Free Prison Nation by Jenni Merritt Page A

walkway’s shadows. “Listening to it makes me think of her. I miss her.”
    “ Where is she?” I asked tentatively.
    “ My mom? Last I heard, it was Canada.”
    I could feel my body stiffen. “Canada?”
    Jude let out a chuckle, his face still hidden in the shadows. I could see his eyes, the smile still glittering on their surface. “A few years back, just before I joined up in the Guard Force, my family decided to leave. They didn’t agree with the Nation. With the Wall.
    “ I grew up in a beach house.” Jude rolled back toward me. His face lit up in the dim light. “Well, it was supposed to be a beach house. It was big, with a wrap-around porch, even a whale that spun up on the roof with the wind. The Wall though… they had to build it right behind the house. I could hear the beach every day, but I never saw it. My mom said we had a door we could use to go to the beach… but it just seemed useless. I guess it got useless enough that they decided to leave.”
    Jude fiddled with the little music box, spinning it between his fingers. I inched closer to the door again, the cool metal pressing against my forehead. “Why didn’t you go with them? Why didn’t you leave the Nation?”
    “ Couldn’t.” Jude smiled at me. “My family definitely had the money to get anywhere they wanted. There was never an issue there. But I have always had this feeling that I needed to do something. I know I can do some good, I just need the chance.”
    “ So you became a GF?”
    Jude chuckled. I could see the shadow of his hand sweep across his face, as if painting his words in the air. “Guard Force, prison number 4. A permanent name change and a high risk job, with all the perks that low pay can offer you.” I heard his hand drop back to his chest. He let out a soft sigh. “Can you believe that there are three more prisons out there in the Nation, just like this one?”
    I didn’t answer. Spokane was huge, with its constantly expanding walls and packed cells. It was too hard to believe that there were three other prisons just like it. Each corner of the Nation, stamped with a prison. I slowly shook my head, trying to chase the thought away. Something about it caused my stomach to tighten.
    We lay on the ground in silence for a moment. I could hear Jude’s steady breathing, his finger as it aimlessly tapped against his armored vest.
    “ Do you hear from them? From your family?” I finally asked.
    Jude didn’t respond right away. I thought I could see a shadow pass over his face. His lips seemed to tighten, his eyes blinking faster. Then it passed as quickly as it had come. “No.”
    “ What is the Wall like?”
    Jude chuckled. “It’s a wall, Millie. A very large, very cold wall. You can see it stretch into the distance in both directions, and you never see the beach. You just hear it.” Jude let out a sigh, rolling onto his back. His face disappeared into shadows. “But it protects us. Our great Nation built it to keep the good in and the evil out. We are in our sanctuary.”
    I recognized the words. They were the exact words that were printed in all of my school books. Dr. Eriks repeated those words to me in almost every session. I felt my lips moving along with his, silently reciting them.
    “ We are the good,” Jude said softly.
    “ And the strong,” I whispered back, tears trying to sting my eyes.
    Jude let out a sharp breath of air, then rolled back to face me. “What were you going to ask me? Before I interrupted you and corrupted you with music?”
    I didn’t respond.
    Jude spun the music player in his fingers again, then waved it at me. He smiled. “Want to hear more?”
    “ Really?” My voice came out too loud and I quickly glanced up to my parents. My mother stirred, then settled back into sleep.
    Jude glanced at a watch on his wrist. “Yeah, I have some time. Think of it as an early birthday present.” With that, he hit the button. Music flooded into my ears again. I laid my cheek on the