A young man recounts his experience in prison, where he became well-respected and followed the rules. However, his demeanor changed after a traumatic encounter with a corrections officer named Mitchell. Mitchell forced the young man to strip naked in a high-traffic area, which triggered a deep-seated phobia of being naked in front of others.
The young man became consumed by a desire for revenge and spent eight months planning to kill Mitchell. He shared his plan with two fellow inmates, al-amin and Mustafa, and waited for the perfect opportunity to strike.
That chance arrived when the young man was tasked with helping another inmate move to a different building. He used this as a chance to get close to Mitchell, who was working at the gate. The young man had a knife and a mattress to conceal his face, but just as he was about to attack, his fellow inmates appeared, and Mitchell became aware of the potential threat.
Instead of attacking, the young man decided to walk away, leaving Mitchell shaken. The young man felt a sense of satisfaction, knowing that he had instilled fear in Mitchell, and he was able to find closure without resorting to violence.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator was 19 years old when he went to prison.
2. He is now 21 years old and has been in prison for a while.
3. He was a fire safety clerk in prison.
4. The narrator bought a pair of white shorts from the commissary for $7.
5. He wears the shorts every day, even under his boxers.
6. The narrator had a problem with being naked in the hallway.
7. He had a run-in with an officer named Mitchell.
8. Mitchell strip-searched the narrator in a high-traffic area.
9. The narrator told his mother that he didn't think he would be coming home.
10. He planned to kill Mitchell for eight months.
11. The narrator confided in two people, Al-Amin and Mustafa, about his plan.
12. He overheard that Mitchell would be working at the gate near the cafeteria.
13. The narrator came up with a plan to kill Mitchell while moving to a new building.
14. He hid a knife and carried a mattress to conceal his face.
15. The narrator was accompanied by another inmate, who was unaware of his plan.
16. Al-Amin and Mustafa tried to stop the narrator from carrying out his plan.
17. The narrator was stopped by Mitchell at the gate, but he didn't carry out the attack.
18. He was satisfied with just seeing the terror in Mitchell's eyes and walked away.