Free Dreams Ltd by Veronica Melan

stupidity and then she shook her head.
     
    “Now I understand that I should have accepted what I was offered but I wasn’t smart enough. Day by day I was gradually falling into despair knowing that it’s never going to be possible to get as much as I needed. Then, instead of trying to think sensibly I made a decision which I’m still paying for now. Since it was the only way I could get enough money I decided to burn the house down and get the insurance pay-out. I found some dodgy guy from the street, paid him to do the job and paid for his silence. After we agreed on the date when the arson should take place I went to play cards with my friends so I would have the perfect alibi. The house burnt down to ashes spreading them all across the street. During the meeting with the manager of the insurance company I was crying as loud as I could, pretending to be beside myself with grief. But inside I was already celebrating and expecting to get the compensation soon. But unfortunately I miscalculated everything. The insurance company sent their sharks - the arson experts who quickly discovered the real reason of the fire and the insurance company got a tight grip of my arse. It only took a few days for them to question all my neighbours and find out that the house had been on sale for a very long time and because of the evaluation I couldn’t sell it. Finally they found that guy I hired who confessed everything trying to save his rotten skin. So now I have not only lost everything I had but I also was brought before the Commissions’ court where I was given a choice – I either had to pay an unbelievably huge fine and get four years in a normal prison or I go to Tally. I chose Tally. I don’t regret my choice, you know… First of all I wouldn’t be able to find money for the fine anyway, and second I prefer to have at least some illusion of a freedom. Here I can go at work and I can come back home in the evening; I can go to the shops, I can go in any direction I want and I talk to whoever I want. What would I have in a normal prison? A cell with a bed and bog? I’d eat some lousy porridge and drink tea which is not even a tea but piss? In Tally I can eat tasty food - of course it costs money but here it’s possible to earn it and make contacts. Here I can try and do something! Not everybody has a good life here but it’s up to them whether they agree to come here or not. Everybody could choose the normal prison but instead they decide to come to Tally. You know that as well I as do.”
     
    Entranced by Jenny’s story I didn’t reply right away and only after few seconds I realised that she was still expecting an answer from me. I nodded quickly.
     
    “That’s for sure. Everybody has a choice.”
     
    “Exactly! As for the rules and regulation, yes, we have to obey by them and it’s not very nice but it’s OK. If you agree to live here for the rest of your life you can break any of them and many people do. But if you want to get back, you will have to find a job and try to earn the points.”
     
    “What about you?” I asked suddenly.
     
    “What about me?”
     
    “How many points have you earned so far?”
     
    Jenny stretched over to the coffee table and turned the static counter on. The screen was showing a number “271”.
     
    “Not very much, as you can see but I don’t despair. Walk and you shall reach…”
     
    “That’s true.” I answered vaguely and in order to avoid depression which I felt as soon as I thought about myself being in Tally, I began to think about Christopher Laroche and Dreams Ltd instead. I won’t have to learn how to survive in this place, I won’t have to obey by the local rules for too long, I won’t get stressed out about the idea of an unachievable freedom and about my static counter which doesn’t show as many points as I’d like it to. I won’t let myself drown in this prison, in this swamp which kills every living species by its system. It’s all about them