Thefierybeastmaintainedascorchingtemperature92millionmilesfromearth.

OnEarths
oppositesidetherewasdarkness,butdarknessonlymeantthebeginningofanewday.The
vacantfieldsshimmeredintheraysoftherisinglight.Firstraysspreadatarapidrateacrossthe
milesandmilesofemptyspace.Asitspread,itreachedthemotherofallcages.Thebirdssang
outtheirfirstsongsoffreedom,butdrowningthemoutwerethecriesofchains.Everydaythe
samecries,everydaythearrivalofnewmentoreleasemorecries,everydaythesoundof
lifelessbodieshittingthegroundembellishedwithgapingwounds,everydaytheprayertoGod
tohavemercy,everydaythethoughtofaplan,everydaybuildingonthatplanforsomething
bettertodaywastheday,itallleduptotoday.Whenfirstsignsofthenewdayreachedthe
stonefloorsofthecells,thehandsofthemanclaspedthebarsoverthewindow.Ithadtobe
today.
DearGod,breakmeout...

Clank...clank...clank...clank.Thesoundsoftheguardsechoedthroughthemazeofhallways.
Themanleanedagainstthecornerthestonewall,digginghisknucklesintothecoldfloorinan
attempttosoothehissenses.Oncetheguardswouldapproachandremovehimfromhiscellto
dohisduties,theplanwouldstart.Thestepsbecamelessechoedandmorecrispasthey
poundedupthestairsofthesecondfloor.

IdontknowifIshoulddoittodaythemansaid.

Notsure?Howaboutwhythehellnot?hesaid.

Whatifitdoesntwork?IthinkIneedmoretimetoplanthisout..

No!Thinkthisthrough,youvebeenheretwelveyears,butyourenoclosertogettingoutnow
thenyouwerewhenyoufirstcame.Youhaveitinyou,haditthemomenttheybroughtyouin
andchainedyouup.

Butmaybelifeherewouldntbesobad.Ihavetheseprivilegescauseofmygoodbehavior,I
dontwannalosethem.

Privileges??Yourfreedomisprivilegeenough!Nowgrabthatscrewdriver,Ididntstealitfor
nothing.Hideitbeforetheycome.Heorderedpointingtothedullshankinthecorner.

Thethirdfloorechoed.

Icant!Illgetcaught,dontmakemedoit!

DoitnoworIlltakeitmyselfandrunitthroughyou!Iworkedtoohardforyoutoblowthisfor
you,youwantthisjustasmuchasme.

Fourthfloorechoedwiththesoundofhardrubberboots.


Itsdangerous...Icoulddie..
Hegrabbedhimbythethroat.DOIT!

Indesperation,hesnatchedthescrewdriverandswalloweditinonegulp.Itslippeddownhis
throatandhefeltthedropinhisstomach.Itstartledtheman,sohescamperedbackinhis
cornerandwhimpered.Waterbegantocreepitswayontothemanspantleg.Quickly,he
flippedoverandgazedinthepuddle.Hiseyessetuponhisimageandeveninthedarkhe
recognizedhisverypaleface.Thechinwaschiseled,hiseyesandfacewerewornanddroopy
fromoveradecadeofbeingaprisondrudge.Notevenaged35,andhefeltlikehislifewas
hangingonmerethreads.Lean,notmuscular.Mentallybuilt,nothopeless.Hemethiseyesin
thewater.

SoIguesstheresnoturningbacknow?

Youdbecrazytoturnbacknow.

Imnotcrazy!Youretheoneinacell.

Heknewhismindwasrunningloose,andremindedhimselftokeepittieddown.Foreverytime
itbrokeloose,itmadehimrememberwhyheneededtobreakout.

Leaningagainstthecornerwall,hestaredathisemptycell.Hislifewasnothingmorethana
cot,hisragsofclothes,thecoldfloor,andhishead.Forwhatsabodywithoutagoodhead?He
couldnotturnbacknow.

Thefifthfloorpounded.

