What You Don't Know

What you don't know pt17

Bunched up in the corner of one of the large cells Nellie gulped looking around at the other red heads she was sharing this cold cell with. They were crazy, some banging their heads against walls other whaling loudly at the top of their lungs and others rocking back and forth with there heads between their legs. She felt frightened just being in here with them...

Nellie had found herself a corner of the room and had stayed there for a day or two. The food had been awful yet she knew she needed to eat something for her baby's sake. She was terrified of what the guards might do to her if she didn't eat what was given to her. A bowl of slop was all they seemed to give them and the thought of another portion made her feel sick.

In fact she had thrown up twice since being here. The awful smell of piss and vomit would make any one heave, let alone a woman who was nearly a months pregnant. They had little in the way of beds. There were only 4 beds in the cell of 11 women including her. She had to settle for sleeping on the hard concrete floor shivering madly by the barred window that let in the chilly air above her. She hardly slept, in fact she was too frightened to close her eyes.

These women were up all night screaming and crying. Some approached Nellie tapping her on the shoulder when she closed her eyes only to wake her up for their own amusement. She was getting weak, lack of sleep and lack of decent food was making her weaker.

She wondered how Sweeney was. What they had done with him and if he was alright. She missed him so much that she couldn't help but get quietly tearful as she thought about him. If anything happened to him she would kill herself, there was no life for her on this awful planet without him. She just prayed they hadn't hurt him, prayed he was ok.

Shivering in the corner Nellie looked around to see some inmates asleep and only a few awake. It was late at night now or so she assumed considering she had been up again most of the night. Glancing around she noticed a few blankets on the occupied beds. Some of the women were even using them just sleeping on top of them. She was freezing...

Nellie really wanted one. She was cold and wanted to try and rest as best she could and so carefully she pulled herself up onto her wobbly feet. Her heeled boots echoed against the concrete which made her face tense up in worry she might wake them.

She reached one of the beds and noticed a blanket tucked under one of the sleeping inmates. Glancing around nervously she reached for the blanket and began to carefully pull it from under her.

"Oi!" The scary woman jumped too her feet towering over Nellie and yanked the dirty blanket back.

"I'm sorry" Nellie stuttered backing away only for the woman to narrow her eyes on her and head towards her threateningly.

Grasping her hand around Nellies throat she gasped in surprise as the woman whacked her head against the brick wall in anger making her dizzy from the blow "Don't take my things!" She yelled in her face her horrid breath making Nellie grimace.

"Please" she begged worried what this woman might do to her. One hand automatically wet to her stomach protecting it as best she could.

The woman released her hand from her neck and stomped back over to her bed. Other women laughed at Nellie some yelling until she had to cover her ears with both hands and run back over to her little corner. She crouched down still covering her ears and wept hoping to god she would make it out of here alive.

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Another day had past and Nellie was slowly losing all hope. Sitting there listening to the groaning and screams of her inmates she closed her eyes trying to think of something other then the smell of vomit and the cries of madness. She sat alone in her corner running her arms around herself to keep warm just sitting there staring sadly at her wedding ring as if hoping she could go back to that happy day.