2024 — Part V
It was a night like any other. It was quiet throughout the prison but Joon could not sleep. His stomach was too loud. He looked around and saw a few others that were not sleeping either. Their nearly hollowed eyes with vacant stares shocked Joon once upon a time, but now it seemed to be like looking in a mirror. Whoever he was looking at eventually gave up the staring game and turned away.
Joon wasn’t sure if it was a boy or girl he was looking at sometime, they all looked so thin he could see the contours of their skulls. It did not surprise him anymore and he wondered if he looked similar. The dizziness began to kick in. Joon dozed off. When he awoke it was light, but the front door was still closed. Normally the door was open by now and a guard was waking people up and beating those who didn’t get up. A few days ago Dong could not get up anymore. The guard left him there and an older prisoner came in and picked him up and slung Dong over his shoulder. Dong was just skin and bones, but Joon was sure they still ate what they could of those who died, even if they were sick. Some preferred the sick ones, as they could perhaps die quicker as a result.
Joon felt he was nearing the end himself. He was still fitter than some of the others, but was on his way, especially with the cough he had. Blood was coming up a few days ago. It stopped, but he was worried… and relieved. He looked to the door and looked around. No one had stood up. Everyone was used to waiting for the guard. And so they waited.
It seemed like hours had gone by and at least one or two must have, as the sun was already hitting Joon in the eyes and he was never in the bunks this long. At last someone near the door got up and Joon recognized it as Hana. “What are you doing?” someone whispered to Hana but Hana got up anyway. She slowly crept towards the door and gradually straightened her legs. Her head was bathed in light and everyone was silent and observed Hana’s desire for death. Soon a guard will burst in and beat her to death, Joon thought, fearing the worst. But Hana simply looked out and saw empty grass between the sleeping buildings.
“No one there” she whispered and added “All the other doors are closed too” and promptly a few others scrambled out of their bunks and desired to take a look. Joon got up as well and after a few people had their turn, also got a look. He could see heads from the other sleeping buildings peering out through the windows of the doors. The doors were all locked from the outside, inside people already began chattering.
“Did they forget us?”
“Today is a public holiday?”
“We don’t get holidays.”
“I’m hungry.”
“They will kill us all!”
“They forgot us, right?”
Joon looked around and saw many confused faces. No one tried to open the door, but everyone hung around it. Hana stood near the door and kept a lookout, to make sure they weren’t surprised by a guard after all. But time went on and they all waited and waited. Soon the sun had hit the center of the sky and was beating down. It was very warm in the building and since it was overfilled it got worse. While they waited for the guards to arrive, someone had died and shit their bunk, leaving a horrible smell throughout.
Joon got fed up with it and went to the door to open it but Hana blocked him “It’s locked. If you break it I will tell,” she threatened Joon, but Joon gave up caring. He tugged on the door and it opened immediately and hit him in the face. He was surprised and the chatter in the bunks stopped immediately. Joon held his head as the door slowly creaked to a close. After rubbing his forehead a bit he opened the door again, slowly. Light flooded into the building as Joon opened the door all the way. He stepped out and saw no one walking around on the grounds. The lights for night time were still on and the speakers were not on, which normally played propaganda music or slogans. Joon took a few steps and continued to look around in case of any guards, but he could see none. Far down the camp he could see the entrance gates and they were all closed, save for the last perimeter. It was wide open and the barriers were raised. Joon walked towards the other sleeping quarters, slowly, and opened their doors as well.
At first no one came out until they noticed Joon walking around with impunity. Gradually people wandered out and ambled around aimlessly. Normally they were told what to do, where to go and now they had no restrictions whatsoever. A few people got the idea that there would be food in the administration building so they wandered off towards it. The kitchen was immediately overrun by hundreds of prisoners, but there was nothing to be found. A few people went at each other in rage and died. All the rats in the kitchen and garbage area were scoured out and killed and cooked quickly.
Soon people were walking around everywhere, talking loudly and deliberating what to do. The entire complex was void of guards, even the towers were unmanned and the machine guns that used to be on them detached. Joon went towards the exit and noticed that the gates were all unlocked. They were simply pushed closed. Joon pushed them all open and others followed and helped him. An old man he had never seen smiled and helped him pushed the gates open. A young woman who had stolen his bread once went ahead of him towards the admittance building. Joon followed behind as did a pack of others. As soon as the young woman went in there was a small explosion. Some girls screamed and everyone went down to their knees.
A few moments went by of absolute silence and Joon looked up. There were still no guards, but a fire had started in the admittance building had caught fire and the young woman was presumably dead. Joon felt glad she died as justice was served for her stealing bread and potentially having killed him. Joon continued to walk towards the exit and still there were no guards. Not even one. There were tracks in the dirt that led out of the prison complex, many of them. Joon continued to walk down the road and still there was nothing. Was being free like this? He had been born and grown up in the camp and anything beyond the fence seemed alien to him. He looked back and the old man caught up to him and patted him on his shoulder “We are free,” he said to Joon and continued onwards, followed by others. Many others were on their way, most following the road as the surroundings were probably mined. Joon had found that out a few weeks ago — or was it months? — when a little girl had snuck through a fence and tried to run away. He remembered hearing the guards laugh when she stepped onto a mine. Everyone had stopped doing what they had been doing to watch the girl run. She had gotten no more than half the prison’s length in distance before disappearing in a puff of reddish smoke. Then everyone went back to work.
The old man introduced himself as Hyeon Lee and took the lead of a group of 13 who would follow him. He was the eldest at 37 years old and led us down the road. They were all afraid the road was the most dangerous, but after seeing some others wander off towards the hills aimlessly, they found that Hyeon would be their best choice. They walked and walked and saw nothing and no one but the road ahead of them. Hyeon spoke with Joon as the others followed silently.
“I was imprisoned 2 years ago. My uncle was a high ranking officer in the army and they were planning a coup. But it was found out and he was executed and myself, my sister, my parents… well everyone was sent off to work camps. I haven’t heard from anyone since, but I am pretty sure they are all dead. It is best to assume this, because now I will go out to get my revenge. I have nothing to lose and would not put them in danger. They already are in danger, I guess…” Hyeon was silent and Joon had nothing to say.
He let the man continue “I am pretty sure that something big has happened if they abandoned the camp.” Hyeon said more or less to himself as they continued down the road. There were slight hills on each side of the road and eventually the road went up and they could not see past it. The group trotted on towards the crest of the road top and when they got to the top they all stopped walking.
Smoldering ruins of burnt cars lay before them, presumably the guards. They got closer and looked around. A crater was in front of them, with the remains of a truck inside of it, still glowing hot. Although it must have been a few hours since, there was still a fire burning in the crater. The bodies were not burning anymore, but were scorched beyond recognition. Hyeon went from body to body, looking around. Joon and the others huddled together and looked from afar as Hyeon checked the ruins. “Don’t worry guys” he gestured and waved them over with his hands “these were the guards!” he smiled.
Joon parted from the others and went towards the ruins. He recognized the half-burnt face of one of his “teachers”. He had beaten him and the others up various times. Joon became furious and stomped on the head of the teacher with his foot. He continued stomping on the head and screamed, tears running down his face. The others looked on in shock and Hyeon slowly approached him, repeating his name. Joon eventually stopped as Hyeon touched him lightly on his shoulder “Joon… Joon… Joon it’s ok… You are free now,” and he hugged Joon.
He collapsed to Hyeon’s feet and cried and Hyeon knelt down and hugged him, stroking his head amongst the dead guards and burning cars.
