Day One

I sit on this flimsy mat atop a sheet of metal and wonder what exactly I have gotten myself into. The cackling of inmates yelling fresh meat and making cat calls as I walked along the corridor. I had practiced sleeping in darkness and without a fan before I came here. Not knowing it was never dark and never quiet.

I looked at the steel toilet in the corner and realized I wouldn't even be able to take a shit in peace. I couldn't fart, cough, or cry without this lump of flesh that slept above me seeing, hearing,or smelling me. My shoes were too big, my elastic pants dug into my waist. The sheets they gave me were supposedly white at one time but were now littered with tiny balls and leftover hair. The dark streak in the middle led me to believe they'd never actually been washed. They were just passed from person to person and each one added to the ghost of an imprint left by the ones before.

I had a Bible and a roll of toilet paper. The toothbrush they gave me was not even as long as my first finger. I looked at how the lump of flesh had tried to decorate the place. A couple of pictures stuck to the wall. Radio,hot pot, and fan all just haphazardly placed where it saw fit.

A loud clang jolted me from my thoughts and the officer yelled "Count Time!' I had no idea what this meant and she yelled it again. The lump of flesh slid from the upper bunk,her feet came down on my mattress and she walked to the door and flashed her ID at the guard and rattled off some numbers. Then she stepped on my mattress and pulled her self back up above me.

"Show me your ID!"the officer yelled. "And tell me your number."

I went to the door and showed her the plastic id they had given me. I told her my social security number because I no longer had a phone and didn't figure she wanted that.

" No, the number on your ID."

I could feel her impatience but I figured there'd be some kind of orientation about how and what to do. But there was nothing. Just "here you go" and "Welcome to the zoo."

I knew nothing and I had a feeling I better learn something real quick. The lump of flesh would obviously be no help. Who knows what atrocities she had done to get here. I was on my own. I laid down to add my own imprint to the sheet.