Almost 104 weeks. Weeks with a daily routine. Weeks I’ve gone without seeing my loved ones. Weeks – 104. Almost two years. Two years this Saturday. Two years I’ve spent behind bars. Seven hundred and twenty seven days.
I’ve been told I can go home soon. But how soon is "soon"? The very words came out of a man sixty two days after I arrived here. "Soon" is a word that’s thrown around, with no real meaning. Like when people say “I’ll be back soon” on multiple occasions, yet "soon" seems to vary between people and where they go. I’ve been ready to go since that day. 62nd day. Friday, 13th of May, that’s the day I got here. I guess that Friday the thirteenth really is an unlucky day. I am living proof of that.
I had a cellmate up until thirty seven days ago. He admitted to me that he was guilty of his crime, but I understand that the CCTV here isn’t very good. He was released on that day. If only the court could open their eyes… And possibly take the lens cap off the camera that looks into our cell. My cell. Alone. Possibly forever. Who knows?
It’s not a great feeling when you’re wrongly accused of something. It’s worse again when you’re thrown in jail for it. One hundred and three weeks plus four days. Yesterday I overheard two men talking, both of whom I know were wrongly accused. One has been here for nine years. I don’t understand how he wasn’t able to give an exact number of days; I thought everyone could do that. Maybe it’s just me. The other man has only been here for eighteen days. I took the liberty of counting, and I know he may not. Both men wrongly accused. Joseph Anthony McMahon spent roughly nine years behind bars. Nine.
When I first got here my mother managed to get herself into the building. I don’t quite know how. Probably undetected because the faulty CCTV. I heard her but couldn’t see her in person. I saw her in my mind. When I was eight years old the doctor said that people like me had an excellent visual memory. He called it Autism. I heard my mother yelling at the guards to let her past and that “people like me” shouldn’t be kept behind bars. People like me. At first I assumed that she meant non-guilty people shouldn’t be kept behind bars. A few weeks later, it hit me.
People “with” Autism. I hate that phrase. I do not “have” Autism. I am autistic. That is the one phrase I hate the most. The word “have” implies that there is a cure, which implies there is something wrong, to which a doctor will disagree. I see no difference. Nobody understands. I like spending my time alone, there are no noises for me to try and counteract. It’s peaceful. I have had four cellmates since I got here. I ignored them all. I don’t need other people. They make too much noise.
Apparently, I have been accused of rape and the sentence for that is life. I just hate the idea of wrongly touching another person. If anyone in this place knew their facts about autism, I wouldn’t be here – but I am. I don’t have any children, nor do I have a wife. I prefer to be alone. The worst part about being here is when I have a cellmate.
I’ll be going home soon. Home. Soon. When I do get out of here, whenever that is, I will want to continue being alone, so it is home I will go. Someday. Someday, I’ll be going home.
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125,005 Literary Works • 672,798 Reviews
This is a really good story line! I really enjoyed the fact that it's a short story, but I encourage you to go further. Even though it works as a short story, I think it could be really promising if you continued with it. This is a wonderful idea for an actually book. I hope that you continue to write, I look forward to potentially reading this in a self a book store! Keep writing
And good luck
Hey, I really enjoyed reading this; I haven't read anything similar before, and I think you expressed it well.
I like the way you talk about the word 'soon' and what it means to other people, I also think you wrote this well without the use of dialogue.
I would love to know more about why he was in prison, and it left a lot of unanswered questions which is quite mysterious, so well done for that! It was also interesting because of the character being autistic, so that made it more complex.
I like the way you have continued the theme of the word 'soon', and you end on a note of uncertainty which leaves the reader wanting to know more.
I would have loved for this to be longer, but it worked well even so. Well done, and keep up the good work!
Hi vivalamusica, quick review on your short story.
What I like your writing style is that it is structured with details although sometimes felt clumsy with simple sentence structure.
But I remains pleased with these and I think it is a uniqueness in your story.
I like the questions that you offer here. Of 'soon' and how do you assess the meaning of the word itself. It is about your life in prison and the life with you. Complicated life in prison when you say you are accused of rape, and you also are not comfortable with people who share a prison cell with you.
You have a good story and a unique style of writing, but the story is too short so it does not seem to be enough to show your strength with this short story. You should be able to expand the space in this story in order to explain all the confusion. You (I) suffering from autism and was accused of rape, but I was not sure in the case of CCTV and how you can be accused committing the immorality.
Overall, I suggest you enhance this story because you already have a great idea here. Keep it up!
Kudos,cheers
P/s: Welcome to YWS!