by Jamie Bowers
‘Lock up 335!’ Richards shouted down the row. In a moment the unmistakable sound of straining metal echoed around and Joe’s cell door was closed. Joe sat on the bed and stared at the wall in front of him. Tanner stepped forward to the cell and tried to engage a conversation.
‘I forgot to tell you,’ he said leaning on the bars. ‘Tomorrow is your trial. So you finally have time to tell your side of the story. Everything from escaping prison and stealing a van to killing a prison nurse and your wife.’ Joe remained silent, still staring at the same spot on the blank wall that faced him. Tanner and Richards walked away without trying to engage any further. Joe kept the same position for the rest of the day, remaining in deep thought. No noise or activity from the other inmates seemed break his concentration. Soon, night fell and the other inmates went to bed, all was much quieter once again.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Laying his head on the pillow in his cell, Joe heard the familiar sound of the guards shouting and the lights going out. As he stared up from the bed, the moonlight from his cell window shone a beam through the dust in the air making it look like stars dancing in the night. Joe embraced the thought of being outside again and knew that he would never get to see anything as nice as that in the free world again. Exhausted from thought he wanted to go to sleep but the feelings that were running at an alarming rate through his mind. He started to think if he has done the right thing and gotten the closure he wanted. Surely if he was happy with his decisions then sleep would come easier for him. He sat up and slipped off his shirt and trousers, looking down at the scars on his leg Joe recalled the pain he endured from the injury and was amazed that he was able to walk again. As he stood up wearing nothing more than his socks and underpants he looked outside his cell and could see the distinct silhouette of the guard standing opposite, watching his every move. This was one of Warden Tanner’s orders to make sure he didn’t do anything he shouldn’t.
‘Hey!’ Joe shouted to the guard.
‘Keep it down, Parcoli.’ The guard said back to him, ‘You should be going to sleep if you know what’s good for you.’
Joe stepped to the edge of his cell and placed his hands on the bars, ‘Do you like what you see? Does it get you off watching a man get undressed, you sick fuck?’ The guard took a small step closer into the light generated from the overhead lamps in the corridor.
‘Don’t flatter yourself, Parcoli. Besides, I can’t see anything past the bars; I can’t even see where you are in there or what you’re doing. You could jerk off in there and apart from the moans you guys give off; we don’t know what’s going on. This is as private as you’re going to get, so I’d make the best of it if I was you.’
Joe walked over to the toilet in the corner of his cell and pulled down his underpants. Sitting on the cold metal rim, Joe did the best he could to look around his cell and could see nothing more than his cot complete with a thin mattress, pillow and blanket.
‘So, this is what I am going to live and die with,’ he muttered to himself, ‘no possessions other than the body that I was given when I entered this world.’ Standing up he used a small piece of paper from the toilet paper and threw it into the bowl. Joe pulled the chain and flushed the toilet; the sound of rushing water broke the silence throughout the building so that everyone knew if you were awake. He pulled up his underpants and stepped over to his bed.
Joe reached to his pillow and ripped it open, the feathers spilled out, making a mess over the bed and floor.
The sound of the material ripping alerted the guard outside. ‘What’s going on in there?’ he shouted into Joe’s cell.
‘Getting ready for bed,’ Joe replied as he continued to destroy the bedding. He carefully pulled the stitching open and grabbed one half of the case, tying one end to the railing above the middle bar on his cell door. Crouching down, Joe leant against the cell door and pulled the material around his neck. Tying it off at the back of his head, he gave it a pull to make sure it was tight.
His eyes filled with tears as he took a deep breath. ‘I’m sorry.’ he whispered to himself before straightening his legs in front. With his torso hanging a few inches from the floor, the knot became tighter and quickly stopped the blood and air from circulating through. Joe raised his hands to the railing above his head and pulled himself higher.
The guard outside could hear Joe kicking his feet against the bed and quickly stepped to the cell door. Grabbing his flashlight from his utility belt as quickly as he could, he turned it on and pointed it at into the cell to see Joe hanging by his neck.
‘Open up 335, now!’ he shouted in a panic down the cell block. With his legs still stiff in front of him and his heels resting on the ground, Joe released his grip on the bars and quickly fell before the door was opened. The sound of bone breaking silenced the clatter from the cell door being unlocked. The door started to open, sliding Joe’s lifeless, limp body across the floor. It wouldn’t open all the way as the material got caught between the cell bars. The guard quickly stepped into Joe’s cell as the lights were turned on, making it easier to see. He pulled on the cloth around Joe’s neck and on the bars, the knots were too tight for him to untie so he reached into his pocket and took out a small knife. Cutting the cloth free as quickly as he could, Joe’s body dropped to the floor, still lifeless and limp, the colour had already drained from his skin. The guard pressed his fingers against his neck as two more guards arrived and stood at the cell door.
‘What happened here?’ said one guard as he stepped inside.
‘Better get the Captain.’ he said, taking his hand away from Joe’s neck, ‘He’s dead.’
