the case study ~ camren

Indicted

As I rush down the now-familiar hall, guttural screams fill my ears. My heart hammers away in my chest, and I can almost feel my pulse in my fingertips as I near the source of the dreadful sounds. As soon as I reach the door, however, I'm back at the entrance of the hall.

It's a recurring dream I've had a few times over the last week or so yet, no matter how familiar my conscious mind is with the way it plays out, it always seems so real to my dreaming self, leaving me to wake drenched in sweat.

I rub at my puffy eyes and tear my focus away from the dream I had again last night when my toast leaps from the toaster. I slide it onto my plate alongside a couple of fried eggs, wincing and sucking my fingertips at the heat of the bread, and head into the living room. The TV is already playing, the newscaster's monotone voice droning into the room, but instead of watching, I look out of the window, gaze tracing the skyline of the buildings around me. The distraction doesn't last long. As soon as they say her name, I'm lunging for the remote to turn up the volume.

"Infamous criminal, Karla Cabello, has been accused of yet another major crime." Her mugshot flashes across the screen alongside the blonde woman's emotionless expression. I grimace at the photo; more precisely, at the deep bruise circling her eye in it. "She was arrested three years ago after being caught driving a stolen vehicle while under the influence. She was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison, a sentence that was controversially short, considering her confirmed position in the gang known as La Familia. Now, an anonymous witness has indicted her of the murder of her own parents."

My jaw falls slack, and I don't hear the rest of the story. I shove my plate onto the coffee table and vault over the sofa on the way to my room. Within minutes, I'm tapping my fingers against the steering wheel as I battle Miami's traffic.

As soon as I arrive at the prison, Dinah is waiting for me out front.

"You heard, right?" She asks once I'm within earshot.

"Her parents?" I return in lieu of confirmation, "There's no way. What proof do they have?"

She shakes her head and bites her lip as she holds the door open for me, seemingly as shocked as I am, though more crestfallen. "I've heard something about a video. If it's clear enough... there's no disproving that, Lauren."

My jaw clenches and I tap my foot against the ground as I wait for her to scan her ID to allow us access into the bowels of the prison. As soon as the door is open, I pick up my pace. Everything feels extraordinarily familiar, although thankfully, there's no screaming. Yet, at least.

"I'll find a way," I mutter, "I'm not letting them kill her."

She hums almost knowingly and continues to follow behind me until I reach the cell door.

"Does she know?" I whisper after pressing my ear near the slot and hearing no sounds whatsoever coming from within.

Dinah only nods. I step back and throw the door open, rushing inside. My heart breaks at the sight that greets me, and I hear Dinah sigh as though she feels the same. Camila is curled up in the cornered of the room, arms wrapped around her legs in a vice-like grip, hair a raging mess, face stained with tears yet entirely empty. She looks up at me, blinks twice, and mumbles in the roughest voice, "Did you get the meds?"

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to collect myself so as not to throw myself around her and promise it'll be okay. She looks so small, so young. I couldn't even begin to imagine her doing what they say she's done. Once calm—or as calm as I can be—I pad further into the room and lower myself onto the other end of the mattress. Dinah closes the cell door, remaining inside, and I send her a half-hearted smile of gratitude. She does the same in sympathy and, after a moment of standing awkwardly, sinks to the floor against the wall opposite us. I'm surprised that Camila doesn't seem to mind her presence, and even looks over at her before releasing one hand to rub harshly at her face. I want to reach out and stop her, to gently wipe away her tears myself, but I dare not move. Silence slips into the cell and hunches in the corner, watching us closely with anticipation, waiting for someone to break. As we all sit here, eyes diverted, mouths firmly closed, I realize just how easy it would be to lose one's mind in here, and that's with two other people around me. Yet again, my heart breaks for Camila.

After a while, Camila shifts as if she's about to change positions, leaning more towards me. Unfortunately, Dinah speaks up at the same time, and Camila freezes.

"You know, with the changes the warden made... we could go out to the courtyard."

Camila seems to grow even smaller when I turn to her. I take initiative and hold my hand out to her, though I'm genuinely surprised when she takes it. Dinah looks at the join and smiles a little, though I can tell she's trying to repress it. When she looks back at me, she winks, and I blush, hiding my face by looking back to Camila and gently pulling her to her feet.

"It'll be good to get outside," I whisper when she frowns at me. It may be the first and last chance she gets for a long time.

She squeezes my hand tightly before letting go and moving to Dinah. By the way she holds her wrists out and together, it's obvious she's asking for cuffs. Dinah looks to me for guidance, but I'm honestly not sure what to do. A moment passes.

"Please," Camila all but whimpers. "Just... please. I did it."