the prison gaurds daughter

Prologue and chapter 1

Prologue

The bus. How do I put it nicely? It's a smelly place. It's a loud place. And as it turns out, a place you get on no matter if the driver is a murderer hell bent on seeing you dead. Yeah I guess that's a new one for most of you. About 5 years ago when I was about 12 there was an article in the paper about an inmate at Monroe Correctional Complex who commited suicide. He had been there since anyone can remember and no one knew his name (until it was plastered all over the news) or really visited him. Except one man. That one man was his only friend, Chuck Brown. Now Chuck here had some astounding anger-management issues and his best friend dying? Well that didn't make him a very happy camper. Chuck went on a wild rampage about a week later and ended up killing most of the officers who had been in charge of the wing that Nameless Man (whose name was apparently Levi Richardson) killed himself in. He was eventually caught and handed a big fat life sentance. That was what really hit the news. My dad, Michael Clarkson had also been in the same section the day the body was first discovered before Chuck went wacko. Reporters were all over him, seeing as he was one of the only ones who had been there and was still breathing. He just so happens to be the king of one-word-answers so that actually worked out pretty hilariously. "Michael, thank you for agreeing to do this interveiw."

"Yeah"

"So why do you think you were spared by this despicable man?"

"Because he got caught"

"How do you think this terrible criminal should be punished?"

"Life in prison"

"Thank you Mr Clarkson!"

"Whatever"

...Yup thats my dad! I just thought you should have some background knowledge. Three months ago I had no idea that anything like this could happen, much less to me. Now you know everything that I knew back then. My name is Nicole Clarkson. And this is my story.

Chapter 1

I honestly should have known not to get on that bus. I mean come on, this substitute driver knew my name, told me to sit in the front where he could keep an eye on me, and he was wearing a black beanie that covered his head. I am kicking myself even thinking about it. Anyways, about 45 minutes (it was a really long bus ride) after my stop he pulled the bus over and pulled out a gun. Apperantly we were all blind or plugged in enough not to notice until he started screaming at us to get out of the bus and walk. Eventually we got to a cabin *cabin in the woods, cliche I know* and he told us that there were only 2 people he wanted to stay.

"Michael Clarkson's daughter and Andrew Rodriguez's son need to stay. the rest of you brats go back to the bus and wait. Another bus will be along in a few minutes to pick you up. none of you will look out the window or at the driver or you will get a bullet in your brains is that clear? Those 2 kids come with me and the rest of you get out of here. Oh and one more thing? I will cut off each of your left feet if those kids do not step forward right now."

Andrew Rodriguez's kid? That was my best friend Benny. Our parents worked together at the prison, so I had known him for forever. Crap did this have something to do with that? Did dad manage to piss off someone in there who got out and wanted some sort of sick revenge? Is that what is happening here? Come on there was no way. But when I actually thought about it there wasn't really any other explanation. My family and Benny's shared an apartment with another family we were that poor. so this obviosly couldn't be a ransom. Neither I nor Benny ever been bullied or been bullies ourselves so this wasnt some demented parents payback. What else was left as far as possibilities? What other explanation was there? Well I guess that this could just be your average run of the mill psychopath who liked killing 17 year olds, but surprising as it may seem, that didn't make me feel much better. All I know now is that I have to get out of here before me, Benny and everyone else on this bus ended up literally footloose or worse. Or I was being over dramatic and this was our parents pranking us. Yeah. That must be it our parents hired someone to pull a gun on a bus full of high schoolers for kicks. *stupid stupid stupid*