Explanation
A prompt story
© 2025 by Walter Reimer

Prompt: contraband

Over a decade ago:

“Hey!” the inmate yelped as I walked past him. “What are you taking that for?”

“This?” I asked, hefting the obviously handmade and hand-bound book in my hand. “It’s contraband, so it’s being confiscated.”

“What?!” he said. “That’s mine!”

“Not anymore.”

“I worked really hard on that!” He was being quite insistent.

“It’s contraband,” I explained patiently. I indicated the ‘pages.’ “Look here, you used a stack of medical request forms to make the pages, right?”

“Yeah . . . “

“So, an excessive amount, and you altered the forms from their original condition and you’re not using them as intended.” I pointed. “The ‘binding’ is strips of bed sheet, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but – “

“Again, altering items from their intended or original condition.” Sometimes I enjoyed being a pedant. “Plus, somewhere you got hold of a red pen or marker.” I tsked. “Not allowed.”

“Can you put it in my property?” he whined.

I shook my head. “Nope.” I moved on to place the ‘book’ in the building control room. Yes, it was supposed to be destroyed, but I decided to keep it as a graphic training aid for any classes I might teach in the future.

And I still have it, to this very day.


end