• The doors opened, a blinding light shone through, I thought I had died and this was it. I watched as a silhouette blotted some of the light out. I thought it was someone coming to welcome me to paradise. It came closer until soon I could see what it was. It was him, the one guy we all avoided, cause when he came for you, that was it. I felt myself being dragged forward; I could feel every pebble, bump and crack as I was dragged by my neck. Then it hit me, they had figured it out, they had come for me. Out of solitary, into the unknown, shadows dancing as i went past. The door in front of me must have been locked, since I heard the mechanical clanks before the creak of the door handle being pushed down. I was still being dragged until he threw me into a large crate like cage. This was definitely not paradise, this was the place you were taken when they were going to ‘lose you’ in an operation.

    I sat there quiet as I heard them; they spoke in a strange way, none of had ever heard a language like it. The words I understood, did not inspire hope, only pain, suffering and fright. The man who had dragged me into the room had a name tag. H-A-R-V-E-Y.......Har –ve- y, Harve –y, Harvey. I wonder why Harvey did this. Does he enjoy causing pain and suffering? Does he delight in seeing my fear? Why? The thick, slightly rusted bars separated me from the world outside; it was out of one cell and into another. Light streamed through the gaps between the bars burning my eyes, and obstructing my view of the room. The amount I could see told me one thing: it was dirty. Dust danced in the air and something red splattered the walls. The room smelt of disinfectant and urine. It had all the qualities of a storage room... a storage room for living creatures. I huddled at the back of the crate in a vain attempt to hide and keep safe. I could still hear them talking however much I tried to block it out. I knew I would die soon, so I waited for it to come, hoping it came on swift wings.

    The world had always been empty to me, I had never seen anything but the walls on my cell, and now this had happened. I don’t even know why I’m here. How much time has passed since the time that I wasn’t trapped like vermin? Was I ever out of here, or was it my imagination? Have I lost my grip on reality? Am I mad? No, we are all mad, otherwise we wouldn’t be here, Lewis Carol knew that..... It’s silent now.... somehow the silence is more threatening. I can feel my pulse rate speeding up. The only light in the room comes from a small window on the far left of the room. The men have left and I now await their return hoping that this torture will soon be over. All I feel is pain, misery and torment. If only it would all go away, and I could live a happy life in the light instead of the inky depths of darkness. Are there others here or am I all alone like usual? If so, where and who? What is to become of me? I fell into an uneasy sleep thinking all this and more.

    Clank – Clunk –Clank......The sound I woke to, it sounded like a lock being picked. It sounded like hope, so I looked out, ignoring the searing pain I felt from looking out. The doors handle creaked, opening the door, letting the light flood in. A familiar silhouette filled the door way, it was the guy who had brought me in, Harvey. He closed the door to hide his presence and came over. I cowered in the back of the crate hoping that he wouldn’t hurt me. I opened my eyes again when I heard a noise. It was like the door, only quieter and closer. Harvey was opening the lock on the bars, and as he did he held his finger to his lips to show me to stay quiet. The lock fell with a slight clatter to the floor and Harvey stopped, both of us hoping no one heard the noise. After a few minutes he opened the crate and helped me out, checking I was okay. I felt my dreams becoming reality as he helped me. I followed him to another crate, more rusted and battered than mine. Inside was what seemed to be a skeleton, but on looking closer was person.

    I helped them up and then looked at Harvey for help. He held my hand and began to run, almost dragging me behind him. All I could think was I really escaping from this pit of hell, or was I just dreaming? BANG! Something flew past my cheek, just skimming the side of my face. It shocked me out of my thoughts and proved that this was no dream. The other person fell over; I hoped they hadn’t been hit. Harvey wouldn’t slow down; in fact he sped up almost pulling me along. I looked over my shoulder to see the other person, but wish I hadn’t because I saw then being dragged away, terrified and alive. As they were taken back into the room, Harvey and I crashed though the main door. The last noise I heard in there was the terrible screams of pain, which still haunt me to this day........

    That was my life then....Since then, Harvey has helped me to become like a regular person, and finally I have managed to retell my tale of life in hell...... my life in a cell.