Chapter 9: Truth
Flashback: Elsa
In tears, Astrid threw herself towards Elsa, wrapping her arms around her waist and burying her face into her stomach.
"Mrs. Frost, please help me." Astrid begged and faced up, towards her.
Elsa couldn't believe it, just by viewing the child's brutal state made her to be sickened in her heart. She gasped and her expression entirely shifted into appall but in a shocked and distressed manner.
"What kind of monster would do this?" She thought.
She protectively cloaked her arms around the little girl, allowing her to sob for a brief moment then knelt on one knee, having her face at Astrid's face level.
"Astrid, I need you to trust me. Okay?"
Astrid sniveled and nodded in response.
{~}
Elsa turned the key, listening to her vehicle starting and glanced at the front mirror, checking Astrid, who had been seated at the back. Her foot positioned at the pedal, pressing it down slowly.
"Mrs. Frost!" She suddenly heard the principle from a distance.
All at once, the car braked and Astrid laid low under the window.
Elsa felt herself becoming more tense as he stepped closer to the window.
"Step out of the car." He commanded.
"I don't know what your-"
"Mrs. Frost, I know Astrid is in there! Step out of the car now or have your charges be even higher!" He demanded, again. Her lowered his voice, "I've already called the police, they and her mother will be here at any point now."
Elsa sighed,
"Forgive me Mr. Branch.." Elsa mumbled, apologetically.
Elsa stepped her foot all the way down on the pedal. Without a single delay, the car immediately sped and, at the same time, the principle cleared out of the way, jumping to the side. She swerved the car around, then passed through the front gate. Elsa slowly decreased the speed as she drove further from the school then returned to its normal pace at the street, in order to avoid suspicion.
She panted nervously and glanced at the mirror, finding Astrid, panting as well, and already on a seat with a belt crossed over her chest.
"I'm really sorry for that, You okay Astrid?"
Astrid softened her breaths, simmering down a bit.
"Yes." She answered.
Out of nowhere, a few police vehicles appeared, sirens wailing, and stopped a few miles ahead of her.
"Oh no." She quietly gasped.
"What is it?" Astrid asked, in a frightened tone, before looking out the front window.
"We'll need to turn around." Elsa said, attempting to flee again.
"Um Mrs. Frost.." Astrid voice lowered.
Elsa looked at the front mirror, seeing Astrid faced towards the back window of the car. She checked at the rear view mirror, reflecting two more police cars right behind her. She cringed her face in frustration and despair. A small tear emerged out of the corner of her eye.
"I'm so sorry Astrid, I tried..I really did." Elsa ashamedly whispered to herself.
Astrid undid her seat belt and leaned her body against the back of the driver's chair while her palms grasped onto the top of the seat, her head exposed out the side.
"Please Mrs. Frost..there must be another way.." Astrid begged.
Elsa slowed down and braked a few feet away from the police cars in front of her. The sirens hushed and all that was heard were police communication radios being switched on and off, guns clicking, and car doors opening.
"Elsa Frost! You are completely surrounded! Leave the child in your vehicle and come out with your hands behind your head!" An alpha officer, standing beside his car, ordered with a large megaphone connected to the radio of his vehicle.
Elsa obeyed, stepping out carefully and rose her hands to the back of her head.
"Mrs. Frost, what are you doing?" Astrid asked, shocked by Elsa's surrender.
Elsa saw blinking blue and red lights, and officer men approaching her, cuffing her wrists behind her back the moment they reach her.
"I'm so sorry.." She whispered.
One officer walked passed her and to the passenger side of her car, letting Astrid out. Elsa turned her head back, witnessing an officer carrying Astrid out. Astrid struggled and squirmed to reach Elsa but the officer was stronger and held her tightly but securely.
"Mrs. Frost!" She called and reached out to her desperately.
But Elsa was bound and done. The officers escorted her to a vehicle, placing her in it and locking the door. Elsa stared down her lap and looked as if she had just been defeated.
"Oh thank the heavens!" A muffled voice from the outside cried.
Elsa looked out, discovering Astrid's mother, but only with a heartbroken and motherly expression, praising the chief officer.
"Thank you officer for saving my precious daughter Astrid from that terrible teacher. I knew that there was something wrong with her the moment I first saw her." The woman gave a quick hateful glare at the window to Elsa and faced back at the officers with a mournful look again, "it's them young teachers these days, she probably tried to steal my baby girl because she doesn't or maybe couldn't have one of her own. What a shame..." She sighed.
Elsa's eyebrows slanted down and her nose wrinkled, her expression molded into a angered glare.
"Well anyways, I deeply appreciate you for rescuing my Astrid again."
"No problem ma'm, just hope you and your daughter can be reunited, so you can be the terrific mother you are to her." The chief replied, in a proud tone.
The woman approached the window, bringing her face at it with a devilish glare.
"And I'll be seeing you at court." She quietly scowled.
Elsa's teeth gritted and she let out a silent growl.
{~}
NOW
Anna motioned her fingertips inside of the cell, gesturing to come inside. Elsa followed after her, and the two sat the on the ledge of the cell bed. Elsa's mind was completely blank, the moment her eyes laid on the girl. To her, surprisingly, the girl was beautiful, especially for a quiet and shy one;strawberry blonde hair, moon-size teal eyes, perfect small nose, lightly freckled cheeks, and thin lips. Elsa snapped back into reality and focused on why she had came.
"Long time no see Summer." Elsa greeted, then gave a single but quiet chuckle.
"Yes it has." She replied.
Elsa's mind trailed off again. For all this time, she had so many questions, so many things to say but for some reason, she couldn't think of anything to say. Anna noticed Elsa's blank and tranced expression, she broke it by a question.
