and sometimes burnt to a crisp. Then the last thing they were given was coffee, that tasted so cold that it felt like it came straight out of the freezer. After breakfast, they were put to work. They worked in a mine shaft built underground of the prison where they were mainly loading and unloading and a lot of tiring and back breaking work. To speed up the process of work, the guards would abuse them with whips, sticks, almost anything that was in their hands.
Then they were given lunch. Lunch consisted of two cold wet bologna sandwiches with the bread that tasted like a hockey puck. They were then given green beans that tasted frozen and was barely cooked at all. Cold mashed potatoes and cold gravy that was watery. Each of them were given a cup of water that smelled and tasted like it came from one of their sinks or toilets. After lunch, they went back to work. Work would be completed for the day and they would be given time to do outdoor and indoor activities for two hours. The outdoor activities consisted of gym, basketball, volleyball, and softball, as well as just walking around in the prison yard. The indoor activities were card games, chess, checkers, hobby room, and movies for the week. They were then given dinner. This was by far the worst part of eating each day. They were given hockey puck bread, sewer water, and tossed salad. The cold chicken and dumplings that they ate would sometimes be filled with maggots and dead bugs. After dinner was activity time again for one more hour. Then it was bed time. Each prisoner went to the prisoner's quarters and were sent to their cells. After roll call, lights went out. The prisoners would go to sleep or at least try to on the hard mats.
Then it was the same thing they went through the day after that, the day after that, the day after that, the week after that, and the months after that. For them, it seemed that they would be living here for the rest of their lives, until the day came. The day for their freedom.
October 15th, 1999
It's almost evening. Groomer and Max are seen walking alone, wearing old grey prison clothes with worn out brown shoes that have holes in them. They keep walking until they reach a bricked building. They sit down and lay their backs on the wall.
Max: You know, Groomer, I've always been afraid to go to prison. I've always been afraid of the fact of my life out there being taken away and having to adapt life here. Afraid of always trying to live with people I've never met, nor have I ever seen. But, this is completely different. I'm with you and all of the cano-mutants that have been nothing but straight to him. All of our hard work and all of the years we spent being loyal to someone. And for what?
Max starts laughing to himself like a mental patient who has lost every sense of sanity in his head. Groomer notices this and has a confused look on her Belgian Shepherd face.
Groomer: What's so funny?
Max kept laughing until he finally controlled himself.
Max: N-Nothing, it's just that people end up in prison for the bad things they did to get there. People murder, rob, sell drugs, and heck, even jaywalk across the street.
Max starts laughing again.
Max: (under his laughing) And here we are because you and me kissed!
Max laughs harder than he had before, laughing loud so anyone can hear him. Groomer comforts him by putting her hands on his shoulders and shaking him.
Groomer: Max, get a hold of yourself!
Max stops laughing, but chuckles and giggles.
Max: I'm sorry, but, you have to admit how ridiculous this is. We're all here just because you and me went down to first base. What's next? A couple get into an insane asylum just because they tied the knot? Or a woman goes to rehab just because she became a widow?
Groomer: Yes, I know it's ridiculous, but we are all paying the price because of what we done, even if it was just us kissing. We could have acted like it never happened, but it wouldn't matter. He always finds out the truth.
Max: Truth? How is anything about you and me truthful?
Groomer: I don't know. Do you love me?
Max looks at Groomer, staring at her dog eyes.
Max: I don't know.
Groomer: You must, otherwise you wouldn't have told Parvo to stop choking me.
Max: Or you wouldn't have told him to let me live.
Groomer: Or you wouldn't have took me to see that movie.
Max: Or you wouldn't laugh and smile at my sarcastic jokes..
Groomer and Max continue to stare at each other.
Groomer: I have lovely eyes, do I?
Max: Not enough to give you immunity.
Groomer: From what?
Max: From the judge who sent us here.
Groomer: It's okay. I don't care much for him anymore.
Max: Neither do I.
Groomer: Since we're both here, away from him, think you and me can lay down?
Max: As in...?
Groomer: You know... lay down...
