My Life Was Prison, In Prison I Was Free

Part 11

As soon as he did that, sirens wailed through the air. I remembered the first time I shot the priest. The moment was so vivid that I felt responsible for the deaths of the two sad souls in the shop. My veins constricted into painful lumps around my head. My head was pounding like a rebounding gong, my thoughts were rushing and caving into my head like a sewer sinking into a small opening.

"Freeze! Drop your gun. Knees to the ground and place your hands where I can see them."

These words faded to the fans of my ears. I knelt, dropped the gun and placed my hands on my head. They chained my hands and shoved my head down in the police car. I saw Bird strolling out with another police officer recording statements. They took me in. I faced trial. Jenny was armed with the most powerful lawyers and tried to convince the court that I was innocent but I pleaded guilty on all allegations.

"Why are you doing this, Tommy?" Jenny asked crying.

"I am just doing what my heart feels is right Jenny. It is time I pay for the evil that I have done."

I was sentenced to life imprisonment and years of hard labor in the most ruthless prison in the country. The first breath in prison was refreshing, it felt like home. The guilt that was burning in my soul cooled in an instant. I felt as if I was here before. It felt like a homecoming ceremony; the prodigal son returning home after squandering all his property. Tattooed beasts zoomed the place as they looked into my eyes lusting for a new catch. I was not scared. I felt that I deserve anything that was to befall on me.

I was unchained and the prison gates opened. We were matched to our units through the corridors of terror and fear with illicit graffiti plastered all over them. We became fresh meat for the hungry wolves in the concentration. We were beaten like mad dogs. We were ushered to the basketball court and were told to fight. The prison guards and generals placed bets on us. I was fighting some skinny kid who just landed there the same day as me. Many had placed the bet on me as I was a bit muscular. As soon as the makeshift bell rang, a punch was thrown on my face and blood started dripping from my nose. It felt refreshing, I felt that the kid should hit me more since I deserved more than just a face dripping with blood. I let the kid hit me more and more until I fell to the ground. He won. The fellow inmates who had placed bets on me bet me up beyond recognition. I sank into the oblivion.

Someone was dragging my feet. This blurry figure of a tattooed monster appeared on my face. My ribs were burning in pain. I could not see, my face was full of lumps dried with blood. I wondered who was dragging me and to where. I suddenly felt water washing down my face and my body. Excruciating pain took the best of me and I yelled. The water was salty. I regained consciousness and sat down. I saw the last bit of my blood go down the drain. The guy was in crutches. My nose was broken. I could not look up. I tried to stand up but my left foot hurt so bad.

"Hey, Baddy, what you doing around that loser?"

"Will you mind your own business or you wanna make me mind yours?"