From Weakness to Strength

The Definition of Hell

The drive was 18 minutes long. The building was huge and made of brick. It was about three stories high and about a few hundred feet in width and had little girls swarming around the buildings. The age range was about five to 17. They all wore the same getup Darla wore. Darla thought it was disgusting that everyone looked the same and they couldn't at least express themselves through clothing. At this point it didn't matter which side of town they came from because Darla was in the middle class territory. 

Gertrude Pan got out of the van, opened the door and pulled out the ramp. As Darla rolled down the ramp, the attention of the girls changed towards the van and the scrawny girl rolling out of it. Darla saw the staring and started to give off an intimidating facial expression to look tough. This did intimidate some of the kids, mostly the younger ones, but the older ones whispered and gossiped to the others. Darla saw this and tried to make herself look more intimidating. She looked down, but kept her eyes up. This was a little more effective towards some of the older gossiping kids. Darla wanted to look like a monster to them so that when it came to actually staying there, they would leave her alone. 

Darla and Ms. Pan approached the building and went through double doors that were pulled open by a couple kids. Instead of taking her upstairs to a room, Gertrude Pan and another young woman who was waiting by a pair of stairs that went down. She had short brown hair and was a little plump woman. Her and Ms. Pan picked up the wheelchair and carried her down the stairs. Darla got tense and started to shake. She didn't like basements. She never did as a little girl. The lights turned on and there was a chair in the middle of the room that connected to wires that were plugged in to a power outlet. 
"Now, Ms. Jackson..." said Ms. Pan. 
"Hood," Darla growled. 
"Jackson." Ms. Pan gritted her teeth. "Something to do with that hair." 
"Didn't you already get your jollies by brushing it?" I asked. 
"No. It was too...greasy. We need to wash it out and get you properly cleaned before supper. Now, Ms. Kraut and I will help you undress. We have a tub down here that is used for...disabled children. We don't get them very often, so we don't use it. Sorry if the tub is a little...dirty. I'm sure you're used it it." Ms. Pan said with a smirk. Darla really hated her now. At first it was a soft loath, but now it's a pure hate. 

Ms. Kraut started up a tub that lay in the west corner of the room. It was a little dirty and the handles were rusted over. Ms. Pan helped Darla undress and wheel her over to the tub. Ms. Pan and Ms. Kraut carefully picked Darla up and placed her in the tub. The water was lukewarm and Darla liked her baths piping hot. So, Darla shivered as they rinsed her off and washed the grease out of her hair. She shivered and felt violated as the washed her body with nothing but a bar of soap. 
Once they were done they drained the tub and dried her with a single towel. They redressed her and dried her hair with a blow dryer. For Ms. Pan's satisfaction and to Darla's displeasure, Ms. Pan curled Darla's hair with a curling iron and placed a bow in her hair. 
Darla remained dangerously still the whole time. She was so tired and emotionally exhausted she just let it happen. She dearly missed the grease, the leather jackets, the jeans, and her boys. She lost it all. 
I never should have spoken up! she thought. I never should have gone to that stupid trial! I never should have listened to Johnny's letter!
That one thought hurt Darla. She felt disgusted with herself right after she thought of it. She loved Johnny and would never say or even think anything bad about him. Darla tilted her head. 

"Now, Ms. Jackson," said Ms. Pan as she stood before Darla, her hands folded as had her shoulders relaxed. 
"You will now join us for our meal. I know that you have not eaten for a few days and you must be starving. But I also understand you refuse to eat anything. If you do not comply with eating your mean we provide you, we have no choice but to feed you by force followed by other consequences. Ms. Pan's eyes glanced over to the wired chair. Darla's eyes also landed on it. She didn't seem at all intimidated by it.