Happy Independence Day!

Hermon laid sideways in the hammock, rocking slowly, blinking through the feeds as they trickled in to his cheap Chinese eyewear.
*STUPID COUSIN LIKES ENERGY DRINK!*
*LOOK AT THIS PICTURE OF FOOD!*
*WATCH THIS DOG CHASING MONKEYS!*
*ACTION HERO WORKOUT!*
*HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!*
Blink. Blink. Blink. Blink. Blink. Wait, what? The War Flag? “There will be an omen,” he’d been told. Was this it? Blink.
*504 GATEWAY TIMEOUT*
Blink. Blink. Nothing. Feed outages weren’t uncommon on the island, but the weather was clear. The War Flag is shown and then the feeds cut out? It couldn’t be coincidence. It was today, he decided. The time was now.

Last time the War Flag flew, his father left with the uncles. They never returned. The aunties decided he was too young, or he would have gone too. Not anymore. Old men on the big island had said that the Revolutionary Father might one day call upon him to fight for his family. He was ready.

Digging up the cache didn’t take long. The rifle had been stored well, cleaned and oiled. Two full banana clips wrapped alongside. It wasn’t much ammunition, but it was a start. He had hidden the weapon here with his father, sworn never to tell and only to take up arms when the need was real. “You will know when the time comes,” father had said. He knew now. He was soon to become a man, this would be his way.

He prayed to the Old Gods, passing his weapon through the smoke of his offerings. Gods of the Sea, and the Hunt. He smeared the ash across his face, chest and arms in signs of protection. The Christ God would not understand, but the Gods of his ancestors knew vengeance. The blood of their enemies would stain the sands.

The canoe was loaded up with two chickens, some fruit and coconuts, his tackle and a good machete. The weapon stowed in a float-box. He’d never been to another island alone, but he knew the waves. The trip should only take a few days. Best not to tell the aunties, they would try to keep him here again. He must go alone. He would find the old men and join the Revolutionary Father. Time to push off. Happy Independence Day.

The social media giant Feedbook earlier committed a blunder when it used an inverted Philonesia flag in its Independence Day message. Feedbook has apologized over the greeting that appeared on users’ timeline Sunday.

“This was unintentional, and we’re sorry,” said Feedbook in a statement sent to the P-NES News Network. “We care deeply about the community in Philonesia and, in an attempt to connect people on Independence Day, we made a mistake.”