The car moved down the empty river-bed streets and off away, leaving the empty streets with the empty side-walks and no sound and no motion all the rest of the chilly November night. The drive, though short, felt like an eternity for Mr. Mead. Sweat trickled down his back, though it wasn't from the temperature; it was from the fear of what was to come. Perhaps, he thought, if he could just fall asleep, he could escape his troubles. He drifted into a fitful slumber, dreaming of walking down the empty street, kicking a nearby rock, the sound echoing through the desolate landscape. "Get out now," a voice commanded sternly, shattering his dreams. Mr. Mead's heart raced as he saw two figures in bright yellow suits, their faces obscured by masks,…show more content… Mead's mind reeled. His crime, whatever it may have been, had led him to this moment. "Your crime violated law 455, page 1056 passage 98," the other figure recited mechanically. You must stay in your house at ALL times.”As they led him towards the Psychiatric Center, Mr. Mead struggled against their grip, his voice rising in protest. What are you doing now? he demanded, his words tinged with desperation. But before he could finish, a searing pain shot through his abdomen as one of the guards tased him. He crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath. "If you speak without our permission," the guard intoned, his voice cold and mechanical, “you will experience unfathomable pain beyond your imagination." And so, Leonard Mead was silenced, his fate sealed within the confines of a world that had no place for those who dared to walk alone in the silent streets of a society that feared the sound of footsteps. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months as Leonard endured unspeakable pain and suffering at the hands of his captors. They probed his mind and body, dissecting his every thought and movement in the name of research and
