"Scapegoat" by Manuel P

     I am going to get executed in a few days; the jury has finally decided that I would get
shot by a fire squad by the end of the week. Who knew that I would get to this point in my life; I
am in utter disbelief that someone as innocent as myself, or at least I believe myself to be
innocent, would be executed for the actions committed by another individual. I was enraged by
the fact of his betrayal and how he could put the blame on me without hesitation. I ask myself
the same questions sometimes- Was it really worth it? Does this individual hold any significance
in my life? I have been stuck in solitary confinement for quite some time now, where isolation
has become common practice, and my only friend seems to be myself. Nobody from my family
or any of my comrades have stopped by to visit me, which shows how their perception of a
criminal can get to their heads, whether they view me as a hostile person or just a
disappointment. As I continued to go through the motions of my final week here, all I could think
about was the period of time where I first met this person to the time I was first imprisoned. I
could relive the moments of the unintentional manslaughter where I was caught in the act at the
wrong time and place. During the moment where I got caught, I knew that against all odds, that
everybody would view me as guilty. I was driven to madness as the constant sequence of
events would run through my mind everyday. It is crazy to believe that this individual was
considered to be a close friend of mine in the past or how everybody did not seem to care that I
was in prison; however, deep down in my heart, I still viewed this person as a friend, despite the
pain of betrayal outweighing my emotions. Life in prison has progressively numbed my emotions
until the actual day of the execution. As I woke up, I realized that I was going to die today. This
reality check revived what was left of my mental integrity. Just as any normal day at the prison, I
went through the daily routine until I was called up to the field where I would get executed. As I
walked, I could see my family and friends attending the execution and I could not help but cry at
the fact that I would not be able to see them again. I eventually bid farewell to my family and
friends but was shocked to find that the individual who I took the blame for was not in
attendance at my execution. Even though his absence was disheartening, it made me realize
that he was ashamed to show his face to me despite all of the things I have done for him. At this
point, I figured that it was pointless to think that he would show up as I walked away from the
crowd to death row. I could visualize all of the memories in my life after they forced me onto my
knees and placed a bag over my head. As my life flashed before my eyes, I realized that
throughout most of my life, I have gone through various positive memories that outnumber the
negatives; I found the courage to forgive him for what he did to me. After All, closure is not met
without forgiveness. . . As the countdown began, I could not help but smile at the fact that I was
able to share memories with this person and the others who gave my life meaning.