It was her first day at what she would call the pre-k slammer, or the half point. The large, and heavy grey doors creaked in loud protest, and shut with an even louder slam that echoed through the dim halls. Her footsteps clacked loudly on the hard cement floor. She may have relished the noise more if it weren't for the hand that kept prodding her in the back.
“Keep moving!” The stiff voice ordered for the thousandth time.
“I know that!” She snapped. Her irritation finally breaking. “Do I look deaf to you?! You don't have to keep prodding me!”
“Oh, shut up!” The guard growled. Her only response to that was a grumble as he pushed her into her cell. The heavy door slammed just like the others and gave a heavy click as it locked, leaving the prisoner to gaze at her surroundings. She wrinkled her nose in distaste at what she saw. A small toilet and sink sat in the left corner of the cell, in the right, a metal bed, and at the end of that, was a small desk. No one else was in the room with her, but she knew that could change. She probably wouldn't be lucky enough to get a cell to herself. They would find some other criminal to torment her soon enough… Although, she guessed sometimes in Juvie you were only charged because of petty crimes. So it couldn't be that bad… At least, that's what some part of her hoped.
“Hey, check out the new meat!” A fierce voice echoed from another cell. She turned around, her long brown hair swishing from the speed of it. She crept towards the door and peered through the tiny window. Her green eyes narrowed when she saw the perpetrator of the taunt. She was a tan, white girl, with brown, gold beaded dreads, and deadly caramel eyes. Her lips were drawn back to reveal sparkly white teeth that she gnashed threateningly. “What's your name pretty girl?” She continued, looking dead at her.
“Why should I tell you, scumbag!?” She challenged from behind her own door. Then she turned around and collapsed on the bottom bunk of the bed, trying to ignore them.
“Ooh, the pretty girl’s got some spunk in her!” The girl gave a vicious laugh. Exhaustion clawed at her, making her eyelids feel heavy. Her body was still sore and her bones ached from when the police officers tackled her to the ground. She wanted to stay awake, oh so desperately wanted to, but finally she just gave up. Okay… You win. And she closed her eyes.
***
Her dreams were troubled that night. She tossed and turned trying to fight them away. She was in her old house again. She faintly wondered how she got there, but somehow, deep down, she knew. She was walking, and everything was oddly silent. “You're back.” She turned around and glared at who she saw. It was her uncle. His eyes were deadly black slits. “What are you doing here, Em..?” His voice was thick with warning, and every word was injected with venom. “I thought you hated me… Did you miss me that much?”
“Like hell I would ever miss you!” She spat.
“Oh, don't be that way…” A foul smile curled the corners of his lips, revealing slightly yellowed teeth. The image began to muddle in her brain. Bringing other moments of torture from her old house back to life. The moaning, crying, screaming, sobbing. All blended together.
“Did you miss me that much..?” His voice slurred, and he reappeared in the hall. His voice thick and drooping like slime. The image changed and she scream watching black bloodied holes appear in his eye sockets, his mouth gaping open in a silent, dumb founded scream. A river of blood dribbled from his lips, his stomach suddenly turning dark red. He looked down and grasped at his gut and garbled wheeze escaping from him.
“You think you can kill me?!” He wheezed his voice rising to a slurred yell. “You think you can kill me?!” She looked down at herself and saw a bloodied silver knife. She was covered in her uncle’s blood, the smell of it choking her.
“No… No, no, I'm sorry!” She screamed, sobbing. Her hand shook horribly but she couldn't seem to drop it. The image flashed in her mind, her uncle now on the floor against the white wall now stained red. She was stabbing him, again and again in the gut. A pool of blood welling in a pile on the floor. She relished it… A thin smile curled the corner of his mouth, his eyes back in his head.
“I guess you had it in you…” He sighed.
“You'll never be able to hurt me again anymore,” She whispered bitterly. Her cheek stained with blood, just like the rest of her. “Never.” Her head sprang up when she woke; panting, and sweating, hair sticking to her face.
“Just a dream,” She whispered to herself. “Just a dream…” She felt herself shaking so hard it almost hurt. “Stop it!” She hissed, hitting her head. “Stop it!” Her bottom lip trembled and she sprang up away from her creaking bed. She paced and images from the dream, no, nightmare flickered in her mind, and no matter how hard she scrunched her eyes close, the image wouldn't go away. It was like it was burned into her brain and her eyelids. Even though it was horrible, as much as she hated to admit it, part of her wished it was true…
She walked over to the little porcelain sink and turned on the water. Absentmindedly she began to scrub vigorously at her hands, and even began to splash the icy water on her face. She began to see blood on her hands, and the water as a river of blood. “No…” She whispered, horrified. Her hands began to shake just as they had when she held the knife. Her bottom lip trembled again and she spun around trying to block out the image of the blood pouring from the sink, welling in a pool. She imagined it flooding over the edges and engulfing her. She took another step forwards and slipped from the water she had splashed on the concrete. Her feet flew out from under her, and the fall brought her to her rear end. Before she could reach out a hand to stop herself, her head cracked hard against the sink. After that, darkness.
There was a loud banging on the door and thick click! that brought her back to consciousness. Her vision was black when she opened her eyes, and a throbbing pain struck through her head. It started to clear up and the black crowded the corners of her eyes. After a few more rapid blinks it was gone, but the pain was more stubborn. She gasped and stumbled to her feet, biting the inside of her cheek in an attempt to block it out. Soon she tasted blood. She limped to the door and opened it, wincing at the bright light. The other inmates were already outside, lined up neatly outside their own cells with the hands behind their backs.
“Woah, you look like hell,” The tan girl commented, looking her up and down. “What happened to you, newbie?” She just sighed and shook her hand looking down at her limp arms dangling near her sides. “You gonna answer me, or what?!” The girl snapped.
“Leave her alone, Dakotah! The first night is always rough.” A pretty girl looked at her with sympathetic brown eyes. She tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear and stuck out a hand. “The name’s Evelyn. My friends call me Evee.” Finally, she stuck out her hand and shook Evelyn’s and before letting go, she responded with,
“Nice to meet you. Emily.”
“Huh? But, my name’s-”
“No, that's my name, Emily. Emily Springferd.”
“Oh!” Her eyes widened with understanding. “Oh, sorry, I thought… Sorry,” She smiled a shy smile. “Nice to meet you too.”
“Quit talking!” A gruff voice cut through. Emily looked up to see a guard walking down the hall, making her step back against her own door again. Today's gonna be a long day… she thought with reluctance.
