Number 501 (Needs Editing)

The Revealing

Everything I told Reckt was true. All about how I got here, about my daughter, even the glitch in the crime rating. I was innocent man. Did you notice the "when" I put there? Meaning not anymore. I am far from an innocent man. Pure guilty now. And to think if I would've, if I could've just minded my own business. I could be out right now spending time with her. My daughter. 

The morning came faster than I expected and I had a well rested sleep last night. Many dreams as well, some good, some bad. I pulled myself out of bed and threw on my tanktop like I do every day. The same tanktop every day. I struggled to make my way to the cafeteria, I didn't want to go there today, didn't feel like it. However, 304 stopped by my cell before heading there as well. He convinced me it was wise to not get on Reckt and Dynam's bad side. They were very short tempered. 

On the way down the hallway, 304 struck up a conversation. "So, I thought about it and we need to be more open if we are gonna survive in here. We need to know everything about each other. So I think we should go back and forth and tell each other what we want and need to know."

"Umm, uh," I began to stutter, "of course. What's your name?" 

If 304 was actually going to tell me his name, I probably wouldn't even call him it. 304 has and will always stay stuck in my mind.

"I was born Francis Elgando." He immediately grabbed my by the tanktop and shoved me up against the wall, "If you ever call me that name out loud, I'll make sure they're the last words you ever say." He let me go and continued, "Most people, well, before I was locked up, most people just called me Frank. How about you? What's your name?"

I finally understood where 304 was coming from. In the beginning when he didn't want anyone to know his name. I can't believe he just did it then. But yeah, I understand why he wouldn't want anyone to know. It's tied with the past. Once you're here, it's a brand new you. So as of right now, in the present, my name was 350 and I was owned property of ECO SEC Prison, ran by Reckt. In the past however, I was totally different, my name was Logan Brady, father of one, loving boyfriend, and much more. I was a changed man. By muttering my name to 304, "Logan Brady." It quickly brought back memories I've been waiting to part with for a while now. I didn't want to be reminded of who I used to be. 

"So," 304 went on, "why are you here?"

Again, another part of my past that was now being brought into my present life. A part of which I hated to discuss. It was so important that I tell this exactly how it went down that I stopped dead center in the hallway, looked straight into his eyes so he knew I wasn't lying, and began to explain. "I was home one night watching television, my daughter was in the next room getting ready for bed. My girlfriend was on her way home from work. Everything was perfectly fine, I couldn't have asked for a better life. She sent me a text on her way home and told me the car ran out of gas about a block down the road. I even asked to walk halfway to meet her but I remembered I had my daughter there and I needed to watch her. She said it was fine, she said everything was okay." I began to tear up and 304 noticed. 

"You don't have to go on if you don't want to." He told me.

It was hard to explain everything since it happened so fast and I couldn't get one word out without stuttering or shedding a tear but this was my life story basically. It was the only thing that really mattered about my past life. It wasn't something I wanted to talk about all the time or at all, but it was the most important life. It was the end of my past, and the start to my beginning. 

"No, I'm gonna keep going," I told him, wiping the last tear and continuing, "It was about an hour later, she should've been there by now. I started to freak out, I ran and got my daughter up and I carried her down the road for like ten minutes. My arms and legs started to hurt, and I saw a car in the distance, and a- a body- on th- the road. I ran to it so fast, I don't think I ever ran so fast in my life. The car wasn't hers, I didn't know who's it was. I just ran to her. She had been run over, I could tell she was already dead but I sat there and gave her mouth to mouth forever it seemed. And when I wasn't looking. Someone got back in that car and drove off. I never saw who it was. The cops showed up, I told them exactly what happened, with even more detail. My crime rating was still zero. They asked my daughter a bunch of questions and she even testified in court later. She told them the truth. And now I'm here."

304 stood there speechless just staring at me before he asked the words, "Is that even legal? To imprison someone without a crime rating?"

"I don't know. What they told me is that the crime ratings implanted in us can be messed with through radio frequencies, a whole load of bullshit like that. They also said certain heart rates, like the faster it gets and the blood pulsing through the veins can mess with the crime rating as well. They," I began to laugh as I explained this part, "they, they even played a whole scenario out for me. They told me that when I, when I, ran her over with my car, that was for some reason parked in the driveway about a block away, they said after I ran her over on purpose, my crime rating went up, and because of all the adrenaline running through me and everything going through my head about the current events taking place, it messed with the rating, returning it to zero. So in their book, I was still guilty. And here I am." 

304 began to chuckle and he gave me a quick "bro" hug and whispered in my ear, "If that stuff was true. I go through shit like that every day, I wish my rating would return to zero."

I started laughing as loud as I possibly could with 304 as he did too. We stood in the halls, people stared at us and I just laughed as loud as I possibly could. We laughed because we knew it was all fake, all false. We knew it was all set up. I wasn't in here because I murdered my girlfriend, I wasn't in here because my crime rating reversed itself. I was in here because someone made a fucking mistake. And who knows, maybe I'll figure it and get released. Maybe I'll prove myself innocent. But until then, I had a new life to worry about. My life on the inside. And that included my job with Reckt. I had to get to the cafeteria. 

304 stopped me before I could though. "Before you go, did you want to ask me about how I got here?" 

I thought about it for a long minute but I decided I had to get there fast. "We'll discuss it later. Besides, you always did like your real identity to be hidden." 

He laughed one last time before we parted and headed opposite ways. 

This chapter was dedicated to my grandpa Ron Pollard. He died two years ago from yesterday and was a huge influence on my writing and a had a giant impact on my life. I love you and miss you. Rest In Peace.