Days had passed since I had arrived. Worry grew within me, causing me to lose sleep. My mind was filled with horrible thought of what would happen to me. Would I ever get home or would I be stuck there for the rest of my life?
Twice a day, a guard in a turquoise uniform shoved a cold metal plate containing a glass of water, a mysterious green pill, and a bowl of fruit. Since I wouldn't eat the pill, the only food I got during the day were two bowls of fruit. My weight had dropped considerably with the lack of nutrition. After a few days of watching, I noticed that the guy across from me received a similar pill but instead of a bowl of fruit, he got a large plate heaped with varying meats and vegetables.
I waited for the next meal before speaking up. Right as the man placed the guy's tray in his cell I began to speak, "Why should he get a real meal, when I get this measly bowl of fruit? I'd like to speak to whoever's in charge of the meals." The guard chuckled as he nonchalantly walked away.
"You really don't know much do you," the guy across the hall says. I looked over to find him sitting on the floor across from me. His better-than-you tone was really irritating me.
"Well, sorry for pointing out that I'm starving over here," I respond, deeply annoyed. A small smile spread across his lips. Silently, he took the pill and water off his tray and pushed the rest under the bars, across the hall, and into my cell. Although I didn't know him, the act had won him some points with me; even with those points his attitude still left him with negative points.
I ravenously tore into a piece of chicken, letting the juices run down my face. Suddenly, I realized he was still watching me. He laughed softly at my embarrassment before downing the pill and returning to his cold iron bench. Without his watchful eyes, I ate the entire plate of food, as usual leaving the strange pill.
"If you really want to know why I get better food then I'll tell you. You are just a regular prisoner, while I'm a political prisoner. My father led a small revolt against the corrupt government which landed all of us in here." I considered that, deciding he was telling the truth.
Even knowing the truth I still found it unfair and wanted more answers, "I don't know much about this government but, it probably is corrupt considering their unfair food portions! Anyways, I didn't commit any crime so shouldn't I get better food." He considered it for a moment, running his hand through his hair.
"I'm not really in a place to be judgemental since I'm here too, but you obviously did something to get yourself in here." His comment made me remember what exactly "I" had done. Priscilla had run away from her arranged marriage to a very powerful man named Tyler Florny. My mind was conflicted; could I tell him the truth or tell him what Priscilla had done. Somehow I felt I could trust him and decided to tell him the truth, "The truth is, I really didn't do anything. Really, I'm not even from here. I need to get home."
Confusion flashed across his face as his mind tried to process this. "So where are you from then? In the outskirts? Ritan is the only civilized country left since the Great War." Ritan, I remembered was the country where the only people left in the world lived. How could I explain to him where I was from?
"It's kind of hard to explain..." Even so I attempted to explain everything that had happened to me. He would nod and comment at the appropriate times but didn't ask any questions until I was finished.
"I'm not sure I understand how you did it though. We're you just sucked in? I-I'm just not sure I can believe this just yet." I nodded understandingly, how was I supposed to expect him to believe what I had just told him? I don't think I would have believed it myself. He looked surprised that I didn't try to convince him but didn't question it. "Maybe we can talk more later," he yawned stretching his arms up in the air. I hadn't realized it, but I too was exhausted; curling up on the hard metal slab they called a bed, I soon drifted off to sleep.
I awoke to a loud clanking sound in the passage outside my cell. Two guards stood by as another cautiously unlocked my cell. They were setting me free! Maybe they had somehow realized that I really wasn't Priscilla West. My dreams were crushed as soon as one of the men put strange high-tech handcuffs on my wrists and marched me down the hall. The spectacle of me twisting and turning in the man's grip caused many of the other prisoners to awaken and stare.
My wrists felt raw by the time I entered what looked to be a court room. Burgundy cloth covered every surface not made of some sort of dark wood. An older man in a heavy looking turquoise robe sat in a grand chair overlooking the room. Two wood tables and matching chairs were set facing the man. Off to the side a group of men, all wearing some sort of turquoise clothing, sat in a group watching me. Tapestries with pictures of various people on them hung from every available wall.
Some of the men jotted down notes as I was forced to sit behind one of the two tables. If my knowledge from watchig Court TV was true then, I probably needed a lawyer but, I wasn't about to bring that up with the response I had gotten for speaking up about the food.
After a few moments an official looking man in a dark suit entered and sat behind the empty table. I could feel his cold gaze resting on me. With his entrance the judge and what possibly was the jury became silent.
The judge cleared his throat before beginning, "We are meeting here today on the occasion of Miss West's infraction of Section 4 Paragraph 3 which clearly states: No woman may break an officially arranged engagement or marriage without the consent of her counterpart, lest she face due penalties." He then motioned for the official man to come up. When he was in the front I could see his features much better. He had short gray hair and pale blue eyes that had a strange opaqueness to them.
His strange eyes glared at me before he began his speech, "This woman, Priscilla West, has clearly broken off her engagement and as a result deserves her due punishment. If she is not punished she will continue to act out against our society's laws in even worse ways then now. She must be taught her place before she begins to form other ideas."
The jurers nodded in agreement and wrote more notes. Several more witnesses came and gave testimonies about my wild behavior. I figured that I would at least get to say something on my behalf but the trial was abruptly ended after the last witness. The judge and jurers went into a room to deliberate my sentence while I was dragged back to my cell.
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So I'm actually happy with the way this chapter came out! Thanks so much for reading. Update soon!
Hugs and flowers,
me
