𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 - 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐎 𝐂.

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷

"I bet your'e frightened, aren't you?" Dad takes a quick look at me, his hairy arms draped over the steering wheel of the cruiser.

"Nah, just a normal day. Not scared at all, just going to a prison, being surrounded by, rapists, murderers and stuff. Normal shit."

"Well, welcome to my life." he murmurs.

"Can you please remind me why i signed up for this bull-"

He sighs,"Well, you wanted to look into your dads life of being a correctional officer. You also wanted to try being a councilor for your psychology module, for extra credit."

"Dude, that question was supposed to be rhetorical ."    I pick a loose thread from my shirt.

"If you don't want an answer, next time don't ask."

"Ugh." I wrap my jacket around me tighter and focus on the road ahead. we sit in utter silence for the rest of the ride, I watch as the road gets shorter and smaller by the second.

Then I see it.

As we arrive I can see the high concrete walls, painted in some weird tint of white. I see long, sharp, barbed wires, and the main gate rustling in almost all corners. It looks abandoned and ghosted.

How the hell are these walls strong enough to hold wild- and insane - criminals?

Dad guides his cruiser through the narrow gates into the parking lot. He turned off the engine, and I slowly get aware of how quiet the place is. I take deep breaths in and out, and exit the car.

Dads already vastly walking ahead of me, I jog to keep up with him. The gravel makes a crunch sound as i walk on the pavement.

"don't worry, they won't hurt you", he reassures me as we get closer to the double iron double doors. "you'll be partnered with some one you age anyways, you'll be fine."

"hol up-, people my age are in here?"

Im 16 and the baddest thing I've ever done was sock a bitch in the throat during last years soccer game.

or selling my step fathers vase and selling it on e-bay.

"well yeah, i think ." he shrugs, reaching for the handle. the door swings open, creaking on its hinges, dad holds the door open for me and i step in. my breath hitched in my throat.

it leads to a dimly lit hallway.

...

the door shuts behind us with a bang that echoes down  the hall, leaving chills on my spine. I tuck my hands into the pockets of my jeans.

"Dad, is this place haunted?" i say.

"I don't know, it probably is." he laughs.

"Dad," i say punching his arm, "stop your scaring me."

he raises his eyebrows at me and we proceed to walk down the hallway, then this time he opens a white door and all the tension melts off my back. Now, there's better lighting, people, and not very clear human activity.

Everyones in a uniform, or a navy button downed shirt and I'm just here trailing awkwardly behind my dad in a dark green bomber jacket, with ripped jeans and vans.

"This is the reception area were you can contact people, and where visitors wait and stuff." Dad explains, waving at the man behind the front desk.

"The office is upstairs," Dad says as he gently pushes me into the elevator, I lean behind the cold steel as the doors shut. 

"There are four basement levels?" i state looking down the elevator buttons on the left.