The Prisoner

    I have my rights you know
    Rights, what rights may they be?
    The right to a lawyer.
    A lawyer, that might be difficult under the circumstances. Might be able to arrange a defender at your trial.
    That’s more like it.
    But since you’re not going to have a trial, there’s not much point.
    Well the right not to have to undergo daily torture!
    We haven’t touched you yet. Name one person who has laid hands upon you.
   Decent food, and not the slops you dish out.
   Can’t help it if me’ wife can’t cook!
   For days and nights on end you left me in the dark.
   So?
   I asked for light.
   We gave you a light switch.
   And it didn’t work!
   We did fix it.
   No you didn’t, I couldn’t switch the damned light off!
   And now you don’t want to switch the light off! Don’t worry, its all part of the conditioning process. Tomorrow we’ll have you moved into a comfortable cottage, a cottage all to yourself.
    What?
    You are being transferred to The Village, a quiet community, a cottage all to yourself with all mod-cons.

    {Three days later the prisoner was transferred}
    The Village?
    Yes.
    Where is this......village?
    Now we’ll get you cleaned up and some new clothes.
    What about my old ones?
    They’ve been burnt.
    Why?
    They were inappropriate clothing. We’ll get you some nice bright coloured clothing, and a piped jacket, and a straw boater.
    This village, anywhere near Henley is it?
    Henley?
    Dressed like that I’ll be just in time for the boating regatta!
    You’ll be the death of me Number Seven, oh I shouldn’t have told you that.
    Number Seven, want do you mean by that?

    Glad you could take up the offer of breakfast. I am Number Two.
    Number Two?
    Tea or coffee?
    Neither. You said you are Number Two.
    That’s right, are you sure I cannot interest you in a cup of something?
    Number Two?
    Yes, and you are Number Seven.
    Number Seven?
    Names are not used here.
    You know who I am, my name?
    Yes, but I’d prefer you didn’t say your name, you never know who might be listening!”
    Why am I here?
    For maximum security, why else?
    I don’t like it here, all the people are strange.
    Oh you mustn’t judge us all that way, you’ve only been here five minutes, out of the rest of your lifetime.
    Look that man was standing on one leg.
    Yes he tends to do that a lot.
    Another man stopped me on my way here and said I hadn’t seen him, right. Another was emptying soil onto a flower bed................
    Yes we know about him..............
    .......Through the legs of his trousers.
    ................He’s digging a tunnel, but he’s completely lost his bearings, I’ll...
    Just like everyone else here I shouldn’t be surprised.
    Look Number Seven.....
    I shouldn’t be here you know. I’m an important person!
    Obviously not as important as once you were, otherwise you would not be here.
    I shouldn’t be here!
    Yes I know, they have taken quite a liberty, and that is why the number seven will cease to exist here in The Village.
    What?!
    Number seven no longer exists, it will be expunged from our records, and you will confine yourself to your cottage. Meals will be brought to you three times a day, and please, do not attempt to speak to the maid. If you are in need of anything further there is the telephone.

    Twenty three years later Number 7 ceased to exist in The Village. There was no funeral, the cottage boarded up, and no-one has lived there to this day.

Be seeing you