Behind Bars (wlw)

Part 2

HARLOW

I never thought I would go through the humiliation of having my body strip searched, my fingerprints taken and pause for mugshots but here I was.

Holding an orange uniform in my cold shaking hands that were held by metal chains and handcuffs along with my feet. My heart stayed in my throat as the two officers who escorted me moved in heavy scary footsteps.

I bit my lip worried about a thousand things. Too many things that all thoughts came to me all at once leaving me with inner panic but I held it together.

Until I was pushed inside the cell and the metal door was slammed shut.

I could barely believe it.

I was in prison. I, Harlow Ricardo was in prison. Staring at the bars, reality was finally sinking in. This was my new home for 4 bad years to come.

If I even made it to a year still alive.

I gulped turning around. The place was small, even my luxurious bathroom at home was double my cell. I stepped forward, my feet now free from chains and my hands nolonger in cuffs.

I looked down at the things I now owned. An orange jumpsuit, underwear, boots, toothbrush, toothpaste, a small little soap I had only seen in hotels my parents used to take me to. A razor and my inhaler and a thin, a thin sheet excused for a blanket.

That was all I was worth now.

To my surprise, there was a bunk bed. My body shivered at the idea of living with a complete criminal but then I remembered I was a criminal too now.

I, Harlow the silly talkative 19 year old past born baby was officially a criminal. This meant a criminal record that would never allow me to find a job in my future.

I would survive stuck working in bars and greasy fast food chains. I was fucked.

Royally fucked.

I took a breath and sat my belongings down. I wondered where my room mate could have been. What they were like?.

What if they were a psychotic rapist?.

I shivered again and my mind went to the cold whether. How was I going to survive the cold weather with a blanket thicker than  an underwear?.

I really should have thought things through when I made a stupid decision.

I wish I was innocent. I wish I was one if those people who were wrongfully convicted, at least my conscience would not be eating at me for making bad decisions. I would walk with my head held high knowing the United states system was trash!.

I huffed.

Calm down Harlow.

You are here now.

I looked at the small empty side of the cabinet. I was thankful my room mate didn't  use all the space, so I used all my willpower to arrange my belongings.

Afraid to lie down and be vulnerable, I sat at the corner of my bed. Alert.

My thoughts got loud in the silent cell until I head movements and voices. Many footsteps and guards shouting commands. Prisoners passed by my cell staring at me. The realization that I would nolonger know what privacy was.

I heard whispers that scared me.

She is beauty

I gotta have a taste of that

She will be my new bitch

Newbie is cute, dibs on having her first.

My focus turned to my cell door opening and a woman in orange step inside. She had her blond hair in a messy bun. Front hr appearance, she was maybe 80 or something.

But with the roots of her hair still naturally blonde, I knew she was younger.

Without my facial routines and my conditioner and my steaming sessions, I was definitely going to be looking like her in a few months. Oh how I wanted to cry.

"Hi" I muttered trying to be nice to my new roommate.

"Stay on your bed, clean after yourself and no mess on our toilet"

That's all the woman said before sitting down the bed below mine.

"I-I'm Harlow by the way"

Silence.

I grabbed my legs and held on myself. I started thinking about what she must have done to be in this place. Old nasty people did a lot of creepy stuff.

"How long have you been here?"

Silence.

I hated Silence. I was used to talking. I grew up with my siblings and my younger sister was a year apart from me. So we were like twins. We were both very talkative.

I already missed Heather.

She must be so lonely with me gone. My family had not come to court the day I was convicted. They didn't pay for bail money either and nobody bothered to get me a lawyer.

It was like a punch in the gut when my father disowned me the day I was arrested.

But I had hoped he wouldn't let me rot in prison. I was still his daughter. I got the wake up call when the judge sentenced me 4 years in prison when I pled guilty. It was all I could do when nobody showed up to watch me go.

I guess he meant his words when he told me I was nolonger a Ricardo. My father never wanted to see me again.

Right, okay then.

I rubbed my eyes to prevent tears from falling but still sniffed. I was in prison with a mute cell mate, nobody in the world and Silent promises of rape from my fellow inmates on my first day.

I was not worried about surviving much. I was not worried about living In this place because I didn't plan on actually making it alive. What was the point of living when this was the end of my life?.

It was better to end it myself than wait till after I was molested, bullied, beaten down and abused then stabbed. I didn't want to die a shell of myself.

"Just keep your head low kid. Keep your mouth shut. Ignore people and don't pock your nose where it doesn't belong. And for fuck's sake no yapping after lights out. I'm fucking old I need my sleep"

Oh so I had someone to talk to?.

"And the name is Lady Brew. Stick on my good side and I will save you merry chicken"

"What's merry chicken?" I peeped my head down under to look at the woman.

"Lights out!" A voice came from the halls of the cell.

"What's merry chicken Miss Lady Brew?"

"Shhh"

"But..."

"Shhh"

I guess I had a tolerable roommate. I just had to keep my mouth shut to stay on her good side.

Pretty easy.

☆☆☆

Who else can already see Harlow getting in trouble?