Twisted

Chapter 1

SpongeBob, you were right; another day, another nickel, or at least it feels like it. I work all day for all most nothing every week. Who would work for six dollars and fifty cents an hour... Oh yeah, me. Mental Note: get new job.

Ding! Wow, my first customer of the day and the first sign of life outside these Plexiglas windows since eight this morning. It's a little girl. I'd say she's ten, or eleven, twelve at the oldest. She's short for her age; long, perfect brown spirals lay down her back, tied up with a frilly pink bow, pink dress to match. She's headed for the beverage aisle.

"Hey little girl, you need any help," I yell. Probably not a good idea to yell at a twelve year old girl who has a no acknowledgement of your existence, but it's my job. She jumps.

"Ummm... No, I'm okay. I've already got it," she says. She's heading for the checkout counter with a gallon of milk.

"Is this all," I ask.

"Yes."

"Late breakfast crisis?"

"Huh," she hesitates, "yeah," she chuckles. Well, I guess I'm better at reading people than I thought. Just then, the annoying ring of the door sounds again. It happened so fast...

I push the gun away from her cold, unmoving body. I put my head to her chest. She's not breathing. I scream. "What have I done... Why didn't I..." Suddenly, like a shock of lightning jolting through my body, I run to the antiquely old phone. I hastily push the three numbers with my unsteady fingers. My hands are shaking so rapidly that I misdial the number numerous times. It doesn't help that my fingers are slipping off the keys from the little girl's blood, thick and crimson red on my hands. Finally, after countless attempts, I manage to dial the number.

After the call, I drop the phone down onto the hard floor, not caring if it breaks into hundreds of tiny pieces. I race over to check on the girl. Now, blue in color, and still not breathing. Her once beautiful spirals are now strung across her face, spread out in clumped strands. Her lips are purple. She's as cold as an early winter morning. I look up and see, who I suppose is the girl's mother.

The woman drops to her knees, only feet away from her daughter's motionless body. "My baby," she cries. She cups her daughter's head in her quivering hands and rocks her as if it will ease her pain.

She's gone. I can't help but stare at the little girl's, probably once so full of life, now, lifeless eyes. They're fixated open, staring blankly at the ceiling. They look horrifyingly fake, processed, man made. Who could take the life of an innocent child, who...

I watch the medics carry her out on a stretcher, her body tightly closed in a plastic bag. The police walk up to me and ask me some questions. After I finish answering them, I hear the mother call out insanely, "She's crazy, she did this. You even said her finger prints were on the gun-" the sheriff cuts her off.

"Ma'am we've got this handled."

I've been here for hours, tired and in shock from the event, I just want to go home, to get away from this unreal nightmare. Suddenly, I jerk back, surprised that bitterly cold, tight cuffs have been placed on my wrists.

"Wha-what are you doing," I shout, kicking and shoving, trying to get the policemen off of me. "I didn't do it!" At this point, I probably did look like a mad woman.

"Ma'am, ma'am," the sheriff's booming voice interrupts my tantrum. "We have enough evidence to prove that your the perpetrator... Unless, you could show us some footage from your security cameras, we haven't done that yet."

"But we don't have security cameras inside, just one out back."

"Are you aware that all stores are supposed to have security cameras, outside and inside?"

"Yes, but my boss says its too expensive to be buying brand new security cameras for such a run down, little store."

"Well miss, it looks like you've ran out of luck then. Now, don't make me force you into this car." Not wanting to make matters worse, I get into the car with no hesitation.

In the back, I take a seat in the middle, trying to avoid, what seems to be dried vomit in the next seat over. The car reeks of overly sprayed cologne mixed with food that has been left in the heated car, exposed to the scorching sun. The putrid smell brings tears to my eyes and and makes my nose flare. I catch a glimpse of the food smell, a half eaten, homemade salami sandwich, oozing with caked on mayonnaise. Mayonnaise. I am at the verge of throwing up, when the air is turned on and I begin to relax a little and somehow hold the sensation back. I don't understand how these men could ride in such a stench.

No one talks, so I start to think. I figure since the police department is a good while away from here, a long car ride would do me some good, to clear my head and all, maybe even think of a tactic.

In what seems like only seconds, but in reality, has been forty-five minutes, we arrive at the police department. The officer slowly parks in what I assume, is his official parking area. The officer that drove me and the fellow officer here opens my door. I slide over to the left. The officer, I find out by his name patch that he is officer Koenig, gently places his hand on my head so I don't hit it on the low roof of the car. He's very handsome. He has light brown hair and hazel eyes, a tall stature, and is fairly muscular. I'm glad he is my escort to the police department instead of the sheriff. Officer Koenig actually makes this affair a little easier.

He leads me to the entrance of the department and makes me have a seat in front of a big oval desk stacked with papers. He sits beside me. I guess we're both waiting for further instructions from the sheriff. He senses my tension and asks me if I want a cup of water. He makes a remark that the water is nasty fountain water and probably not sanitary for drinking as an attempt to lighten my mood. It doesn't work. I'm freaking out right now. I simply shake my head and give a small smile as a gesture of appreciation.

The sheriff walks in and tells officer Koenig to take me to an empty cell. He takes hold of my arm and guides me to a door that reads TEMPORARY CELLS. He pushes the door open and urges me to go forward. We walk down a narrow hallway that makes a turn to the left. We pass many rooms that all seem to be filled with deputies or office workers. We reach the cells and he points to the first one. All the cells are empty except the one that I have now been placed in.

Just before he puts me in my temporary cell, Officer Koenig relieves me by taking off the dagger like cuffs. He slowly slides the rusty bared doors to a close and locks it. He gives the door a hard pull to make sure it's locked before he gives a kind nod and leaves me to my lonesome.

Well, who knows how long I'll be stuck in this cell, so might as well make myself comfortable. The fold out bed is stripped of its sheets. I look around the tiny cell for sheets, and possibly some blankets. There, sitting on a small table lays some, neatly folded,too. I grab one and sling it over the bed, running my hands over it over and over again, trying to get the wrinkles out. I take another and hop onto the hard bed. I am fighting with the sheet, it's not covering my body right. I give up and let it hang over the bed halfway, pretty much dangling on the dirt collected floor. I close my eyes and allow myself to fall asleep.

With what little sleep I had, I was consumed with nightmares. I dreamt of a padded, mustard colored room. I was in a straight jacket. People, I was unaware of who, were tugging on me, pulling out my orange hair in thick clumps, spitting in my face, and cursing me. Once they left me alone I cried and rocked myself back and forth. Why were those people doing this to me. What had I done to deserve this. Then I remembered.

I woke up breathless. Like in my dream, I flung my arms around me and rocked myself back and forth. What a horrible dream. Just then, someone came from behind the door. It was a female officer. She was also with officer Koenig and two other deputies. She is now walking towards me. I'm jittery for some reason. She unlocks the door and leads me out of the cell. She placed cuffs on me and that's when I attacked her.