He sits in the dank, sinking darkness behind the bars of his cell. The mattress beneath him is like a brick and the blanket that’s wrapped around him causes an itching sensation wherever it meets bare skin. If it weren’t for the chill in the air the blanket would still be sitting at the foot of his bed.

The black swirls around him, much like smoke, moving and shifting due to the illusions cast by the weak light outside of the bars. He continued to stare knowing that he should be sleeping. He knew this every night but it hardly made a difference. When his eyes shut the dim hum in the back of his head came to life.

But he didn’t mind the insomnia. The shadows that surrounded him may have seemed like a cage to someone else. The soiled color smothered everything else out. But in reality there was no limit to the shadows. He could stare and stare for hours and find no end to them. Here, inside of this cell, the darkness was company. They had no end and with them he had no restrictions.

In here he was free.