The prison bus always arrived later in the day. Some guys made it a big deal. I didn’t. The arrival of the bus, usually on Wednesdays, meant a few new faces. I glimpsed at one of those faces. He seemed scared, more so than the rest. Weak. I was sure he’d have a tough time here.

His face changed overnight, though. He looked like one of us. Word soon got around, like it always does, that he was serving 7-10 for trafficking. First time.

A couple months later, some of the sisterhood cornered him by the laundry. I’d seen it before, and it was never pretty. Nothing anybody could do. They made him get on his knees. I figured when I saw his face, it would again be filled with fear. I was wrong.

I’d lived with murderers, rapists, all the worst kinds of scum on the planet. This kid’s face turned from a neutral, don’t-give-a-shit to one of tempered steel. Immediately after the change, a razor appeared from under his arm. He didn’t stop slashing until two sisters lay gutted, and one no longer possessed a sexual organ.

I never knew his real name, but after that we started calling him Charlie, after Manson. He never talked to anybody. I don’t think he ever saw my face.

A new guy transferred from upstate one day. His name was Collins. Cowboy-looking. About 6’ 7” or so, and solid. In the cafeteria, some guys dared him to mess with Charlie. I sat two tables away. No one ever sat close to Charlie.

Collins approached, and Charlie didn’t seem to notice. I didn’t see exactly what happened next, because everybody was standing and the guards rushed in. From what I could tell, Charlie bit off Collins’ thumb, broke his arm, and a couple of ribs. We never saw Collins again.

The only time I ever talked to Charlie, or heard him talk, was a week or so after that, while we were both washing dishes.

“You know if you don’t make some friends here, you won’t make it,” I said.

“You’re full of shit, you think I wanna make it here,” then he spat. “Think dyin’s worse than this? Fuck no.”

Less than a month later, they found him in his bed. Strangled.