Garnet LT Smith

Distant Memories
Snow slowly slid down the windosill, seeping into cracks in the old glass panes. The only
obstacle prohibiting him from feeling the cool panes are the bars of his cell. His eyes began to
focus allowing him to slowly make out his own reflection. His name is Ben Marason, or at least
it was, he was born in Rivenstep, formerly the location of greenland. At the young age of
seventeen, Ben was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to thirty-one years of jail
time. Now, freedom loomed closer than ever, for in nine hours Ben would be released and
deported to the lowest branch of the remaining human sanctums. Fennarth, the sanctum of union,
would be his home for the conceivable future. He had lived most of his life in prison, so the little
of the outside world he did know was in Rivenstep, his home. Nonetheless Ben is overjoyed to
finally be released regardless of his destination. His conception of time had been completely lost
over the years, hours rolled on quick as minutes. *click, scrreeeeech* The door of his cell is
unlocked and swung open, revealing a tall darkly complexed enforcement officer. With a simple
gesture, the officer suggested that Ben rise and follow him out of the cell.
Ben did as the officer demanded, stepping out of the cell. Ben shuffled behind the officer,
following him through the maze that is the underground Sanea Rituy prison. They soon reached
an upward staircase which glistening with the years first snow. Ben trotted up the stairs behind
the officer and they both arrived at the top. Please step up and accept your belongings, ordered
the officer. A short, brown haired woman sat behind metal bars and bullet proof glass. She slid a
plastic coated package through a small opening. Ben ducked down slightly to greet the prison
employee, and take the bag. Thank you, said Ben in a soft voice. The women is deathly silent,
and made absolutely no eye contact with him. Puzzled, Ben turned around carrying his
belongings and left the compound. He walked through the main lobby, and pushed the double
doors open. He saw no officers on his way out and questioned what to do next.
Hundreds of year ago intense solar flares sparked nearly all the natural disasters known to
man. Organized society collapsed under the weight of the global chaos that ensued. A combined
world government took over, establishing four sanctums where humans could live in peace. The
new government needed a more effective method of controlling the citizens of their
overpopulated planet. Memory inhibiting chips were placed in every human with the sole
purpose of striking fear into the act of crime. A jail sentence would be given out to crime doers
along with a memory sentence. A set amount of memories would be deleted from the person's
mind, along with the preventative knowledge of the crime. Ben was sentenced thirty one years in
prison and six memories for every two months imprisoned. Over 1,000 random memories were
deleted from Bens mind when he was imprisoned. So much that his life before prison is a blur of
un-conjoined thoughts.

