AFTER I WAS put into the prison, about an hour later, the prison bars opened again.“You have twenty minutes.”said the guard and a figure entered the prison. Levine. I stood up instinctively, I gulped and my mind went blank. He didn’t speak at first. I saw the guards leave, leaving me and Levine as the only people for the yard.I was a prisoner who was prohibited for visitors as a part of the court sentence but he had been specially granted to meet me once and for all for the next six years.“Or maybe… this will be the last time ever”I thought back then. I couldn’t blame him even if it was. What right was there?“Kenneth.”he said. I finally looked at him, it was strange for me to hear my own name.“Finally, I got to call you by your name”his eyes were teary. He had cried, I realized looking at how red his eyes was.No. No. No. He can’t be like this. He can’t be this kind to me. At least he should hate me. He can’t forgive me this easily. Levine. You can’t love me this much.“Ken….
MY LIFE IN the prison for six years was a period of time to collect myself together from the pieces that were scattered during the time of 17 years that I was broken; from the time I lost my parents. Though my memory was lost and though I didn’t know I lost them, still… there was a heavy burden inside me which limited the peace in my mind.For me to realize what that burden was, what I had wanted was a pause in my life; a little time to resurrect myself. Until those years, that I sat in the corner of a dark room with the metal bars in front of me, I did not come to the awareness why it felt so heavy. Finally, when the relief flooded in to my life, how much I wished I had that pause earlier? Maybe then… none of these would have happened.Guilt. It was something that was embarked deep within my conscience and when it got dipped with regret, it had the ability of tearing my soul apart. Killing was not the only thing that bought me guilt and regret. I was a person loved by a lot and still
"IF I HAD to call something as the turning point of my life, I would be calling that day as it. From the day I was born.... there is not a single thing in my life that didn't change. Everything changed. The way I lived, the occupation I did, the people I loved, the decisions I took, the paths I chose, the identity I carried and even my name; Kenneth York. They changed. People questioned them and I myself questioned them. I'll start from the day where everything started to change. Thinking back from now, it was exactly forty-two years ago and I was just a three-year-old kid. Unlike now, those days, the people of the Jailbirds City lived a non-hectic, relaxing and a care-free life; just managing through the days while helping and caring about each other and... happy; at least most of them.But this City has a Story. A Story which holds Memories. Memories which hold Scars and Scars that say... We Survived. My father and my mother were reputed Intelligence Officers and there were three
THE SHOCK OF seeing my mom and dad die in front of my own eyes was a bit too much for me. I think I lost my conscious back then. I don't actually know. However, what I know is that there was a time period that day, which I couldn't remember what happened or what I went through.I remember glimpses of someone carrying me and at that time I couldn’t figure out who. He was clutching me in his hands, firm. My little head rested on his chest and he was so warm that I felt secured."Don't worry. You'll be okay. You're safe."I remember him saying faintly. My eyes felt like burning from crying and I felt like spinning that I found it so difficult to keep my eyes open. I saw the background dark and orange through my watery eyes. Dark should be because it was night and orange maybe fire. That's all I remember and the next time I opened my eyes, I was lying on a bed.My mind blank and empty.The first thing that came to my mind while I was drowsing on the bed was smell. The soap smell. I smelle
THAT DAY, LEVINE and me walked down the prison corridors checking cell by cell. Prison Rounds were always fun. It is not like anyone can escape from Catastrophe prisons because it was most likely impossible and so what we had to do was just walk while chatting. Both of us weren't in charge for the prisons and only about once in a year we went around, that was also if we felt bored or if there was nothing else for us to do.That certain day was exceptional. It was after a mission that only me and Levine handled without letting anyone else know. There were two reasons. First. It was just to capture a single person. Second. Levine and dad didn't want that to go too far and the most interesting fact is that, not until the very moment we imprisoned him, Levine did tell me who that person was."Who is that?"I remember asking from him while walking back after imprisoning that man."A traitor."replied Levine short."Traitor? We have such people?"my eyebrows raised unintentionally while I c
THOSE WORDS I said to him.I’m ready.Though I said those words, I wasn’t sure of myself whether I am. My heart said I didn’t want to know and part of me wished nothing would change and things will be the same but.... it was so cruel to bear when I knew it was impossible. But what was I supposed to do? I was the person who triggered the way for that change.“There’s something we hid from you all this time. You must have felt that you’re different and that must be why you decided to leave”I was amazed how he exactly recited what was going in my mind from a long time.“Go on Levine.”Curiosity inside me was killing me. My heart raced to know the words he was going to say next.“I don’t know how you will react to this Cod but… please, no matter what words come out from me within the next minutes, I want you to know that you’re my little brother and no one can change that. Ever."I nodded.“Even though I’m not your real brother…. Please… Cod… You’re still my brother.”Levine, he was suff
IT DIDN’T TAKE me much time to adjust to the normal life. I was a bit aggressive as a kid but the Catastrophe’s training, made me different. I was rational all the time. I dealt well with people around me and I found the normal life very interesting. Relax. That is something that I never felt in my life before. I didn’t even know what relaxation was, until that day I came out of Catastrophe. I loved my life out of the territory so much but also at the same time… I missed the adventure and the excitement I felt when I was there.I missed the fights we had, the trainings I went through each and every day, the nights I spent guarding and defending the territory with Levine and yes… I missed the nights of little talks I had with my dad and my big brother. Then again… being a genius in adapting to the environment from the very beginning, I adapted to that life as well and adjusted to it and started loving it like nothing.That life was normal and was not strange to me when it should have b
NEXT DAY I was taken to an interrogation room with my hands cuffed. I was no different than a pulp after getting beaten up the whole night before. It took me a few minutes to look around the room after I was made to sit. My brain concentrated only on the pain cringing through my body and I felt like I was torn apart. That was the usual way of punishing someone with the crime of killing. I knew it but it still sucked! My mouth tasted blood and face felt like it was burning. Legs were nearly numb and I felt as if my whole rib cage is falling apart.Still. I was okay.The pain surely made me suffer a lot but I could withstand it.Then, I looked around. The room was dark and lights were on and that was surely not a normal interrogation room. It was far duller.I automatically inclined my head. I do it when I’m puzzled about something. It happens instinctively.“Don’t worry. This is just an interrogation room.” said the boy who was standing in front of me to my right. Then I realized he wa