It’s so cold in here. I feel the goose-bumps tingling across my arms and body, and shivering spasms increase with every minute. The waiting brings a smothering heaviness, stealing each breath and stifling the silent screams in my head. Movement is impossible, the plastic molding holds me firmly in place, pressing against my naked buttocks and shoulders, legs slightly apart, arms by my side. I try to turn my head but it is locked in place with a steel band across my forehead, pushing me down, resistance futile.

Nothing to see, nothing to hear, nothing to smell. My senses deprived of stimulation, with only the woosh! woosh! woosh! of my blood racing in my ears as it is pumped around my body. I will go mad, I’m sure of it. I will die in here! I will die of madness! Chaotic thoughts run amok, taunting me with their dark promises.

“How much longer!” I scream to myself.

“This is more than a person can bear!’” I rage, silently.

No-one comes, no-one hears. The heart continues beating, the blood continues pumping, and my minds eye continues its dreadful nightmare. The darkness is absolute, as black as black can be. It wraps around me with deep inky fingers, darkly probing every inch and every part of my being, until my bones are chilled and my core feels frozen.

I long for the light and warmth. Tumbling thoughts run through my mind, reliving that day, over and over. Every detail, every moment, every decision playing tricks on my memory. It wasn’t my fault, I couldn’t help it! I sob to myself. But deep down in the depths of my soul, I knew this to be untrue, yet still I deny it.

I beg and plead for this to be over. In my head I make bargains and strike deals, offering outrageous and improbable promises I can never hope to keep. There is no redemption, no rescue. There is no shining light to bring me out of the dark and into the warmth. Just nothingness....forever.

...............

Gliding effortlessly over the smooth floor, the Guardian rolls to a stop at Pod 7732. A series of numbers and letters scroll past on the monitor fixed to the outside of the prisoner containment capsule. Using a long probe, the Guardian presses three keys on the panel and a small opening appears. The Guardian retrieves an empty tube and clicks a full one into place, the violet life-sustaining liquid is slightly luminescent under the bright lights of the facility. The process complete for another thirty days. The panel closes silently and the Guardian moves onto the next Pod.

Justice and retribution assured for the victim, a life for a life.