Sarah stepped through the cream-walled corridor, her eyes and expression entirely blank. The atmosphere around her was dank and unpleasant; there were echoes of the facility's occupants bellowing out and screaming in furious rage far off in the distance, the gritty aroma reeked of sweat, blood and other uncleanliness, and chills sending shivers down any visitors spines as the flew through the corridors. This prison was a horrific place, one no child should ever set foot in.

Her Uncle, Tommy, accompanied her as they continued to press on towards their desired destination. With his dirty-blind hair and short facial hair hiding a youthful yet mature appearance, Tommy did not show his age whatsoever, even if he was a few years younger than Joel. However, he did show signs of stress that was slowly forming; the red bloodshot around his dark-hazel eyes had been the predominant indication.

Finally, after treading through the long, exhausting hallways, both Sarah and Tommy froze on the spot, their eyes locked on the door on the right side. They both glanced towards each other with both caution and uncertainty, not knowing what to expect on the other side of the door.

As Tommy readied to knock on the door, he could just about gain a glimpse of a nervously hopeful Sarah within the corner of his eye. No matter what, she was ready to see her father once again … she was ready to bring him back home.

Showing a strong stance, Tommy finally knocked against the door, his eyes concentrated at the door's blurred window. There was a miniscule moment of silence, the two holding their breaths. It was then that they heard a voice call out from the other side.

"Come in." A female voice spoke out, slightly muffled due to the door.

Tommy immediately opened up as though his mind had been triggered automatically. Sarah rushed in, slipping past her uncle so quickly it almost threw him back.

On that moment, the first thing she caught sight of the moment she entered the room, completely blanking out the entire world around her, had been a tall figure. Her eyes lit up with joy and body shaking with excitement. It felt like forever since she had last seen him, even if it had been only a short while. Tears were welling up in her eyes, a smile cracking through the everlasting trauma that has haunted her.

"Hi … baby girl." A low, raspy yet familiar voice greeted, the figure stepping towards Sarah ready to open arms for her.

Sarah glanced up … every emotion that was showing within Sarah's youthful face had disappeared immediately. Horror had completely engulfed her, eliminating every piece of emotion in its way. Sarah stepped back, hands clasped over her mouth.

Joel struggled to smile, unable to show any expression with a surge of agony pulsing through him. He could barely see his own daughter; his eyes were severely bruised and bloodshot to the point that he may as well be blind. One side of his cheeks were bulged up and his mouth ceased shut aside from a small opening on the corner. His hair was ruffled up and drenched with sweat and muck. To end it off, the amount of cuts and grazes on his face alone was devastating.

"Joel, it's only been a few days …" Tommy struggled to speak, desperately refusing to let the shock overtake him. "What the fuck are they doing to you?"

Joel slowly turned his attention towards his brother, just able to make out enough of the detail to know who had been standing at the door.

"Does it look that bad?" Joel questioned in response, shrugging up his shoulders as a sign of expression.

"Jesus, Joel!" Tommy whipped his head away in disgust, gritting his teeth together. "Did you get your head knocked out of place as well!?"

Joel switched back to Sarah, ignoring the comment, trying his best to show a compassionate smile towards his daughter through all the pain he had to endure. Sarah was frozen on the spot, still hiding her mouth inside the palm of her hands. Her eyes were wide with shock and almost entirely red.

"I may look like this, but I am me through to the bone." Joel assured them, eyes however locked onto Sarah. "Sarah … I'm so sorry. Being stuck here, I haven't been able to help you and keep you safe."

Joel kept his stance as he spoke, beginning to feel as though he could choke up any moment. However, as he spoke his apology, he could just about notice his daughter welling up with tears.

"… Dad." Sarah whimpered out, her hands shaking violently.

Within one split second, Sarah had gone from frozen shock to leaping into her father's arms. It took Joel by so much surprise that he had almost toppled backwards. However, after a swift recovery, Joel embraced Sarah with as much love as he could possibly give. He heard Sarah's weeps loud and clear, and felt grateful that he could finally once again comfort her.

Tommy turned back and watched the two, his face glowing cheerfully in the thought that they would be able to reunite … at least for the time being. Stepping forward, he gazed into the squinting eyes of his brother, keeping a calm demeanour. Finally, he subtly threw his arm around Joel, being careful not to squash Sarah between the two of them. Joel chuckled, returning the embrace.

The atmosphere was perfect, the three able to feel close to each other and nothing interrupting them … at least, for a small moment.

"I hate to break up this long-awaited family reunion, however our time in this room is against us and we have a lot to go through." The female voice suddenly broke through to the three of them, stern yet also sympathetic.

