FRAGMENTS OF A GOD

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

John

And that’s how I ended up in prison for a crime I didn't commit, serving a ridiculous sentence when the culprit is out there living their lives.

Anger was an understatement as to what I felt sitting inside the cell with three other men who did nothing but glare at me all through to the point that I was so scared to sleep, worried that they might kill me in my sleep.

Do I want justice for Claire and her kids? Yes? Do I want justice for myself? Hell yes but can I get it? No!

The whole world has turned its back on me and I am all alone.

“Hey, murderer!” One of the cellmates called out to me while I carried the plate of my meal for the day which was a smaller portion than the portion everyone else was served.

I didn't answer because I wasn't a murderer.

“Wow, look at this bloodthirsty bastard! Ignoring us after killing a family in cold blood. Do you think you are better than us, hey, murderer!” He yelled. I heard his footsteps slowly getting closer and soon I could feel him behind me. He yanked the plate of food off my hand.

“Murderers like you don’t deserve to eat.” he laughed hysterically.

I turned to the guards who were watching but didn't interfere.

“I am not a murderer and yes I am better than all of you because I have never hurt a soul in my life,” I growled, glaring at him.

He exhaled and bowed his head, “This bastard is fucking testing my patience.”

He punched me and soon, the others joined, the guards were there but did nothing to stop the other cellmates.

I was beaten for a while and soon they left me, half dead.

I lay there, painting with blood all over my body. I tilted my head and saw my cellmate, glaring at me like they were counting my days. Fear consumed me because every time I saw them, they always glared at me like they were going to kill me but not yet.

They smirked and walked away, leaving me there.

“Hey, John! You have a call.” The guard called out to me.

I managed to pull myself off the floor, I dragged myself to the telephone that was on the stand where the guards stationed themselves.

I answered, “Hello?”

“John? John is that you?” That voice, that familiar voice, that comforting voice. The one that raised me and cared for me after our parents died, the only family I had left, the one I begged the officers not to call because she would break if she found out.

My sister. My older sister, Ara.

“Ara?”

“John!” she cried.

“Ara, why? How?” I rambled.

“I called you, your line wasn't going then I called your wife and she told me you two divorced and that you were in prison for killing someone…. I will get you a lawyer! We will fight this… I promise.” she blurted, her voice breaking. Of course, she would believe me, of course, she knew I never had it in me to kill a bug not to mention a fellow human being. She knew this because she raised me.

But she was crying, I could hear it but she wasn't crying for me. Because she made it a tradition, never cry if you are not at fault so something else was making her cry. I knew my sister, I knew her too well.

She would rather die than cry in front of me.

“Ara? Why did you call?” I muffled, my voice low.

“It’s nothing.”

“Ara!” I screamed because I knew something happened, I could feel it.

“It’s May,” she said, her voice shaking. May was her daughter, my niece.

“What happened?”

“She is… is dying” she cried. “The doctor said she had been consuming something, something that caused the illness, and it started when… When you brought that food your wife made.”

No!

No!

God, please no!

“Where is May?”

“Hospital… she can’t make it… John, I’m going to lose my daughter.”

I slammed the phone immediately.

How did I forget? How did I forget that I took the same food to my niece? How did I forget that I was so proud of Nancy that I gave my niece a whole box of the food my wife processed?

How did I forget to check on my niece when I found out the same food was affecting Claire’s children?

My niece? My poor niece!

No! I can’t let that happen. I can’t let it happen.

I dragged myself to the gate, hitting it and banging it.

“Let me out of here!”

“Let me out of here!!”

“Let me out!”

“Let me out!” I yelled. I cried, I struggled to break free.

I expected the guards to come to restrain me but it was a different person. My cellmates, the ones I had always felt were marking my last day on earth.

Before me, they stood with knives, broken toothbrushes, and rods.

They were going to kill me. They had waited, sized me, and planned it.

But I am not going down without a fight, I won’t let them win.

But I already had a broken rib, and a bloody eye from the fight earlier.

“It’s time to leave the land of the living.” the leader said and they all ran towards me with their weapons. They swung their knives at me, cutting me, hitting me with their rods, stabbing me with the broken brushes. I tried to fight them off but I was no match for them, I was no match for any of them.

I crumbled to the ground, panting, and trembling as color drained from my face. The leader bent over and whispered in my ears, “Your wife said, Hi.” he laughed and they vanished from sight.

Nancy?

Of course, it’s Nancy.

When Claire told me about the food killing her children, I did my research. I did everything because I wanted to prove that my wife would never produce something that would hurt them but it was a lie, every time I did my research I kept finding fault in the production of the food. And Nancy knew.

Locking me up was no assurance that I would keep my mouth shut so of course, she planned to kill me too.

I lay on the floor, with my head bleeding out on the floor. Blood gushing out of my belly. My body slowly grew colder and my heartbeat slowed down. I wanted to move but I couldn't, I wanted to call out for help but I was too weak to do so.

I can’t die… I can’t die.

I have to save May… I have to be by Ara’s side. I have to protect my niece. I have to help her.

I was dying! I was dying.

But I don't want to die.

I can’t die. Not yet!

Please! Anyone… anyone, please save me.. Please… please help me.

But no one was coming, no one was coming to save me. I was going to die, I was going to die without getting my revenge on Nancy. I was going to die without clearing my name. I was going to die without helping my niece.

My vision got blurry, my body got weaker and I could feel life slipping out of me but then suddenly, I saw something, something familiar but different.

A glitch.

What was that?

Another Glitch.

Am I dying? Is this what you see when you’re dying?

And then something else happened. A notification popped before me, like a screen, laid before my eyes.

What the?

[Would you like to be saved?]

This was a crazy situation, an absurd one, an unbelievable one, I didn't know if my head was making it up but my eyes focused on the last word.

Saved? Do I want to be saved?

Hell yes!

[Yes. No]

I couldn't think of anything, I wanted to be saved, I wanted to leave so badly. So I clicked the obvious answer.

Yes.

[You would be transported.]

That was the last notification I saw before life slipped out of me, darkness engulfed me, my heart slowed down till it stopped beating, and I… Died.