An Hour Less

"I'm going crazy! I'm losing time!" screamed inmate 4-254.

The metal shackles rattled as his arms flailed around as the three guards held him down. A small gag was placed around his head. They lifted him with ease and hauled him towards the infirmary.

A man in white ran up to the grunting guards.

"He says he's losing time. An hour here, an hour there..." grunted the guard holding the inmate's legs. The sarcasm dripped off his tongue.

"You mean he's passing out?" said the overweight doctor, huffing as he's trying to keep up.

A muffled sound came from the gagged inmate.

The large group squeezed through the infirmary's small door, the wood frame rapping against bare knuckles. Swearing and grunts echoed throughout the small room as they tossed the fettered man onto a gurney and strapped him down.

"Ask him," said the agitated guard as he and his fellow guards walked out the door, locking it from the other side.

The inmate started to mumble and fight his restraints. The doctor grabbed the file off the table and opened it.

"Lifetime sentence. There is no chance of parole," whispered the doctor. He shook his head and removed the gag from the man's mouth.

"Please, help me! I'm losing time. It feels like I'm losing my mind," screamed the inmate while gasping for breath.

The doctor sat down and raised his hand. "Calm down and explain it to me slowly," he ordered.

"It started twenty-two days ago after my appeal was lost. I started losing time. It was just an hour, not it's almost the whole day!"

"What do you mean?"

"Once, I was in a room filled with people, and then I was alone. It's been getting worse."

"Did you faint?" said the doctor.

"No! If I fainted, I would have ended up here earlier!"

The doctor pulled out his light and looked into the inmate's eyes. He moved the light up and down, blinding the inmate. The light made him close his eyes and then open them slowly. The room was dark, and the doctor was gone.

"No!" screamed the man.

Two men in dark clothing entered the room and grabbed his gurney. "Is he ready?" a grumbling voice asked.

"Ready for what?" said the inmate. They ignored him.

The tall man looked towards the ceiling and said, "He is operational. It's a go."

"Please tell me what is going on?" asked the inmate.

The two men released the inmate's bonds and walked through the wall.

"What in the hell?" said the inmate.

He stood up on the gurney and looked around. He climbed out and walked towards the door. It wasn't there. It had disappeared. He felt a sharp pain in his head, and then he blacked out.

He woke on his cot in his cell. As he stood up, a dull feeling filled his body. He looked around and started laughing. Was it a bad dream? Was it over? Everything felt different.

A provocative nurse appeared in front of his cell. "Everything is okay now. You won't lose time anymore. You have acclimated to the system."

"What system?" the inmate screamed through the bars. The nurse smiled and walked away.

"What system?"

The laughter of other inmates permeated the air as the man held his hands over his ears. He slipped down to the ground, mumbling, "What system?"

The nurse pulled the VR set off her head and smiled. "He's in."