Bully

Chapter 32

  The cold chill of the cell woke me up, sending shivers running across my skin like spiders. I let out a long groan as I sat up and stretched – sleeping on a concrete bed wasn’t good for your back. I hadn’t had much sleep last night as Officer Keers had finally gotten his way and we spend at least three hours in the interrogation room. The first hour wasn’t that bad because Chief’s presence meant Keers questioning couldn’t be too intense, however when Chief left it made the last two hours hell. 

   To say Keers was demanding was an understatement and I swear the things he said to me wasn’t legal. But I sucked it up and refused to give away any valuable information like Chief had advised me. In the end, Keers had stormed out of the interrogation room in a fit of anger and frustration, leaving me to be escorted back to my cell by another officer.

   If today was anything like yesterday, I had nothing but disdain for the next few hours.

   Spending hours in the solitary confinement of my cell gave me no option but to be absorbed by my thoughts. My mind raced over the last few weeks, revaluating events, thinking of better things to say or do in certain situations. But strangely enough, it was my father in which my train of thought kept leading me to. I kept telling myself that it was just my conversation with Chief that aroused such thoughts, but deep down I knew that I was genuinely curious about his whereabouts. My only dream for years on end was that I could escape from my father but now he’s gone I felt as though my life was hollow.

  Don’t get me wrong – I didn’t miss him. Nor has his absence stirred up some sort of brutal love I felt towards him. It was the fact that he was a constant in my life. That no matter what happened he’d always be there with vicious words and even harsher punishments. His abuse had evolved a routine for me to follow, and without that routine I felt lost. Like I had no idea what do anymore.

   “Knock, knock!” A cheery voice hooted, relieving me of my own mind. I tilted my head and took in Chief’s presence, wishing that he wouldn’t be so cheery whilst I was experiencing a series of dreadful events. “Come on jailbird! Keers wants another round in the interrogation room,”

   I heaved a sigh and furrowed my eyebrows together. Just as I feared, it looks like today was going to be a repeat of yesterday – probably worse. “Can’t you tell him no?” I groaned, really hoping I could persuade Chief to pull rank on his co-workers and I could stay here.

   A grin pulled at his lips, as he shook his head. “I’ve got to be elsewhere so even if I told him not to, he’d only do it when I was away. He’s a disobedient ass but he’s a good officer so he can get away with it,” Chief explained, the grin never wavering but a look of sympathy was also displayed across his features. “Besides, people would start getting suspicious if I kept forbidding them to do their job,”

   “I suppose a change of scenery would be nice,” I grumbled with resignation. In a way, I was happy that I had to go – it would give me a break from my own conscience for a while. However, I would much rather sit in this dingy cell alone left at the mercy of my own mind, than spend an hour or two with the strict Officer Keers.

   Forcing myself to my feet, I trailed after Chief as he led me to the all too familiar interrogation room.