Themanbroughthimselftohisfeetasheheardthegruffvoicesoftheguardsonlyyardsaway.
Thetwolargeguardsapproached,thetallerguardspokethroughthesmallbarredopeningon
thelargemetaldoor.Youreadytodoyourwork,slaveboy?Isyourmotherlookingdownon
youlaughingatyourgoodfornothingtrailertrashass?Hesmirked.

Themanstoodupandignoredthelastcomment.

Hesnotevendoinganythingtoyouman.Justleavetheguyalone,saidthemorestocky
guard.

Thedailyroutinebegantotakeitscourse.Theguardsopenedthesmallbarredwindowandthe
largedoor.Themanstumbledtothedoorandheldhishandsthroughtheopeningasthey
cuffedhiswriststogethertight.Thecuffspressedsharpintohiswristsandfounditsplaceinto
thedeepscarsinhiswrists.Itwasjustnumbness,ithadbeennumbnessaslongashe
remembered.Thelargemetaldoorgrindedonthestonefloorandechoeddownthechambers.

Thecuffswerethenplacedonthemansanklesandthenextstepwasthetightenedneck
restraint.

Getmoving,now,thetallerguardsaidharshlydiggingtheironbarintothemansback.
Themandraggedhisfeetashestartedhisshuffledownthevasthalls.Helethisheadhanglow
forhehadmemorizedthejourneydowntoeverystep.Everycrackonthefloor,everybump,
everygroove,nothingwasnewtohim.Matteroffactherecameabumpstep47...step48

Dammit!exclaimedthetallguardashiskneesbuckled.

Everyday,youdoiteveryday.Havesomesenseandlookoutforitnexttime,saidthestocky
guardclearlyannoyed.

Themanallowedhissmiletocreaseacrosshisface.
Alwaysthatstep49
Heknewhewouldneverhearthatcryofannoyancehedhearasaresultofstep49.Nomore
ofthefeelingofaroutinesecuredday.Therestofhislifehewouldliveadifferentday,notwo
daysbeingthesame.Astheguardsledthemandownthehallspastthecellsoftheother
prisoners,theprisonersallpushedtheirfacesagainstthebars.Everyday,theprisonerswould
pushtheirfacesagainstthesmallbarredopeningontheircelldoors,yellingattheguardsand
spittingatthemastheypassed.Buttodaywasdifferent.Instead,theyweresilentandstaredat
theman.Themanturnedhisheadslightlytothesideashewalkedtoseetheprisoners.Each
onenoddedtheirheadathimasthemanpassedtheircells.Thesilentwassoonbrokenwith
cries.Theywerenotcriesofangerandhate,theywerecriesofprayers.Itwasallovertheplace
andcouldnotbeunderstood.Soontherambledcriescametogetheronechant.

DearGod,breakhimout!DearGod,breakhimout!DearGod,breakhimout!

Theguardsseemedalittlenervous.Thoughnothingintheirfaceshowedit,themancouldfeel
it.Thevoicesweretellinghimthattheywouldbevulnerablesoonenough.Butheneeded
silence,thevoicesinhisheadwerehavingtoshout.

Ccomeon.Pickupthepace,thestockyguardsaidtotheman.

Theboomingcriesofprayermutatedintochaos.Theanimalsinalltheprisonershadbeen
triggered.Theybegantoattempttobreakthebarsandreachingoutthesmallopeningtowards
theguardsscreamingbloodymurder.Thetallerguardgrabbedforhiswalkietalkie.

Itsgettingtoooutofhand,Imcallinginbackup.

Inthatmoment,somethingsparkedinsidetheman.Doitnow...DOITNOW!

Theman,stillboundinhischains,swungthechainsbindinghishandsatthetallerguard.The
tallerguardsprawledtothefloorwithhimthewalkietalkiewhichshatteredonthecoldfloor.The

stockyguardturnedaroundshockedatthemansdoing.Heheldhisironbartightandpounced
ontheman.Themandesperatelycircledthechainsaroundtheguardandbegantopull.The
ironbarfounditswayintothesideoftheman,breakingintotheflesh.Likewildanimalsthe
prisonersroaredinthemansfavor.

