Lockdown

"In this world you will have trouble. But 
take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 16:33 NIV
 
There were rumors this was possibly going to happen...

And it did. Yesterday after breakfast, and shortly before the call was made to allow those inmates who have classes or work assignments to report to their assigned areas, an announcement was made for everyone to remain in their cells until further notice. Also, for those individuals who are already out of their cells, to return to them at once.
 
As all of us know from prison protocol, this means a much-dreaded lockdown. Usually, it's because of a major search that's now underway, where every man's living quarters is going to be searched for contraband. Or it could be because someone is unaccounted for, which happens on occasion. 
 
With the latter, it's usually because a prisoner forgot to show up at the place he was expected to be at. And when the missing individual is then found and accounted for, the lockdown will be lifted, and things will be returned to normal.
 
Nevertheless, the announcement of a lockdown is a cause for alarm. Other than the reasons I mentioned where it may be for an entire day, or even for only an hour, when a lockdown is in effect, it means everything comes to a stop. We have to stay in our cells and wait. For us, it means remaining idle until the lockdown order is lifted.
 
But then came the bad news, the prison guards, most of them at least for now, have walked off the job. 
 
What's next? I don't know. But what I do know is that I'm confined to my cell, and so is everyone else.
 
D.B.