XXX. A Summer in the Attic
When my dad went to prison I was at a loss. It put things in perspective. I realized how selfish I had been for living my day to day life like I did - stealing money out of his wallet, selling my dog's heartworm medication for a few extra bucks, all in the name of purchasing my next video game.
When I heard the news, my first inclination was to get in the car and rob a bank so I could join him in prison. I thought of all the fun we could have - sharing cigarettes, carving matching tattoos, devising poorly conceived escape plans - but since I was only 11 at the time and hence I couldn't drive, I realized how foolish an idea that really was. Instead I devised a plan of my own. So I took a bucket and a large can of black paint to the attic. It was here where I would make my own prison cell.
For days I labored, painting over every window, devising a slot for my mother to slide through food, and removing all the regular amenities that most 11 yr olds like me enjoyed. After 2 weeks, the result of my labors was even more impressive than I had thought possible. I had created what appeared to be the perfect solitary confinement (save for one regrettable oversight).
My mother, being the protective type, strongly resisted my efforts and told me that my plan was insane. "Insane?" I would reply. "Almost as insane as the American justice system? The same system that locks up a man for killing his neighbors' pets?" I had made my point. The time had come for me to fulfill my destiny.
The very beginning was the toughest. Being that I began my trial on August 28th, the summer heat was as brutal as ever in our attic which lacked air conditioning. Within the first hour I was completely naked, dripping sweat, deeming that a lack of clothing would keep me cool against the sweltering summer humidity. I was stripped of any true sense of time. What seemed like hours to me, were only minutes in the minds of those whom existed outside of my cell.
If you have ever studied the Native American, you have some knowledge of their vision quests. They would deprive themselves of food and water for lengthy durations in order to achieve a sense of heightened spiritual awareness, which would then produce profound visions of a life altering proportions.
After only minutes in the cell, I was well on my way to the same fate. Dehydration and physical exhaustion allowed my mind to wander to the far reaches of impossibility, well beyond the barriers of time and space as we know it. For hours I drifted aimlessly through other universes until I awoke to a sudden BOOM. My eyes opened. BOOM. I heard it again. BOOM. What was this? Had I gone too far? Did I realize something that only the gods themselves should be capable of? BOOM. I shuttered, coiled into a ball, until I heard a female voice. "Apollo, you should be getting ready for soccer practice. I'm not going to let you waste your time on some stupid plan like this. Now come out at once."
Confused, I decided to venture out of the darkness and open the door of my cell. When I did, a most terrifying light greeted my eyes and almost sent me to the ground. When my eyes adjusted, the first thing I noticed was the large can of black paint on the floor. Turns out that this particular can was several years old and was highly concentrated with lead, which apparently was the cause of my mental deviations during my time in the cell.
When I gathered my thoughts, I realized that I had actually been in the attic for only 45 minutes, but the strong concentration of those lead fumes was enough to send me over the top. I vowed to myself that when the opportunity presented itself again, I would venture back into the cell. Many years have passed and I am yet to do so.
When I heard the news, my first inclination was to get in the car and rob a bank so I could join him in prison. I thought of all the fun we could have - sharing cigarettes, carving matching tattoos, devising poorly conceived escape plans - but since I was only 11 at the time and hence I couldn't drive, I realized how foolish an idea that really was. Instead I devised a plan of my own. So I took a bucket and a large can of black paint to the attic. It was here where I would make my own prison cell.
For days I labored, painting over every window, devising a slot for my mother to slide through food, and removing all the regular amenities that most 11 yr olds like me enjoyed. After 2 weeks, the result of my labors was even more impressive than I had thought possible. I had created what appeared to be the perfect solitary confinement (save for one regrettable oversight).
My mother, being the protective type, strongly resisted my efforts and told me that my plan was insane. "Insane?" I would reply. "Almost as insane as the American justice system? The same system that locks up a man for killing his neighbors' pets?" I had made my point. The time had come for me to fulfill my destiny.
The very beginning was the toughest. Being that I began my trial on August 28th, the summer heat was as brutal as ever in our attic which lacked air conditioning. Within the first hour I was completely naked, dripping sweat, deeming that a lack of clothing would keep me cool against the sweltering summer humidity. I was stripped of any true sense of time. What seemed like hours to me, were only minutes in the minds of those whom existed outside of my cell.
If you have ever studied the Native American, you have some knowledge of their vision quests. They would deprive themselves of food and water for lengthy durations in order to achieve a sense of heightened spiritual awareness, which would then produce profound visions of a life altering proportions.
After only minutes in the cell, I was well on my way to the same fate. Dehydration and physical exhaustion allowed my mind to wander to the far reaches of impossibility, well beyond the barriers of time and space as we know it. For hours I drifted aimlessly through other universes until I awoke to a sudden BOOM. My eyes opened. BOOM. I heard it again. BOOM. What was this? Had I gone too far? Did I realize something that only the gods themselves should be capable of? BOOM. I shuttered, coiled into a ball, until I heard a female voice. "Apollo, you should be getting ready for soccer practice. I'm not going to let you waste your time on some stupid plan like this. Now come out at once."
Confused, I decided to venture out of the darkness and open the door of my cell. When I did, a most terrifying light greeted my eyes and almost sent me to the ground. When my eyes adjusted, the first thing I noticed was the large can of black paint on the floor. Turns out that this particular can was several years old and was highly concentrated with lead, which apparently was the cause of my mental deviations during my time in the cell.
When I gathered my thoughts, I realized that I had actually been in the attic for only 45 minutes, but the strong concentration of those lead fumes was enough to send me over the top. I vowed to myself that when the opportunity presented itself again, I would venture back into the cell. Many years have passed and I am yet to do so.
posted by Max Rays at 11:24 AM
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