Chapter 9

~Guards quarter, Chicago prison~

Lewis knelt down in the middle of a dimly lit corridor, his hands were tied behind his back and his ankles were secured together with the same rope. His shirt has been ripped off, leaving him shirtless and sweaty.

Sweat trickled down his face and abs, as the corridor was hot.

Warden Lee turned on the gas burner and set down a pan of oil, allowing it to heat.

As it started sizzling, warden Lee smirked at Lewis as he took a seat on the stool.

“What did you say again? You don't know how the key crawled into your mattress?” he questioned and dipped the horsewhip into the pan.

Lewis has explained himself over and over again that his voice has turned hoarse.

At the back of his mind, he knows only one person who could do this to him.

Chun Li.

He silently crushed his teeth.

“You make it harder when you lie, admit it and I might minimize the strokes,” warden Lee said, checking his frying horsewhip.

“Have you fucked a woman in church before? You know the pleasure of muffling her screams while the other members are praying or listening to the sermon, that's the pleasure this horsewhip gives.”

“Just close your eyes, let it simmer in and take control of your mind. You would find yourself begging for more,” Warden Lee mocked and flipped the horsewhip so that it would fry at the other side.

He broke out in a mockery laugh after seeing Lewis's annoyed face.

Lewis crushed his teeth.

After another minute, the horsewhip has soaked up enough oil.

“Good!” Warden Lee brought it out, holding the end that didn't enter the pan. He wrapped it around his fist, tightly.

He cracked his neck and squared his shoulders, ready for the first round of punishment.

Lewis closed his eyes and the first whip landed on his bareback.

Holy fuck!

He didn't mentally prepare himself, it was painful, a type of pain he has never experienced.

And he was certain that the whip tore open his flesh.

Never in his lifetime had he imagined receiving a severe whiplash like this. The pain shot down his back and up to his shoulder.

Another whip landed on his back again, on the same spot the first one came.

Lewis's eyes flew open, he couldn't contain it again. It was too painful and unbearable.

The thought that he might die in this creepy corridor crawled into his mind. No one will hear his cries and no one would even bother to ask about him when he is gone.

He feared this life, and hated it...

So cruel. Imagine suffering for something you didn't do.

He fell to the floor with a thud sound after many lashes were stamped on his back.

However, Warden didn't stop. He continued whipping Lewis, applying a great force and tearing his flesh. His lips were pressed together as he whipped and soon, he joined to sweat as it fell from his face into Lewis's wound.

*****

~Isolation ward, Chicago Prison~

Lewis jerked up from sleep. After the punishment, the pain knocked him out for a good six hours. Warden Lee did not stop to give him a breathing break.

Lewis was grateful he survived the horse whip at least. Burning pain exploded in his whole back and his head rolled with headache.

He swallowed his saliva and coughed.

Fuck, he was parched.

Worst part is that the room is pitch dark, he couldn't see anything but he could feel. He knows the room is very tiny, and since the guards quarter was beside the isolation ward, he has his answer.

The door was jerked open and as the daylight poured in, the sun had gone up very well.

Lewis closed his eyes to adjust to the new setting, and when he opened it again. He noticed a dark figure standing in front of the door.

A woman's figure.

Officer Viviette...

“I have come to give you water inmate 167,” Viviette said from the door.

That moment, her voice was like a warm cocoon to him, the medicine he didn't know he needed. It soothed his pain and he wished she would talk to him more.

But first, did she just utter water?

As officer Viviette threw the bottle of water to him, Lewis quickly picked it up and uncapped it, chugging the whole thing like a starved vampire that just saw a pool of blood.

Officer Viviette threw something on his lap. Lewis noticed it had a packet.

“That is a new vest, you will need it since the temperature will drop down tonight.”

Tonight? Wait, what does she mean by tonight?

“Yes, you will spend three days in the isolation ward,” Viviette answered the question for him before he could ask.

“Why?”

“Because you stole an officer's key,” she put her hands in her back pockets while still standing outside the room. “Consider this your second punishment out of four. The lock you stole has four keys, so four punishments.” Viviette explained.

Lewis stood up with furrowed eyebrows.

The fact that he was serving punishment for something he didn't do was unsettling to him, he had to speak up.

“Why are you people doing this? You must know that I was accused, I didn't steal the fucking key, I have never been to the guards quarter until today.”

The pain in his voice was evident.

Officer Viviette cocked her eyebrows, looking unbothered.

“Well, how do I know that? The rule is that if it was found with you, that makes you the thief.”

Lewis smiled, “Listen to yourself. You see, this whole thing was planned. The rules and the authorities are evil. I shouldn't be here with you, and this whole thing shouldn't have existed! Can't you see the conspiracy?”

“Is that a cry for help, inmate 167?”

“I have been crying for help since the day I was arrested but now I see, you only cry for help when there's help to cry for,” he shook his head and his face tightened, “There is no help to cry for.”

He pointed at her as he spoke with fury, “But you and the others who work here, I will ruin you all. I will destroy all of you for withholding an innocent man!”

Officer Viviette sighed as if she was bored with his dramatic tantrums.

“Put on your vest and get some rest. The isolation ghost is creeping up at you,” she said and stepped back to leave.

However, Lewis spoke up again.

“Wait.”

She halted, turning to him.

“What do you do on those days when no one is listening to you and there is nobody to say nice words to you?”

Officer Viviette thought for a moment before answering.

“I will stop wanting them to listen to me and deal with my shits” Viviette narrowed her eyes.

Lewis nodded and sighed before sliding back to the floor.

“Okay.”

******

“Yes, I sent officer Vi to get him a vest and water,” Warden Lee said while standing in front of CEO Connor's desk.

CEO Connor was watching Lewis through the CCTV connected in the isolation ward. For some reason, the day the key was stolen, the CCTV connected to the guards quarter stopped working.

Lewis had to bear the consequences of it even though deep down, CEO Connor knows that he is innocent.

Whatever, he will milk this opportunity and get Lewis to gnash his teeth in real pain until he will come running to him and seek for the other path.

Soon, he would be dancing to his music.

CEO Connor nodded.

“Don't send him food or water again. We must make an example out of him for others to learn ”

“Got that!”

Warden Lee bowed before leaving through the door with an evil smirk on his face.

Unto the next punishment....