Joel, Sarah and Tommy all had snapped back to reality, noticing the details of the room they had been standing in. It was simply a plain, enclosed, boring interrogation room, its atmosphere slightly dark and dreary due to the room's initial purpose. A wide, engulfing mirror was positioned on to right side the room. Although it may seem like a simple mirror to the eyes, anyone with a small amount of knowledge about this type of mirror would automatically assume what the true purpose of the mirror had been.

In the centre of the room was a rectangular table, surrounded by four seemingly uncomfortable chairs. However, one of the chairs seemed to be occupied. Sitting in a formal position, her bright green eyes glared towards the trio as though she was locked on target. Sarah, suddenly hesitating in the intense aura the woman had been giving off, stepped behind her father and uncle with caution. Both Joel and Tommy gave the woman an understanding nod, feeling sudden pressure the moment time was placed in their mind … and from the woman's own gaze.

The three sat down around the table, Joel and Sarah sitting on the opposite side of the table and Tommy situating himself next to the woman. There was an intimidating silence as the lady had displayed a laptop and organised a few files onto the table.

"So, before we begin with the details of the case at hand; for the young lady's sake, my name is Elise Darrow and I am to be Joel's appointed attorney." The woman introduced herself, her eyes peering back and forth from the files to the three sitting around her. "I have already discussed with Joel on his point of view with the case and had accepted for me to take up the role."

Tommy and Joel both nodded silently, knowing that this was just to confirm their positions and at what stage they were at.

"With that out of the way, we will now discuss about where the case currently stands." Elise continued on, no sign of needing to take in a breath whatsoever. "The name of the victim has been identified as Marcus Long; identity has not been made public however through some research and further insight, I was able to gather that he was a previously convicted paedophile and rapist."

Joel's eyes lit up with a mixture of reactions; to hear those two horrid words appear from Elise's mouth was both heart-wrenching and yet also rather relieving. In terms of the incident both he and Sarah had been caught up in, he was secretly glad the man was killed; he just constantly wished that he wasn't the one who had pull the trigger or even have any involvement. He then considered his current position, imagining how this information could potentially influence the court to his advantage. He despised the fact that he and especially his daughter were caught up as victims of a horrific man's mind and desires; but he needed to take any chance he could to receive the 'innocent' verdict and bring his life back to how it used to be … at least the majority of it.

He glanced over to Sarah, who had begun to shake and look towards her lap in silence. Joel was completely sympathetic, wishing he could work on helping her with her recovery instead of having to deal with the nuisance of trying to get out of prison. Although unconscious of the realisation, Joel had also begun to fidget, scratching his grazed and rash-covered hands.

"What about any found evidence? Were they able to find footage from the CCTV's?" Joel questioned, the thought instantly appearing in his mind.

"Evidence from the crime scene will be disclosed during court trial, in the meantime only confirmed pieces of evidence to be the 'murder weapon' and details of Mr Long's death from an Autopsy Report." Elise answered, giving her honest opinion in the process. "Investigators are looking into a vast majority of angles and possibilities, however it may all depend on if they do their job properly and what the prosecution decides to use during trial."

Joel, and Tommy, solemnly sighed with an accepting nod, having to rely on chances in order to get through the situation at hand.

"How long will the court process take?" Tommy then decided to ask, taking the question right out of Joel's mind. "When will the hearings begin?"

"As it currently stands, the first hearing will begin within a week's time." Elise answered to the best of her ability, glancing over a separate file as she spoke. "Depending on how that plays through will determine the length of time set for the court trials. I do not have an accurate assumption on how long this entire process will take, however you should expect it to take a considerable number of months at a minimum."

Within that instant, Joel's heart sank with no warning. Hearing the last sentence of her explanation felt like a blow to the chest. How was he able to cope during that amount of waiting time? Sarah's wellbeing came to mind suddenly; how will she be able to manage with her recovery whilst her father was stuck in a cell?

Tommy could read Joel's expressions like a book, knowing everything that he had been thinking and whatever emotion ran through his mind at the time. He understood his heartache, being away from Sarah especially in her current state was close to unbearable. Tommy had already arranged for him to act as Sarah's guardian for the whole duration, placing the necessary procedures for her safety and wellbeing. He also assumed that the amount of time the two would be allowed to spend with Joel was restricted. Tommy wished there was some alternative, a faster way so that Joel would be released sooner.

"One thing that's going to cause some problems during the hearings and trials is your condition, Joel." Elise then commented with a concerned glare, her eyes locked onto the injuries on Joel's face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Joel hesitantly questioned in response, although he knew exactly what she meant.