Max raises one eyebrow as he is not getting what she is referring to.
Max: (realizes) No.
Groomer: Yes.
Max: But you and me can't work as a-
Groomer puts her index finger on Max's lips.
Groomer: It doesn't matter right now. I've always wanted to let that happen again, since we left New Mexico.
Max grabs Groomer's black fur coated hands with his white fur coated hands.
Max: Well, I've always wanted to do that again when we were walking around the island.
Groomer: I could tell you wanted to just by looking at me.
Max: (smiles) Remember before we went back inside, I try to do a Jimmy Stewart impression and said, "You see that moon? If I ever met the woman of my life, I would lasso it and give it to her"?
Groomer: (giggles) Yes, you did.
Max: Well, what if I gave you an alternative?
Groomer: Oh?
Max: What if I give you the stars before we rocket to the moon?
Groomer: (smiles) I would like that.
Max and Groomer start felling a gravity, the same gravity they felt in New Mexico. The gravity pulls them together until their lips meet each other. Groomer's lips started to move down Max's neck. Max realizes what she is doing and stops her.
Max: Stop!
Groomer gets confused by this.
Groomer: What?
Max: Shouldn't we wait until we get to our cells? I wouldn't want to do this in public.
Groomer: Oh, yes. For right now, can I continue?
Max: Yes. I'm a lips service only guy...
Max looks down at her body.
Max: ...until I'm in a room with a bed.
Groomer chuckles and continues to kiss Max's lips. They continue to kiss each other until it was time to go their cells.
Max and Groomer are back in their cells, filled with sweat. Max gets his prison pants on goes over to the sink and wash the sweat off his head. Groomer covers her body with the sheets.
Groomer: (moaning) Tell me something, Max.
Max: Yes, Groomer?
Groomer: Am I not the most excited woman you've been with?
Max turns the sink off and stares at himself through the mirror above.
Max: Well, to be honest with you, there was this one girl I met in college-
Groomer throws her pillow at Max.
Groomer: Oh, stop it!
Max throws the pillow back at her.
Max: She wasn't loud like you are, though. Just a sound sleeper.
Each of them smile at each other.
Max: How's the escape plan going?
Groomer: Not easy. It's been hard these past two months of looking at a routine, but I did found a lot of things that can be helpful.
Max: No need to tell me now. Wait until tomorrow after breakfast, then we speak in private.
Groomer: Just like we always do.
Max chuckles.
Max: Have the cano-mutants been informed about this?
Groomer: Yes.
Max: No guards have heard anything yet?
Groomer: Not yet, thankfully.
Max: Good. Last thing we need is a party from them.
Max wipes the water off with a towel from under his bed.
Max: Can I ask you something?
Groomer: Yes.
Max sits by her.
Max: What do you think we should do after we escape?
Groomer: Well, I was thinking that we and the cano-mutants hunker down somewhere for a while. Then, when we get everything we need, we go after Parvo.
Max: That could work, but what if we go to someone to do it with us?
Groomer looks at Max, concerned.
Groomer: What do you mean?
Max: Isn't it obvious?
Groomer: No, not really.
Max: Well, it is for me, Groomer. The answer is right there.
Groomer: It isn't for me.
Max: They have everything we need.
Groomer: They?
Max: They have vehicles, weapons, supplies, and gadgets. They have everything.
Groomer: Who. Are. You. Talking. About?
Max: The Road Rovers.
Hearing this caused Groomer to be shocked. Out of all things she thought he would be referring to, it had to be them.
Groomer: The Road Rovers? But, Max, I've been accustomed to hate them. They are my sworn enemy and so is Shepherd. The thought of having to take orders from him just makes me-
Max: You're not working for Parvo anymore, though.
Groomer: Well, yeah. But...
Max stares at Groomer, with her doing the same at Max's eyes.
Groomer: ...we can't. We can just team up with the cano-mutants and we'll go after Parvo together.
Max: Groomer, where can you even get anything to go after him? They have everything we need, we only need to gain their trust in us.
Groomer: How? The moment they hear my voice or yours, they'll accuse us of being spies.
