“I’ll get you, my pretty.”

The following is an excerpt from part one:

When Sid and I meet at a courthouse rendezvous we have the opportunity to exchange stories about how life—with C/Os in particular—has been mistreating us. He tells me about being transferred to different mods for “whatever reason.” The challenge of “fitting in” or “getting along” is sometimes difficult because some of the C/Os make it their business to pit inmates against him before he has a chance.

That is generally not too difficult to remedy. The C/Os become infuriated beyond reason. There is usually at least one inmate that also remains staunch in his irrational hatred and harassing treatment. As time goes on, Sid’s reputation precedes him. He is well-liked regardless of C/O interference. Sid also shares many accounts of his interactions with inmates. Some of the guys are frightened by his psychic ability, others amazed. Still others are skeptical. Of the latter, their doubt is usually because incidents that Sid describes have not yet occurred. Most often, they come to fruition within a short span and the skeptics join the ranks of the impressed. It gives Sid a shot at earning respect.

Whenever the staff has an opportunity to inflict punishment, there is not an inconvenience too great to stop them. They attempt to situate Sid wherever he might be miserable. If that doesn’t work, they separate him from the ones who have become friendly to him. In one mod he became very close to two influential black prisoners who had been instructed to “mess him up.” Before long they consider him a “brother.” After a few days of the chummy-chummy stuff they get moved.

. . . Sid asks me about the great storm which had befallen us over the summer. “Do you remember the thunderstorm we had with the big hail a few weeks ago?” “Of course I do. It was ferocious.” I generally love expressions of nature such as that but the storm he is referring to was ominous. We lost power for longer than anybody there can remember. It had occurred shortly after we were beat up and sent to solitary confinement. Sid is on a rampage, furious about the attack and that nothing has been done except to further punish us.

On top of that, the pain in my leg is increasing considerably since it took so long to acquire a cane. Then, it takes twice as long to get crutches. The strain on my hip finishes ripping the socket entirely from the pelvis. My femur was completely dislocated, protruding right into the glutes. Sid experiences my pain. It causes him much anger and distress. He decides to cast a spell.