The Tale of Wild Bill
He stared at the wall blankly, by now he had examined every crack and crevice of it and knew them all like the back of his hand. Each one reminding him that there was no cracks for him to slip through and he was caught up in the tightest spot of all. It had been 2 years since the fateful night that set the train of events that lead to him being here in motion. He had sat there looking wide eyed at the police as he answered the door to their knocking. He knew he had messed up. He was going 65 in a 40 and ran a stop sign where he only realized later there was a speed camera. He knew he was going to get a ticked. Dejected he looked at the ground. "I did a bad thing didn't I?" he muttered to them, not realizing till much later this was the admission of guilt that they needed to lock him up for a crime he never committed. Much to his surprise though they ordered him to his knees where they hand cuffed him and threw him into the open door of their waiting squad car. They questioned him over and over, asking the same questions repeatedly. Each time he told them the same thing. He had no idea what they were talking about. He didn't even know where any of the girls lived. Why would he do something as insane as that? The days creep by as he sat alone in jail. His family only rarely coming to visit and his friends having completely abandoned him. Finally it was his big day. He would be able to prove that he was innocent and go back to school, he could see all his friends again, he could see all the people who mocked him and tell them "see! it wasn't me all along!". So there he was standing in front of the judge, being read the things he had supposedly done that he had never heard of. He cried, he couldn't help himself. He didn't do any of those things. He never stalked any girls, and he certainly didn't break in and try to rape someone who he thought was his friend. He cried even harder when she saw her get up on the stand. "It was definitely Bill that night. I could tell by his voice and his height. I'm afraid that he will continue stalking me and maybe even harm me and my family if he isn't put away for a very long time." Things didn't look good even he knew. During the recess he spoke to his lawyer who urged him to plead guilty and take the deal. Finally he relented. 8 years in prison. 8 years, that was almost half of his life he'd lived already, what was he supposed to do after that. What about all the time he'd lose? Well here he was now, staring at the wall with it's dingy stain on white cracked cement. Where each mark from another before him just wanting to be free. Imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. This was his life, and he knew no other any more. For each day was like the last and even when his time was up. He knew he'd never truly be free for they had taken his freedom, his home, his family, and his friends. Anything a man could treasure was all lost to him.