Number 501 (Needs Editing)

Choked Up

So when I woke up, I was right. Strapped into a metal locked chair bolted to the wall, it felt as if time rewinded and it was my first time going there. Even though I was only out for a day or two, I had gotten used to being free. I really couldn't go back. My vision was awfully blurry but I was able to see a few faces next to me. Most of which were just escapees a long time ago and have lived out there ever since. I felt like I was to blame. If 304, Allice, Jaquil, and I wouldn't have escaped, they wouldn't have came looking for us. Any of us for that matter. All of these people could have been freed but I caused them to be caught again. Some asshole I am. However, I could tell none of them were completely mad at me. A bunch of them just looked at me and I could tell they were more sad to be going back more than anything, including Phil. His entire organization was basically uprooted. Now we were going back.

The ship landed at the front gates ready to let us out and back in. I could see 304 in the distance, he was still alive. His presence made me surprisingly happy. Mostly because I knew he would have my back in any situation here on out. We were all stood up and let out from our seats. Our orders were to march out the front ramp and straight into the prison. Since every single one of us had already been here and had the necessary items assigned to us, we didn't need to go through all the extra protocal. I cut in front of a few people so I was standing directly behind 304. I whispered to him, "I'm really sorry I got you in this. I hope you can forgive me." Now of course I was expecting an answer out of him, but all he did was nod his head.

From then on, I really didn't know if he was mad at me or not. I guess I was just going to have to wait and see. "304, I understand if you wanna beat the living crap out of me right now, I understand, but I hope after that feeling, we can still be on the same side." I said to him. Again, all he did was nod. Something was wrong, something was up with him and I didn't know what to think of it. "Talk to me!" I proceeded to speak a bit louder. "Let me know that you are listening! Right now!" All I was able to see was his backside, and from that view he didn't nod, he didn't shake, shrug his shoulders. He stayed in the same stance, and in that stance, he marched off the ship. I did as well. Once inside, we were placed back in the same cell that we had before. The same old marks on the walls, counting days, blood stains, the same bed and sheet, the same bed spring I had used to pick lock my way out of the cell. Yeah, it brought back memories even though they were only a week or some ago.

The moment the guards locked me back in my cell and left me there, I was scared. Not because I was scared of prison, believe me, I had gotten over that a long time ago. But because, nothing was happening to me. So here I am, I just escaped from the most notorious prisons in the entire galaxy, now they just brought me back, but I am back to the same situation I was in before I left. There had to be something going on, something was happening. Then suddenly, from down the hall I could hear it. Punches, kicks, screams, and yells. They were making their way down the list brutally punishing everyone who escaped. After a few minutes of beating someone down, they moved to the next one. 304's cell got in sight and I was able to see everything. 304 had his mouth shut, he wasn't even talking to them. From then on, he basically just let them do everything they could. Repeated punches to the face, blood painted the floors and he didn't even fight back.

Once they were done, 304 proceeded to not talk and wiped the blood off of his as best as he could, then watched as they came over to mine. Probably the best tactic was to do what 304 did. I didn't want to piss them off anymore than they already were. I didn't want another problem with Reckt and Dynam. It was about a group of five guards, all heavily armored with batons and their fists all bloody. They laughed and smiled walking into my smile. I guess everyone wanted a piece of me, then there it went. I put my arms out to my sides alerting them I wasn't going to do anything stupid, and one greeted me with a crack to the face. I landed face first onto the cement ground chipping part of my tooth upon impact. I tried to climb up but one kicked my stomach and flipped me to my side. They kept kicking me and beating my shoulders and side with the baton. I couldn't help but cough and wheeze and choke on my own blood. They kept going at it, longer than the others.

Once done, they stayed in my room for a minute waiting for me to get up. I was laying there, blood leaking out from the corners of my mouth, I had to get up or else they were going to beat the remaining life I still had in me. I got to my knees and used all my might to face them.

"Learn your lesson?" One of the guards asked me. I looked over to him and laughed. The others began laughing as well. Before any of them knew it, I spit a nice chunk of my blood right in his face before swinging and knocking him to the floor. I could've sworn I broke his nose. I heard a crunch in there when I hit him. But unforunately what comes around goes around, so when I did that, one kicked my knees in from behind and I fell down to my knees. Another grabbed my hands and held them behind my back. The guard I punched crawled back to his feet and stared me down and was breathing heavily. I didn't know what was going to happen.

"Hold him down." He said to the others as they grabbed my arms, shoulders, and head, forcing me to stay put. Sweat started to pour down my face when I saw the guy unbuckling his belt. I closed my eyes as best as I could but the others were prying my eyes open with their bare hands. I was forced to watch, and please.

By the time they were done, my mouth was sore and I laid there on the ground shivering. The guards laughed as they left my cell and headed to the next. For the next whole hour I just sat there against the wall halfway between crying and holding it all in. I couldn't take this anymore. When I walked into this prison for the first time, I was under the impression that we were stronger. We weren't. Not by a long shot.

When they were done torturing everyone, they allowed for cells to be open. Mine was unlocked and 304 came stumbling over. I got to my feet hoping he wasn't going to attempt to beat me up too. But I was ready for anything. I got into a stance that didn't hurt to stand in that much and was ready. He opened my cell door and walked on in.

"304, if you're going to do something to me, just do it and get it over with."

He continued walking closer to me.

"I thought we were friends man. I thought we were good." I said.

He walked past me and I put my hands down. He walked right over to my toilet that was in my cell and got down to his knees. For a second, I thought he was getting ready to puke, but a thought crossed my mind. Why wouldn't he just do it in his own cell? The thought of him puking suddenly changed when he opened his mouth and a thick black liquid dripped out. He spit all of it out and coughed and gagged until every last bit of it was out. He then talked for the first time in hours, "There. Since it mattered so much to you. I smuggled it in. Found it beneath your bed. What is it?" He said, wiping it from the sides of his face.

I smiled and thought of the endless possibilities now. What I could do. He had carried it three hours in his mouth, just letting it mellow in there, not being able to swallow for three hours, and then getting beaten up and keeping his mouth shut the entire time. "That's saragit poison." I told him.