The Exception

Chapter 3

Crystal trudged towards the prison door. The redhead cop yanked her arm backwards, signaling for her to stop. Another cop, a woman with dirty blonde hair, knocked on the door. After a few seconds of waiting, the door flew open to reveal a woman.

Crystal squinted, trying to make out what the woman looked like. Before she could focus her eyes, the cop jerked her arm forward, making her stumble, and dragged her inside.

When Crystal stepped inside the old prison, she was immediately overwhelmed by the strong aroma of flowers. As she looked around, she found that the source of the smell was a large vase of roses on a table near the door.

She was surprised at the way the prison looked. It looked less like a prison, and more like someone's house. The room was covered in nice furniture. On the right was a living room, with a television mounted into the ceiling, surrounded by a brown leather couch. There was a table in the center of the room, covered in magazines. Behind it, near the back of the building, was what looked like a kitchen, from what Crystal could see. On the left of the building was a long hallway, leading to a metal door.

"Do you think you can handle her?" the cop asked the woman.

Crystal smirked, remembering her previous conversation with the cop.

"I'll be fine," a woman said.

Crystal looked around to see that the woman was the same woman that opened the door. She was a heavyset woman, with curly brown hair. She had brown eyes, and looked about six feet tall.

"We'll be standing outside, if you need anything," the cop with red hair said.

"I said, I'll be fine," the woman said sternly. "I can handle myself."

"Okay ma'am, just be careful," the cop said. He gave Crystal's arm to the woman. He then gave her the key to the handcuffs, and walked out the door, locking it behind him.

"Now that you'll be here as a..." She paused. "...guest, it's fair that you learn everyone's name," the woman said. "I'm Glenda Labate, and-" she started, but was interrupted by a man's voice coming from the back of the house.

"What was that about?" he asked walking towards them. As he came into view, Crystal saw that he was about her age. He had dark blonde hair and amber brown eyes.

When the man saw Crystal he stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened. He gasped, staring at her. "It can't be," he managed to get out. "It's impossible."

Crystal ignored him. She was used to people acting like this around her, so the man didn't come as a surprise.

"It is," the woman said. "This is James Daxton, my intern. And James, you obviously know who this is."

James didn't say anything, but kept staring at Crystal.

"Well this has been fun," Glenda said, breaking the silence. "James, would you mind taking Crystal to her cell? I'll be in the kitchen."

"What?" James said, removing his eyes from Crystal, and directing them at Glenda. "Oh, sure. I'll take her."

Glenda yanked Crystal's arm and gave her to James. She stumbled, but managed to catch herself. Then, Glenda pulled out the key to the handcuffs, and gave it to James.

"Have fun," Glenda sarcastically called out to James as she walked towards the kitchen.

James grabbed Crystal's arm and pulled her down the long hallway towards the door.

"Did you just let them take you, or did you actually put up a fight?" James asked.

Crystal didn't say anything, and kept walking towards the door.

"I see you aren't going to talk to me," he said.

When they got to the door, James dug in his pocket and pulled out a key. Putting the key in the lock, he turned it, and slid the door open.

Inside the door were the sic cells, two rows of three.

"That's where the cells are," she thought.

Crystal felt a yank on her arm as James pulled her into the room.

The walls and cells were both painted gray. Everything in the room was. Besides a small door in the back, which was painted black. It looked like the type of door a custodian would use.

James pulled Crystal towards the end of the row, and instead of putting her in a cell, he walked towards the door. He took out the key again and used it to open the back door. The door opened to a forest behind the prison.

"What are you doing?" Crystal asked.

"Oh, now you decide to talk," he laughed.

He took a different key out of his pocket. Crystal recognized it as the key to the handcuffs. He put the key in the handcuffs, and turned it. Crystal felt the metal come off her hands, giving her free movement.

"The police officers are right outside the front door. They don't know we have a back door, so they didn't think to guard it, which gives us a way out. If we are quiet, we can slip into the forest and make it out without being seen. If you refuse to listen to me, you WILL be caught," he said. "Got that?"

"Yeah, I got it, I just don't understand," she said. Her mind rushed at why James would do this. She wasn't sure why he was helping her and not putting her in a cell, when he had just been shocked to see her earlier.

James ignored her. "Come on," he said leading her out. He stepped into the forest, disappearing into the trees.

Crystal looked back at the prison, and saw the cells through the open door. She also saw the front of the squad car she rode in, peeking out from in front of the building. She knew about twenty cops would be out there, waiting for her to try to escape. Crystal realized that she could either go back to that cold cell, or follow James into the forest. Having no other option, she disappeared into the forest after him.

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