"Those wounds on that mug of yours are fresh." Elise pointed out, holding a pen out to indicate. "When I first met you, the injuries you had then were not as apparent and so I assumed it had been from the time of the incident. However, the moment I met you earlier today, they've changed. If this becomes a repeated occurrence, your reputation with the court is going to alter."

"These are unrelated." Joel hastily yet vaguely answered back, feeling Sarah's eyes peering towards him with increasing worry. "I'm fine, I'm dealing with it."

Elise nodded in silence, although the expression on her face showed she was completely unconvinced. Tommy had also been glaring towards Joel, giving a stern glare. Joel locked eyes back at his brother; Tommy knew exactly what had been causing the injuries, even though he was basing it on conjecture to what his niece had told him.

The next hour was spent looking over files and sheets Elise shared out to Tommy and Joel whilst explaining what would happen and need to happen during the next few weeks. In addition to this, Joel had been asked to describe the scenario, going through every point in order to prove he had an effective alibi to use for questioning and when speaking to the court.

During this whole time, Sarah sat in silence, looking down and completely in her own world. For an average child, this whole meeting would be unbelievably boring. However for Sarah, she just wanted all this nonsense to be over, in fact she wished it all never happened in the first place. The incident, the court trials, everything related; she just wanted it all gone. She wanted to be home, with her father, playing sports, enjoying everyday life again.

Joel glanced over to Sarah every so often, feeling the pain his daughter had been going through. He had the same thoughts as her, the desire to end this, the desire to go home and live again.

Finally, it was over, the four had been standing up from their chairs. Joel shook Elise's hand in thanks, grateful for her continuous help. Sarah had been giving a blank stare towards the mirror, her mind elsewhere. Tommy stepped up to Elise and gave her a professional and subtle embrace.

"Thank you so much for your help, Elise." He expressed to her, feeling ever so grateful that she accepted to help. "I'll make it up to you somehow."

"Well you can at least wait until this is over." Elise grinned confidently as the two separated, reminding that they still had only begun the long journey. "I guarantee this though: I will do everything in my power to make sure Joel gets the 'not guilty' verdict. He has proven to me that he's innocent and the information we have so far shows he is at an advantage. With that said, we still must be cautious."

Tommy, and Joel who had overheard the conversation between the two, nodded in response. Elise then glanced down towards the spaced out Sarah, knowing that this will be hard for her as well.

The four left the room and entered the corridor outside. Instantly, two burly prison guards had waited to take Joel back to his cell. Joel took in a deep breath, he mind was filled with the desire to run and break out of this hellhole. However, he knew it was a pointless idea, he was smarter than that.

He turned to Sarah, who looked as though she would break down the moment he would leave her. He gave her a loving embrace, showing how much he cared for his daughter and sharing the same wish of this being all over.

"Stay strong, baby girl." He whispered out, biting the inside of his lip to stop himself from choking up. "We'll get through this, and before you know it, I'll see you on that soccer field winning trophies."

He heard her sniffle, and felt her head shake up and down as a response. After a long embrace, Joel was forced away from his daughter and directed towards to cells. Sarah almost ran after him, only to be held back by Tommy. Tommy could see her devastated expression whilst she watched her father disappear in the distance. Even though he refused to show it, he felt as though his heart had been ripped apart. He switched his glance towards Elise, how had a somewhat cautious glare, most likely thinking about Joel's facial injuries and the inevitable of what would happen the moment he entered his cell. However, she shook her head, snapping her mind back to reality. She turned towards Tommy and Sarah, giving a sigh and showing a formal posture.

"Come, I'll show you back to the entrance." She indicated with a kind smile, acting polite to them.

11pm that night …

"Come on! Stop acting so pathetic!" A bellowing voice echoed out, followed by sneering laughter. "Haha-haa … It's painful, right …? Unable to fight back must be UNBEARABLE!"

"Urk!" Another voice, wheezing in agony, blurted out upon feeling a hard impact in his back.

The Cells were pitch-black, inmates either asleep or in complete silence. The area would have had a rare peaceful atmosphere, considering what goes on during the day time. However, the peacefulness was completely engulfed by the shouts, grunts and roars from a particular cell. The inmates kept to themselves; however some did feel some sympathy towards the person who had become one of the security guards new 'toy'.

Joel slumped against the wall, coughing up spits of blood. Without a moment to breath, he felt a hand grasp the back on his head and pinned him against the wall. There was no mercy in the man who stood over him, eyes locked onto him full of malice and insanity. Joel was gritting his teeth in horrific pain, trying to prevent himself from grabbing the arm and pushing him away. He needed to stay above the thin ice he had been walking on for the past few days, and this 'asshole' seemed to be trying everything to break the ice below Joel's feet.

