Odyssey... ~~13- Abyss

In the solitary cell, not knowing about anything about outside world, his family, his guilt, and the outcome of his capture for the last one and half years, Van did one thing that no one could take away form him or find out about it- thinking. At age eighteen, he had seen many unpleasant miseries. The gray tufts of hair were changing his appearance. The only time he could hear or see a human was when the twice a day meals were brought to him. Breakfast was always a small piece of hard, not chewable bread with a small piece of cheese, and nothing to drink to wash out the taste of that horrible thing, and the second meal was served in the afternoon; and it was a thin, watery soup with potato and rice in it. He, who at the beginning had refused food, soon accepted those unsavory food to retain his energy for the time of the freedom. However, as more time passed, he completely lost hope. The only thing that gave that unpredictable life a little light was knowing that there were other cells connected to his, in that prison with people in captivity, like him. Without ever seeing the other prisoners, or talking to one another, or knowing names, and ages; all those prisoners made a bond that was beyond speaking, hearing, or knowing. Just breathing the same morbid air, eating the same revolting food, and smelling the same stench brought them close while they all shared the same longing.

All prisoners were called "Antigovernment", or according to Savak's agents, "Communists". Those young boys and girls missed their homes, mothers, comfortable beds, and healthy food. For most of them being in a wrong place at a wrong time had cost the abyss of imprisonment; while the real anti government brains were drinking imported liquor and discussing the theories of Carl Marx and Friedrich Nietzhe in their luxurious mansions. They called these young prisoners, the foot soldier of something very important and essential for their country.

The seventeen years old Farshid occupied the cell next to Van. His capture by Savak was a true joke. He was just a bystander the day that Savak's agents had rushed to the suspicious house. In the heat of that moment with a lot of ambiguity, he was arrested,too. He, being curious to know what was going on in that house, had stopped to watch; and that had been the end of his freedom. A school boy, who had no knowledge of politics; and was only interested in flying kites, was now prisoners for the last one and half years.

All the cells were located on one side of the long hallway; therefore, prisoners could see only a wall through the iron bars of their cells. Not having any view, they did not know when a guard was close by. Learning about some cases when the prisoners had talked with each other, frightened them to speak a word to their fellow prisoners. They had noticed that sometimes the guards walked without their shoes so the prisoners could not hear their approach.

To Be Continued