Chapter one: First impressions.
The court… I still remember it. Crowed, full of disapproving eyes, thinking that I had done it. The men and women in the jury were just sitting there, judging me... I already knew what the outcome would be, it’s the south, there shouldn’t even be a trial. The judge slammed his gavel onto the small stump and asked the Foreman for the verdict. “We the jury, here by find Gil Marston… guilty on all counts.” The judge, like everyone else was starring me down, but for some reason his was the most threatening in the room.
“Gil Marston, you are here by sentenced to serve three life sentences in DankWater Federal Prison, back to back for all three of your victims, without the possibility of parole.” And with that I was taken up from my chair extremely roughly by the two guards, taken out in the long hall way, and into the blinding light of the sun and loaded up into a bus. They sat me down handcuffed to a shorter man, who named himself “Pocket Knife”… not that I would like to investigate any further. I just introduced myself and asked him what he was charged with. “Felony murder, rape, vandalism, drug possession intent to sell, murder in the first degree and destruction of property.” I just stared at him slack jawed and gawking as he glared back at me with an amused glint in his eye, “What were you charged with?”
“Murder… three counts, three life sentences back to back… I was framed.” He laughed uncontrollably and then told everyone else on the bus. They did the same as he did and went back to starring out the window.
“What’s so funny?” I asked curious “I’m telling you so was I,” he kept laughing for a while, “and they let me out… then caught me again. I’m innocent!!” he wouldn’t stop laughing nor would he explain why he was doing so. But apparently I was going to be the one of thousands to be innocent at DankWater Federal Prison. The bus finally stopped at a large iron gate, arched over by a small stone bridge with two men holding snipers in their hands. Below them also arched was the name of the prison, “DankWater Federal Prison, new inmates be warned, escape and die” I liked the sign though; at the very least it would spare us a lecture. About how we were totally screwed… hell we all knew it, but most of the people on the bus, weren’t new, they were bailed or had violated their parole, so they must be familiar with the environment already, I however was not. The iron gates opened and the bus rolled into a rather medium sized space surrounded by electric fences and barb wire, no wonder that crowd of lunatics were cheering at a distance. The driver signaled the guard to open the door since he had the key and we were let out in a straight line. One by one we were taken into a giant corridor with tiled floors only adding to the already uneasy atmosphere.
A tall man in a blue suit walk up to the center of the line shouting directions, “About face!!” we turned seeing as most of us didn’t have a choice. He was 6’6 with a strong and serious face basically screaming, “I’ll kill you when I get the chance”. A shorter man in a black tuxedo then walked in from another door with this afternoons news paper and lifted it up to see us all in a long line. He stared for a moment and then folded the news paper as he walked closer. He opened up his mouth to speak but instead slapped the newspaper onto the tall mans chest. The man took it and then stuffed it in his pocket. “You are all here for one reason… To be rehabilitated… those of you with life sentences will not be so lucky… you’ll die here alone in the dark, wondering were it all went wrong, wishing you were dead pleading for your mothers.” He walked towards a fat man who has trembling and shaking and looked him straight in the eyes. “You are all from now on, no longer considered human… you have no right to be free… no right to law. Your sorry looking asses are mine till you die…” and with that he walked off towards the door but stopped half way and turned back to us. “I almost forgot about introductions, I’m Warden Blakely, and that is Mr. Thomas, Captain of the guards… welcome to DankWater.” He then left the room out the door without another word. We were forced out and given cold showers and delousing; a new pair of cloths was the only thing to cover up our naked bodies.
We entered our new cells and the doors slammed shut in synch, leaving us with only the artificial lighting of the light bulbs to keep us company. Thus marks day one.