"Heh-heh, why are you so … quiet tonight?" The security guard curiously wondered, crouching down slightly as he closed in closer to Joel. "It's not like your 'neighbours' will care, they're just glad it's you and not them."

Instantly after, he scraped the side of Joel's head against the wall in a curving drag, causing Joel to bellow out. The moment Joel's head collided against the floor; the security guard released him and stepped back momentarily, as though preparing for his next onslaught. Joel could just about see the security guard's silhouette towering above him, seemingly grabbing something from the side.

"Are you done…?" Joel murmured breathlessly, shakily lifting himself up from the concrete flooring. "You look like … you're losing your steam."

The security guard glared back, eyes wild and teeth gritting together.

"If that's how you see it … then its past you're bed time." The guard then spat back, throwing his arm around.

Joel stepped aside in time, watching the arm fly past him. However, Joel had spent too much time on watching the previous attack to see the guard's next move. Before he knew what was about to happen, he felt his forehead collide with the guard's. He crumpled against the wall, hands covering his forehead. He then felt a palm grasp his neck tight, causing him to wheeze and cough. He grasped the arm with one of his hands whilst still a hand on his forehead.

Joel didn't know how to approach this situation. He was desperately tired and wanted this all to end. However, he was completely desperate to strike back at his attacker, rage and fury burning up deep inside of him. He couldn't, knowing that it would bite back at him during court. Right now … his current situation was the lesser of two evils.

Just then, he felt his entire body begin to slump. He was losing oxygen fast, causing the dark world around him to further darken and blur. He was gasping for air, trying his best to pry the clawing grasp from his neck. However, before he had any hope in doing so, he caught sight on a hard, seemingly unbreakable object fly towards his face. He just about saw the outline of a brick … and then the world switched off.

22 years later …

Ellie sat back on her sofa chair in silence, taking in everything Joel was describing to her in his story. She felt enraged, grasping the arms of the chair as though she was digging claws into them. Joel gave out a silent chuckle as he noticed her fiery expression. His arms crossed, Joel stepped towards the window of the villa. The atmosphere was eerily silent outside … somewhat too silent.

"Did … did he stop?" Ellie's hesitant voice called out, questioning what happened.

Joel turned back, his eyes locked onto Ellie with a sad, honest expression.

"Never." Joel shook his head, sighing out. "Every day he was on duty, whenever he had the chance, he would enter my cell and battered me until he felt satisfied. I can't even remember a day he didn't go for me."

"And you just fuckin' LET HIM!?" Ellie exploded, leaping up from her seat. "Did no one decide to stop him!? Did no one see him do this!?"

Joel once again shook his head, "No one bothered; there were days other guards saw him and turned a blind eye, days when some would watch or join in for a laugh … yet no one stopped him."

Ellie froze up; she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Joel, the man she had stood beside since their journey began and dominated over anyone who stood in his way … couldn't fight back against one, presumably weak-as-fuck douchebag.

Joel understood her reaction; it was something Joel had the same feeling throughout the whole time he allowed the guard to assault him. At the time he knew, but it was one of the many regrets he would have to hold in his heart for the rest of his life.

Ellie swayed on the spot slightly, gazing towards the floor as she calmed herself back down. But something in her mind had begun to nag her, something she needed to ask about.

"How long did it go on for?" Ellie questioned with subtle curiosity, her eyes switching back up towards Joel.

"It continued during almost the whole time I spent confined in that horrid place." Joel admitted, sighing out and his arms crossed together. "It went on through the hearings I attended, the day when I was placed in questioning, and all the way up until the night before the final day of trial."
Ellie's eyes flickered the moment he had said 'the night before'. Joel looked away, his eyes peering towards the window. As he stepped over towards the window in silence, Ellie followed from behind.

"Joel … What happened on that 'night before'?" Ellie asked out as she stepped beside him, her curiosity completely peaked. "What did you do…?

Joel gazed at his own reflection. At first it was a reflection of his current self, mimicking his every movement. However his mind began to warp the reflection, reversing time to his younger self and showing an expression of relentless fury and uncontrollable rage. His entire body and clothing was soaked in blood, both belonging to him and another. In his grasp was a metal pole, bent slightly out of shape and stained with dirt and blood droplet stains. Joel's eyes locked onto his reflection's eyes, the two seeming as though they were attempting to glare each other down. One was wild and relentless, whilst the other was battle-scarred and unpredictable.

"Joel…?" Ellie's voice echoed out, becoming somewhat aware of the silence.

Joel took a moment to breath, something he could not do at the time. He watched the warped reflection projected from his mind release all the held back rage against his opponent. He finally answered Ellie's question, however his voice suddenly turned gritty and struck as intimidating.

"I broke him …"