The Ninth Cabin

2. A Warm Welcome

Returning my attention to the bag, I noticed that there were two more items. The first was a strangely bright, almost iridescent neon water bottle. The second was a small dull black box. I lifted it up and shook it, only to hear nothing. Deciding it was likely some form of tracking device or dumb prank, I simply moved it back into the bag and raised my vision. The guard behind the counter had risen, and was approaching me with a small white form on a clipboard. He silently passed it to me, and I read its contents.

Nothing out of the ordinary, so I grabbed the clipboard and he handed me a pen. Looking up slightly, I read a name tag that was placed squarely on his left chest. It only had a single marker, reading 3. Looking back at the form, I noticed a bold sentence at the top. It stated,

Inmate #18 will be kept in the fourth cabin.

I guess I was now known as "Inmate #18". That meant that there was at least 17 other inmates currently being held in the facility. I noticed a cautionary note, also written in bold.

The higher the Cabin number, the more dangerous the inmate. Any occupant of Cabin sixth or above is not permitted to leave their Cabin without a guard escort. Any occupant of Cabin eight it not permitted to leave unless granted freedom by the warden. Any occupant of Cabin one is permitted to kitchen duty, Cabin two outside aid, and Cabin three postage delivery.

I guess Cabin four and up got to skip out on maintenance duties, due to worry over occupant health. Then I noticed a small subtext.

Any member of cabins 4-5 may be permitted to help with electrical duties, storage, or the Warden.

I guess I really wasn't free from assisting the compound. At least I wasn't placed in Cabin eight, though given my reason for admittance I was quite shocked I was only placed in one of the medium tiers.

After I had finished signing the form, I pulled the ink tubule out of the pen and returned the paper and pen to the guard. He took it and left to some filing room down the hall. The other guard gestured me to follow him as he led me outside, into the compound. Once outside the main building I looked forwards, feeling sand disperse around my feet with each step. On the right were cabins #1-4, along with the main dining hall, recreation, and visitor reception. On the left was cabins #5-8, along with solitary, the Wardens office, and the underground storage facility. Ahead of us was a broad open field with a cracked rubber track, a small truck, and a small row of benches. The guard turned towards me and spoke, "In each Cabin there is two sections, one with two sets of bunk beds, the other with the restroom. Not all of the beds are filled, so expect a varying number of occupants per cabin." I nodded and glanced towards the right, watching as the guard took the hint and began to lead me towards Cabin #4 at the end of the row. I gazed at his badge and saw the number on his was 2. I inferred it meant the Cabin they were assigned to. Although, I was confused as to why I wasn't being led by someone assigned to Cabin four. In a steeled voice I asked, "Why am I not being led by a guard for Cabin four?" He grew a exasperated expression and replied, "They all quit. The occupants of Cabin four are deemed mostly not lethal at the current point, but dangerous enough to be a hazard. They are also notoriously hard to manage but not hostile."

Well, that was a confusing answer. I guess that just meant they didn't view me as a significant safety risk. However, I was glad that it would make my plan easier to accomplish.

We quickly reached Cabin four and the guard opened the lock with a swipe of his key card. He backed up and let me step inside. The interior was dimly lit by the outside light and seemed to have no electrical wiring. Both doors were heavy oak planks, and had rusted over hinges. I stepped inside and closed the entrance door behind me. One of the doors had a lock, so I assumed that was the bathroom. I decided that I needed to meet however many roommates I had, and opened the door without a lock.

Sitting in the center of the room, a girl with short copper hair looked up and smirked.

"Hello." She spoke. "You can call me Unity Hope Broke." Standing up she walked towards the door frame.

Originally written July 22, 2017
Edited June 29, 2018