28 days on a train.
I'm not entirely sure of the day-by-day, but it must have been twenty-eight days (or at least some multiple of it), because when I got on the moon was full, and when I got off, the moon was full again.
The first stop had been behind the prison house. That was where most all of us had gotten on. It was a bit Puritan-esque, actually, how the only way in or out of that tiny town was side-by-side with the stronghold of retainment and punishment. I wasn't scared. I knew vaguely where I was going and clearly what I had done, but I suppose that complete confidence in my memories gave me a support. Either way, I'm glad for it, because support was something I have rarely come into contact with in my life.
I remember trying to recall the English word for "imprison". It had been so long since my last lesson, though, that I couldn't remember such an uncommon word. I settled with calling the first stop "Incarsyon", which sounded vaguely familiar, but not quite right.
That night, we were shepherded onto 13 cars of bunker, as many as could fit comfortably without suffocating. I think I stood on someone's toes, and I know that someone stood on mine. It wasn't too bad, though, because none of us had shoes. I was so tired that I sat down and slept, and the person next to me did the same.
Barely speaking to one another, we instinctively formed a routine. Each passenger found a partner, and we would lean against each other to sleep, trying to keep good manners by not accidentally falling on anyone.
My partner was taller than me and had gray hair. That's all I remember, because we were both nocturnal. During the day, we slept, and during the night, the temperature drop would wake us both in near-darkness. Whatever moonlight there was filtered through windows and people. Though I had trained my eyes to see in darkness, that much obstruction made it nigh on impossible to see. Anyone who spoke spoke in whispers, and anyone who didn't faded into the walls of the train. I suppose we were all just used to keeping quiet even where no secrecy was needed. We were all in the same boat, we just got on in different ways.
The last stop I decided to call Laogai. I remembered watching a television show with a lake called Laogai. I remembered learning a history lesson about a prison called Laogai. So I decided to call it Laogai. I departed to a full moon and arrived to a full moon, left a prison and entered another one. I had always been afraid to make my own steps.
Now, though, I had no fear. I had no honor to uphold, no parents to impress, nothing, nothing to lose at all. I decided that my best option was to just make a new life for myself. So I answered when my name was called, took the clothes they handed me, and held the hammer in my right hand.
I suppose a few warnings are in order, now that you've already had a taste of the story.
First off, I don't intend to write this in any particular format. It's like a one-man play: everything follows what came before it, but it might not follow chronological order. Certainly it might be confusing, and there will definitely be abuse (implied at the bare minimum), and quite possibly other dark themes as well.
Be warned: I have a habit of treating my fanfictions like English papers or writing assignments. I don't really intend to hold back here, while staying within the T rating. I may not be Toni Morrison, but I can certainly try.
Anyway, I'll try to keep the author's notes to a minimum, so I'm trying to get as much as I can out of the way right now. If you're willing to let me continue in this vein for a bit, I hope you'll enjoy the ride. Please hold on to your seat belts and your sanity.