The Mystery of Ariella

Twenty: Day One-Disappointed

What did she do to deserve this? The bed was way to short, and the end was barred with rusty iron. The room seemed pleasing at first but she was quickly mistaken. The light in the ceiling went out a few minutes after the guard locked her door. The ground was colder than the one in Washington. And the rough cement floor hurt her feet.

      Sighing, she grabbed the chalk and went the wall. The tip crumbled under her fingers. With out thinking she drew a giant circle accompanied with two eyes and a smiling mouth. her eyes lingered over the uneven lines.

Her arm went down to the bottom of the circle, and she unvoulentarily wrote, I’m.

Hesitation.

The chalk was still against the wall, at the end of the m. She couldn’t lie; to say she was happy was a complete lie. The word lingered on her mind and the temptation to write happy drew stronger. She held her breath. Think Ariella.

      With a deep exhale she drew a thick line next to the word. As if it was full of endless possibilities. A line saying insert word here. Her arm grew tired with the pressure she putting on the chalk. Just a stronger and it would break to pieces. Another pause. Another stillness. She breathed in as she wrote disappointed above the line.

      She stood back and examined her work. The drawing made her look absolutely crazy. Saying she was disappointed and smiling. She shook her head. No one would have to see it. Not anyone that mattered anyway. She dropped the chalk and jumped into her bed. At least the sheets were soft.

      It had been at least thirty minutes before she heard something. A voice radiated through her room. Panic blew threw her before she realized it had come from a speaker in one of the corners. This is what it said:

      "Attention. All the new inmates have been moved into their new rooms.

      Inmates, dinner will be served shortly, please make sure your door is free of obstruction. To start off, I am the Warden of this fine establishment. If any of you attention-seeking delinquents decide to get into trouble, you’ll have to go to me. There are some rules on my ground. And as long as I am standing, breathing, and running this institution you will follow them. Anyone who fails to follow these rules with will be sent to Section 3 for your punishment.

Rule One!" He yelled. "You will not speak to any commanding officer unless spoken to. We do not care that poor Jimmy broke your shovel or if the toilet is clogged up. You go and fix it yourselves. You better either be bleeding, choking, or dying if you come up and talk to us so I advise you keep to yourself.

      Two! You will respect, and obey any commands my guards or I give you. If I tell you rub my feet then Goddammit you better be on the floor untying my shoes in two seconds flat. I don’t care if you’re in the middle of having a heart attack you will not say no.

      Three! You will dress appropriately with uniform at all times. I should see you with pants, shirts, and shoes at all times. No tears, no holes, no chains, or anything that goes against the uniform that has been assigned to you. Inmates, your uniform depends on your Section. Do not stray from your uniform. I will not have half-dressed sluts and whores running around my camp.

       Four! There will be absolutely NO form of violence. This includes, pushing, pulling, shoving, punching, scratching, violently poking, tackling, choking, spitting, biting, cutting, kicking, and stabbing!