The Innocents

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Parting is such sweet sorrow!"

I had just finished swallowing a piece of contraband gum when Miles strolled past my bunk. I stuffed the wrapper into my fist. He looked at me as he walked. You couldn't even call it a look. More like a flicker. He moved past Marla's bunk as she is still reciting her lines. She is sitting cross legged on her bed. In the middle of the room are the rest of the girls. They're playing some game involving chalk and hopping.

"It would be nice to hear something other than Shakespeare in this God forsaken hole," Gladey had said when Miles was close enough to her. "Can you do something about that, officer?"

I glared at her, but she didn't see. I want to take that chalk and shove it up her nose.

"I'm sorry, but all grievances must be submitted in writing," Miles replied snidely. He moved toward the Fish Bowl and slammed the door behind him.

"I wonder what he does in there," Jo contemplated.

"I know what he does," Gladey replied. She cupped her hands like she was holding something and moved them up and down in a stroking motion.

"You're disgusting."

"Am I? You can't tell me that you haven't thought about him like that."

"I have a boyfriend," was my immediate response. It didn't sound too convincing, even to me.

She laughed and the other witches joined in. Jo let out a giggle without even knowing why.

"She thinks she has a boyfriend," Gladey said and started a humongous laugh. This time it seemed forced.

Now, I am not one to give two shits about what other people think about me, but this time I don't stop myself from having to prove them wrong. Sure, Jackson and I were having our problems, but that didn't mean we weren't together.

"I do have a boyfriend," I stated.

Gladey makes a sour face. "So you think?"

"He's probably more than you've ever had."

Before I knew it, she had drawn her hand back and slapped me across my face. I staggered backwards, in too much shock to even retaliate. By the time I looked back up to her, Miles was there, holding her hands behind her back and she's smiling at me like the Cheshire Cat. He didn't take her away but merely stood there. He was waiting for me to do something so I do the first thing that came to mind. I slapped her right back. My hand stung right away, but it doesn't stop me from slapping her again and then again until red welts materialized on her cheeks. She's crying by the time she's finally dragged away.

The ward was dead silent as I moved to my bunk and sunk into it. I waited for the adrenaline to wear off before even considering the realization of what I had done. I had never once struck another person. I had always hated violence and the thought of committing it had always made me physically ill. Since we're all born with some sort of sin, I felt giving in to that sin gave way to acts of violence and then there was no going back.

Then again, why would I want to? I have a sudden feeling of control and worst of all that feeling rose into something that could only be described as power. Was this such a bad feeling to have?

Mrs. Warren had put on some instrumental music which was quite the change. I thought about Faye and about her death. I wasn't so naïve as to think that it didn't have anything to do with the appeal. It was a warning to me. Gladey had taken the form of everything and everyone that had hurt me and my family and I felt immediate regret. Sure, Gladey would probably never touch me ever again, but that was also the moment I decided that I didn't want to live any longer.