Max: Can you pull off an accent?
Groomer: Well, yes I can. But, Max, it'll only be a matter of time before they find out who we are.
Max: For you, but not for me. They will never find out about me. It's been a year since I met their stiffed Brit. I'm sure they have forgotten about me.
Groomer places her hand on Max's.
Groomer: Max, you don't need to do this. We can make a life for ourselves and go after Parvo as soon as possible. What about the cano-mutants?
Max: If we join the Road Rovers, when the time is right, you and me will go back to them and get them together to help the Rovers. They just need to hide somewhere where they can't be seen or heard.
Groomer: Max. I just can't. It won't work for me.
Max: If this goes the way I think it will and once we defeat Parvo, you and me can have a life for ourselves. Wherever you want to go, that's where we'll go. We'll be cured and the world will be safe and sound. Being a Road Rover right now is my destiny in defeating Parvo, and I have to be sure that it is fulfilled. I can not ask anything better than to join people with the same common goal. Groomer.
Groomer looks at Max.
Max: There is no other choice. Not for me.
Groomer takes a look around the room, then back to Max. After a few moments, she sighs and nods.
Groomer: Okay, Max. I'm with you. We're all with you. We will see it done.
Groomer does a pat on Max's arm, making him smile. Max goes to his bed, preparing it so he can go to sleep.
Groomer: Max.
Max stops.
Max: What?
Groomer: You have time for Round Two?
Max looks at her with a bewildered look on his face, then goes to her.
Max: Of course. As Roger Moore would say...
Max does an imitation of Roger Moore.
Max: "There is no sense going out half cocked".
Groomer laughs and smiles as Max gets in bed with her.
December 31st, 1999
We are under the prison, in the mines. The mines are huge with many directions to go. It felt like walking into a maze that would never end, unless you memorized the paths or brought a map with you to know where you are going. Rocks were all over the place that if you were not paying attention to, you could easily trip and fall and land on the dirt. The prisoners walk in and out of the mine every day, doing back breaking unnecessary work for them, but for the guards, it was great for them to put them back into the slavery days.
Max and Groomer are in a small room with pieces of paper they have hidden from this room on a table. These papers contain their plan of getting out of here. Everything was in order and everything prepared for the day was ready, both making sure that none of this was heard from the guards or anyone else working in the prison, especially Storm. They wait in the room, waiting for the three cano-mutants.
Groomer: (sighs) Where are they?
Max: I'm sure they're getting here. They're just taking their time.
Groomer: Either that or getting tortured right now.
Max: I don't think so. We spent months perfecting this, every waking second of seeing routines and figuring out their patterns, any possible exits we could discover that we can use to get out of here, taking out guards if necessary-
Groomer: Yes, Max. I am familiar with every single step we planned. You and me talk about it every day, always reminding each other over every step.
Max: I just want to be sure that everything goes to plan. If not, we'll be stuck here for the rest of our lives.
Groomer: I know that.
The wooden door opens and Fluffy, Spot, and Snuggles come in. Max gathers them and tells them the day they break out: January 3rd, AKA, Freedom Day. After what felt like an hour, the meeting comes to an end.
Max: Alright, everyone. On January 2nd, I'll go over the whole plan with you guys. Fluffy?
Fluffy looks at Max and speaks. This is something that all of the cano-mutants have been taught to do since day one of them being incarcerated here, so they can respond to everyone, including the guards. Fluffy speaks in a low-grunt like voice, as do all the cano-mutants.
Fluffy: Yes?
Max: You, Spot, and Snuggles make sure that every one knows about this plan and to be prepared for the next day, okay?
Fluffy: (nods) You got it, Max.
Spot: (nods) Yes.
Snuggles: (nods) Yes, sir. I'm just worried that the guards and Storm will hear about this.
Groomer: Just keep it to yourselves, like we have been doing for the past four months.
Suddenly a guard knock on the door.
Guard: Hey! What are you all doing in there?!
They all start being afraid. Max tries to hid everything as best as he can.
Max: (stammering) Nothing, sir! We're just going over the maps!
