Created For A Reason

Freedom from prison (Ch. 2)

Chapter two:

Jack’s eyes looked straight ahead down the long hallway; passing cells and fellow prisoners. He was shocked, nervous, and most of all worried;what were he do if he was released? How would he keep from going crazy? There would be no one for him to rely on but Eddie, no one to keep him company, he would just be alone. He hated the thought of working without a family to go home to, Jack felt like that was his purpose for life; to take care of his family and love them. But how can he when there is no family to take care of?Maybe if he actually got out of prison he could start a new family?

The guard led Jack into a small conference room; the door opened sending cold air out through the rest of the halls. It was rare for the warden to make special meetings with inmates, especially the ones who committed cold blood murder.

The warden’s eyes followed Jack carefully as his guard led him to the chair.

“Take his cuffs off.” The warden mumbled starring down at Jack closely, as if he were worried.

“Are you sure, sir?” The guard asked.                                                                                     

“Yes, he’s not dangerous.”

The guard nervously removed the hand cuffs from the inmate, and the warden ordered: “You can leave us.”  The guard did as the warden said and exited the room cautiously, leaving the two alone.

Jack remained quiet as his eyes roamed the empty room nervously. The warden stared Jack in the eye while leaning over the table with a load of curiosity. “I don’t know how you live with yourself, Melcom, shot your wife and own daughter down in cold blood. How do you sleep at night?” Jack looked up at him, biting his tongue which stopped him from speaking his mind. “Answer me!” The warden yelled as he hammered the table, causing Jack to jump.

“Sometimes I don’t sleep.” Jack answered testy. The warden became irritated. He walked slowly over to the other side of the table, and hung over Jack about to interrogate him.

“Who killed them?” He asked in a small voice, but Jack remained silent. “Who killed them? Say it..” He whispered into his ear. “Say it!” He demanded, violently pounding on the table again.

“Why ask something you already know the answer to?!”

“Because you didn’t murder them, you know you didn’t! You’ve been paying for another man’s crime for ten solid years and haven’t told a single soul about it!”

“Record shows I’m a murderer.” Jack replied, smirking up at him.

“Answer my question!”

“It doesn’t matter. If you release me from here I’ll still suffer. I may not rot in a cell but I’ll rot in a scummy apartment…alone.” Jack explained as his eyes dropped to the floor; making him feel as if someone was chocking the life out of his heart.

“I’m sorry, Jack, you can’t pay for another man’s crime; even if you do like living in a cell. Do you know who killed them?” The warden asked as he took a seat across from Jack.

A heavy sigh exhaled him before he answered: “Jackson Perry; the man who murdered them and my parents.”

“You know we have to release you…”

Then after that, the warden called a guard, he made him lead Jack back to his cell.

“And Jack, just for the record…” The warden called. Jack turned around and looked toward him, slightly irritated. “We already ID Perry as the killer, I was just testing you.” The warden explained just before Jack and the guard stepped out the room.

Jack’s point of view:

I can’t believe after all this time they finally see the truth, after I lost a whole decade of my life! But really the only loss is my family, my beautiful family. I suffered nothing compared to what they felt that horrible night. Next month will make ten years since I’ve spoken to them…held them…kissed them. No one, and I mean no one, will ever know how it feels to lose something as precious as…as your daughter.

Though, I am not alone. I can’t imagine how my fist daughter feels, my only daughter still living that wasn’t murdered by a psycho. Devastated is an understatement, when her mother and sister died, Kim nearly went crazy. She cried for days constantly, then I was arrested and she lost me too. Her entire family was taken from her. I honestly don’t know how she’s made it, even me for that matter, because I’ve lost her, her sister, and her mother.

They were my life.

As the guard led me back to my cell I suddenly started to hear footsteps. “Jack…”  Almost instantly I knew who’s voice it was, the warden’s. It brought a sigh out of me as I turned to face him, knowing it was probably going to be about releasing me. “I forgot to mention that you can collect your belongings tomorrow morning, we can discharge you once you have your things.” I simply nodded, dissatisfied with his decision.

I would much rather live in a cell for the rest of my life.

I’m a free man and I’m dissatisfied with that?Should I be? Can’t he send someone else home? I would gladly switch places with a fellow inmate, the one problem with that is; I’m not guilty for anything and that “fellow” inmate most likely is.  Once reaching my cell, I flopped onto my very uncomfortable bed.

“One last day in here.” I mumbled, wondering if I even deserved freedom; really though, do I deserve freedom when I could have done more to save my family? I know I tried but…but trying didn’t keep them alive.

I should have been the husband and father that saved his family, I should have stood up and been a man. But no, I’m the idiot who let them get murdered by a psychopath.

The next day:

Jack waited in line at the belongings center to collect his things, nervously and patiently.“Melcom comma Jack…never thought I’d see you innocent.” Roy, the belongings clerk said handing a box full of Jack’s stuff to him.   “Your ride is waiting outside; I guess you’re a free man now. My advice is: live it up and stay out of trouble.”

Jack’s left eye stung for a moment after listening to the clerk smart off to him. “Not that I ever did anything wrong, right?” He smirked at the man and jerked the box of belongings out of his hands. Then he headed toward the exit. He cleared his throat, took in a deep breath, and said to himself: “Well…here goes nothing.” With that he became a free man, a man freed from prison.

But did you know he’s still in his spiritual prison? Stuck in the bondage of sin and ruled by Satan? There’s only one thing he can do to break free from this spiritual prison his in:

Accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and savior.