Today an unknown date, but a date that George Nelson and Claude Dawson will never forget. My name is Edward Hartman, or as the rest of them call me, B-3488. I come from the 6th block, just like George Nelson and Claude Dawson. One evening, I was resting in my cell as always. That day, the 6th block seemed very quiet, an unusual quiet. So quiet I feared for my life. Usually, everyone's arguing, fighting, or one person usually from the 6th block gets pulled out of their cell by guards, and that is the last time you will ever hear or see that someone ever again. After a wave of panic had come and hugged me tight, a wave of laughter and cheering was bouncing off the cell walls. I questioned why were they all cheering, because there is nothing anyone should be cheering about; we are in prison. The guards came running in, yelling and screaming.
That was a day like no other; 6th block turned into a storm. Everyone was going crazy because B-3943 and B-3336, otherwise known as Claude Dawson and George Nelson, had tried to escape from the Eastern State Penitentiary with a hole they dug into the last cell left of the 6th block. The hole was about 2 feet square and 5 feet deep, right into the corner of the right side.
I never knew what happened to B-3943 and B-3336 until I had left this prison on October 30, 1913. The escape did not work. George Nelson died of endocarditis (an infection of the heart's inner lining) while incarcerated. Claude Dawson was placed in solitary confinement for a punishment because of their unsuccessful escape. I will also never forget this day; this is a memory that I will never forget as well.
You use such great metaphors! For example, "6th block turned into a storm" paints such a vivid picture of the chaos. But I think my favorite is "a wave of panic had come and hugged me tight." It's impactful to use the concept of a hug, which we usually consider comforting, to convey something negative. It makes me think of the way a hug can feel smothering as well. Great story!
ReplyDeleteIt’s cool that you chose to weave together three inmates stories through the viewpoint of only one. It would be cool if you could then write the story again from George Nelson’s perspective and again from Claude Dawsons’.
ReplyDelete