Prisoner Thirty-One

Feather: Come on pretty birdy

I'm pretty sure I was meant to feel sad but over the first few hours of alertness, all I could feel was slow and empty. I could barely lift my hands and wasn't sure why I would even want to. It was weird, I felt like I needed someone to blame, and yet, the only one available was me.

This continued until my door slid open and I was yelled at to get out of my room. It was a good job I'd slept in my uniform as I force myself to take the few steps out of the door.

The second I had stepped past through the gap, it slid shut behind me and two pairs of giant gloved hands reached out to grab my shoulders. I had a quick flash back to the day before when my brother had placed similar hands on my shoulders. Except that time, it was warm and gentle, while these seemed to push me down and squeezed far too tight.

Suddenly, I was turned in one motion, Warm hands pinning me into the hard concrete walls.

"Remember me, girl?" The guard asked too loudly and too close to my face, his warm breath crawling over my skin. I hadn't had enough time to see the man's face and definitely didn't recognise his voice, but I was pretty sure I had an idea what he might have been about to mention. Strong metal clasps returned to my wrists flaring up the dull throb I had started to expect there. "I was there for your little threats yesterday. You look a lot smaller up close. A lot easier to..."

He didn't bother finishing his sentence, instead offering to show me what he meant. I felt the hard push on my left shoulder, just before my right-side screamed in pain and I heard the crack as my shoulder and face hit the floor. Maybe I imagined it, but I felt that I heard a few words of protest from the people behind me as I fell. However, once I had been pulled to my feet, I realised they must have already been moved up.

I had to re-remind myself of the pact I'd made with myself yesterday, forcing the tears out of my eyes. It wasn't as if Melcome was with me now but by his anger from yesterday, I had no doubt that he would be watching the way his guards were treating me, and maybe even encouraging my torture himself.

I was still too dazed to remember the walk that followed and before I knew It, I was in a large concrete hall with rows of tables and benches. The only two exits were surrounded by guards and the nearest table to me sat the other three prisoners in a neat line.

"Remember the little collar you've got on your neck before you try anything 'cus don't you think I won't use It." The warm breath hissed in my ear as he nudged me towards a slit in the wall.

The slit perfectly held a tray that seemed to contain something in a bowl, but I couldn't look at It before my shadow grabbed It, leading me to the nearest table. The whole set up was way too similar to the first day at school but luckily for me this guard was telling me where to sit and I wouldn't have to try and find a spare seat (not like that would have been hard). After watching the guard drop my tray on the table and spill a third of the beige liquid in the bowl, my hands were finally set free.

He had placed me at the end of the table opposite the black-haired boy from last night. Now I could tell that his hair was more of a brown colour, his build much leaner and slighter in comparison to the boy next to him. That guy's hair was a lighter brown and even in a sitting position he seemed much taller, his clothes fitting slightly too tight. Finally, I could see the girl from yesterday who was clearly as pretty as I imagined with a perfect nose, tanned skin and brown eyes that contained flecks of amber. I was sure her face would have been even more beautiful if it weren't for the unnecessary scowl, she threw my way. Thinking about it, if it weren't for that minor detail, the three of them were the most attractive criminals I'd ever met and definitely nothing like the monsters the government claimed were kept there.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes. The two boys opposite me trying to size me up while the girl had moved to acting like I wasn't there. The taller of the two kept his face impassive as he looked me over, focusing anywhere other than my eyes. His friend, smiled at me too enthusiastically, only keeping eye contact. This led me to debate with myself which made me feel more uncomfortable. Dark hair was winning until he started talking equally as enthusiastically and I decided silent and stern won.