Day 17 - 7/9/21 - Friday.
- mainemoviepirate
- Jul 9
- 6 min read
Actual Journal Entry:
“Got a little sleep, my first solo night in the SHU. Today’s the possible camp day; if not, then Monday or Tuesday. It’s okay as long as I can continue to fly SOLO. Don’t get me wrong, meeting ‘E’ was super cool, and I suspect we are going to be friends for a long time. I certainly lucked out getting him as a Cellie, listening to some of the other yahoos in this place. Doing 24/7 with one of them would be a challenge. Now, I can get a lot of writing done. I’ve also reached an important decision in my life; I may record it here at some later date. For now, it stays in my mental journal. I will say the decision is enabling me to sleep better*.
MOVIE SCRIPT IDEA: FMC Beaumont. A special medical prison run by the BOP, CIA, and CDC (not sure). Basically, it’s a whacked-out prison where they experiment on the inmates. (Read-up/Research all the actual torture stories (General) and corruption in prison stories while or after writing the script.) The first one (yes, possible series) will be a hardcore remake of Frankenstein. (Something I’ve always wanted to do.) Lots of crazy scenes, characters, plot teasers, etc. Just a fun movie to make. Note: Slight connection to DC—the FMC Beaumont was built on the burned-out ruins of the Beaumont Mental Health Institute from Dark Currents Episode 1. The prison has a massive hidden cellar complex once belonging to BMHI.
The BOP dentist came by today, looked at my teeth through the tiny glass window on the cell door. It would be good to get my teeth fixed, if it’s not too painful. Hmmm, then again, it might be good inspiration for a creepy dentist scene in FMC Beaumont.
Well, some interesting developments here at the SHU, but not good ones. Apparently, my COVID test came back undetermined (neither positive nor negative). So I got moved upstairs to a new cell in my own row. Or so I thought it was my own row. Because of my test results, ‘E’ got moved back to the SHU from the Camp. He is in the cell next door. Sigh. This sucks. I bet he’s pissed. He was supposed to see his daughter at 12:30. This f*cking place. You are not just imprisoned here; you are caught in a sticky, tangled web of bureaucracy. Anyway, a bigger cell by about five feet; the water seems to work and not randomly spray the entire room like at the old cell. There is a film on the outside of the window blocking the view(?). However, there is a tear in the film on top of the pane. A tiny tear, and all you can see outside is a fence and razor wire. (Note: Sound familiar?) I see why it’s blocked. Now this is true Solitary Confinement, except ‘E’ is right next door. I yelled over that I was sorry. He replied, “You’re gonna be sorry when I beat your ass at Chess!” He’s taking it well or faking it. Still sucks no matter what.
‘Game Time’ upgraded my nickname to ‘Hopalong’ because I hopped on one leg up the stairs to get to my new Penthouse Suite. He rolled me in the wheelchair to the bottom of the stairs, big metal ones that went by the CO control station to the next level. I looked at him, “You want me to hop up those stairs?” GT: “Either that or I carry you.” ME: “Well, as tempting as that is, to see you lug me upstairs…” I leapt up and shot up the stairs two at a time.” The other guards were somewhat impressed. (Bragging now, I still got it.) At least they didn’t make me do it in cuffs. Game Time yelled, “You stay right there!” as he folded up the wheelchair. I spun around at the top of the stairs and looked down. I wanted to say, “Where am I gonna go?” But I held my tongue—probably a good move.
Alright, an hour later I’m back to real solitary; they took ‘E’ back to our original cell. Maybe that means he’ll get out of here sooner than me. I hope so, for Christ’s sakes!
Saw my first spider in here since arriving. He is hanging from the light in his web. I can’t tell if there is a fly in his web or not. The light is quite high, probably to keep the inmates from messing with it. I’ve never seen any flies or other insects in here. I don’t know who is more pathetic: that spider waiting to catch flies that never come, or me sitting here on lame-o copyright charges.
Almost forgot: “Game Time” said ‘They’ wanted me to leave you in your cell and move the other 16 inmates in your row. He opted to move me instead. If you see what it takes to move each inmate in the SHU—the regular ones who have to be cuffed, walked one at a time to the new cell, and then uncuffed—then repeat fifteen more times, and that’s if nothing goes wrong… I am expecting them to come put me in an Iron Mask any second now. Kidding. If I have to stay here (Prison) and do it in the SHU, this is the ideal setup for me. It’s quiet, a bigger room. Just don’t keep me here too f*cking long (though I’m not sure how long would be too long) and make sure I have plenty of pens and paper; I’ll be fine.
SUPPER: (somehow, I forgot to record lunch.) Was an odd chicken, pasta, and unknown veggie mix. I was unsure, and I couldn’t even identify the vegetables by eating them. I hope they didn’t have a funny name. If you know me, you get that. Pretty tasteless overall, also carrots and bread.
Started a new short story called, Visiting Hours, kind of like my old Phantom Pain story. Young love, tragedy, etc. Not my typical fare. But why not? I’ve got plenty of time.”
Notes for Day 17 (Four Years Later)
This day was by far the worst and best day of the weeks I spent in the SHU. Yes, it was a real mixed bag. Let’s start positive first: it was the best because I was in the "Penthouse" version of the SHU—a bigger, cleaner room. “Game Time” told me this room was reserved for orderly inmates, so it was a little better. It was quiet—not a banger or screamer in earshot, truly twenty-four hours a day quiet. From this day on, I really got into my reading, writing, and sleeping routine, a rhythm that even today I try to duplicate. As you can tell by the last lines, it’s when I started a new story, one that I actually finished and will someday submit for publication and/or self-publish. I was in the best possible place I could be within the SHU.
On the other side, ‘E’ being brought back to the SHU after a couple of hours in the Camp because of me did not sit well with me. I wondered how this would affect my relationship with both ‘E’ and anyone he told at the camp. And again, WTF—they allowed him to go, possibly infect everybody at the Camp, and then brought him back to the SHU? Where was the logic? (Eventually, I stopped asking or even wondering that.)
Finally, the “Game Time” stairs fiasco. While it turned out okay, I could actually have done a couple of flights if I had to. I’ve been an amputee since I was five; I am more comfortable hopping than walking, if the truth be told. But what if I wasn’t, or couldn’t, hop up those stairs? In the days that followed, I was quizzed by several COs about how I got up there. I couldn’t tell if they were joking or not. I just tried to play it jokingly and gave vague responses. Also, right as his shift ended, “Game Time” knocked on my cell door and whispered, "Hey Hopalong, if anyone asks you, I carried you up those stairs, okay?"
"Sure thing, Man," I replied. And since I had already documented it in my journal, I wrote "Dream I had, I think" in the margins. Seventeen days in prison, and I’m already involved in a cover-up. I can't wait to see what the next 4.85 years will bring.
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