His face was covered in sweat, his hair matted down on his forehead. The back of his shirt was torn to hell from the whips, and looked almost as bad as he did. He had long since cut his pants at the knees to try to cool down some during the midday heat, but it didn�t seem to help much. The man ten feet to his right holding the whip looked far more comfortable. He stood straight at about 5� 10�, his bluish uniform flashing slightly from the coolant layer that lay embedded in the inner layer. He had a pistol at his side, but he didn�t use it often.
Three more long hours passed, and the sun finally went down. Ryan�s work day was over, and he could finally return to the barracks for a cheap meal and some much deserved rest. It was the only time he could just lie there and think, which is what he hated about it.
He gazed up at the ceiling with tired eyes, and his mind began to wander. He missed the blue skies, the beautiful sunrises and sunsets. So much had been taken from him, and he didn�t even know if he was a complete person anymore. He felt so alone now; his brother had joined the military long ago, and he hadn�t heard from him in months. His parents were shot before his eyes only a few weeks ago when they became too exhausted to work anymore.
He had nothing; he wanted out. He had nothing to lose now. They could shoot him, torture him to death, he didn�t care. Nothing could be worse than this life of pain and loneliness that he felt now. Tears rolled down his face, and Ryan soon was relieved from the pains of reality, even if for only one night.
