Light in the darkness..

Prisoner 873456 sat on the floor of his dark , damp and windowless cell.

He had been in prison for…well, even he no longer knew. All he knew, from his rather inaccurate scratches on his cell wall, that it had been some 205 days since he had been thrown in this jail..for 'crimes' , they said.

He had not undergone any trial, nor had he been even told officially why he was in jail, but from the repeated question sessions he had..he inferred that it had to do with a 'group' he had been part of. It had been an innocent little group that met informally to discuss literature..and all the literature had been government approved. Yet..that was his crime..being the co-founder of an unapproved group that held discussions without an official guidance leader to make sure they followed the Leader's path..that was a crime. A crime. And since he had also spent some time abroad…and was already under suspicion for possible deviant ideas…even though the country he had spent some time in was one of the few countries considered 'friendly'..that only made things worse..despite his being an engineer, and as such a member of the valuable class.

As the prisoner sat on the floor of his cell that day he could be forgiven for having no knowledge of the events that had been set in motion for his freedom..all that was on his mind was his next meal…or interrogation session….

Some five years earlier, Prisoner 873456 had been in his mid twenties, and was studying for a degree in mechanical engineering abroad. Times had been different..this was before the Leader, and he had considered himself lucky to get a scholarship to study his first love…fixing and making things..abroad. He was the only child of poor farmers in the North of his country who had both died in an accident by the time he was seven years old. He had then been brought up by a widower teacher relative, who had enrolled him in school, encouraged him to study, and had struggled to find the funds to put him through school. It was that relative who had , with the help of a high ranking government official whose son the relative had tutored once upon a time…who had gotten him that scholarship to go abroad.

And once there, he had worked himself hard. He had no time for anything else…work was his life. He had not forgotten his origins, and had not forgotten how difficult it had been to get to where he was. He had done well in his studies..enough to be even promised a position as a graduate lecturer..with a fully funded post-grad place. It was there that he also had met her.

It had been a quiet wintry evening. He had been on his way home from a hard day of lectures, when he noticed a car pulled over to the side..and a figure bent over the hood. Moving closer, he saw that it was a beautiful young lady with long brown hair and beautiful and kind blue eyes. He had introduced himself and asked what the matter was..and hearing that it was 'a problem with the engine'..had pulled up his sleeves and proceeded, with the help of a few tools he had been carrying around..to solve the problem. He had been thanked effusively by the lady..and had been offered a ride home..

'But I did nothing at all' he had protested' and besides, I live nearby'

But the young lady had prettily insisted, and so, he had been driven home, during which time, they had …at her insistence..exchanged phone numbers, and then, she had dropped him off at the student dorm where he lived.

He thought no more of it. After all, he had always been helpful by nature…and besides, it wasn't much of a problem. But the following day…a Saturday..who should be at the door of his tiny room, but the lady herself…now dressed in a pink dress, and warm overcoat..with a big cake in hand..to thank him.

This time..he 'retaliated' by inviting her to share the cake.

That was the beginning of a long and beautiful friendship that lasted for the rest of his stay in that far land…and that blossomed into something deeper. But during that time…the Leader had taken over, and eventually..every student that had left the country had been asked to come home 'as soon as possible'. He had planned to return in a year.

The last night that they had spent together, they had confessed their love for each other. She had also told him something about herself that had surprised him…but he had said it would never change what he felt for had spent the rest of the night in sweet love, and then the following morning…she was had returned to his home country a few days later…after an eleventh hour order from 'higher up'.

The prisoner remembered his return home..how he had come to a country under total maximum rule. Everyone had to 'move in a straight line' so ran the new maxim…seen on posters, billboards and the television. He had managed to send a letter to his lady..and had received a reply..but soon that became impossible. Then he had been assigned to a car factory in his home region.

At first, things went well. He had been able to straighten out some issues with the production line there, and soon things were moving well..to the point that he was in good standing with the manager, and most of his fellow workers. Then he had gotten friendly with a new worker named Sato..who had soon invited him to join a group that discussed literature..his second great love…one that he had been introduced to him by her. He had joined in enthusiastically…it had been a mostly male group where 'approved' literature was discussed. It had been a break from the work…and the mandatory 'doctrinal sessions' that had become a feature of life under the leader.

