Odd Man Out

Daddy's Fool

Skylar sat quietly around the dinning table as the guys talked to one another in excitement about next week. She stared intensely at the wall behind the back of the servers head. Her vision began to blur into multiple colors. Noise collided into simple vibrations. Everything around her seemed to even move slower. Time stopped.

Last night was nothing but a weird twisted dream to her. She felt disillusioned by everything now. Sky couldn't even feel the fly roaming on her back. She hadn't touched her food or water the whole time they sat. It was only nine in the morning.

By twelve sky and the boys sat around the yard playing cards and discussing plans. She still stared into the distance unapproachable. She hadn't said a word all morning.

It was four in the afternoon, sky stood holding her shovel as the guys ripped up grass and plowed new soil. She stood alone in her corner staring at a lonely flower growing by itself near the gate. Sky still hadn't spoken to anyone.

Sky sat in her cell at six waiting to go to the dining hall. The guys were talking down stairs making connections with other prisoners. She stared focused on a crack in the cement walls. Her skin was covered in goosebumps from the autumn chill. The chatting of the prisoners were almost faint in her ears. She thought of nothing only the crack in the wall.

They all sat around at the table for dinner. Sky didn't even bother to grab a tray. The guys were still chatting about nonsense from earlier. Sky layer her elbows on the table.

"Skylar?" Sucre asked.

"Uh, yes?" Sky was taken off guard.

"You agree?" C-Note wondered.

"Sorry, about what?"

"Wednesday, sounds good?" C-Note repeated.

"Yeah, whatever works." Sky went back to staring at the wall.

"Hello, pretty." T-Bag interrupted the conversation and sat down beside her.

"Where have you been man?" Sucre added.

"Nothing," T-Bag winked at Sky. "Oh by the way, happy birthday." T-Bag opened Sky's palm and handed her a silver chained necklace with a single blue gem hanging from it.

"Wait it's your birthday?" C-Note looked at the guys.

"Yep, no need to make it a big deal." Sky blushed hanging the necklace from her neck.

"Anders, you've got a visitor." A guard towered over the table.

"Thank you," Sky nodded at T-Bag then followed the guard out.

Sky felt more weary with each step as she stepped closer to the visitors building. Her head began to throb with a migraine. Her feet dragging against the sharp gravel. She wasn't ready to face them yet. It's only been a little over a year since she's seen her family. Today wasn't the beginning.

"You alright miss?" The new guard asked before unlocking the door.

"Better than ever." Sky mumbled.

"You know the rules I presume?"

"Yeah, don't touch 'em."

"You've got an hour." The guard swung open the steel door.

There in the room sat her mother Lillian, sisters Cathy and Jo, and there in the corner her father. Sky's right eye twitched.

"Darling!" Lillian wailed at the sight of Sky. She flung her arms open then remembered they couldn't touch.

"You look like you e seen better days." Joanna kid.

"Well no shit?" Sky sarcastically remarked as she sat in the empty chair across the table.

"No need for that missy." Lillian smiled in disbelief. "Honey tell us how you're fairing? Has anyone, you know..."

"Mom stop!" Sky shouted.

"I'm just curious sweety, mothers need to know these things."

"Why is he here?" Everyone looked back at the father.

"It's your birthday and I thought-"

"Shut it Lill." Roger snapped. He stood up from the metal bench and slowly walked over to the table. "Learned your lesson yet?"

"No, and I think you better watch your back." Sky pounded her fists into the table and stood up.

"I should watch my back? You're locked up!" he chuckled. "If anything you should, being in a male penitentiary and all!"

"You'll be surprised by what I can do Roger." She fixed her gaze on the space between his eyes.

"You're a fool." He walked back to the bench. "Just a stupid spoiled little girl." He whispered to himself.

"Not for long daddy..."

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