Ben covered his eyes as he is blinded by the intense light from the blazing winter sun. As
his vision bettered, he began to search through the bag of belongings. None of its contents had
any significance to him. Then he saw something, the old tattered baseball cap that someone had
given to him many years ago. He scratched at his forearm, which held his memory inhibiting
chip. He placed the ballcap on his head, but it is much too small for him now. Looking up hes
greeted by a red-head lady with a perfect complexion and welcoming smile. Ben! It's been way
too long. she exclaimed, running to him and embracing him tightly. Ben pushed her away
suddenly, with a concerned look on his face. Whats wrong? she asked, dont you remember
me? He shook his head confused, and took one step back. Ben, my name is Ruby. You have to
remember me! she pleaded. A tear rolled down her right cheek and Ben could tell she is
distressed. He took another step back and is now inches from the prison gate. Following a very
deep breath, Ruby said very calmly Im your sister.
Ben had backed up quite a distance, and is now standing nearly 5 feet away from Ruby.
Saddened by the reaction from her brother, Ruby once again attempted to approach Ben. Ben
stepped onto an uneven patch of concrete, and his ankle twisted. Oouch! he exclaimed as he
fell over quickly extending his arms to catch himself. His bag of belongings flew in the air,
landing in between Ruby and him and its contents exploded from their containment. Ruby rushed
to the aid of her brother, who lay in agony feet from her location. She grabbed his foot tenderly,
and removed his ripped old shoe. Surprised by the kindness of this newly met stranger, he felt
joy in her specialized care. Its already starting to swell, do you trust me? Ben nodded at her
non-reassuringly, but regardless she knew he is in need of her help. She raised Ben by his
shoulder and helped him hobble to her dusty red car. Opening the back door, she gestured for
him to enter, Ill take you to my house, we will have more time to talk and I have fenjiu tersil
cream for the swelling. Ben didnt know anyone else in the changed world from before his
imprisonment, Ruby was his only hope. He climbed in the back seat, and the door was slammed
shut.
After a very bumpy twenty minute drive, they had arrived at Rubys quarters. The car
door slid open, and Ben was blinded by sun-light once more. He arose from his seat and was
helped out of the vehicle. He was greeted by his smiling sister, holding the bag of belongings he
had dropped outside the penitentiary. She helped him hobble up the brick walkway to her red
townhome with white trim and a beautiful garden. From her car, to her house and even her name,
Ben began to piece together her love for the color red. She helped him up the stairs to her porch
and sat him down in a old rocking chair. She pulled out her keys and fumbled for the correct one,
she jiggled the lock and finally opened the door. She set his bag on a small coffee-table and
helped him to a brown leather couch in the entry room of her house. Stay still and lift your leg,
Ruby commanded. Ben did as she asked and she set a soft pillow under his ankle. She ran into
another room and returned with a handful of a green vine and a grinding bowl. She poured hot
water into a container as steam rose from the top. After grinding the vine into a mushy glob, she
added the substance to the mixture. She stirred it and the mush melted into the water, dispersing

very quickly. She soaked a napkin in the mixture and wrapped the warm napkin around his
swollen ankle. Schhhh, Ben winced and adjusted his posture. Stay still, try not to move! she
sputtered and Ben quit moving very suddenly. Let it cool, and I will apply it twice more, she
explained. Ben slowly closed his eyes, and it is not long before he dozed off to sleep.
He awoke on a rather soft bed in a very dimly lit room, parched but feeling much better.
He examined his ankle, the bruising had vanished and he felt no pain from stretching out. The
wicks of several red candles slowly melted the wax below, gradually dripping down the base as
they hardened. As his eyes adjusted he is able to make out two white doors on the far end of the
room. He set his feet on the cold tile floor, and attempted to stand. To his amazement his ankle
did not buckle under his weight and he stood with ease. He approached the double white doors
and swung them open. In the dead silence, he heard the nearly deaf whir of the refrigerator. He
followed the sound and soon arrived in the kitchen. He grabbed a blue glass cup from the dish
drainer and filled it with water. He drank quickly, and soon filled his glass again. After three
glasses his thirst had been fully quenched, but he felt rather dizzy. As his vision blurred, he heard
the glass crash to the floor and shatter. *crack* His ankle busted and he fainted out of agony,
falling, just as his glass.
Noooooooooo! You cant take him, hes my brother. Ben opened his eyes to see the
enforcement officer who opened his cell not two days before. Ruby sat next to Ben, crying and
begging of the officer. You have to let him stay, he's too lost, she trembled. Ben is lifted up by
two men and set onto a stretcher. He struggled to escape with what little energy he had, but he is
quickly restrained and rolled out the front door. You were supposed to be on a bus to Fennarth,
two days ago! the officer bellowed. Ruby ran after Ben attempting to reason with the officers.
You'll be in prison a good while longer for trying to evade your deportation, said the officer.
Ill accept his prison and memory sentence, I cant bare to lose him again, she pleaded.
Absolutely not, the officer stood in front of Ruby, blocking her path. Ben knew this was the
last time he would see or even remember his sister. In the final moments, as he was lifted into the
prison ambulance he took a mental picture of her reaching towards him, and then the doors are
closed shut. In the following days, all memories of his sister and his time with her with were
effectively erased and he returned to waiting. Reaching for the cool temptation of the glass
panes, only metal bars lay between him and making new memories. Cold steel that felt so close
yet so far, just as the fading memory of his sister.