CHAPTER 9 

A throbbing ache took hold of me, everywhere. 

MISCONDUCT ROOM: J 

I stirred from an uncomfortable slumber, discovering my hands had been numb from the awkward position I'd slept in. Bound in restraints, my movements were limited and the unusual sensation in my arms did nothing to alleviate my discomfort. 

Struggling against my bindings, I attempted to assess my surroundings, but quickly realized I had no clue where I was or how I'd ended up here. Panic wasn't in my nature, so I immediately focused on gathering as much information as possible. Evidently, I was in some form of detention or punishment room: barren, devoid of windows or furniture, with a single door being the only feature. I was secured in a suit that stretched from my neck to my toes. Slowly, the events leading up to my current predicament began to surface. 

Damn it… Now I remember. 

Meanwhile, Alex was frozen in his cubicle, lost in a tumult of thoughts. His actions were at a standstill, his concentration entirely consumed by the mental storm. Unknowingly, he stopped working, his gaze fixed on some unseen point, his head hanging low. Minutes passed, and he remained in his quiet trance. Duran and the older man exchanged glances, certain that Alex was mulling over the predicament they had just discussed. Little did they know, he was re-living a horror from his past... 

December 30th 

Despite pushing his limits, Alex still found himself lagging behind his friends on the swim team. 

“You know, you’re lucky you don’t play baseball as well as you swim,” Jeremy teased. 

“Haha, very funny…” He had grown quite used to their jesting. 

“Why don’t you just give up for once, and come hang out with us at Brienne Bonne'?” 

Despite being skilled in multiple disciplines like baseball and gymnastics, swimming was a challenge that eluded him. He couldn’t accept this deficiency. He wanted to excel in every area, even if it meant sacrificing his social life. 

“No thanks,” he declined, a phrase he'd become notorious for whenever he was invited out. After his swim, he rushed to his phone as he noticed several missed calls from his mother. 

“Yeah…” He answered. 

“Do you know how long I’ve been trying to reach you? What’s the point of having a phone if no one can contact you when it’s important?” His mother scolded. 

“And what's the point of having a husband if the household income remains stagnant because he's a deadbeat?” Alex retorted, diving headfirst into a long-standing contentious issue. 

Mrs. Torres sighed, choosing to ignore his comment. “I can’t make it over in time. I have some unfinished projects at work. You’re going to have to start the celebration without me, okay?” 

“What…” Alex rarely raised his voice, especially at his mother, but her continual negligence had finally pushed him to his limits. 

“You’re going to pretend like he’s not the reason you work so hard? Why did you even bother having a kid, if you don’t know where your priorities lie?” He shouted. “Birthdays only come once a year, and we’re fortunate enough that I get the chance to visit home once a year at this time. Just know that if you don’t show up, I will never forgive you!” 

Those were the last words he spoke to her… 

A gruesome and cold memory surged to the forefront of his mind. His fingers were numb, blisters forming after he had swung the bat with untamed ferocity. The eerie echo of the siren and the deafening screams still rang in his ears. Amidst the chaos, Alex found a twisted sense of focus. His mind began to crumble, and his legs started to wobble. He took the first step, but it wasn't towards her. He turned away, unable to face the reality that drove him to this madness, which still lingered in her eyes. Confronting the truth was unbearable. With each subsequent step, he moved closer to the door. Eventually, he arrived and was confronted by an armed force. 

"Drop the weapon!" an officer shouted, gun pointed at Alex. The officer repeated the order, this time adding an ultimatum, "Drop the weapon, or we'll open fire!" 

Alex took one more step forward, forcing the officer to tighten his grip on the trigger. He raised the bat slightly, glancing out at the horror-stricken crowd. His clothes were drenched in blood. 

He reached out with both hands, finally dropping the bat, and boldly muttered, "Take me to prison…" 

MISCONDUCT ROOM: J 

I found myself panicking slightly as my heart rate sped up again just from thinking. For the first time in my life, I had a vision that I couldn't remember. 

I should have remembered by now! 

Normally, even if I was interrupted during a premonition or became unconscious, like on the day of my accident, everything would come back to me as soon as I recovered. But I had been lying here for hours, and nothing was coming back. 

To make matters worse, I remembered why I was here. I began to wonder if acting out the way I did in the lunchroom was really the best course of action. I had a job to do, and time was running out. I couldn't accomplish that if I were locked up in here or worse. 

Wait, do the rules of the justice system still apply in prison? Will they count the bathroom incident as a strike? 

I was startled by the crackling sound of the door as it flew open, and guard DX57821 stood before me. One hand on the door, the other firmly holding a trazzer on his side. He looked down at me, and I looked up at him, refusing to show any sign of fear. 

He slowly reached for his keycard and let out a sigh. 

"Time's up..." 

My head hurts... actually, everywhere hurts. 

MISCONDUCT ROOM: J 

I woke up in the most uncomfortable position ever, sleeping on both hands until at least one of them had gone numb. I immediately realized my inability to move freely and the unusual sensation in my arms resulting from the restraints that held me in place. 

I wiggled myself around on the narrow surface to confirm that I indeed had absolutely no idea where I was or how I got here. I'm not the panicking type, so I started to gather as much information as possible. Clearly, this was some kind of detainment or punishment room. The room had no windows, only one door, and no furniture. I was strapped up in a body suit from my neck to my toes. Thankfully, it wasn't long before it all came back to me... 

Fucking hell... I remember now! 

Meanwhile, Alex sat in his cubicle at a loss for both words and actions. His movements were slowed as he became completely engrossed in his thoughts. Unknowingly, he stopped what he was doing to sit and stare with his head hung low. Minutes went by and he was still staring. Duran and the older man exchanged glances, certain that he was contemplating the situation surrounding what they had just discussed. Little did they know the horror he was reliving... 

December 30th 

He was going as fast as he could, but he was still dead last. Alex found himself, once again, the loser among his group of friends on the swim team. 

"You know, you're lucky you don't play baseball as well as you swim," Jeremy mocked. 

"Haha, very funny..." He had grown quite used to their teasing. 

"Why don't you just give up for once and come chill out with us at Brienne Bonne?" Jeremy suggested. 

Although he was extremely talented in many areas such as baseball and gymnastics, he was an awful swimmer, and this did not sit well with him. He wanted to be the best at everything, even if that meant having no social life. 

"No thanks," was his notorious response when asked this question. After his shower, he rushed to his phone as he heard it ringing multiple times. He checked the screen to find several missed calls from his mother. It began to ring again... 

"Yeah..." He answered. 

"Do you know how long I've been trying to reach you? What's the point of having a phone if no one can get in contact with you when it's important?" His mother scolded. 

"What's the point of having a husband if the income in the household remains the same because he's a deadbeat?" Alex wasted no time in rushing into the topic that had plagued their once beautiful relationship for years now. 

Mrs. Torres let out a heavy sigh and proceeded to ignore him. "I can't make it over in time. I have some unfinished projects at work. You're going to have to start the celebration without me, okay?" 

"What..." Alex rarely raised his voice, let alone at his mother. But her bad behavior had gone on for far too long, he thought. 

"Are you going to pretend like he's not the reason you have to work so hard? Why did you bother having a kid if you don't know where your priorities lie?" He shouted. "Birthdays only come once a year, and we're fortunate enough that I get the chance to visit home once a year at this time. Just know that if you don't show up, I will never forgive you!"