CHAPTER 3 - Oubliette

I

Fiel is not a religious person but at this point, he was able to pray that the judge and juries would consider their defense that he is innocent and that the semen found on the victim's body was out of their lovemaking that night prior to the murder of Clushia, him being the woman’s boyfriend.

Nonetheless, it seems like his prayers did not do magic.

Eventually, Fiel was adjudged guilty.

“I am sorry, Fiel. I did my best to defend you as innocent, but the majority of the juries, believe otherwise including the judge,” Fiel’s lawyer said in a sad voice. He pitied Fiel, for he knew the man as a good man and would never do such a heinous crime.

With a broken heart and broken dreams, Fiel Davidal was convicted for life imprisonment plus payment of damages to the family of the victim.

From the City penal institution, an order has been issued stating the transfer of Fiel to the maximum penal institution since his crime was considered as a capital offense under the law.

“Where are we going, Officer?” Fiel asked when he was being removed from the City Penal Institution and was told to get inside the police mobile for a long journey.

The police officer looked at him with a smirk on his face. “Davidal, you are going to the maximum penal institution called the “Hellhole”. You will be lucky if you can get out of it still alive.”

Fiel was astounded upon hearing what the police officer just have stated. He looked at the Police Officer with squinting eyes. “It is not funny, officer,” he said fiercely.

The Police Officer laughed and tapped his shoulder. “I am not joking, Davidal. That is the truth. No prisoner was able to come out of that institution alive that is why it was called as “Hellhole.”

Fiel did not reply anymore. He fell silent and readied himself for the worst.

It took long hours of travel, most probably around six hours, before finally, Fiel felt the mobile police car come to a halt.

“We have arrived at our destination, Davidal. Get your bag and be ready for a more miserable life inside and most probably, death thereafter,” the Police Officer stated, with another smirk on his lips. He seemed to be heartless and never cared what his words would mean to the man, to whom he was telling those words.

Fiel made a deep breath. “What is there to be afraid of Officer? I am nothing now, and everything about me has been ruined already because of this false accusation and judgment against me,” he said coldly as he alighted from the police mobile.

The Police officer just shook his head and laughed. "No criminal I heard, admitted that they are guilty of the crime they were adjudged as guilty. You are not different from them, Davidal."

"If that is what you believe about me, Officer, then I will not argue anymore. But someday, my innocence will be proven," Fiel retorted, but again the Police Officer just gave him a chuckle and a laugh thereafter.

Fiel has been entrusted to the accountable police officer of the day in the maximum penal institution.

When he entered the penal institution called as Hellhole, Fiel felt the ambiance inside to be indeed like hell as told by the Police Officer.

II

Three days upon his arrival at the “Hellhole”, a riot happened. It all just started when two prisoners bumped each other while walking to get their food.

Fiel tried to avoid the riot and decided to just stand in one corner, away from the fighting prisoners however someone saw him and attacked him. He tried to be defensive and avoided hurting his attacker but then the attacker got a fork and did not stop until he could really hurt him. Fiel became agitated now.

“Stop now, if you still want to live,” Fiel hissed at his attacker but he just laughed at him like a mad man.

Thus, when the prisoner attacked Fiel again, Fiel caught his hand holding the fork and with full force, pushed such hand, making him stab his own throat.

Fiel was forced to fight to defend himself but end up killing the prisoner, who attacked him.

“You fu*king asshole, you kill the man!” another prisoner was about to attack Fiel but the jail guards and on-duty police officers came, hitting each of the fighting prisoners with their cudgels.

When the riots has been stopped, the dead man was found lying on the floor.

“Who killed this man?!” one of the police officers shouted pointing to the dead man.

“That man, officer!” the second prisoner who was about to attack Fiel said while pointing his finger to Fiel.

“Gaddamit, you are just new here and you are already creating trouble!” the police officer made brisk steps toward Fiel and hit the latter’s head with the cudgel he was holding. Where if not for Fiel’s swift action of catching the cudgel, his head might have been broken, or worst he might have been dead because of head trauma.

Thereafter, two police officers joined forces and almost dragged Fiel to a secluded prison cell on the ground floor that they called oubliette.

He was pushed inside the oubliette, which is a small and a bit dark room. He sit still while he scanned the room with his keen eyes, then his eyes suddenly focused on a certain button like a doorbell in the middle of the floor. Thinking that it might be an emergency button, he pushed it hard to call the attention of the police jail guards.

To Fiel’s astonishment, however, the portion of the floor where he was sitting, fell down and a light overshadowed him. Before he could even shout, a strong current of air enveloped him and in a flash, he was carried by such a tornado. His feet landed on a cold floor and as soon as his feet touched the floor, a ray of light illuminated him and he heard a voice from somewhere.

“And so another fighter has just arrived! Welcome to the game of fangs and death!”