Degeneracy♡

chapter 1: STONY

  ♡ this book has strong language, sexual references and violence♡

This will be the biggest challenge of my life so far.

Today is my first day working in Britain's most famous, high-security prison. Criminals who have committed the most gruesome and immoral crimes will stay there.

I wear my dirty blonde hair natural and just put it to one side of my shoulder. I put on some blue high-waisted jeans and pin-stripe, blue blouse.

My brother, Oliver, said he would drop me off today. He is really protective of me. Every love interest I have brought round to see my family, he has interrogated and disapproved of. It's the same with my father. They both mean well. I love my family to pieces and wouldn't change them for the world.

As we pull up outside the prison, my brother gives me a half smile- this is the usual indication that he does not agree with something. I turn and raise my eyebrows.

"What is it?" I question.

He sighs before answering with "I don't want you to get hurt."

I let out a small giggle. "I won't get hurt. They aren't going to let a nineteen-year-old with no real experience of prison work go full reign on Britain's most violent prisoners. I'll probably just be doing paperwork or something." I shrug.

"You're still going to go through with it, no matter what I say." Oliver sighs again.

"Oh, don't get salty with me Ollie. It's worth 10% of my uni course. If I don't do it, they probably won't let me do my second year."

"Alright. Fine. Just... stay out of trouble." He tells me.

I nod and smile, then get out of the car. Here goes nothing.

As I walk into the reception area of the prison, I get some rather strange looks. I walk up to the desk.

"Hi, I'm Isobel Shelby. I'm here for a work placement."

The woman checks a list on her computer and then rings someone from the main part of the prison to come and get me. I take a seat. As I am shaking my knee nervously, I see one of the guards come through.

"Rough night, Tom?" The receptionist asks.

"I swear to God, we are getting more and more short staffed. I've had to do three night shifts in a row this week. And that Luca King is getting let out on a probation next month. What idiot judge allowed that I don't know. God save the public." He rants.

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Did he say Luca King? He has been the subject of the newspapers for weeks. He is the alleged leader of the criminal gang KM17. They terrorise people every single day. My friends tell me to text them that I get home safe, even when it is daylight because they are so afraid of them. I have never had a nasty encounter with them personally, but I do know that Luca King is a complete degenerate.

"Miss Shelby?"

Oh shit. I look up to see a middle-aged woman in a prison officers uniform with a stern look on her face.

"My name is Vera Peterson and I will be guiding you for the next two weeks."

I get up and follow her. We walk through the main prison and it is extremely intimidating. There is no self-expression what-so-ever. Just plain, dull grey. The prisoners are all staring at us as we walk past them. All with such anger and misery written on their faces. One wolf whistles at me.

"Just ignore, Miss Shelby. Davison, shut up!" She shouts; the noise goes straight through me.

She takes me to a room which reminds me of the staff rooms at school.

"Here is your name badge, Miss Shelby. I am trusting that you have no unauthorised items in your possession such as sharp objects and communicative devices." She says in a robotic manner.

"No, Miss Peterson."

"Good. This is our floor chart. There are four floors which are categorised into the severity of the crime. Floor one has all the prisoners who have committed more minor crimes such as possession of drugs or shoplifting. Floor two has prisoners who have committed crimes such as robbery and assault. Floor three has the more nasty criminals: drug dealers, ringleaders of gangs, etc. Lastly, floor four has the worst sorts of criminals. Murderers, rapists, and human traffickers. Today, you will go with Mr Hewitt here and deliver breakfast to prisoners on floors three and four."

I gulp. The worst floors in this whole prison and I am expected to deal with them as my first task here? Brilliant.

"Right. This way." A man calls who looks like the type who won't take any shit. At least I'll be safe with him.

He wheels a trolly into the corridor and scans his ID badge to unlock a big metal door. This must be floor 3. He opens the door to reveal about 25 blue doors with a single slot in the middle.

"You do this side and I'll do the other. If the prisoners say anything disrespectful to you, tell me." He warns, I nod.

It takes about forty-five minutes to serve breakfast to all the prisoners on floor three. However, none of them dares say anything to me thanks to Mr Hewitt.

When we move onto floor four, things get a bit more complicated. I am only allowed to watch Mr Hewitt give the prisoners their breakfasts on floor four because they are too dangerous to be trusted around 'a nineteen-year-old, female student'.

"Mr King. For the last time, eat what we give to you or don't eat at all for the rest of the day." Hewitt warns.

"Kill yourself." A deep voice snarls and a clatter echoes.

I look round to see a pair of piercing grey eyes burning into Hewitt's. This must be Luca King. He has splattered the porridge Mr Hewitt has given him all over the wall opposite.  He has literally thrown it at the wall.

"Suit yourself." Hewitt sighs.

Then, the cold eyes make contact with mine. They do not leave them. And now I know, that he is definitely infatuated by me.