That was about 8 months ago. The journey through that portal was bizarre feeling but quick. I was told that it took some getting used to, but I’d never need to. As I finished my latest. Journal entry and pressed the stop button on the Data drop, one of the guards came by. “They have you doing that too?” I nodded. “They said that it’s good for the mental health, and it helps them to understand the inmates. I don’t personally care about it either way but I wanted someone to hear that story eventually.” He gave me a weird smirk. “Your story is actually one of the more mild ones I’ve heard since I’ve been he-“ His voice stopped and he started to convulse. I watched as foam formed around the edges of his mouth and he vibrated like he was being shocked. It finally stopped and he dropped to the floor. I stood there frozen. Not sure if it was fear gripping me or something else. The sound of boots riddling the metal walkway jarred me back to the moment. I looked out the bars the best I could and I saw someone in a black jumpsuit with the hood pulled up. They stepped over the guard and stood in front of me before speaking.
“You don’t need to be in there. They came to get you in an illegal seizure. They wanted you removed before you could find the real problem, one that dwells much deeper.” They removed their hood and my mouth fell open. Staring back at me…was a older, slightly bruised version, of myself.