Release

I've been locked in here for most of my life. I can not even remember what it's like on the outside. If I ever even was outside. What is outside?

My block is not too bad. The walls are painted a light pink color. Close to what a baby girl's room would be I suppose. There is a bed, a sink, a toilet, and of course a food tray. Every so often the showers will come on in my block. There is a lever on the left side to my bed and in order to turn the water off I have to give the lever a tug. Since there are no doors I have to make sure to turn the shower off after one hundred eighty seven seconds. I discovered that the time I chose was the best after a while in my block. In order for the water to drain by the time the showers came on again. The block is completely closed off except for the little slit in the wall where my food comes in. How the water drains, I am still unsure.

I don't remember exactly what my name was. I think it might have been Amanda, or maybe it had been Amber. I know why I am here.

Sitting down on the bed I think about that fateful day. The day I was taken to my block.

It had been a sunny day. I was sitting inside our quaint house. My parents were there with me. I heard my baby brother crying as my mom tried to soothe him. We all knew the only thing that would calm him down would be if I started to sing to him. But, I refused to. I hated to sing, especially to that little boy who never even said thank you. I had been too young to understand. I had been five.

I hear a mind numbing screech. It's my food being delivered. The little slit in the wall exposes a new food tray stacked high with mashed potatoes, green beans, and chicken. The same as every night.

Honestly, I didn't even know if it was night. It could be dawn for all I knew.

I grabbed the food tray and noticed something else on it. Something different than usual.

It was a pen and paper. I looked at the paper first. It had a message on it. I looked at it trying to remember how to decipher words.

"You need to learn the alphabet before you can read silly" my mom laughed as she tried to get me to look at the letters. I glanced at them and decided to give it a try. The next day I knew the alphabet. I argued with my school teacher that I could learn how to read then.

I shake my head to clear it away from all of the memories. I started sounding out the letters on the paper. It said: next meal is your last, your out soon. I didn't understand what that was supposed to mean so I laid down on my bed and remembered.

That stupid boy won't stop crying. I was so annoyed with him. I was not going to sing to him. No matter what mommy or daddy said. Besides, everyone knows that the child police aren't real. There is no such thing as an evil monster who takes children away from their mommies and daddies because they wouldn't do something. Everyone knew that the parents just told their kids that so then they would do their chores, but I was smart. I would not give in.

I roll my eyes at my own stupidity. I was so naive. Now I know. There is such a thing as the child police. I should have just sang that stupid baby a song so that way I wouldn't be here.

The thing I miss most being in this block is the sun. How hot it was. How it could burn your skin if you stayed out in it for so long. Knowing that it could melt the coldest of days. That's what I miss.

There is no way of knowing if that note was true. There is no way of knowing for sure if the child police are what took me here. There is no way of knowing much of anything.

"Please just sing to him" daddy said. Now mommy was crying. I didn't know why she was so upset. I wouldn't back down though. I just kept denying my responsibilty. I ran up to my room and closed my eyes. I felt someones hands on my shoulder. I looked up and muttered an apology thinking it was one of my parents. What I saw was not my parent. What I saw was a figure that will give me nightmares for the rest of my life.

I had been very naive. I prayed that maybe I would get out at my next meal. I didn't know who or what I prayed to, but I hoped that they would help a sister out.

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine the sun. In it's brightness and glory. I smiled at the thought of being able to see it again. Nothing else really mattered. My family had been the cause of my downfall, and I didn't really want to see them.

I heard the squeal of the food slot. I dived towards it. Slamming my head on the tray in the process. Pain filled every part of my body. That was all I could feel. I heard a terrible cry and realized it was me. I touched my head and felt the warm gush of blood.

I heard a click and the wall seemed to open. There in the hole in the wall stood the same shadowy figure that haunted my sleep.

"You have come to an end to your sentence Amanda Burkes. You are free to go back into society. Your age is twenty two

. Your birthday is October 19. Your family has all died."

I know I should have felt crushed. But, I didn't, knowing that my family was dead lifted all the weight off my shoulders. I flew past that petrifying shadow and into the wide open.

I looked up waiting to see the sun. I didn't see it. I turned my head. What I saw was even worse than the shadowy figure. The sun was gone.