Footsteps Down The Corridor

The Stolen generation as an 80's child, fearing those ever present 'footsteps down the corridor' the jingling of keys and the flickering of a torch flying around exposing the cobwebs in the corner of the ceiling! Pushing my face deep down into the pillow, while trying to drown my fears and to calm my breathing as adrenaline pumped through my body! Listening to my heart pounding in my eardrums those footsteps would become louder, then stop, then start, then stop, as the night-watch would check each bed making sure to shine the torch on our faces. My mind racing trying to think who is on tonight, did I piss him off at any stage of his day-shift? Finally I felt that burning light shining on my head as my mind chants, "Keep walking, keep walking, please keep walking!" in rhythm to the pounding beat of my heart!

Yet a sigh of relief sets upon me as I hear those ever present footsteps down the corridor continue checking on the other boys! My breathing calms itself as my heart retracts back into my chest, a stillness begins to find peace as the jingling of the keys echo through the dorm. Then I hear that very well known muffled sound from someone objecting to the hands of our carer covering his mouth as he gets dragged off to the bathroom. We all hear and know what is about to happen but lay frozen in fear, yet giving thanks to a god we read about in The Watchtower comics that it wasn't us tonight! Crickets chirping in the night air can not drown the cries of a child echoing through the building as he is systematically force to grow up in a hell that will taint his life and those around him forever!

As a product of Piggy Muldoons policies being force to become a state-ward, I managed to get an hours sleep, sensing hate, anger and rage yet this time I was the lucky one! As we muster for showers I notice someone standing distant looking to the ground knowing full well the shame he feels and confusion

of, "Why me?" as we try to soldier-on acting like we don't know what happen last night! We also know that he is a time-bomb with a short wick that can blow at anytime so we maintain our distance as mutual respect while he tries facing the spiritual after effects of his ordeal that strips away at any sense of sanity! Watching the process of desensitization revealing it's ugly head as I brushed past him he lashes out at me and within a split second time stands still as I am faced with my own dilemma! Do I beat the shit out of him or do I let him get the upper hand? There is no way any of the brothers will respect me and I would become the victim to not only the staff but also the other boys who are incarcerated here! So I fight back getting the upper hand and looking down at a fellow victim but with fresh wounds far greater than any fist could cause! I know his cry and feel his pain but I can't show any weakness or it might become me! Then as my mind realizes the world around me I hear the brothers chanting, Go, go, go! And get taken to the office as the code of silence takes affect. I will never forget those footsteps down the corridor! Ps: Sorry bro!!!