Groomer: Snuggles here is still a bit confused on where to go!
Snuggles: Yeah! I got lost the other day, so they're just reminding me on how to navigate through here!
They all look at each other, worried about what the guard is going to say.
Guard: Well, hurry up! Work needs to be done! We promised you guys to be off for two days for the new year if you get everything done before noon! Don't make me come in there and get you guys out of there myself!
Fluffy: Alright, sir! We're just finishing up in here!
The guard leaves, grunting. They all take a quiet sigh.
Max: That was close.
Groomer: Yeah. Too close. Alright, you heard him. Let's get back to work.
Max takes the plans and puts them in a hiding place he made for months, a hole in the wall where he places them there and fills the wall with rocks he found in the mines. He makes sure that the rocks wouldn't be easily taken out and tightens them as best as he can. His hiding place works so well because the way he places the rocks makes it look like that it's part of the rock formation, blending into the formation. They all leave the room and go back to work.
It's 11:58 PM. Everyone in the prison is celebrating that they will be entering a new year, decade, and century. They are all watching a TV that is set to Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on ABC. They are eating food and drinking, with mostly everyone drinking an ice cold bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey. Max and Groomer are sitting in their cell, waiting for the ball to start lowering. Max and Groomer are sitting, drinking ice cold bottles of Seagram's Escapes strawberry daiquiri.
Max: Man, I haven't had one of these since I was in college. I've never really been a fan of alcoholic beverages, even when I was attending my studies. Everyone else tried to get me into their frat parties, but I was never interested. I only went to one, just one time, and it was a horrible experience for me.
Groomer: Why?
Max: They made me did this thing where you are upside down and you try to chug a keg of beer. Let me tell you, the beer that was in that keg, I don't know what was in it, but it tasted so terrible that I ended up throwing up in the bathroom. Then, just when it wasn't bad enough, they made me smoke this thing that they called a water pipe. I thought I was just going to smoke tobacco or something, like me smoking a cigarette that I sometimes did. Anyway, I do it, expecting to smoke tobacco, but no. Whatever they used inside of that made my throat felt like it was on fire, so I went back to the bathroom again to throw up. Before I left, I turned to my friend and said to him, "If you ever bring me to anything like this again, I will personally tell the president of this university to throw all of you out". I went back to the dorm where I was staying at, where I spent most of the night trying to feel better, but went back to the bathroom several times to throw up. I felt like I was going to die that night. After that night, nobody asked me to go back and some of the students from that frat party I went to never came back to frats. I guess the words I used made them think it over. Anyway, I've never been a fan of alcoholic beverages. Daiquiri's are the only things with alcohol in it that I can drink without me feeling like I have to throw up, except champagne.
Groomer: Sorry to hear that. I never went to college, and look where I ended up; serving a mad man. I've never really been a fan of alcohol either, except this and champagne.
Max: Nice to know that we share the same taste.
Groomer smiles at this and sees that the ball is starting to lower. As Max and Groomer stare at the TV for 30 seconds, Max looks at Groomer.
Max: You know that there's a New Year tradition for couples as soon as the ball is dropped?
Groomer: Yes, and I'll have a great time doing it with you.
Nineteen and a half seconds passes. Dick Clark, the crowd in New York City, everyone in the prison start counting down from ten and as soon as they say one, they all shout with Dick Clark, "Happy New Year". Then, Max and Groomer start kissing each other's lips. Soon, they slowly lay on the bed they were sitting on and continue to kiss, making sure that this would be the greatest night of their lives.
January 2nd, 2000
We are back in the mines. Max and Groomer are waiting in the same room they were two days ago. Fortunately for them, the three didn't take long. Roughly five minutes after Max and Groomer entered, Fluffy, Spot, Snuggle enter the room and close the door.
Spot: Guards are probably going to start wondering where we are, so let's make this quick.
Max: Okay.
Max puts the complete plans on the table and makes hand motions to show them where they need to be and what to do, with each of the three nodding with everything that he and Groomer are saying.
