The L.S.

I looked into the small shiny ball at the end of the chain around my neck. All I could think about was ignorant humans enjoying what the L.S gave them. How lucky they were to have people to work their backs off just to give them a good day. 

I took another angry swing at the cave wall with the small pick I had and jumped back as a chunk of rock flew back. I wiped my grimy hands on my brown vest, which only made my callused hands grimier, and shoved a loose strand of blonde hair back up into the black cap that was covering my head.

I could hear the “cheery” verses playing over the speakers that was said to be encouragement, but I knew it was just another way to tell us that we were owned by the leprechaun service. It was always on repeat down in the mines, constantly playing. This whole place sickened me, but humans sickened me even more. I couldn’t believe that they thought that we were little orange bearded people in green that would bring them luck. I knew it was true that we were able to bring them luck if we wished but for someone to think that luck came out of nowhere and was just given without any work was ridiculous. 

I looked along the line of workers across the wall we were working on. The lights were dim but I could see the identically dressed leprechauns all hammering at the wall. I could see some older ones hunched over trying to catch their breath as their eyes shown with disappointed knowledge. Then there were the younger more spry ones with determination and hope in their eyes that would soon fade out of existence. I remembered vowing at their age to never lose that hope, but as hard as I had strived to keep it, the hope had just turned into hate. Hate of the people who told us that working in the mines would be a temporary job, hate of my family who when the government had told us that only one in each family had to come down to work had chosen me, and hate especially for the giant, ugly humans who just sat aside as we worked. Just drowning themselves in as much luxury as they could get since they had first discovered our existence. They didn’t know of the government's plan to overthrow them; they were too blinded by their own want for the L.S’ luck.

“We work so that the luck of the Irish can be spread all around. Making humans and creatures alike happy. Because no one should be without happiness.” The obnoxious voice that had been recorded 23 years ago played over the speaker. 

I saw that some of the very newest leprechauns who were still hearing the verses for the first or second time perked up and put more effort into their work. I couldn’t blame them. I had been in their same position before and knew it felt good to think that something more would come out of the work. But the only time anything happened was when every few years the L.S chose four people who had “worked extra hard” to join the government and let them live in luxury with their family for the rest of their lives. But that was just something to mislead you into what you think is hope and trust. It's not real.

“Idiots.” I mumbled to myself.

“Shut up and get back to work Koko, before you get us all in trouble.” One of the elderly men next to me whispered. I took his advice and continued to pick away at the wall.

This time when I started hitting the wall again I saw a teal speck come into view. I hit around it softly hoping not to break it or gain anyones attention. After five minutes of the slow degrading task the small gem-ish like metal came out into my left hand. I used my right hand to continue hammering away aimlessly but with my left hand I examined the gem that everyone knew the L.S was after. I didn’t know how such a small thing could contain so much luck but I knew we only found about a piece of one a week and that it was highly valuable. I pocketed it and thought of the other four that I had pocketed over my time in this mine.

I thought over the plan that had mulled about in my head for what seemed like a decade...for all I knew it had been a decade. Every day I had taken the pick and had hit at the chain that restrained me from leaving, hoping that it would break and I would be free, but I could only hit it once a day. If I hit the necklace-like chain it would alert the L.S patrol, but with thousands of leprechauns in the leprechaun service it was normal for the necklace to get bumped or for someone to trip and hit it. There were times when I wanted so badly just to smash it until it broke but too many hits and it's obvious you’re trying to escape. 

“Excuse me darling but you must continue hammering away. Remember a hammer a day gets you closer to pay!” A perky young patroller said, nearly making me jump out of my skin. I hadn’t even noticed that I had stopped picking.

“Oh yeah, sorry.” I said as I continued picking. The patroller stood there watching me for a few minutes as if to remind me not to ever stop. I felt more and more anger building up the longer she stayed. Luckily I was saved by a fight that had started between two men a few feet away. She ran off to stop it.

After I looked around for a minute to make sure that no one was looking I hit the Necklace once for that day. Suddenly I heard something hit the floor with a thud and several people looked towards me. I made sure to hit the pick against the wall extra hard until everyone had gone back to their work. Then looking down I saw the necklace on the floor. Trying not to smile, I used my foot to slowly shove it into a nook in the wall. After that I let a small smile come to my lips.

With the five gems full of luck that I had found and with my new found freedom I knew that I would finally be able to put my plan into action and get vengeance on my family, humans and any L.S patroller that had done something against me.

The thought of vengeance fascinated me, especially the knowledge that I would be able to carry it out however I wanted. I thought through some ways of carrying it out and knew that this year, unlike any other, was going to be enjoyable.