fantasy (oitnb// nicky nichols)

one.

i was 26 years old. i got caught.. it wasn't drugs or robbery. i killed somebody. i killed somebody.. i never thought i was capable of murder until it happened. i loved my boyfriend, he was sweet and kind until he wasn't. he couldn't keep his hands off of me, he held me down as he... did his business. i had enough. he was sleeping,  i was afraid to sleep.. so i slit his neck in his sleep and i got caught.

i was put straight into maximum security, i mean.. what did i expect?

i was put in "D block". my uniform was khaki. it didn't look bad with my pale complexion and silky, long brunette hair.. at least it wasn't a blue or orange uniform.

i was given a sack witch had a pillow, an extra uniform and under garments, a toothbrush, toothpaste and bar soap.

i walk into the common area with a max guard. my neck and wrists were bruised and i had a black eye... from my now dead ex boyfriend. people stared.. i understood why, why wouldn't they stare?

i run my hands through my long hair and i take a deep breath. i was walked to my cell and was told witch bed was mine, i got the bottom bunk. i put the pillow onto the mattress and i put the rest of the things they gave me on a small shelf that was hanging on the wall of the cell.

i didn't know who my bunkie was, she wasn't in there.

my ID picture they took was rough, my ID read ella vause. i knew my older sister alex was in this prison. but i didn't know what block she was in. i was scared to ask around.. i didn't know anybody here. i walk out of my cell and i look around at the other inmates. i see a girl, who looked familiar as what my sister had described to be "family" when i visited her in minimum. she was short, and had crazy golden hair was smiley and seemed like good company.. my sister said her name was nicky nichols.

i walked up to her and i cross my arms, i kept my voice quiet. "are you nichols?...." i asked

she looked at me and nodded "if your looking for drugs, screw off."

i shook my head "no.. no no.. i'm looking for alex vause."

"you don't look familiar. i didn't notice you in minimum. how do you know her?"

"um.... she's my older sister. look, i just want my sister. i don't know anybody here and i just need my family. please. she said your her family and so i figured you'd know."

"what? sister? she never mentioned you."

"i'm not surprised. where is she?"

"cell block C. i'll let her know your here when i'm on cleaning duty. i clean that block twice a week."

i nodded, slightly smiling. "i'm ella. i really appreciate you nichols." i walk away back into my cell.

the commissary cart came around hours later. nichols let me use some of her money to get me started, i just got a few pens and a notebook. i had written a letter for alex on a sheet of paper, i fold it and i give it to nicky so she could give it to alex.

it was the next day,  nichols was cleaning cell block C. alex was standing close to her.

nicky whispers "this is from your sister." she slides the folded paper to alex.

"what?... el is in here? what for?" alex was surprised. we hadn't talked in almost a year

"no idea, from the looks of it not good. al, she's covered in bruises."

"holy shit. i can't believe my baby sister is in prison. take care of her, please."

"of course. she's your family, so she's my family to"

i was confronted by an inmate i hadn't noticed. she was hispanic and had short blonde hair with black roots. she introduced herself as "daddy"

"jesus, what the hell happened to you?" she asked me

i shrug "boyfriends."

"you kill that son of a bitch?"

" course' i did. i didn't know i was capable of it until it happened."

"good girl." she slid me a couple pills, she put them in my shirt pocket "to help with the pain"

"oh— no no thanks—" before i could finish, she left my cell.