INMATE 22

LET'S START FROM THE END

I kept my eyes open from the beginning of the night until the first morning light climbed through my window and started to cover the silence of my room, splashing the mess that surrounded me. The papers all over the floor, the coffee on the bed, and the clothes on top of Al's photo. I couldn't say for sure if that last part was a mistake or if I did it on purpose, but there was no time for that.

I needed to face him.

Ask him.

Before the alarm marked 6:00 am I turned it off and jumped out of bed. My brain was working 100 miles per hour, and my chest was begging me to calm down or I would have a heart attack. The only moment that truly made me stop was when I saw myself in the mirror. Not that I wanted to, but the reflection caught me without warning. There it was, big and dark, invading almost my whole torso. I was never a huge fan of tattoos, and Alan wasn't either. For a second, I wondered what would he say about the giant circles getting mixed with my veins, my skin.

Alan isn't here anymore, and never will be.

I picked the only blouse I had with long sleeves, put a few papers in my bag along with my daughter's picture, and left. After forty-five minutes of driving, I reached Morachs Penitentiary. When I got to the entrance booth, Gloria said hi to me the same way she had been doing it since I worked there, with a small nod of the head without leaving the cup of coffee. No questions asked.

The parking lot was almost empty, just a few cars of my well-known coworkers were filling the spaces. And none of them were Jaqueline's.

Perfect.

Inside, the same routine was being carried out by the same people. Everything was normal, although, nothing really was.

Henry looked at me from behind his desk.

"Morning Doctor Arjo"he said.

Breathe, just breathe and smile. Good morning, I am here to see inmate 222. Don't doubt, they know nothing. Remember, inmate 222.

"Hi Henry, am, I am here to..."

"Elena?"