Day 761: 5 Minute Freewrite: Wednesday - Prompt: red light (and, The Posture of Innocence, day 29)

And Commissioner Scott thought he had problems in day 28.5 ... Virginia's governor, up for re-election, gets a visit from the chief men at the Lofton County Free Voice -- and if he won't give them what they want, they are going to put out all the reasons why!

To get totally caught up on The Posture of Innocence, here are the prologue, day 1, day 2, day 3, day 3.5, day 4, day 4.5, day 5, day 5.5, day 6, day 7, day 7.5, day 8, day 9, day 9.5, day 10, day 10.5, day 11, day 11.5, day 12, day 12.5, day 13, day 13.5, day 14, day 15, day 16, day 16.5, day 17, day 18, day 19, day 19.5, day 20, day 20.5, day 21, day 22, day 22.5, day 23, day 23.5, day 24, day 24.5, day 25, day 25.5, day 26, day 26.5, day 27, day 27.5, day 28, and day 28.5!

At the same moment that Commissioner Scott sat pale and exhausted in Big Loft, Mr. James Varick IV and Mr. Nathan Turner of the Lofton County Free Voice were in the office of the governor in Richmond, VA, presenting a demand that the governor vacate all the convictions of people in the new private prison in Roanoke, VA that came from Lofton County owing to the proven and pervasive corruption throughout the county's law enforcement and district attorney's office.

The governor's aide in question cussed out the two Black men and called security, and was flabbergasted when Mr. Varick smiled gently and Mr. Turner grinned wolfishly. The editor-in-chief and the senior reporter knew what was going on in Big Loft, and knew what they had put in the paper and were about to put out the next day.

“Did you go to Sunday School, Mr. A.P. Hill?” he asked the aide.

The aide made a nasty little affirmative.

“Oh, good – then surely you know the story of Moses and Egypt's ten plagues. The Lord told Moses to tell Pharoah to let His people go, and every time Pharoah refused, things got worse for Egypt. So: today we came and demanded nicely that your boss let our people in Lofton County go. You aren't even the Pharoah around here, but you will be in our paper and many others as the reason that things are going to get worse for all of Virginia, every day from this point forward until the governor vacates those convictions.”

Security arrived, and was taken aback by Mr. Varick's Black magnificence of size – six feet three, 45 years old, well-muscled, dark as night, and still smiling in his steel blue suit. Mr. Turner was 15 years younger, bronze, more slender, but the same height, and with an energy about about him that would jump on you like fire. The two security men instantly pulled out their weapons ... but then noticed the red light at the top of Mr. Turner's phone, shining brightly ...

“How's that Facebook Live stream looking?” the smiling editor-in-chief said to his senior reporter.

“Great. Now, we have Mr. Hill cursing us out, and these two officers threatening to shoot us – live, y'all. If they want to add to the governor's problems and send us on to Heaven doing it, it certainly has enough viewership for it to go around the world immediately. And oh yes, my hands are where they can be seen holding a phone.”

“And I have my hands in front of me, easily visible,” Mr. Varick said. “Good morning, gentlemen. We were just leaving.”

And, with the phone pointed at the two security officers pointing their guns at them, Mr. Turner and Mr. Varick eased out, never turning their backs until they were on the elevator down the hall. Hurriedly out of the building, into the car, and down the highway, but not from fear. They had expected the refusal, but not how its specific details would add to the news of the day, and they were eager to get it out.

Day 29.5 is up