Max: After breakfast, me and Groomer will be where we usually are, which is this floor, the lower level. At around 10:30 AM, me and Groomer will start a fight. Hope is, the guard with the keys to each room, including the entrance, comes over and tries to stop us. I'll take him out and we'll get the keys. Then we all get explosives, that should be triggered electronically. We'll put them in the mines weakest points, so we'll send this prison underground. Then, we'll gather to the entrance. After we open the door, we hurry up and go to the armory, which is located in the nearest building from the quarters. Once we grab every gun we can get our hands on, and if these guys come toward us, we come at them hard. If these people want a battle with us, we'll give them a war. We take out everyone, if we can, then we all get to the building where they keep their vehicles. We'll have to disable the vehicles that they'll try to use to get us when we get out. Once we do that, we get into the vehicles we need; me and Groomer will take one of the two seated vehicles, you and the rest of the cano-mutants take the Praga V35's and fit as many as you can into each truck that you'll have to use. Then, we use the 'big gun', which is the tank that they're keeping here. As soon we make a big enough hole for us to leave, me and Groomer will trigger the bombs.
Groomer: After that, we go our separate ways, for now. We split up. You will have to go into hiding. Make sure that it's an isolated place where no one can see or hear you. We promise, we'll be back for you guys. Since we're in the Québec area of Canada near Nunavut, me and Max will make it to Hudson Bay. I have a contact in the States that is able to get a hold of a plane. We'll fly to San Francisco, California, where they also got a hold of a vehicle for us. Then we'll head to join the Rovers, though I'm not sure where they are. They could be anywhere in that country. But, we'll first start at New Mexico. So, you guys understand of what we'll have to face tomorrow?
Fluffy: I'm not afraid. I'm ready for anything.
Spot: Neither am I. If they want me, they'll have to send an army to catch me.
Snuggles: One thing about this is bothering me though...
Max: What's that?
Snuggles looks at Max, concerned.
Snuggles: How long will you two be gone before you come for us?
Max: I'm not sure. We'll try to get to you guys as soon as we can, we just need time before they go after him. Just promise that no matter what, do not lose hope in us. We'll be back for you guys.
Snuggles looks at the ground then back to Max.
Snuggles: (nods) All right, Max. We won't give up on you.
Groomer: So, we're all good here? Any other questions?
They all look at each other than back to Groomer.
Groomer: No? All right, be sure to tell everyone about this plan and go over everything we talked about today. Let's get back to work.
Max takes the plans back into the hiding spot. They all leave the room.
It's 10:00 PM. Max and Groomer are lying in bed together, with the sheets covering their bodies.
Max: I'm not sure if I can sleep tonight.
Groomer: Why?
Max: Nothing. It's just a thought I've had since we were planning this.
Groomer looks at Max.
Groomer: And what's that?
Max: I might die doing this.
Groomer stares at Max and gives him a kiss on his ear.
Groomer: You're not going to die, Max. We'll make it. All of us.
Max: Tch. You're saying that like it's absolute, babe.
Max turns to stare at the concrete wall.
Groomer: Look, Max, I don't expect this plan to go with flying colors. But as long as we get out, we'll be okay. We'll join the Road Rovers and when the time is right, we'll go after Parvo and make him pay for what he's done to us. After that, you and me can have a life together. You can take me to Utah, where we can live happy. I have a good thought where we can live. We could live in a house where we won't have neighbors. It'll just be me, you the grass, and the trees. Maybe have a kid together and a dog or a cat and just live the best life we can live.
Max chuckles at himself.
Groomer: What?
Max: You're describing my mother's house. That's how me and my mother lived together.
Groomer: Oh. Would you like to have something like that again?
Max: No. Once is enough for me. I already have in mind of where I want to live for the rest of my life.
Groomer: And where's that?
Max turns to Groomer and smiles.
Max: I will tell you that when we get out of the Great White North.
Max kisses Groomer's lips, giving her the opportunity to smile.
Max: Have your last good night here, Groomer.
Groomer: And we'll have a great first day by Tuesday morning.
Groomer kisses Max, which made him smile. They bid each other good night and closed their eyes and drifted into a peaceful sleep.