Chapter 1
Teasing the metal shard from his mattress Tass gouged a line into the concrete wall. One more day etched in stone. He ran his fingers over the hundreds of marks behind his head. Too many to count. He lay back and stared at the stained mattress oozing through loose metal springs above him. Clenching his teeth, he turned to the wall. At least with his bunk in this corner, only one boy was within touching distance. The piercing night bell rang. The lights flickered out. Savage night time banter erupted from the forty-nine other teenage boys in the locked room. He heard his name and tensed, ready to defend himself, but a moment later the strenuous day and pacifying drugs saved him - the name calling mellowed to grunts and snores. Tass’s face twisted into a rare smile. He was still awake for the third night in a row. He knew the authorities were drugging them. He'd suspected the bread which was the doughy bulk of their diet. He'd hidden his, pretending to eat. The feeli...