Rolling The Dice

[Caspin]

Yes, it's a bit of a cheat but it was nice to send Veronica away for a while. I'll put up with her when she becomes a teenager but thought I'd spare myself while she's a child!

Well here is the next instalment!

Prison Life

Caspin slept quite well on her first night in prison, although she did have repetitive nightmares about the lack of wifi.




The next day she was assigned to work in the kitchen in the morning, making bread and preparing that day’s meals for the prisoners and the guards.

“This isn’t so bad”, she thought. It was quite a good oven and she enjoyed baking, although there didn’t seem to be much variety on the menu and the thought of eating the same meals over and over again was slightly depressing.




In the afternoons she worked in the prison library, which had a surprisingly good collection of true crime and historical novels, although she had read most of these already.




It was fun to stamp books for the other prisoners and tidy up the shelves. For a while.

Once a day the prisoners were taken out to the exercise yard, where Governor Flora supervised them walking in circles.




Caspin marched round and round until the whistle was blown and it was time to go back inside.

Prison life was not so very terrible, she decided. Although she did live in constant fear of dropping the soap.




The weeks went by with unvaried routine. Bake, tidy books, walk in a circle, take a fearful shower. She became bored and lonely. But then, a happy day arrived! Visitation Day!

The Visitors

Ollie and Minty arrived very early on the morning of the visiting day, passing through the triple gates of the prison with trepidation.

Ollie: It’s so dark!
Minty: It’s 6.00 am, of course it’s dark.
Ollie: No, I mean it’s dark indoors.
Minty: It is. But Caspin doesn’t like bright light. Maybe she likes it.
Ollie: Hmmm. I’m not sure.




They went into the visiting room and found Caspin already waiting for them.

Caspin: Hello! Hello!
Ollie: Crumbs, Caspin, what on earth are you wearing?
Minty: Hahahahaha I didn’t realise it was fancy dress!
Caspin: Jeez, how funny you are!
Ollie: Sorry, but you look like a clown!




Ollie: So, how is prison life?
Caspin: It’s fine. I cook and clean and take walks and read books. It’s very similar to being at home.
Minty: Oh dear! You’ve become institutionalised!
Caspin: Not really. I’m just trying to look on the bright side.
Ollie: That must be difficult with this decor.
Minty: You can’t stay here. You’re already starting to go mad and they are making you wear dungarees!
Caspin: Yes, well, feel free to rescue me at your convenience.




Governor Flora came in and announced that the morning visiting hours were over.

Caspin: I have to go back to work. It’s laundry day. I will be washing dozens of stupid stripy onesies.

She disappeared off down a long dark corridor.

Ollie: We really do need to take action here, you know.

Minty: Yes, this will not do.
Ollie: I wish we could all run away to somewhere sunny and fun.
Minty: I have an idea. But we are going to need help.




Back at home, Minty outlined his plan and Ollie listened carefully.

Ollie: Are you sure this will work?
Minty: I think so. I read about it in a book. Also, I saw it in a film.
Ollie: Well, if it has been detailed in a book, what can possibly go wrong?




Minty: It will look suspicious if we return to visit again today. We will call Vidkid. She will help.




Minty made the call and arranged that they would meet Vidkid at a park on the road to the prison. A few hours later they met, loitered in a bush, then agreed the plan. Vidkid set off towards the prison, carrying a package that Minty and Ollie had provided.




Caspin: Wow, Vidkid, thank you for coming to visit me! You got me out of laundry duty!
Vidkid: Happy to help! Rather bright outfit for you, that, isn’t it?
Caspin: Yeah I know. I can’t look down because my own clothes make me dizzy.




Governor Flora supervised the visit, observing all of the prisoners and their guests carefully.

Vidkid: I brought you a gift!
Caspin: Wow, thank you but I doubt I am allowed a gift.
Vidkid: No, it’s fine. Governor Flora has inspected it.

The Governor nodded and Caspin excitedly accepted the box.




Later on Caspin opened up the box. It was a massive pie!




“Oh thank goodness! Something tasty. Mmmmmmmmm!”




She scoffed the lot. In doing so, she discovered that a variety of tools had been baked into the pie. Caspin stared at them. She could have broken a tooth! What was she supposed to do with these?




“Crikey, I bet Minty has been watching some kind of cartoon movie in which someone gets out of jail by filing through the bars of a window or something! Like that would work in real life. What a nutter!”

Caspin chuckled and lay down on the floor, too full of delicious pie to move.

As soon as she’d left the prison, Vidkid had realised the flaw in this otherwise foolproof plan. She stared up at the high, blank walls as she left. There were no windows!




Vidkid drove over to the safe house to deliver the bad news.




Minty: Oh. But I’m sure I saw windows when we visited this morning!
Ollie: Yes, but they are all internal. Caspin could break through the window of her cell but then she’d just be in the yard.
Vidkid: I’m afraid that’s right. Sorry, guys.
Minty: Fudge.
Ollie: I reckon she will have enjoyed the pie, at least.

They stared glumly at each other. Caspin was just going to have to stay in prison.