KILLTHOSEPIGS!KILLTHEMBOTH!

Themanwrappedthechainsaroundhandstightlyandpulledwithallhismight.Hedippedhis
upperbackcausingthestockyguardtoflipoverhisback,onlymakingthechainsconstrict
tighteraroundtheneckoftheguard.Thestockyguardlaidtheresquirming,tryingtobreathe.
Themanstruggledashesearchedforthekeysintheguardspocket.Intheshortamountof
timehehad,themanunlockedthechainsaroundhisfeet.Thekeysthatwouldunlockthe
chainsaroundthemanswristandtheneckrestraintwasinthepocketofthetallerguard.

Themanturnedaroundtoseethetallerguardbackonhisfeet,holdingtheshotguninhishand.
Hecockedthegunandbegantostalktowardstheman.Themanfrozeforamoment,not
knowingwhattodonext.

Theshank

What?

Theshank,youempesul!GETTHESHANK!

Themanremembered,hepunchedthebottomofhisgutonce.twice.
Thesharpenedscrewdrivershotupthemansthroatasheregurgitateditoutandintohis
hands.Hegrabbedthestockyguardandheldtheshanktightlyagainsthisthroat.Theman
proceededtousethechokingguardasashieldagainsttherangeoftheshotgun.

Putthegundown...orIllrunitthroughhisthroat,threatenedtheman.

Theprisonerswentwildandchantedinfavoroftheman.Thetallguardrefusedtolaydownthe
weaponandlaydownhisguard.Themansheartpounded,heneededtogetoutandhewasnt
goingtoletthisguardstophim.Thebeadsofsweatrolleddownthepalefaceofthemanandto
theedgesofhislips.Thetallerguardreadiedhisstance...themanquicklydidthesame.

Thechantingpickeduppace.Thepoundingagainstthecellsthunderedthetallhalls.The
breathesofthemanbecameshortandjumpy.Thetallguardraisedthegunandpointed.The
manheldontightlytothestockyguard.Thevoicespoundedinhishead,theveinswerenear
breakingpoint.

NOW!screamedtheman.


Themanrushedthetallguardwiththestockyguard,theshotgunwentoff.Themancriedout
andpouncedtowardsthetallguard.Thevoicesoftheprisonerswentdeadsilent.

Throughthunderingvoicesoftheprisonersthegunshotwasnotheardthroughtheprison.
Neitherwerethecriesofthestockyguard...orthetallguard...ortheman.Hestoodthere,stiff.
Hepulledbackslowlyontheshankandthensecondbodydroppedtotheground.Thereonthe
coldfloorlaythebodythestockyguardwiththetwogapingholesinhischest.Threefeetfurther
laythebodyoftallguard,astabwoundtotheheart.Themandroppedtohiskneesand
grabbedhissidethatspewedbloodfromastabwoundhereceivedinthestruggle.Almost
forgetting,helookedaround.Theeyesofalltheprisonersweregluedtohim.

Hediditoneprisonertwocellsdownsaid.

Theprisonblewupinaroarofcheers.Themanheldhisears,hehadneverheardsomething
soloudbeforeinhislife.Hequicklystrippedthebodythetallguardandputontheuniform.He
continuedtograbtheI.Dcard,andpapersfromthepocketsoftheguard.

Go!Go!......Go!Go!GO!screamedtheprisonersandthevoiceinhishead.Hetookoff
sprintingdownthehallsmakinghiswaytotheendofWestsideoftheprison.Themanknewhe
wasntoutyet,hecouldstillbecaught.Butnowhehadfinallydonewhathadbeeneatingaway
athismindfortwelvewholeyears.Thevoicesinhisheadbegantofade.Thequestionsinhis
mindslowlydiedaway.Hismindwasnolongertieddown,orevenoutcrazy.Ithadbeenshot
deadjustliketheguardbackinthehallway.Hewasstillintheprison,buthebrokeout.

DearGod,thankyouforbreakingmeout.Imnolongeraprisoner.