When The Light Falls - Book 3, N. Y. [good beach reads TXT] 📗

Chapter One: Welcome To Jailhouse

 

I woke up to the flickering lights. As I stare up at the bunk above me. 

 

The same old crippling wood bunk, everday.

 

 

Penny rolls off of her bunk and leans her head down, to where I am.

 

''Morning Dice.'' she says.

 

''Good morning.'' I replied.

 

A smile appears on my face for a second, as I prepare to get up.

 

 

It'll be just days, before I get out. But for now, I have to survive.

 

Luckily, I have Penny with me.

 

 

3 bunks, 1 cell out of 15 in this area.

 

 

''Alright ladies, wake up.'' said the officer.

 

The buzzer rings, as the doors begin to unlock. I stand up from my bunk as Penny finally gets down from her's.

 

Penny was short for Penelope, her real name.

 

 

And she was my cell mate. The best I could ask for.

 

 

The same officer that wakes us up everyday, walks over to us with a recruit.

 

Possibly someone new.

 

We would always see new recruits everyday.

 

 

''This is your cell. And these are your new cell mates.'' they say, then push the young girl in.

 

 

The door locks back up with a loud screech afterwards.

 

 

She stands in a orange suit like ours. Her hair is brown and partially curled.

 

She seemed tainted and almost traumatized. She wimpers, then sits down on the bench near the bunks.

 

Me and Penny give each other a look.

 

 

New recruit, means new person.

 

We rarely get cell mates, except for the last one who left dramatically. Our hope is with her, but now we've got a new one.

 

 

''New here, huh?'' Penny asks the young woman.

 

She nods her head hesitating at first, as I straighten up and sit on the only chair provided in the cells.

 

I lay my head back on the wall behind me.

 

 

I did this, almost every single morning.

 

''What's your name?'' Penny asks her.

 

''Ronda.'' she replies.

 

 

I finally look back to the starting conversation between Ronda and Penny.

 

My eyes graze over to Penny's appearance. She had her hair down in 2 separate braids.

 

 

''Listen, I have a list here and I kinda do this with every new recruit. Just tell me about yourself and how you got put in here.'' Penny said.

 

Like a list for revenge.

 

She grabs the paper under her bunk, which she had for a long time before I was put in here.

 

I still don't know how she manages to keep it proper and unwrinkled.

 

 

''Here's the list, it's just a simple question. Don't worry, i'm not gonna do anything bad to you. At least not yet.'' Penny says.

 

That made me scrunch my nose a little, I knew exactly what she meant by that.

 

Penny pats Ronda's leg with a smile, as I continued to watch them.

 

 

Ronda nodded her head, as she sits back more comfortably. I knew that Penny was not gonna do anything bad to anyone.

 

She's nice and won't hurt anyone, unless you piss her off.

 

 

The cracks in my smile finally rise, as I thought back to the time I saw the list.

 

 

I was being introduced to my cell and everything felt different.

 

Penny punched me in the arm and said welcome to the slammer. 

 

My arms hurted for a long time after that.

 

 

My hand rubs the area where she punched me back then, then my smile comes back.

 

 

The list went in this order:

 

Name,

 

What you did - (How you got in the slammer)

 

Previous job

 

How long you're gonna serve

 

Advice - (For soon in coming cell mates)

 

 

''So just read the list right here, and answer them.'' Penny finallly said.

 

''Okay, my name is Ronda Wright.''

 

''Ronda,'' Penny replied

 

 

''Yeah, and I got sent in jail for selling drugs illegally.'' she said.

 

''Oh cool.'' Penny replied.

 

 

Penelope lives for this stuff like this. And stories like Ronda's, it's her obsession. 

 

Ever since Penny got put in here, it's been nothing but small talk about other people who got in htoo.

 

 

''What did you do for a living?'' Penny asks.

 

''Well, I did work as a retail manager. Then I worked as a massuese, since I needed the hours to provide for my growing child.'' she replied.

