Inner Demons✔

Chapter 16

Another Sunday, another visitors day came and went with no drama. Part of me was relieved my mom was a no show. Another part, deep down, was dissapointed. I took that dissapointment out on the metal chairs as I practiced throwing them across the room with a simple thought. By Monday morning, my bad mood had vanished with four words. 

"Today is volunteer day!" Ms. Pierce announced at breakfast.

Moans and groans could be heard throughout the whole cafeteria. The only exception being a loud "Yay!" which came from the ever bubbly rainbow haired girl bouncing in her seat next to me.

"Whats volunteer day?" I asked Lolly.

She gave me a quick "Hush." while keeping her eyes glued on Ms. Pierce.

"All our occupants between the ages of fifteen and seventeen will be taken downtown to pick up trash off the streets of our fair city. We will have extra security, so don't even think about trying to make a run for it. Those that get out of line will not only be reclassified to Class B but will be banned from attending the dance, which we are happy to announce will take place this weekend."

I could nearly feel the energy radiating off of Lolly. Placing a hand on her shoulder, I hoped to calm her and keep her from zapping in and out all over the room. At the end of breakfast, Ms. Pierce called names from a long list and instructed for those called to line up in the hall downstairs. After hearing each of our names called, my group got up and headed for the line of kids. I was irritated but not surprised to find big Bertha and her brother Toby in the line, along with a bunch of other kids I just barely recognized from previous classes. Altogether there were maybe forty kids in line.

A large number of officers escorted us through the metal detectors and outside. I expected to find buses waiting to take us to our trash detail but instead, a row of black vans lined the driveway. They were able to squeeze all forty kids and the security officers into eight vans. I was thankful to be seated between Sage and Lolly and not forced to be up close and personal with someone I didn't know.

The drive through the city was a familiar one. We seemed to be taking the same route that we had taken to the church ruins the week before. I was even a little happy to catch a glimpse of Mr. B's sister's voodoo shop.

The glimpse was short lived as we passed it and headed several blocks away, stopping in the parking lot of a gigantic park. It was pretty, covered with green grass and big trees. One side of the park hard a playground while the other side had a basketball court and tennis court side by side, the rest of the grounds covered in walking trails and small groups of shrubbery. .But for a pretty park, it was clear we had our work cut out for us. The grounds were littered with fast food wrappers and assorted trash, gross.

The vans unloaded and the kids stood in a large group while the officers handed out trash bags and pointy sticks.

"We will be splitting up into four groups of ten." Ms. Pierce informed the crowd.

The first three groups were formed and headed off with their security detail to start cleaning. The last group was made of the rest of us. Which included me, Wes, Lolly, Lucas, Alicia, Sage, Declan, some big guy that looked like he was way older than the rest of us, Toby, and Big Bertha. The two siblings glared at the rest of us at the big guy fist bumped Toby. Great, the big guy was their friend. At least we had the numbers in this group.

Mr. B and four other officers lead us toward a more wooded area of the park to start cleaning. The ten of us spread out along the tree line stabbing pieces of trash with the sticks we were given and sliding them into the trash bags. I would never have thought I would enjoy picking up trash, but just being out of the stale surroundings of Landry's walls, I felt rejuvenated. The fresh air filled my lunges and the sound of the city flowed around me, allowing me to imagine that I was a free person just enjoying a day in the park instead of a prisoner doing manual labor.