'You've got five minutes Campbell!' Came a stern voice through the thick, metal door. Naomi sighed and returned her attention back to stripping the standard issue bedding off of the rusty metal frame that had been her bed for the last five and a half years.

'What your plans then?' Naomi head slightly turned to the source but issued no replay and continued to carefully fold the bedding and other garments she that had been assigned to her in the past five years. The other inmate signed as she watched the back of Naomi's head, her once peroxide locks now a natural mousey brown.

'Who's picking you up then?' Silence still. 'So you're walking out here, no where to stay, nothing to do and nobody to be with? Wow, I think I know where I'd rather be,' the inmate sighed sarcastically as Naomi still remained silent. 'Right then' The other woman breathed before lying back on her bed, being careful to not lay on the numerous springs that poked out the lumpy mattress. Naomi continued to gather her belongings, not that there was that many. She couldn't quite place it but compared to her many other 'room mates' she had over the years she didn't seem have much processions, maybe that was due to the lack of visitors she had compared to the rest. When she did a comparison with Charlotte's side, with its array of photographs and little scraps of mementos that where plastered everywhere to her plain, grey, concrete wall that had met her everyday for these past few years. She concluded that when she entered here back when she was a petrified eighteen year old, all those ties she had were immediately cut and she was left with nothing but herself to keep her steady, which in reality wasn't much of a foundation. But she adapted and now was ready to get out there, start fresh and never look back.

'Campbell!' The small slit open and through was passed a bundle of clothes. So colourful Naomi thought bearing in mind she had just spent the last so many years wearing the exact same grey track suit that colour was a bit of a novelty. She picked up the garments remembering when she first put them on all those years ago with trembling fingers and teary eyes, she almost laughed at how much she has changed. She threw Charlotte a glance, who on cue, rolled over to face the wall giving Naomi the tiny bit of privacy that was lost on a place like this. The clothes felt wrong but she didn't complain as she slipped into the trousers and tee shirt that clung to her body. She wasn't surprised that the teenage clothes weren't as fitting as they had once been, she was nearly twenty four for crying out loud! Not that she had put weight on; it was kind of hard when you were fed the gruel that she had been given these last few years. But if anything she was probably in better shape now than she was back then due to the amount of hours she killed in the exercise yard along with no drinking and no cigarettes. If there was anything she was to thank this place for it was her acquired lean, athletic figure.

Once she had changed she folded her grey uniform and set the clothings neatly next to the bedding, she decided to leave the recently reunited floral shirt with them as well. She's not that person anymore.

'Campbell, it's time,' The door opened once the grinding and creaking of locks had finished, she turned to Charlotte who simply smiled, she nodded back before picking up her near empty plastic bag that now contained her life before walking through the door to her long awaited freedom.

Once she had left the room she was escorted through the maze of narrow, stained white hallways and eventually was lead to an officer at a reception of sorts. She handed Naomi a selection of papers to fill in and sign her, face looked like a slapped arse probably because she had to come and work at a place like this, try living here love Naomi thought bitterly. Once she had filled in the correct documentation the woman handed over a large brown paper envelope, her named scrawled in black marker on it, the jangle of long lost belongings was evident as Naomi tucked it underneath her arm. Without a word the officer that had collected her from her cell lead her through another series of long, drab hallways and doors before eventually leading her out into the open, the June sun light dancing on her shoulders and already she could see, hear, smell, taste and feel the freedom, every sense going into over drive as the officer unlocked the iron security gate. Many other officers's watched the two like hawks targeting prey. The iron barred door opened with a groan and without another sound Naomi took a single step and was free.

Naomi used to imagine this moment, used to think of a number of scenarios each more ridiculous than the last as she used to sweat away in the gym. She used to wind herself up when she used to muster over what she was going to do when she got that first taste of freedom. What was she going to do? Laugh? Cry? Sing and dance till the small hours of the morning? But here she was doing nothing, not even a smile. How could she look back at that place and smile? Resentment was not one of the things that made it on the list of freedom emotions but now that was all she felt, it didn't matter whether she was looking at that soul sucking prison or the distance skyline of Bristol because either way they both held painful memories.

Naomi sighed before retracting the brown envelope from under her arm. She tore open the seal and peered inside, wishing she hadn't when five years worth of dust attacked her nostrils. She pulled out her purse opening the zip to her array of cards, a five pound note and her driving license. She pulled it out and smiled at her youthful self even though it was an awful picture and wouldn't look out of place on Crime Watch ( then again where she had just come from she figured she probably belonged on Crime Watch) she could still see her topaz eyes full of ambition, drive and life.

She hadn't aged that much she had to admit but she had missed out on opportunity, big time! All the people from her youth would now have finished university, have well paying jobs, possibly doing masters or PHD's, getting married, maybe having children and here she was with a criminal conviction for drug supply and involuntary manslaughter, with no job and no house.

'What a catch.' She murmured to herself. She shook her head before returning her license to the little window where it belonged. As she put it back she noticed a shiny piece of car sticking out of a card slit. She rescued it and felt the first full on grin appear on her face for almost six years. Her mother's hazel eyes staring back at her with her little two year old self sat in her lap wearing nothing but a jam stained tee shirt that read 'I recycle my tantrums' as they laid on the gleaming Cornwall seaside with massive, beaming smiles on their faces. She chuckled and was taken back at her own laugh, she hadn't heard it in such a long time that it sound pretty much alien. She flipped the photograph over and felt the tiny sting of tears nip at her eyes when she saw the familiar swirly writing of her mother. 'Happy 18th grumpy guts! Have a great day and smile! Here's a photo just encase you've forgotten. I love you xxx' Naomi couldn't help but trace the black ink with one long finger as she swallowed hard to prevent the tears over spilling. She must've gotten this only a couple of months before that night, before her, before everything. She gave the photograph one last look over before returning it and taking a deep breath. She dug her hand back inside the envelope and found a plastic orange lighter, a half empty packet of fags, a hand full of change and half a tube of extra strong mints. She emptied everything into the litter bin a head of her besides the change which she slipping inside her purse and was about to do the same with the envelope when she heard the light jingle of metal, she looked inside to see something reflecting the afternoon sun. She put her hand in and retracted the sparkling item. A thin gold chain necklace threaded through her pale fingers letting the gold plated capital 'E' rest on her rough palm. She wasn't sure how long she stared at her small, gold tinted reflection in the tiny E shaped mirror. She bit her lip as she clenched the jewellery in a clenched fist, not even stopping when she tasted the musty copper on her tongue and the sting of her palm being sliced into. She had to stop; she was free with a clean slate, a fresh start. She opened her hand, glaring at her blood tainting the sparkling surface before quickly throwing the item into the road side bin and walking the road toward the distant Bristol skyline, she was not that person anymore.