Paintr

I choose to call myself ThePaintr
I am called Elzion Bradac
by some,
a name I do not care for
Who I really am, I do not know

Freedom

He stands, arms stretched over his head, wrists chained to the wall
Bare from the waist up, his chest is covered with scars
Blood oozes from countless wounds Facing him is a hulking man, his face twisted in a cruel, sadistic grin
Arm outstretched, he swings a many-tailed lash at
the chained one Metal barbs in the whip's tails bite deeply into his flesh
His muscles recoil from the pain,
yet, the hint of a smile plays across the sufferer's lips
as he stares at his tormentor with bright,
Free eyes

My earliest memories are as a small boy in the Illium Mines of Septra... I remember my mother's face and the day she died under the whips of the slave handlers there. I remember being taken into the mines shortly after and put to work loading ore carts.

Time had no meaning in the mines, each day was the same... Wake up early to the whips of the handlers... eat a meager meal, never enough to satisfy the hunger... work in the mines... try to avoid the whips, too often without success... eat another meager meal... sleep... Most became dull and mindless beasts under this regimen, but, mercifully, I found a bright spot in all this darkness.

Early on in this dreary life, I discovered within myself a talent to draw. Late at night while the others slept I would sketch in the dirt, perfecting my skills. Of course, I was very careful to brush the sketches out before I slept... it would not do for the handlers to realize I had a mind.

If not for one particular incident, I would most likely be there today... slaving in the mines and drawing in the dirt...

As a young man, I became entranced with a woman in the mines. Ahh, the years of cruel labor sapped her looks, but some inner beauty shone out through her eyes. We never spoke, it would be an invitation to even crueler treatment if the handlers saw us together, but I hoped that one day we could mate.

I worked hard in those days, determined to win the right to choose this woman for the days of mating. There was a particular handler called Vardoc who had picked me out as his special pet, often giving me the privilege of being the first to try out his newest devices of pain. We had been locked in a contest for years now, he was bent on breaking me and I would not give him the satisfaction. I saw what happened to those who let him win... I chose his tortures. My new-found work ethic angered him... he preferred me to work only after being beaten into the decision... and he set out to make life even more miserable for me.

Larvik... I hesitate to call him a man, he reminded me more of the sneaking creatures that lived in the dark places... was another of Vardoc's pets. He had won himself into Vardoc's favor by selling the lives of his own people. Larvik would betray anyone for a bite of bread... he was the first fat person I ever saw. Most of his betrayals were lies... but not always...

"Larvik's hungry," were words that changed my life. Many of us looked up to see the betrayer sneak into Vardoc's office and we all wondered who was going to be Vardoc's next victim. My blood ran cold when Vardoc stepped out of his office and sneered at me, but it turned to fire when he then looked over at the girl. He had special gifts for his chosen women... the lucky ones received death. My heart raged within me, and I vowed he would never touch her.

He beat her for pleasure but she would not cry. He beat her mercilessly and I watched her die. I could not stop him from killing my mother but I would not let him do it again.

A deep burning woke within me. It kept me awake nights in a sweat of murderous plots, most centered around bashing his skull open with the first rock at hand. Had opportunity arisen, I would have done just that and I would be dead.

My quest to kill Vardoc seemed nearly impossible. Three guards with blasters always accompanied him when he walked out in the mines. They stood watch outside his door when he was in his room. I watched those guards a long time... they were less vigilant when Vardoc slept. Now I lay waiting for the darkness to become complete.

"It will work, then what?"

"What are you talking about old man?" I stared hard at the one who had appeared so suddenly at my side. "You have been watching me..."

"What will you do after he is dead?"

"Why do you care what I do?" I continued to stare but he would not look away.

"He will be dead, you and the girl will soon follow."

"Not without a fight..."

"Alone against so many?"

I looked down. "Look around you old man... do you see fighters? I see slaves."

"Look for the ones with your eyes, they will fight. You Galach were born to fight."

Dream

A whisper of song
Endless water
Longing

The old man's words stayed my hand that night. I expected Vardoc to wait for the day of choosing to take the girl so he could make my suffering public. I had time to see these Galach.

It was not easy to look at anyone's eyes, it was safer to look at the floor, and I could see none who, by their actions, stood out from the slaves. I was about to give up my search when a disturbance caught my attention.

A young man was being beaten by one of the guards, a common scene, but neither the man nor the guard were behaving in a common manner. The man should have been whimpering and cringing and the guard should have been mocking and triumphant, but it was as if I was watching myself being beaten by Vardoc. I saw the look in the man's eyes, "You can beat me, but I will not be beaten" and I saw the answering look in the guard's eyes I had so often seen in Vardoc's, rage... fear... agreement...

