Safety Blanket

🌿 Chapter Four 🌿

BREAKING NEWS: Local mysterious fire at Shawshank Prison let loose convicted inmates-! Details are still coming in- yet consider all inmates dangerous and potentially armed. Police units are dispatched and doing their best to collect escaped inmates, and residents are urged to stay indoors wherever you are.

"Think about it Molly! This could be our big break!" Her hands flew up in the hair, eyes gazing off at something just above Molly's head. "You know they're gonna put a bounty on those prisoners! If we help turn 'em in- We'll be rich! Ain't gonna have to worry 'bout scraping up money-for- for nothin!"

"Jackie- those are wanted criminals-" Molly whispered under the constant roll of voices around the bar, the news report gently droning on in the background of their conversation. "We can't just- kidnap them.." Molly stroked a hand through the ends of her cocoa hair, gently pulling her shaking fingers through upon meeting a small tangle. The top was pulled into a neat ponytail at the back, and dark sunglasses sat on the bridge of her nose despite being inside. Light of the glowing neon signs reflected off the shape of her oval face, highlighting her somewhat noticeable worry lines.

"So what!" Jackie slammed her fists on the table, her faintly curly hair bouncing against her shoulders at the sudden movement. "It's the most exciting thing that's happened in Castle Rock- for how long?!" She leaned back in her chair and threw a hand forward, motioning with an open palm like she was holding an invisible fruit. "Since Warden Lacy offed himself! C'mon Molls!"

"Jackie- no- this is a terrible idea", Molly paused and leaned forward, starting to speak in a hushed tone,"if we go and try to catch them, we might become the inmate-!"

"Oh, since when have you been such a bore? Prison's burnt 'nyway! Wouldn't have anywhere to keep us even if we were to become inmates!" Jackie let her shoulders slouch back, crossing her arms across her somewhat flat chest as she kicked a shoe up on the dark wooden bar table watching red and blue lights whiz past the bar outside. The brief flash of lights lit up the window like a screen, the late night dew turning shades of purple for a brief moment before the light faded. "We could be getting mad money right now..."

"Fine! Fine! If you want to get killed and raped by a prisoner, let's go do that, Jackie! Sounds fun!" Molly's hands were thrown up in the air just like her harsh words, fingers crashing down against the sticky bar table as she rose. Her chair screeched against the floor, Jackie on looking with an expression of sudden unsurity.

"Huh? What- really? Way ta go, Molls!"

With a heavy sigh Molly turned tail, tossing her purse strap over her shoulder before tugging her hair out from under the shoulder band. She marched out the door and expected Jackie to follow, which she was sure she was once she heard the soft squeak of her shoes against the fake hardwood flooring.

Outside looked no different from before other than the distant orange glow of dying flames in the clouded sky over Shawshank, the night sky hiding the thick black smoke that circled over the town like a vulture. Under the yellow light of the singular street lamp Molly could make out new cracks in her windshield.

"Shit!" Upon closer inspection after running to her car Molly could see her driver's side window had been shattered, glass bits reflecting the yellow of the street lamp in her seat. A singular moth fluttered about in her car, flapping and dancing against the roof. Nothing looked to be stolen, thankfully..nothing that she couldn't replace at least. She aimlessly unlocked her car door with a quiet responding 'beep' from her car, Jackie the first to hop in and promptly shoo out the little fluttering moth.

"What'd they take?"

"Gee- I dunno- maybe I'd know if I got in the car-" Molly opened her door with a dull click and set her purse down on the floormat, taking her keys out of her pocket and setting them in the center console. Suddenly her eyes went wide and she leaned in, ripping open the center console so fast she nearly broke the latch. "My..my pills are gone..God damn it!" Jackie flinched as Molly slammed the lid of the console down, watching as her friend paced in a short line infront of her open car door.