You Must Understand

Regulatory

Wake up. Eyes open. Sit up. Can't speak. Turn left. Wall. Turn right. Mirror. Look forward. Bars. Lie down. Sleep.

Wake up. Eyes open. Sit up. Don't speak. Look forward. Breakfast. Eat. Turn left. Mark the wall. Turn right. Notice; sink, toilet, shower. Look forward. Bars. Lie down. Sleep.

Wake up. Eyes open. Sit up. Don't speak. Look forward. Lunch. Eat. Stand up. Wait. Bars open. Start walking.

Same pattern, every day. Every day for the past seven years, I've marked the wall once a day for 2,553 days. There have been two leap years. By this logic, it is now the anniversary of when I arrived here, January 1st.

After lunch, we walk to our stations. The stations change each year. This year I am outside, I hack away at a cave wall with 8 others. This is the pointless station; there is no reason to hack at the wall other than give us a job to do. It does, however, provide a good work out and allow me to keep my strength.

Today, there is one less at our station. There are three main assumptions:

1. She is dead.

2. She is being tortured or punished.

3. She is free or has been moved to a different location.

I don't live in a dystopian world. I live in the same world, but with open eyes. So many books and films in the world, with so many imaginative and creative ideas. People rarely question the source of this imagination, if these worlds do in fact exist, if these fairy tales or just documentaries of what is really going on in the shadows of our world. I questioned this. Some creations are pure imagination, some are from hallucinogenic drugs and some are real events.

If you are reading this, you have searched too far, delved too deep. I am in this position because of my curiosity, because I questioned reality. If you are reading this, you will most likely end up in my position, it is also most likely that I am dead or have been transferred.

I don't talk here. I listen. I talked my first year, made a friend. We were punished. My wing are not permitted to speak to the others. Each wing has some disadvantages. The disadvantages we do not posses are seen by other wings as perks. In my wing, we each have our own cell with our own basic facilities. We are permitted two meals a day. We are not permitted a bed but we do have a pillow and a sheet for a blanket. Our cells have no windows, nor any lights. We are permitted to wear trousers but no shirts, we must show our scars. We are permitted one glass of water a day. We are permitted to smoke. We are not permitted to leave our cells apart from after lunch. We leave our station after three hours of work. We then walk to the communal area until called back to our cells.

It is to my understanding that you are assigned to a specific wing that is dependent on your 'crime'. If you have committed multiple, you are either; assigned to the wing for the greater crime, assigned to wing one or lastly, hired. I am an 'Inmate' of wing one. For the first year of your 'sentence' you are assigned to wing nine. There are 9 wings.

I keep to a schedule for two main reasons. The first, is that I do not wish to be late to eating meals or leaving my cell - this avoids punishment. The second reason is that if something were to go wrong, it would be easily noticeable. My schedule after lunch is to go to my station. After leaving my station I have always walked to the communal area and smoked. I am not permitted to talk but I am permitted to interact. I sometimes participate in sport. I am sometimes involved in a fight. This year it appears my wing shares communal time with wings nine and five. Wing five are cautious and resemble shadows. Wing nine are always confused and frightened. My wing are calm, sometimes frightening as we do not speak. Wing five are not sympathetic nor patient; they do not bother to associate nor help wing nine.

Do you understand?

Everything works in a specific way to keep order and to keep a current flowing. These rules may have been made by Inmates over time but they may also have been implemented on the first Inmates. Wing five are not permitted their own cells, they remain in one room altogether. The same goes for wing nine. Wing five are permitted three small meals a day and are allowed outside whenever they are not at their assigned station. Wing nine are permitted one meal a day and never allowed outside unless required by their station. It is not required this year. After the first year, Inmates of wing nine are separated into different wings based on their crime. They are treated harsh so that the following years will be smooth. That keeps order.

Wing three do not keep order. They are violent, aggressive and impulsive. Their wing has therefore been completely separate to the others, this wing is in permanent solitary confinement. The Inmates of wing nine who suit characteristics of wing three will therefore be placed with them in the following year, regardless of their actions and their self control.

I believe we are held on an island. At first I thought we were underground, however that is not possible as we are permitted to go outside. I mentioned wing nine were not permitted outside. Therefore you should already know the communal area is not outside. If it were outside, it would be more sensible to call it a yard. All Inmates excluding those in wings three and nine are permitted in the yard at designated times. These times are specific to each Inmate, whole wings are not permitted in the yard at one time to reduce risk. I am still not aware of what risk, for I do not know all crimes. I know few of large amount I have committed.

The first day of wing nine, the rules are explained, you are told your station and you are told to remove your shirt and count. Count the number of marks. That number represents the number of crimes you have committed. On my first day, I counted 15 marks. Those marks are different to the ones you are delivered during punishment and torture, just in case you happen to forget the number. By reminding wing 1 of their marks, their silence is guaranteed in their guilt and ignorance, for few remember their crimes, and fewer have true memories.