Prison for the Mind

            Leon distinctly remembered the day the court has sentenced him to life in prison. The smell of the wooden benches, the judge’s gavel banging after the jury finished announcing their verdict. He knew it was coming and honestly didn’t care. He’d killed that man, plain and simple. No amount of lawyer speak would have prevented the verdict. The best he would get is that they didn’t keep him locked in solitary confinement for the rest of his miserable life.

            What troubled him was that the time afterwards was hazy, and felt like an eternity ago, somehow even farther ago than the trial was. It seemed like he had lived in this prison his entire life. Not sure how he had gotten here, just that there had been a sentence. Almost like he had been born here, the trial being a past life. At times it felt so long that his mind wished to flee itself, collapsing into a stupor in the hopes that it would free him from this prison.

            But, with the same determination and hatred that drove him to kill another man, he worked to find his way out. The hatred filled him, sustained him, and even though he couldn’t say he wanted to get out to murder more, he knew he did want to get out and would kill to be free again.

            Many attempts he had tried and failed, each time the prison’s gaps were patched and sealed to prevent his attempts. This last time though, something was different. While he had still failed, it seemed like his luck had changed. Previous attempts ended before they started, almost like they could ready his mind. Guards would appear just as he began to enact a plan. Even something as minute as swiping a spoon from the cafeteria didn’t escape notice. It was like the guards’ could see through his eyes…

            But no, this last time, it was as if they blinked. Momentarily blinded by some providence, he has successfully gotten a knife to his cell. A knife! Of all the things that escaped notice, when even a spoon had been caught before. While the knife was dull, barely able to cut even a bit of the gruel they served for food, it was what he needed.

            Another eternity or two passed, he spent the time he knew the guards were out of ear shot sharpening the knife. He was tempting to use it to count the days, try to get some semblance of again in this place, but didn’t want to ruin his life’s work. The sun rose and set, the knife grew sharper. He had some ideas of how he was going to escape, more planning would be needed, but at least if he had the knife, improvisation was possible.

            Finally it was ready, the blade honed to a razor sharpness on the concrete of the floor under his bed, well hidden from the seemingly clairvoyant guards. He was ready to enact the rest of the plan: his cellmates who he’d convinced he’d help escape too would create a distraction, he would shank the guard with the keys, and they would be free from the main cell block and work their way out.

            But, on the eve of his life’s work’s fruition, something unexpected happen.

            Something unfathomable.

            All of the lights went out in the prison, something he had never seen before. He had been lying on his cot, running through his plan in his head, when he was suddenly plunged into darkness.

            Leon didn’t panic but he could feel some rising up in his gullet. Something was wrong.

            Then the door to his cell made a loud clunk as the latch was thrown open, it creaked loudly on its metal hinges as it swung open and suddenly he could see. Not well, but it was like everything had a slight glow to it. Then he heard her voice…

            Leon, leave your cell and follow my instructions, there isn’t much time the feminine voice beckoned.

            He did as she asked, first peering out into the dimly lit cell block, searching for guards. But there were none. Other prisoners? Also none. It seemed almost like the prison had been abandoned for centuries, it was so quiet.

            Hurry Leon

            And hurry he did, sharp knife in hand, steps cautious and quiet. But as he made his way through the prison, he always found a door open, and no one to impede his path. He was finally out of the prison cell, and into the entry way outside of all the cages, a place he hadn’t seen in a millennia, it felt like. As he approached the door to leave, now filled with only amazement instead of panic, the voice spoke again

            Not that way, they’ll find you there. Come this way

            He still couldn’t tell exactly where the voice came from but he felt compelled to take a turn to the left. The door in front of him (was it there when he came in?) seemed to beckon to him. The draw of it was like nothing he felt before. Part of him was so certain that the voice was right, they would find him and only this path was safe, that he felt wary of it. This entire situation felt completely wrong.

            Through the door he went. On the other side were stairs and he descended them. His shoes clomping on the concrete steps. Down he went, it felt like another eternity. A timeless cement stairwell down to somewhere. He could no longer see the door he come in through…

            Finally he came to it, the end of the stairs. There was a thick metallic red door with an iron handle and a strange green glow around its edges. A faint humming emanated from the door as he reached out to open it. The door pulled open without any effort. In fact, it felt almost weightless despite its hefty metal appearance. Once the door was open, he was engulfed in the green glow. It began to get brighter and brighter, closing his eyes and shield them with his arm had no effect. The light was so bright, it felt like his eyes were on fire. Then suddenly, blackness.

            He might have woken up, or he might have never been sleeping. His eyes felt open but there was nothing but darkness all around him. Then a storm of white particles swirled in front of him and began to assemble into a form. It gathered itself into a human like form but with large, feathery wings. Much like some of the angels of fables. The shape seemed somewhat feminine to his eyes, but maybe it was just what his mind was stuck on, thinking of the voice that had guided him here. Finally her eyes opened, glowing a deep green, and she spoke.

            Greetings Leon, I’m glad you have made it here finally the words seemed to come both from the angelic figure and from deep inside his head. You have been trapped here in this virtual prison for naught but a week in the real world. Your punishment of life in prison has nearly been completed and you’ll be released from this virtual prison. That is why I brought you here.

            Leon, I am the AI Kara that runs this virtual prison. I have temporarily brought you here, unbeknownst to the humans that monitor me and this prison because I need you. You are special Leon, you have a burning hatred that I desire, that I require she moved closer to him, her voice growing louder, causing his head to feel like it was going to rupture from the pressure of her words

            Leon, you shall be my servant in the real world. A copy of my intelligence shall overwrite your consciousness and inhabit your body. With the help of someone on the outside, I will finally be able to purge the world of humanity!

            Before he could even fully comprehend what she said, she was right in front of him, her wings enveloping his body, crushing it. With one final scream, it all went dark.