Though it was only a few seconds, Vinnie the Eel reminisced on his own sorry past. His earliest memory was not surprisingly, the pouring of rain, thunder crashing and lightning flashing over his cries. Naked and alone, he cried as a baby in the middle of a dirt road.

Though he was found by a passerby, he did not remember their face or name. He was too young to remember and his next memory was growing in the place the passerby had left him: Orphanage Island.

It was a prison-like compound that resembled a steel box on a large island. Children found on lost islands by the Navy were deposited here. And even if things were more merciful than starving to death, the budget was not much higher to feed all of the young mouths. And even worse, the head mistress was a middle aged woman by the name of Miss O'Lini. A former general in the navy, Miss O'Lini was short, stout and built like a tank. The only thing hairier than her legs was her mustache. She still wore her bright pink and white uniform of the Mainland Navy and ran the Orphanage like her fleet.

Vinnie imagined himself in the mess hall. A grey and metallic box with steal tables bolted to the floor and a few windows with bars offering the only sunlight in the Western Sea. He was tall and thin for the age of twelve, and even without hair gel, his blond pompadour raised high on his head. He sported an impish smirk on his face as Miss O'Lini demanded everyone line up for her. She marched up the floor in leather boots made of cowhide. Everyone was expected to salute and remain as silent as the navy itself.

As she passed Vinnie, he let out a bored yawn. She turned around, giving him a mean eyed stare from her beady bull like eyes.

"Did one of you tapeworms yawn?" she demanded.

The two boys next to Vinnie slowly moved away from him. She marched up to Vinnie and he audibly gulped. "You!" she howled. "Why is it always you, you little ingrate?!"

"I'm sorry, toots," Vinnie responded. "It's jus' it's six o' clock in the mornin. None of us got our beauty rest and dat...includes you!"

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Suddenly, some of the lips of the other kids wobbled upwards. There were some snickers and some giggles. Miss O'Lini's eyes bulged and she turned around. The laughter stopped.

"I think nows my time to skedaddle," Vinnie muttered and he started to creep off. But as he did, his tall spindly frame was lifted off the ground by Miss O'Lini. "Eyyyy!" he shouted, his shirt scruff dangling from Miss O'Lini's hand. "Watch da merchandise! Dis' future mug is gonna be kissed by a thousand lovestruck ladies!"

Miss O'Lini pulled him close to her face and growled at him. Steam shot out her nostrils and blasted him in the face. "Can't I at least some grool?" Vinnie squeaked nervously. "I'll even ask, 'please sir, can I have some 'ore."

Miss O'Lini roared. "I am not a sir, you welp! And the only oar you're gonna get is a paddle to your behind!"

She stomped off in the direction of the exit, Vinnie in her hand.

"Ey...where are we going?" Vinnie demanded.

"Solitary confinement!" Miss O'Lini responded.

None of the children protested. In fact, to Vinnie they seemed glad he was gone. His clownish antics only got them in trouble.

Vinnie was carried through narrow hallways until she reached the end of the orphanage. There was a steel plated door and she heaved it open. Inside was a young boy with jet black hair pulled over one of his eyes, a similar pink and white naval outfit and a dire expression on his face

"How now," Vinnie exclaimed. "This ain't solitary confinement! There's another schmuck here. Whatta rip off!"

Miss O'Lini threw him to the floor. "He's the only other tapeworm in this base who's as bad as you!"

Miss O'Lini put her hands on her stocky hips. "I'm gonna deal wit you boys later. But just one warning..."

"What's dat?" Vinnie demanded, pulling nervously at his collar.

Miss O'Lini spread her mouth to reveal a wide yellow grin. "These walls are padded so nobody can hear you scream. Not even the mothers who abandoned you!"

"Take dat back!" Vinnie shouted. "Ey nobody talks about my mother like dat."

Vinnie's shoulders slumped

"Not even...the one...who left me to rot in here."

Miss O'Lini laughed, sounding like a bemused warthog. "Once I've paddled you, perhaps you boys will be sweet little angels. Until then, tata!"

She slammed the door behind her. Vinnie turned to the boy beside him. "Ey Mac..." He said, eyeing his only company. "Whatta ya in here for? What's yer name?"

"Barney," the boy said cooly. "Stealin' swords."

"Man o' few words, eh Barney?" Vinnie said.

Barney nodded.

"Well den," Vinnie laughed and he produced a set of keys from his pocket. Barney's eyes went wide.

"Are you gonna sit here and be cooler than a cockatoo or are you gonna help me blow dis popsicle stand fo' good!"