 

 

 Ronda rubs her baby bump. While Penny nods her head to continue.

 

''So what exactly did you do to get pulled up here?'' Penny asks.

 

 

''Well, I got caught selling drugs on fifth avenue. Big mistake. I was trying to get more money in. since the place I worked at didn't give me much pay.'' Ronda replies.

 

 

''Any advice for any new coming mates?'' Penny says eager.

 

''..Yes, don't sell drugs ever.'' she replied.

 

 

 Penny nods her head, as those last words ring into the cell.

 

''Good advice.. Well since it's almost breakfast time and were still here, allow me to introduce myself.'' Penny said.

 

''Here we go.'' I said silently.

 

 

''My name is Penelope, but you can call me Penny. I used to work as a preschool teacher but later I retired. I followed my passion and became a tattoo artist as you can see-''

 

 

She points to her left arm full of tattoos. And the infamous rose one.

 

And the other arm was of random things, including a big water mark with the word zap on it.

 

She rolls her sleeves down and continues.

 

 

''And I got sent into the slammer for stealing liquor from the liquor store and mugging a homeless man. So that's it....also, my advice is to never go out on the streets drunk. Trust me, you'll thank me later.'' she said.

 

 

Ronda nodded, as I continue to stare up at the ceiling.

 

''Your turn, Dice.'' she says.

 

 

I sit up in my chair and smile, Penny was always great at making me smile even in my darkest moments.

 

''My name is Elle, I used to be a writer and editor of a magazine company. I got sent into jail, for killing my step dad. And my advice is to never think you won't get caught,....cause you will. Eventually.'' I soflty replied.

 

''Wow, that's deep.'' Ronda said.

 

 

The buzzers ring as the doors open. The same officer passes by our cell and opens the door.

 

''Okay cell #5, get in line. Breakfast is being served.'' he said.

 

 

We all get up, including Ronda. We walked with the rest of the girls to the mess hall where we eat.

 

Every morning we did this, and it was toture.

 

 

I thought I was going crazy, but it seemed more and more real with every passing day.

 

That I did this to myself.

 

 

 

''Okay ladies, do the same as usual. Strip and get yourself in line.'' said Officer Posner.

 

Officer Posner guards the door to the mess hall and prevents fights that happen almost everyday.

 

Ever since one recruit thought it was fun to mess with her, it didn't turn out good for the rest of us.

 

 

And that officer was longer nice to anyone. Just down right strict.

 

 

''Since you're in our cell now, we have to come up with a nickname for you.'' Penny says, as the line moves forward.

 

''Do women actually do that, in jail?'' Ronda asked, puzzled.

 

''Sprinkles, i'm a call you sprinkles since you're so sweet.'' Penny says.

 

 

A big grin forms on her Ronda's face.

 

I can tell Penny really liked the nickname she gave Ronda.

 

 

Penelope gave me the name Dice, because she liked how I changed emotions so quickly.

 

Kind of like a dice flipping over on a board game, different sides coming with different answers.

 

 

I mean it's okay.

 

 

''Okay Sprinkles, now that we're approaching the mess hall. Strip." Penny says.

 

''What?'' Ronda asked surprised.

 

''Strip down from you suit, we're approaching the metal detector.'' i replied.

 

 

''The metal detector?'' Ronda whispered, behind me.

 

I ignored her and looked forward as I stripped and so did Penny.

 

 

I turn around to see Ronda had almost taken off her jumpsuit.

 

''Not the whole thing, just to your torso!'' I replied, helping her get the suit up again.

 

 

 

We all come across the metal detector, eventually running into the important officer of all officers.

 

Officer Chase.

 

She could catch anyone doing something and it's an automatic longer serve time.

 

 

We all didn't fear her, but for god's sake we needed to watch out for her.

 

 

She waves the wand over Penny. The ease in her face starts to form as she grew tired of checking Penny.

