Cell No. 54

chapter 3

The dining hall was enormous. With huge ceiling that goes up to the 8 floor all together. The kitchen was inbuilt and the grocery store was inside too. Mixing the aroma , well more likely the smell of rotten onions, eggs and potatoes. It was a filthy place to be in but everyone was fine as normal except Lara. Giant black rats were jumping in the trashy corners. To the left were the huge pots where porridge was cooked, it was burnt down below and never cleaned in decades. The dinning tables which were made of steel and had aligned benches were full with hungry prisoners.

Lara couldn't find a place to sit and suddenly spotted her fellows and the farthest corner. She began small steps observing the filth of the area.
"You!... " A pitchy voice echoed the hall."....no food for you lady!"
So this was Ms Hooper, an old skin hanging with bones  her eyes were red and crossed at Lara for being the reason for her daughter's punishment. 

All eyes were fixed on Lara every step she took towards her friends made it worse. Even her tiny moment made awkward noise. She felt a complete criminal Infront of the other criminals!...

"Soo awkward, Right" Rebecca told Rau. She smiled and scoot a little to adjust Lara in-between.'" don't worry Lara it's not your fault!" Rau's voice was consoling. "Come, here take this..!'
Rau slide her tray filled with congealed porridge and not so fresh asparagus.
"Sorry Lara darling, that's all we get here on Tuesdays." Mo said concerned.

"Asparagus!??....but how do you eat this?"  Lara gave asparagus a disgusted look.
"Eat ! There's whole night to go." Rau smirked.
"So what happened after people tried to escape? Is there still any way out?"

"Well, those two weren't any ordinary prisoners, they were felonies! Worlds most dangerous ones. They were immigrated in this prisoners from South Africa, punished for life time. They spent 5 years here and knew each corner by heart. The guards once caught them and beaten them until one of them turned blind. But guess what Lara?..." Mo was stern and cold...." They still escaped.

"What ???" Lara was shocked and impressed. How could someone blind escape this reality, the guards are strict , this fence is electric and there is no place to break free.

"So afterwards other girls were motivated and wanted to run away too. Every other day prisoners tried to search around, looking for clues as if this wasn't a prison but a scavenger hunt!" And one by one they all were murdered.  Rebecca interrupted.

"Lara the prison officials did appoint an agent to investigate those murders but futile." Rau spoke after listening carefully. There was silence. Lara trying to figure out how sinister this place actually was. All cut off from outside world. No one would come to their rescue. Would she be able to see her daughter again? Or die in misery.

"We don't know if the agent is here to investigate or is the one causing these deaths" Mo hesitantly said, twisting her fingers. Then she looked up at  shocked faces. Rau gave her an interesting look. She was impressed.

The bell ranged and everyone disposed their trays in the corner of the hall. Converting it in a huge pile of trash. The rotten asparagus smell made everyone puke so they tried best to run away to their rooms.

It was Tuesday evening. The woman were given broom sticks and mops to clean their lobbies and cells. Lara, Rau , Mo and Rebecca started from 6th  floor's cell no. 51 and cleaned all the way to 60.  This way Lara looked at the empty cells and the petrifying site they contained.

"Ah.hhh ... finally!"  Rebecca  yelled and laid at her cement slab. "After this tired even this seems a comfortable bed"!!!

"This was exactly what I felt after getting beaten up by guards But somebody made fun of it! .. remember!!!."Rau teased Rebecca.
They turned after they heard tired  snores. It was Mo who was in nREM
Sleep by now.
"Looks like we gotta sleep toooooo" Rebecca yawned and closed her eyes.

Hours passed and cell 54 was all quite. But there something was moving in slow well paced circulations. someone was still awake. Twisting their blonde locks. "Can't sleep?" Rau questioned.

"Do you think the agent is behind all those murders?" Lara counter questioned. Her eyes were stuck on the dark empty ceiling. She didn't even flinched when Rau spoke all of sudden. Her thoughts were racing and wild.

"Come-on that's ridiculous! If they had to kill us they would have done long ago. Someone else might be behind this!" Rau was confident and This assured Lara to sleep for rest of the night.