Micah Vale's Short Story 'Drip, Drop, Drop'

John had gotten a new job; it seemed easy, with a good amount of pay. All he had to do was stand around, watching the inmates. At least, it was like that in the Prison Guard’s job description…

has been an unfortunate day in the London area… Three men have been found at a bed and breakfast hotel near the bell and dragon… dead and stuffed. A man who knew the man who last went there is a porter. The porter said the man’s name was Billy Weaver. Billy Weaver was a 17-year old businessman who was very new to the London area. The porter noticed after he came back to work duty the

Francies sounded extremely upset and with a loud voice started talking regarding yesterday appointment. The writer tried hard to listen and follows what she said, as she was telling her many things at once and she could hear Francies’ daughter talking in the background.

As you well know, it’s been a while since i did anything outside of the studio.” She felt better knowing that he had only been trying to help, she had dreaded saying yes to Pat but felt it was the right thing to do. Now sitting across from Doug, she thought whether to tell him about meeting Derek the day before. There hadn’t ever been any secrets between them in the past. She confided in him often with no restrains about small and big issues in her life, yet this time she decided there was nothing really to tell. She would never see Derek again, it had all been a onetime encounter and their paths would never cross again. She continued eating her meal; the waitress came by to check on them. They both agreed their meal was delicious.

The fireworks had just ended leaving large smoke clouds in the sky, and the large swarms of people made there way to the front gate. Lauren reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone to check the time. She clicked the lock button on the side a few times before realizing I had died. She sighed heavily knowing she had probably missed Camila’s good night text. Something they had done every night around the same time for the last 4 years.

Suddenly panicked, she worked to reassure herself that Alex was fine, that she was still alive and had made it out of the apartment evidenced by the messages her sister had left her on her phone. But where to go from here, what’s my next move? Angela thought. Where would Michael have taken her? To look for her and Liam so he could finish his mission that much was obvious. But where were he and Alex now? I could call her? Angela thought. Alex had had her cell phone on her, that much was

“George, Lennie wasn’t in any pain. Don’t beat yourself up. Obviously the other men in there know you did the right thing-”

The rusted metal door scrapped shut, followed by the jingle of keys in the lock. Footsteps of free people echoed throughout the dry air and bounced off the low ceilings, growing fainter as they moved toward the exit of this icy room. Another door slammed shut, screeching loud metallic echoes in my ears and scattering my brain. After a while, the only echoes, to be heard, were the quiet voices of private conversations and the rustle of paper, which melted together in a blissful orchestration. Florescent lights hum and buzz overhead; one blinked every so often as if it were about to die, much like my happiness had long ago. This description captures the true horror of imprisonment. A close examination will reveal

Life without Parole; Living and dying in Prison Today. Hassine, Victor. Edited by Johnson, Robert and Tabriz, Sonia. Oxford University Press, Inc. New York, New York. 2011. 169 pages. Reviewed by Cassidy Fortman.

In America, everyone seems to have a different idea about what goes on behind the grey, dismal walls of prison. For many of us, the idea itself conjures images of coiled barbed wire fences, chains dragging across the ground, somber faces behind rusting bars and those bright orange jumpsuits. These visions come from a variety of sources-- movies we’ve seen, the stories that we’ve been told and our own imagination that is constantly at work. However, the reality of prison life in America can only come from those who have stepped foot inside. Through memoirs written by Danner Darcleight and Ted Conover, I’ve had to reconsider some of these previously held visions of prison life. While Conover writes about the abusive relationship between the correctional officers and the prisons, through Darcleight’s writing we see the rewarding powers of having social life and the hopeful possibility for anyone to attain redemption. The first chapter of Concrete Carnival, by Danner Darcleight, as well as Guarding Sing Sing by Ted Conover has led me to re-evaluate these previously held visions of prison life, including the relationship between guards and inmates, social systems, and redemption.

"Count!" The prison guard yelled on a brisk Saturday in Maidens, Virginia. I watched as the prisoners lined the walls of the James River Correctional Facility. While the majority of my friends spent their Saturdays enjoying pizza and ice cream with their family, my Saturdays consisted of being in a prison visitation room. My father was serving a thirty year sentence for distributing crack cocaine. As the years went on, I began to look forward to seeing the barbed wire and prison guards. I knew that in the midst of the penitentiary environment, I would at least be able to see a father figure for a few hours.

Nick was bulled a lot; by Chris. “Hey freak, Chris said. Hold this for me. He pulled a wad of gum out of his mouth and dropped it in Nick’s mashed potatoes.” Val had a lot of pain and sadness in her, after Nick shot people. “I’d spend about an hour in my room darkening around me, wondering what the hell happed to make me so unsure of who I even was. Because who you are is supposed to be the easiest question in the world to answer, right only for me it hadn’t been easy for a very long time.” Dr. Hieler had to help Val problem solve. “Dr. Hieler demonstrates his love for other people. Even though Dr.Hieler knew that Valerie’s boyfriend was the killer. He still said “I’m sorry.”

Are you an American that has read any piece of news in the past month? Okay, so you've probably heard of David Sweat. He and Richard Matt made an improbable escape from a New York prison, resulting in a manhunt and a news sensation. Richard Matt was shot dead, and eventually David Sweat was also found and shot. He, however, lived to tell his story- he just won't have someone to tell it to. Sweat is being released from the hospital and returning to prison, confined to a prison cell for nearly the entirety of every day. The perfect escape plan, which involved years of planning, cultivating, manipulation, and deception, has ended as an abject failure for everyone involved.

Carmela left the office at 4:00 p.m., exhausted. Why had she agreed to go riding at the end of a long, trial-filled week, especially knowing that a meeting with Travis would add to her tensions instead of helping her recover? Then there was Harry’s warning that people were talking about the close connection between the defense attorney and the police department. How serious was the gossip? Perhaps he was right that a meeting out on the ranch was ill advised.