 

Like always, she seemed to like Penny a lot.

 

For some reason.

 

 

''Stop already, I have nothing okay. I don't have the doe today.'' Penny says.

 

She raises her hands up to show mercy.

 

Penny knew Officer Chase would never leave her over simple words.

 

 

''Some day you're gonna have something, aren't you Penelope?'' Officer Chase says.

 

''Yeah some day.'' Penny replies to her.

 

 

She doesn't pull up the rest of her jumpsuit, I however, did. And so did Ronda.

 

We walk over to the breakfast line.

 

 

Most important thing of the day, even though it's really bad.

 

But it's all i'm going to get for about a week or so, before my time's up.

 

 

I waved to the cell mates sitting down after getting their food. I knew almost everyone here, even new recruits that came in last year.

 

I grab a tray and turn to the line.

 

 

''Good morning Penny, how'd you sleep?'' asked the serving lady.

 

 

The same white dress and red lips she wore, seemed to make my day a little better.

 

I blinked away my tiredness.

 

I had stayed up a little longer than I did last night, I was so tired of thinking about going home.

 

 

It almost gave me late night panic attacks.

 

 

Seeing the lady's happy face, brought ease to me.

 

Compared to Penelope.

 

Penny was cool with everyone, nothing about her can make people hate her.

 

 

''Can't wait to start my shift later on.'' Penny says.

 

She grabs a big spoon full of food.

 

 

I grab a bowl full of whole wheat cereal and carton of white milk.

 

I take an apple on my way out of the line, as I follow behind Penny to our designated table.

 

We only sit there almost everyday, and no one dares to sit next or across from us.

 

 

Penny keeps an eye out for people. Which made it harder for us to make new friends.

 

And it's been like that since we've bunk'd together.

 

 

Ronda takes a seat next to me on the left, while Penelope sat to my right. We see other recruits finally find a table and sit down for breakfast.

 

 

Speaking of breakfast again, it wasn't all that great.

 

I mean, not as good as I thought it would be. But it's kinda healthy.

 

 

I remember gaining so much weight last year. But since we have workout days, which is today, we get to shave off the weight.

 

By christmas of last year, I couldn't even recognize myself with all the extra weight. 

 

 

''Hey..'' Penny says bumping my shoulder.

 

I take a look in the direction she was pointing at, Penny was staring a Skylar.

 

 

Skylar was not someone to be liked.

 

She was....okay with fights.

 

 

My first few weeks weren't that bad here, until Skylar started spreading rumors during work out days about how I got sent to jail.

 

She rumored about how I got in for putting a private invesigator in jail, and she bragged about how I supposedly killed my real dad.

 

But even though part of the rumors were true, none of it was her business.

 

And eventually, I got into a fight with her.

 

 

Then Penelope came along to save me and fight Skylar on my behalf.

 

I still depend on Penny to protect me since that day.

 

I was on the ground with a bloody lip.

 

 

We both got put in a cell together because of the fight with Skylar.

 

It wasn't long before we became friends.

 

 

''Look at her,...i'd like to tear her tonsels out.'' Penny says.

 

 

How was that even possible? I don't know.

 

But in Penny's mind, it seemed to make sense.

 

 

She takes a bite from her badly burnt toast. I slightly lean over my tray of breakfast.

 

It still can't convince myself to think this food is fine.

 

 

Ronda however, didn't touch anything from her tray when I looked over at her.

 

Maybe she wasn't hungry at the moment. But eventually she had to eat, if she wants to provide for her growing baby.

 

 

''I forgot to ask you before Ronda, but, how long are you in for?'' Penny asked, filling the loud tension in the room.

 

''2 months. I was orginally sentenced to 2 years, but it got lifted to 2 months since i'm pregnant. Mainly because I persuaded an officer to take off some time for me.'' Ronda replied.

 

''Wow awesome, I was orginally suppose to be