▁the ▁Earth ’ s ▁surface . ▁One ▁way ▁in ▁and ▁no ▁way ▁out . ▁Once ▁you ' re ▁here , ▁you ' re ▁here ▁until ▁you ▁die , ▁and ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁in m ates ▁that ▁doesn ' t ▁take ▁long ▁- ▁not ▁with ▁the ▁sad istic ▁gu ards ▁and ▁the ▁blood th irst y ▁gang s . ▁Con v icted ▁of ▁a ▁murder ▁he ▁didn ' t ▁commit , ▁sent enced ▁to ▁life ▁without ▁par ole , ▁‘ new ▁fish ’ ▁Alex ▁S aw yer ▁knows ▁he ▁has ▁two ▁choices : ▁find ▁a ▁way ▁out , ▁or ▁res ign ▁himself ▁to ▁a ▁death ▁behind ▁bars , ▁in ▁the ▁darkness ▁at ▁the ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁Only ▁in ▁F urn ace , ▁death ▁is ▁the ▁least ▁of ▁his ▁wor ries . ▁So on ▁Alex ▁disco vers ▁that ▁the ▁prison ▁is ▁a ▁place ▁of ▁pure ▁evil : ▁where ▁cre atures ▁in ▁gas ▁mask s ▁st alk ▁the ▁cor rid ors ▁at ▁night , ▁where ▁gi ants ▁in ▁black ▁su its ▁drag ▁sc ream ing ▁in m ates ▁into ▁the ▁sh adows , ▁where ▁de formed ▁be asts ▁can ▁be ▁heard ▁how ling ▁from ▁the ▁blood ▁d rench ed ▁t unn els ▁below ▁waiting ▁to ▁kill . ▁And ▁behind ▁everything ▁is ▁the ▁myster ious , ▁all - power ful ▁w arden , ▁a ▁man ▁as ▁cruel ▁and ▁as ▁dangerous ▁as ▁the ▁devil ▁himself , ▁whose ▁un th ink able ▁acts ▁have ▁consequences ▁that ▁stretch ▁far ▁beyond ▁the ▁walls ▁of ▁the ▁prison .