Tale Of Souls (Cathartic Nightmare)

CHAPTER TWO: JAIL BAIT AND TUNA FISH SANDWICHES

It’s now early December and I’m near that 21st birthday everyone talks about...  I’m awake now, but I’m wondering how I flew under the radar and managed to lose four years of my time.  I’m already sure it’s that narcoleptic shit I’d been having all through my school years. I’ve woken up to the sound of clanking bars, and yelling threats… 

Oh for cute! I’m in Jail now...   Obviously I’m not some criminal in jail for murdering some stranger within the streets of North Minneapolis, no I’m in the slammer for things I don’t even know anything about.

The only thing left in my head was a craving for a cigarette…  I didn’t really smoke before this; tried it once or twice sure.  We obviously we were not allowed to smoke inside, but something reeked of smoke from everyone else around me.

What this feels like is I’ve woke up to a bad nightmare, I don’t have a clue what I’m in here for – and somehow I’m missing time like a bad rerun of the Twilight Zone.  It ain’t like I stole a Nintendo 64 from Electronics Boutique in Maplewood Mall, or publically took a toke of weed before shitting my pants on the St Paul Capitol lawn. I’m alone in the bunks, and have nothing here to hang myself with.  The movement of tattooed murderers, thieves and juggalos from the other cells… something is not right with this picture.   I obviously might be exaggerating you know, I’m only 21 almost – and men like me don’t tend to take nice to their first time in adult slammers.

How long am I in here for, and what the hell did I do?

A prison guard grazed by, knocked on the door.  He opened it and within seconds looked at me with an odd but reassuring look.

“Someone’s here to see you.”

Who in the hell would want to see me?  I have had absolutely no recollection of anyone knowing I still existed.  I have no memory of knowing if Lily is ok now, or if this is a dream or a nightmare.  Anything CAN happen from here, and you know I just – I just want out of here.  I turned to look at the guard to see what he was saying.

“Uh, ok.”  Somehow, this time my voice didn’t grate on my eardrums.  This was strange; it only seemed about ten minutes ago I couldn’t walk without getting a hard-on and a complete a day without thinking about boobs.  Now it feels like I’m a seasoned regular with this male attitude. 

I obey…

We keep walking around the facility towards the phone and window booths.  I don’t get where this place is, it’s nothing new – as before, with the medical ward – for all I know I could be in freaking Halcyon, California for all I know.  People are around me talking, the news plays on the television – and gossip ensues.  Words are taunting my ear drums, they all start saying I'm not the only one in the world who’s the demon.   I don’t even know what the hell they’re talking about.

The problem is that someone is here to see me, and right away I have a clue it’s not going to be a pretty sight. As far as I know, nobody knows who I am anymore.  Not at least those who knew me as Lily before this.  I sat down quietly and ignored the figure in front of me.   Unlike the smaller jails where you can sit quietly at a table and play chess with your family – I'm sitting between plexi-glass and a phone system.  The guard next to me takes the handcuffs off my wrists and walks back towards the wall to monitor the situation.  I guess in case if I go angry and scream and tear everything to bits.  I’m not the Incredible Hulk; I don’t think I am, am I? 

By the way, Lily is my birth name.  Lillian Hochstettler –Lillian Meredith Hochstettler; yank of all Yankee origins up in the northern ranges.  Yea, of course now that’s no longer who I am.  Four years ago, I had to choose a new name, and now I’m Justin David Terrance… sounds a tad gay but it’s too late now.