Authors Note: Chapter contains use of bad language
It was McCullough's first time in prison. She followed Maritza to her bunk and then sat in looked around, it was so lonely and so different from when she was a guard. As she settled Piper came in with her toothbrush and her toothpaste and gave them to her.
"Thank you", McCullough said.
"No problem. Just keep your head down at all times and only talk when you've been spoken to. You're not particularly liked around here considering you were a guard", Piper said.
"But I saved Tiara Sanderson", McCullough replied.
"But you still let it happen and as a consequence, it happened to you too", Piper replied.
McCullough looked down. She wasn't showing yet but she was petrified to be pregnant in prison. She always wanted her own family but not like this. Her baby isn't hoing to have anywhere to go. As Piper was about to leave McCullough stopped her.
"Wait. How is she, how's Tiara", McCullough asked.
"Petrified. She's pregnant again. After what happened to her baby boy she's so worried", Piper replied.
It was time for lunch. The inmates all stared as McCullough entered the dining room. She joined the end of the queue and looked up.
"What is it today", McCullough asked.
"Don't talk to me", Maureen said.
McCullough kept quiet and received her food she sat on an empty table at the back hoping someone would join her. Yoga came and sat opposite her.
"How are you finding prison life", Yoga asked.
"Hard. The fact I'm not going home at the end of the day is hard", McCullough replied.
"I do yoga classes once a day at three on the dot. You're welcome to come along and join in. It'll be nice to have a new person come along", Yoga said.
"Thsnks, I'll think about it", McCullough replied.
Red walked over and leaned over the table. McCullough looked up at her scared. She was scared of Red when she was a guard but never showed it so she would have power over the inmates.
"You keep away from Tiara and my girls", Red said.
"I thought Tiara was your prison daughter along with Nicky", McCullough said.
"She is and you're to keep away", Red replied.
The night quickly came and McCullough laid in her bunk and closed her eyes. She saw flashbacks of herself killing Pornstache. She woke up crying and Norma got up and sat with her handing her a tissue.
"Sorry", McCullough said through her tears.
Norma smiled and gave her a hug as McCullough cried on her. As she calmed down she turned and looked at Norma who was still smiling at her trying to encourage a smile from McCullough.
"I keep having flashbacks when I close my eyes of myself killing Pornstache. It was self defence but I could of tried a lot harder to help Tiara. She's just a kid. Well she is in my eyes at eighteen. She should be in college somewhere not being raped by a guard and locked in prison. This is all my fault it happened", McCullough said.
Norma shook her head. She knew what McCullough did was for self defence. She walked back to her bunk and fell asleep.
The next morning McCullough found herself in the breakfast queue behind Tiara. She started to panic after what Red had said about staying away from her. Tiara turned and looked at her.
"I feel its my fault you're in here. You tried to stop him. I'm going to forgive you", Tiara said.
"Why are you being nice to me? I had a cane I could of hit him with there and then while he was on top of you. I failed to protect you", McCullough said.
"Because Artesian you learnt your lesson when he did it to you. I also know about the secret affair you and Pornstache had", Tiara said.
"How", McCullough asked.
"Me and a few of the other girls saw you and him kissing in the van. Don't worry I won't tell anyone and besides even if I did what you gonna do? Give me a shot. Oh no you can't no more", Tiara replied.
McCullough looked embarrassed. She sat with Yoga and Piper. McCullough looked as the guards were looking at her. She felt nervous.
"Are they judging me", McCullough asked.
"Yes", Piper replied.
"They are meant to be my friends", McCullough said.
"Ex friends. You're now a nobody", Piper replied.
"The guards treat us like shit", Yoga replied.
"I'm so sorry", McCullough replied.
She burst into tears in front of Piper and Yoga. She had her head on the table and was crying into it with her hands covering her eyes. They looked at each other and then Piper went and sat next to McCullough and tried to comfort her.
"Hey, its not your fault", Piper said.
"I've been a bitch", McCullough replied crying.
"We all have. Its why we are here. Prison is full of bitches", Piper replied.
"I accidentally killed an eight year old boy", Yoga said.
"I dealed drugs", Piper said.
"I killed Pornstache", McCullough replied.
"But in self defence", Piper said.
"Wait. How do you know about that", McCullough asked.
"Nothing stays secret around here", Piper replied.
"And you got caught", Yoga said.
McCullough put her tray away and went to her bunk. She looked around and got bored so she went for a walk. She went to the games room and started to play chess on her own. Maureen came and sat with her and played with the black pieces. She'd never played chess before so McCullough taught her how to play. Maureen smiled as the game finished.
"You know, you're not that bad. I think we'll get along", Maureen said.
"Friends", McCullough asked.
"Sure. What's your name", Maureen replied.
"Artesian", McCullough said.
"Artesian. Artesian. It's pretty", Maureen said.
McCullough smiled as she had made a prison friend. She wasn't expecting anyone to like her considering she's an ex guard. She went to movie night and Suzanne gave her earphones as she shared with Maureen. McCullough put Suzanne's earphones in and watched the film which was Mean Girls. That night McCullough went to bed happy. She knew she'd soon get used to prison life and everyone around her. She now only had one worry and that was where her baby would be staying when it's born but she still had eight months to think about that.
"Night Norma", McCullough whispered smiling as she shut her eyes.