Then, a law had been passed, making such groups 'illegal'..and they had decided to meet to wind up the group and hand over its documents to the authorities..in compliance with the law. Sato had taken responsibility for doing so. The day after that last meeting…the arrests had begun.

He had been tortured from the word go. And they had refused to believe him when he had said that all they had discussed was literature…no, his interrogators said..you must have discussed subversive, deviant ideas! And then he would be beaten…and returned to his windowless cell. The food when it came was twice a 'day'..watery gruel in the morning, dried grains at night, vegetables once a week..already rotting..but soon, he lost his scruples, and ate the interrogations continued.

But the worst of it came some twenty days into his ordeal…when he had been dragged before a different set of interrogators. Nothing new about that..except that one of them, looking resplendent in his dark blue uniform..was his friend Sato….

The torture was especially brutal that day.

Meanwhile, his relative had tried to get information about his nephew..having been informed of his arrest..and having had no word. Eventually, he had been informed..by someone who knew someone..that his nephew was under 'indefinite detention for anti-state activity' in The Bunker.

The Bunker. Everyone knew of that prision..it was where the 'dangerous' cases went. Few ever came out …well ..sane. It had been like that during the old regime..and even now under the Leader. The relative knew that he had no way of getting his nephew out…or so it seemed.

Then while going through his nephew's belongings..which had been sent to him as next of kin..he found a letter..which looked like it came from relative did not know the friend who had written the letter, nor did he understand the language. But he thought that the only way he could get help was to write this foreign lady friend and see what could be knew that it was risky..but he still had some contacts in the new government..he had been a well sought after teacher, even now..and so, he wrote a letter…and then entrusted it to a 'friend'..who knew what to do..

In a lovely house in the countryside in a land far away..a young woman with long brown hair sat down working at her desk. She was not too happy these days..especially as her parents were 'putting pressure' on her to get married…despite being their fourth child. All her elder siblings were married..and she enjoyed playing with her nieces and nephews..but her parents, while not putting her under pressure..even insisting that she must marry for love..were still very insistent.

But her heart was with someone..whose love, and whose letter was kept in a special place in her course, the chances of their being together were not high..but..someday..

And the door opened, and a tall young lady came in, breatless

'Mistress' the lady began 'yesterday we received a letter from a foreign country. The language was not known to us..so we got an expert from the Collegium to translate it. He did so…and returned it to us today...with the message that it must be read by you immediately'.

The brown-haired lady read the letter…and was pale for a few moments. But she soon recovered her composure…and said..with firmness to her servant

'Tell Olaf to get the car ready. I am going to see my father the King'….

Ten days later, the prisoner sat in his cell, quiet..when he heard the door open, and two guards walked of them roughly asked the prisoner to follow him. He stood up..and followed the guards..expecting another interrogation session…

Instead..he was taken up three flights of stairs and into a brightly lit room. Outside…it was night…with a full moon out.

In the room were two other uniformed officers, and three civilians, the most senior who appeared to be a woman dressed in a dark business suit. They stood next to a table, on which some official looking papers were arranged.

The woman spoke 'Prisoner 873456 , you are being released by the benevolence of our Leader into the care of the ambassador of the country of Notland. Please sign this document…and she indicated a paper on the table.

The prisoner signed the document..and then was led to another room..where he was allowed to undress..and then shower. He was then given a new set of clothes…a dark suit and shirt..no tie..and then was led out by an armed guard ..to the prison exit.

The night was cold, and it was a bit the prisoner left the Bunker…and the gates slammed shut behind him. He felt cold, and lost..that he at first did not notice the car some ninety yards in front of him..a car with diplomatic plates, until he heard a cry..and looked up to see two men in suits..foreigners..and a woman in a warm coat, and brown hair…running toward reached him in moments…and hugged him, crying and weeping .

The prisioner stood still, dazed, wondering if he was dreaming..but no…she was here, she was holding him, and she was crying. He held her closely for a few minutes..then looked into her beautiful face..once again…a face that he thought he would never see..and called her name gently..

Belldandy

And the woman responded, tenderly…Keiichi…