Elliot doesn't sleep much that night, how could he. His life has taken a turn for the worse without a cent of warning.
He lays there in silence with dark circles under his eyes and his hair a misshapen mess. He's slid a tray of mush and stone hard bread in a steel tray and given a few minuet to scarf it down, (which he attempted to do but the taste kept the food from settling in his stomach so he gave up after two bites) after that he's taken out of his cell before the sun even has a chance to rise, and moved into a white van with four other inmates chained to him by their hands and feet. As the van drives to the prison he stares intently out the window as trees rattle and brown leaves fly in the wind. He gapes so intently he's sure he can smell the crisp fall air outside.
Soon enough they make their way to the outskirts of the busy city and drive to a field with a cement building surrounded by coily barbed wire. They stop in front of a gate for a while then it slowly opens. The van continues a bit further then the van opens letting the fresh air inside and they are taken out of the van slowly one by one.
They are led to a room similar to the one of the prison where they are de-chained from each other and processed in the system. They are handed a mat, a thin gray blanket, and a deflated pillow; Elliot notices his pillow has a wired tan and brown stain on it. He makes a face of disgust but has no time to think about it when they quickly separate and taken to their respective units.
When Elliot gets to the door separating the unit from the hallways he takes a deep breath and prepares for what's to come. When the door is open with a buzz he walks in to see about twenty other inmates dressed in the same blue suits eating food. As he walks by the new inmates laugh at him and say things that Elliot would never dare to repeat. Once he stops in front of a cell the cops look at a camera outside it and show his badge and you can hear it unlock.
"Set your stuff inside and join the others." Elliot lays his stuff down folded neatly and walks back to the officer with his head down. The door closes behind him. The cop gives a hand signal to the camera and it locks behind them.
He walks out behind the officer into the main room apprehensive scanning the room. He jumps when a lady in the corner yells with a strong voice.
"Lunch ends in five minutes! Start picking up after yourself! Make sure it's spotless or no TV time today for any of you!"
Maybe skipping lunch isn't all that bad.
The room becomes rowdy as everyone cleans. The cells open and some Inmates stay at their table while some make their way into their cells. Elliot chose to walk back to his cell. The cell was propped open so Elliot wasted no time and headed to the bed he stared at the bottom of the bunk and wondered what his new roommate would be like.
"What are you in for?" A deep voice says from above him. Elliot jumps up and sits at the edge of the bed and is too frightened to answer.
He hears ruffling from above him and a tall man with deep skin and bright blue hair jumps from the top bunk. The tall man doesn't back away and sizes up Elliot and gives him an unreadable look. Elliot backs up so his back is against the wall but it still feels too close.
"I said," What are you in for?"
"I'm in for murder... but I'm innocent." The guy looks to the side and smirks.
"That's what they all say white boy." Great, Elliot's been here for a total of seven minutes and he's already earned himself a nickname.
"But I'm innocent..." Elliot thinks for a while and wonders if he should ask the question he wants to ask. He didn't think about it for too long because if he did, it wouldn't have left his mouth. "... what are you here for?"
"Don't be goin 'round here asking questions like that before you get yo'self shanked." Elliot takes a big gulp and gives him a nod. "And don't be tellin' anyone what you're in here for." Elliot wanted to ask why but he's beginning to understand that prison wasn't much of a place for small talk.
"What's your name?" Elliot was starting to understand. Heavy on starting.
"Call me blue. Don't be goin 'round askin' anyone's name either." His new roommate heads for the door and says one last thing. "Ya' got a lot to learn white boy, and ya' better learn quick." Blue makes it halfway out the door but Elliot says one last thing.
"Blue." Blue turns around. "My name's Elliot." Blue walks out without a response leaving Elliot alone.
YOU ARE READING
The Death of Sarah Jones (ManxMan) ✔️
Short Story"What are you in for?" A deep voice says from above him. Elliot jumps up and sits at the edge of the bed and is too frightened to answer. He hears ruffling from above him and a tall man with deep skin and bright blue hair jumps from the top bunk. Th...