The next night I went to the beaten one, "I was watching you..."

"Aye."

I stared into his strange blue eyes. He watched me study him and showed no discomfort at being weighed in the balance. "I would kill these fools given the chance."

His own stare was just as critical. "As would I," he returned with a slight smile.

"We are not like the slaves here."

"Aye."

"I have heard it said we are Galach... as are all here with our eyes."

"Aye, now?"

"Aye. We should watch these Galach... and if they are like us we should speak to them." That was all I said but I saw the understanding in his eyes. He nodded and I left, the revolt had begun.

"We are Galach..."

Little did I realize the power in those words. I would but speak them to a blue-eyed one and a readiness to fight flashed in those eyes. Choosing day was drawing near, I had worked out a plan with the beaten one, all was in readiness.

The day began as most, I was working. A chip of rock struck me above the brow and I paused a moment to wipe blood from my eye when the expected came... I smiled to myself as the barbs of Vardoc's whip bit into my neck. The smile angered him and he motioned the guards to bring me up for a beating. All the sector turned to watch, the guards were too indifferent to see that they were not the usual group that worked there.

Vardoc made a show of stripping off his tunic and stretching his massive muscles while a guard wheeled in his rack of toys. He took his time choosing out his first toy... he always chose the same one, but he liked the show.

He stepped in front of me with a staff in his hands. "I start with staff, it..."

"...make muscle soft for whip. Aye, so you always say." I was not prepared for the savagery of that first blow. When I awoke, I was lying on the ground and blood was running from my ear.

5tails and 10 barbs...

Vardoc's whip and I were intimate.

I received my first kiss late one night...

We had been working non-stop for two days when my child's hands grew tired and dropped a stone. The first barb tore into my ear and pinned me to a beam, I had to stay on my toes to keep from tearing it off.

Vardoc roared out his laughter, "Look like puppet, now. Dance puppet. Stone puppet." Everyone threw rocks at me while Vardoc chanted, "Dance puppet, dance." I would not move.

"Stop," he shouted and in my young ignorance I thought he was done with me. He smiled but I did not see the anger behind it. "Take down." The guards loosed the whip and dropped me to the ground. "Beat." Their kicks and blows were savage, but I would not cry out. Vardoc motioned to the guards to stop. "My turn." I lost track of time before he tired enough to shout, "Work!" A sharp kick and I was up working again.

Late that night as everyone slept, I picked up a small stone and began my scratchings in the dirt. When I could no longer continue I stuck the stone in the hole torn in my earlobe... I vowed that I would never forget this night. I brushed out my drawings and went to sleep.

In the mines, you learn early to recover quickly from pain.

I was halfway to my feet when the barbs sank into my muscles. Vardoc down-snapped the whip pulling me off my feet. I hit the ground hard and lay there resting while his whip tore into me.

All along the tails of Vardoc's whip were bits of broken metal and rocks. Once I saw a man foolish enough to try to block the blows by grabbing the whip. When Vardoc snapped back, most of the man's hands went with it.

When I was done resting I tried to get to my feet again. I heard the tails singing at me so I reached out and grabbed. As the sharp points dug into my hand I squeezed tightly and pulled back. Vardoc laughed at my foolish move, "Say goodbye to hands," and he pulled back hard.

When Vardoc pulled, I leapt. I slammed my head into his face and broke his nose. As he staggered back I pulled the whip out of his hands and turned it on him. I snaked those tails around his throat and quick-snapped to choke him.

As he was gasping his last I took Vardoc's blade and cut his whip hand off. "For my mother..." I put the point to Vardoc's throat. "...and for me." I slowly slid the blade in as the blood ran down my arm. I smiled into his face as I watched the life drain from his eyes.

I cut off his head and tied it to my waist. The revolt had begun.

When the sector guards were put down we ran to a rock fall in the back. We sorted the weapons, the three blasters guarded the entrance.

The rest of the weapons went up an old air shaft with twenty-seven of us. With the blasters we kept the guards who showed up at the entrance pinned down.

When all were up, we let out a volley and ran for the shaft. We climbed far enough to maintain watch.

When the first guards showed up in the shaft we dropped them. We were on our way up before they started shooting up at us.

When the shaft leveled out, we came to a set of bars. We set everything we had against them. We threw the debris down onto the guards.

We set the bars and rest of the rocks as a tangle and ran down the tunnel. When we came to the next set of bars, we could see the sun.

Our hands were too bloody to work the bars, our bodies too tired to fight. We laid down our weapons and our hope of freedom.

Excerpt from Paintr's Journal by S.E.Estes