Convict

05.

I was awoken by the harsh tone of my mobile ringing, I fumbled around in the dark for it before answering. It was Kyle, the night shift constable. This was odd as he never called.

"Hello" I answered groggily

"Chloe?" He sounded frantic as he spoke to me "I need you here now, you need to come now I'm so sorry but I really need you"

I groaned and fell back onto my pillow "Is this Oliver?"

"Please Chloe, I know how hard it's been" He begged "The guards just handed out the court letters received last night"

I sat up "The date?"

"You've got to come" He begged me once more

I agreed and rushed out of bed. I threw on a pair of leggings and long smart top. I shoved my hairbrush and make up in my bag before grabbing my toothbrush and running down the stairs. I wrote Dad a quick note explaining why I had taken the car before grabbing the keys and running out the front door. I drove as quick as I could without breaking the law, I might have run one or two stop signs but I didn't care. I know Oliver has been an absolute horror to work with and has made my life absolute hell for the past two weeks but he is still human, I cannot imagine how he must feel seeing that date printed in front of him. The date of his death in black and white ink in his hands.

I parked as close to the main entrance as I could, it was still dark out. I looked at the time on my phone before getting out the car, it was quarter to six in the morning. Which made sense as the court letters would be sorted through with night shift and then on the handover with the morning shift guards at 5am they would be delivered where needed. I ran from my car to the front doors, Kyle was waiting for me at the front desk. He looked apologetic as he guided me through towards Oliver's cell.

He stopped outside and I could already hear him screaming. Kyle looked at me holding his key card out. I noticed the guards stood around the cell, I knew they were on standby in case something happened. I handed Kyle my bag and nodded for him to open the door, the door beeped as it unlocked. I swallowed hard and stood straight as he pulled the door open, I could see Oliver with his hands scrunched tight in his hair, in each hand a piece of paper. He was crouched down in a ball and screaming at the floor.

I didn't know what to do, we didn't have the best relationship and I wasn't even sure he would accept me being here. I took a deep breath and stepped in, I was silent as the door was closed and Oliver kept screaming out. You could hear the pain in his voice as he carried on, his knuckles were white where he held his hair so tight. I stepped forward and placed my hand on his, he stopped screaming and jumped to his feet. His eyes were red and manic as he looked at me, he had never looked so vulnerable.

I bit my lip "If you don't want me here, I get it. If you want me to leave, I will."

He shook his head, his arms limp by his side as he looked at the paper in his hands. He handed the parts to me. I took them and pushed them together to read. Just as I thought, it was the set date of his execution. The date was for next may... Eight months.

I didn't really know what to say. Oliver and I didn't have the best, if any kind of relationship, I didn't know how I was supposed to console him.

"Oliver I-" I tried to find the words but failed. There was no way anyone could say anything to him right now, he was staring at the day he had been set to die.

I furrowed my brow as I looked at him, tears streaming down his usually smug face, he looked at the paper in my hands. His breathing was quick and jagged, his chest rising and falling without any rhythm. At this point he was hysterical. I put the bits of paper together and placed them on the end of his bed slowly, he watched as they laid there. Lord knows what was going through his mind. I stood there and bit the side of my nail, I just didn't know what I was supposed to say to him.