"You filthy monks, you damned bald bastards, let me out! Let me out, damn it! This is illegal imprisonment! I'm going to sue you, I'm going to sue you for locking me up—let me out!"
I screamed myself hoarse. Seven whole days—I've been locked up in this Iron Tower. Every day, someone brings me three meals, and at a small door, someone comes to empty the chamber pot.
During the first three days, I pleaded and begged in every way I could, just hoping they'd let me out. But as the days dragged on, I grew more anxious and irritable. I even dumped the contents of my chamber pot outside and cursed nonstop. Yet the monks would come, clean up meticulously, and seemed completely unfazed by my rudeness and insults.
I gripped the iron window with both hands and gazed blankly outside. I desperately wanted to get out. By now, night had fallen, and I'd just finished dinner.
Disheartened, I went back upstairs and lay down. These days are just like prison. Every night, I've been woken by the crying from next door.
It's the heartbreaking sobs of a woman next door. Suddenly, the door downstairs was knocked on. It felt like hope—so I ran down.
"Howard, Howard, help me! Call the police, hurry, call the police..."
Standing outside the door was Howard. He looked much more energetic, but shook his head.
"Ethan, I can barely protect myself. My monastic seniors are especially fierce. Any time I have a stray thought, they know—and they'll whip my shoulders with rattan. Look, my shoulders are like this now."
As he spoke, Howard pulled down his collar, revealing bruises—blue and purple all over.
"Ethan, just agree to what the master says and play along for now."
Howard was here to persuade me, but I stubbornly shook my head.
"I won't play along, Howard. Can you call the police for me?"
"Call the police? Up here on the mountain, there's not even a phone, let alone a TV. They don't even allow me to go down the mountain. I just pretended to have a stomachache to sneak out. If my senior brothers find out, I'll get beaten again."
I lowered my head, feeling miserable.
"Hey, Ethan, you're so stubborn. You just don't know how to adapt. Just agree with the master for now. Besides, I heard the abbot wants to take you as a disciple. Then you'd be my uncle!"
"I don't want to be a monk, Howard. Please, think of something and save me."
"I told you, you're being silly. They don't actually want you to become a real monk. Just agree first, get through a few days, and look for a chance to sneak away. That's all you have to do."
I looked at Howard with a glimmer of hope and nodded enthusiastically.
Howard hurried off, leaving in a puff of smoke.