The Death of Sarah Jones (ManxMan) ✔️

CHAPTER 2

Elliot doesn't sleep much that night, how could he? His life has taken a turn for the worse without a hint of warning.

He lies there in silence, dark circles under his eyes, his hair a misshapen mess. A steel tray is slid through the opening of his cell, carrying a pile of mush and rock-hard bread. He's given a few minutes to eat, but after two bites, the taste makes it impossible to stomach. He gives up. Soon after, before the sun has even had a chance to rise, he's pulled from his cell and escorted to a white van, where four other inmates are chained to him by their hands and feet.

As the van rumbles down the road, Elliot stares intently out the window, watching the trees rattle and brown leaves swirl in the wind. He gazes so deeply he swears he can almost smell the crisp fall air outside.

Eventually, the van leaves the busy city behind, heading toward an isolated field where a cement building looms, surrounded by coils of barbed wire. They stop in front of a gate, waiting as it slowly creaks open. The van rolls forward a little farther before the doors swing open, letting in a burst of fresh air. One by one, they are taken out.

Inside, the processing room is eerily similar to the one at the police station. They are unchained, fingerprinted, and entered into the system. Elliot is handed a mat, a thin gray blanket, and a deflated pillow—his, unfortunately, sporting a questionable tan and brown stain. He grimaces in disgust but has no time to dwell on it before he's separated from the others and led to his assigned unit.

Standing before the door that separates the hallway from the unit, Elliot takes a deep breath, bracing himself. When the buzzer sounds and the door swings open, he steps inside, immediately noticing the twenty or so inmates in identical blue uniforms, eating their meals. As he walks past, laughter erupts, and a few of them hurl remarks he'd rather not repeat.

Stopping in front of his assigned cell, he watches as the officer flashes his badge to a camera outside. A moment later, the lock clicks open.

"Set your stuff inside and join the others," the officer orders.

Elliot carefully places his belongings on the bed, folding them neatly. The door locks behind him with another buzz.

He follows the officer into the main room, glancing around warily. A sharp voice suddenly cuts through the noise.

"Lunch ends in five minutes! Start cleaning up! Make sure it's spotless, or no TV time today for any of you!"

Maybe skipping lunch isn't such a bad idea.

The room erupts into movement as inmates begin cleaning. Some stay at their tables, while others return to their cells. Elliot opts for the latter, quickly slipping inside. The door is propped open, but he wastes no time settling onto the lower bunk. He stares at the metal slats above him, wondering about his new cellmate.

"What are you in for?"

A deep voice startles him. Elliot jumps and sits up at the edge of the bed, unable to find his voice.

He hears rustling from above before a tall man with dark skin and striking blue hair drops down from the top bunk. The man steps closer, sizing Elliot up with an unreadable expression. Feeling trapped, Elliot instinctively presses his back against the cold wall.

"I said, what are you in for?"

"I'm in for murder... but I'm innocent," Elliot stammers.

The man smirks, looking away. "That's what they all say, white boy."

Great. He's been here for all of seven minutes, and he's already earned a nickname.

"But I really am innocent," Elliot insists. He hesitates for a moment before asking the question lingering in his mind. He doesn't overthink it—if he does, he won't say it. "...What are you here for?"

The man's expression shifts. "Don't go 'round here askin' questions like that unless you wanna get yourself shanked."

Elliot gulps and nods.

"And don't be tellin' nobody what you're in for."

Elliot wants to ask why, but he's beginning to understand—prison isn't a place for small talk.

"What's your name?" he asks instead, testing the waters.

The man raises a brow. "Call me Blue. And stop askin' so many damn questions."

Without another word, Blue heads for the door. Just before he steps out, Elliot speaks up again.

"Blue."

Blue turns slightly.

"My name's Elliot."

Blue doesn't respond. He just walks out, leaving Elliot alone in the cold, unfamiliar cell.