I Know You Can't Speak

Mike:

Mike sat in the cell looking around. He had been there for a week and that week was the worst week he had endured in his entire 29 years on earth. He had gotten his jaw fractured, his eye blacked, his neck sprained and his arm and leg broken. He wanted nothing more than to have something to take him out of his misery but, he knew it wouldn't happen. He had caused the two people he cared about most the worst pain and the worst part was that he didn't know why. For years he had this attraction to little girls and he didn't know why. He never seeked help or told anyone he just dealt with it the best way he knew how. When he touched his little sister inappropriately years ago, he begged her not to tell anyone. She never told which caused him to think that she was okay with it and continued touching her until one day he got her pregnant and realized the damage he had done. He helped her to get rid of the baby and never touched her again. He prayed to God that he would find a woman he could love whole heartedly to make him suppress the thoughts he knew he should not have been having. When he met Jasmine, she was a breath of fresh air. She took his mind off of every negative thought he ever had. But then he met her daughter and the more he grew to love her, the more his issue resurfaced. Everytime he touched her he knew it was wrong but he couldn't help himself. She couldn't speak and that made it even worst because he knew she couldn't tell anyone and he would be able to get away with it. Or so he thought. Her cry rang out over and over in his brain as he sat in the cell crying. Just then a familiar looking CO walked by. He jumped up, wiping his face and walking to the gates as he stuck his face in them.

"Raven?" he called out to see if it was really her. When she turned around and saw it was him, she kept walking but decided to turn around.

"Finally somebody that can help me" But little did he know he had just sealed his own fate.

"Raven" he cried out again as she approached his cell. She walked up, made sure nobody wasn't paying attention and spit directly in his face.

"You ever call my name again, I'll make sure you don't make it off this block alive bitch" she told him before she turned around and continued walking down the hall. Mike washed his face and looked in the mirror. He knew he deserved what she had just done to him. He sat on the bed and prayed, not knowing if God would answer him but figured it was worth a try. He prayed for forgiveness, he prayed for Faith, he prayed for Jasmine, he prayed for his problem to be fixed and told God that if he ever got out of jail that he would do right and get the help he needed. His cell opened just as he got done praying and the CO's called out that it was chow time. He walked the block with the rest of the inmates as they all eyed him. He got in line and got his tray as the workers slapped the slop they called food on it and told him to keep it moving. As he was walking to his table, the news came on, flashing his face, stating that Faith's funeral was held earlier that day and that Mike's court day was approaching soon. All the inmates looked at him with a look that could kill. He put his head down as he found a table to sit at and each inmate said something to him.

"Get ya bitch ass up!"

"Child molesters ain't allowed at this table bitch!"

"I hope you choke on that food pussy!"

One even took it so far as to spit in his food. Then another threw the food in his face and it started a riot. Tables were flipped over, chairs were thrown and Mike had gotten stabbed in the process. The CO's dragged him to the medic unit and stitched him then made him go right back to his cell. Nobody in the jail had remorse for him. When he got back to his cell, there was somebody's belongings on the top bunk. Mike had been in the cell all by himself and was waiting for the day that somebody would be placed with him so that he wouldn't feel so alone. About 10 minutes later the guy came walking in the cell from taking a shower. He looked Mike up and down as he walked by him. Mike took that as his chance to start a conversation.

"Wassup, my name Mike" he said as he stuck his hand out. The man looked at Mike again, then looked at the hand he had extended to him. He put his hand out and shook Mike's hand.

"Hey, I'm Jeff"

Jeff was small and skinny and his demeanor was sweet and nice. A complete change from the people he had been encountering. Just then, they were called to the front for count and when count was completed, they were locked into their cell for the night. Mike was so bottled up for the last two weeks so when Jeff started talking to him, he felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. They conversed about everything then Jeff asked the dreaded question.

"So what are you in here for?" Mike swallowed but somehow a big lump was still stuck in his throat.

"Uhh, a petty ass robbery" he lied not wanting to lose the only friend he had gained since he had been incarcerated. It was such a small world. Little did Mike know, Jeff was Faith's dad's first cousin. He had already saw his face plastered all over the news and newspapers. He already knew who Mike was from the minute he walked in the cell. He had purposely went to jail hoping that he would get close to him so that he could get ahold of him. They laid down to rest and Jeff waited until it was quiet on the block to make a move. Mike felt him get out of bed and thought that maybe he had to go to the bathroom but he was sadly mistaken.

"Get up bitch"

Mike sat up and looked around as if it was someone else in the cell besides them two that Jeff could have been talking to. He was taken aback by the sudden change in Jeff's demeanor. It was like a whole new person had surfaced.

"Me?"

Jeff walked over to him and gripped him by the collar of his shirt pulling him out of the bed. He slammed him against the wall as he began whispering in his ear.

"Yeah you bitch. I know who you are. That little girl you killed is my cousin. I'm about to be your worst nightmare" He kissed Mike on the lips as he began trying to take his pants off. Mike tried to squirm but Jeff choked him harder.

"If you move again, I will kill you" he said as he stared him in the eyes Mike knew he meant every word. He let Jeff get his pants down and as Jeff prepared to rape him, Mike could do nothing but pray. Pray that it was over fast. Mike screamed out in pain as Jeff entered him.

"You think I care about your screams? Did you care about Faith's screams when you were hurting her?" He laughed menacingly as Mike silently cried. When he was done, he let Mike fall to the floor. Mike curled up in a fetal position as Jeff stepped over him, washed himself off, climbed back in bed and went to sleep with a smile on his face. The next morning when the CO's walked past the cell, they noticed somebody on the ground. As they hurriedly unlocked the cell and went inside, there was blood on the floor and Mike was unconscious. They got him rushed to the medic unit once again but this time they didn't send him back to the block.

"We're sending you to Protective Custody!" That was the best news Mike had heard since he had been confined to those prison walls. He wanted to be somewhere where he was safe and out of harms way. As he was escorted to PC he thought about the peace of mind he thought he was about to have and asked himself did he deserve it. Once there, he was placed in a room. He noticed he had a room mate and instantly became tense, having flashbacks from what had just happened to him the night before. He didn't know how to read him because he sat quiet at a desk, looking as if he was writing. Mike went to the bed that was for him and laid in it, just wanting to go to sleep and not be bothered. As he laid down, his room mate approached him.

"When you walk into a room you speak"

"My bad, you seemed busy. My name Mike"

"My name Darryl, what you do that got you in here?" Mike didn't know if he should lie or be honest. He looked around and saw a tv in the room. He figured that Darryl had watched the news so he knew who he was and was just testing him. Just like Jeff had done.

"I'm sure you saw me on the news"

"Nah I don't watch tv, the news is depressing"

Mike figured this was still a test so he decided to be honest.

"I molested and killed a babygirl" he said with shame as he put his head down.

"Oh. I molested and almost killed my sister, no wonder they placed you here with me"

Mike looked up Darryl was staring him dead in the eyes...