"Mrs. Frost-"
"Please.." Elsa interrupted, but politely, "call me Elsa.."
Anna smiled a bit.
"Listen, I came here because-well..." Elsa stopped, she didn't know where to start.
"Yes, Mr-I mean Elsa?" Anna noticing her speechless manner.
Elsa sighed and pulled the locket out of her pocket, delivering it to Anna.
"Anna, I want you to explain on how you still had Astrid's locket." Elsa said, setting the locket on her lap.
Anna looked down on the gold moon charm. Suddenly, her mind recalled memories, hurtful memories that had taken her almost forever to forget.
"Anna, I thought that had you returned this to Astrid. Why did you keep it? And why did you run after I gave it to you that day behind the school?" Elsa shot her questions to Anna.
But Anna still remained frozen and all that she had given was a look of aggrieve.
"Please Anna, I need to know." Elsa tried to receive her attention again.
Anna remained silent and only slowly broke in tears, dripping down onto her lap and the locket. The tearing action surprised the pale girl and she faced Anna with concern and trouble.
"What happened?" She asked softly and worriedly.
Anna sniffled and lifted her expression to face Elsa, her lightly freckled cheeks wet with tears.
"Because she's my daughter..." Anna confessed.
Elsa's eyes widened and her jaw lowered a bit, instantly stupefied.
"What?" Elsa mumbled, bewildered.
Anna sighed,
"Elsa...wh-...when I was thirteen, I was raped by my uncle, Hans." Anna revealed.
She took in a deep breath and exhaled in shivering manner, almost in tears. Anna closed her eyes tightly, effortfully trying not to shed tears, and composed herself.
"Two months after I turned fourteen, I had Astrid and God,..she was just so beautiful. I couldn't let her live in my household, especially with my uncle around, since my parents died at a very young age. Growing up, the only person that really was truly kind to me was my aunt, Rapunzel, but not my uncle...he would beat me and my aunt often since he had these awful mental issues...But the worst part is that it got worse as I got older." Anna brought her arm forward, her wrist facing up, and pulled her sleeve up.
Elsa gasped in horror. Scars of cigarette burns and cuts trailed up her elbow. She pulled her sleeve back down.
"Oh my God Anna..."
"But anyways, on the night of the day I left the hospital, I laid in my bed, wide awake, and for some reason, just by having Astrid made me realize that I couldn't stay with my uncle anymore. So I packed and took Astrid with me to run away. I remember the moment I left my house, I knew that I couldn't raise her on my own as well. I was only fourteen at the time. So I went to a nicest orphanage I could find and dropped her there. Right after, I fled and hoped she would grow up in a better family.."
Anna picked up the locket on her lap, bringing it to face level.
"This locket was the only thing I left her so she would have at least a little memory of me. It was my mother's and it's been passed on for generations."
"I'm so sorry Anna. I really am. All that pain and suffering. I can't really imagine...well maybe I can relate a bit since...you know?" Elsa said, comfortingly.
"Yea I know. By the way, I'm really sorry for what happened with you and Tate. If I'd only gotten there earlier you wouldn't have experienced any of it." Anna replied, giving her sorrow.
"But at least you arrived. I would have died if you'd never did. Thank you so Anna. I'm very grateful and I really owe you." Elsa smiled a bit.
Anna returned a little smile as well. It was the first time that Elsa had ever seen Anna smile, since she had always thought of her as a gloomy one.
"Also, thanks for all the items you left under my pillow." Elsa quietly snickered.
Anna faintly snickered back, raising her smile until her cheeks rose, and gave an expression of, 'your welcome.'
"Hey, you lezzies are gonna kiss or what?" A woman from a short distance away joked.
The pair looked at the doorway, recognizing Hampt, who entered in with a delighted smile. She sat on the other cell bed and faced the two.
"So, you do have emotion?" Hampt asked, sarcastically and lifted a brow to Anna then laughed.
Anna rolled her eyes and smiled again She turned back to Elsa, who had already went on her feet.
"I better go, if the other CO's catch me here, they'll give me a shot." Elsa notified, making haste out of the cell.
"Wait. I almost forgot" Anna sharply called her, and suddenly reminded.
The ginger girl knelt in front her metal cabinet and unlocked it with a mini key. She swung the metal door open and withdrew a small bag before locking it. Anna stood up and walked to Elsa. She took Elsa's hand and placed the item in it. Anna grabbed Elsa's other hand and topped it over the item.
"Took me awhile to retrieve this.." Anna said, before returning back to her cell bed.
Elsa bowed her head down, and smiled blissfully at her shower pouch. As she strolled down the hall and to the exit, Elsa zipped it open and found a small piece of paper inside.
"Thanks for trying to save my daughter from that old bitch." She read and flipped to the back, which had a childish drawing depicted as a winking smiley face.
Elsa gleefully laughed and turned out of the hallway, leaving the cell block.
{~}
She switched the metal knob, and after a few seconds, she felt the warm running water hit the top of her platinum blonde hair. Elsa drew out a small hotel bottle of shampoo and soothingly scrubbed it on her long, thick wavy hair. Same as the conditioner, gifted by Heat, and rinsed the two hair products away, one by one. Suddenly from behind, she heard the curtains flutter and the rings screech. She gasped and her body immediately reacted, turning around.
"Listen Reese Witherspoon, you ain't 'Queen of the Showers'. Some people got to wash their weaves too." The slightly bulky black inmate insulted.
Elsa spun the knob behind her, switching the water off. She grabbed her towel, which hung over the stall, and sheeted it around her body.
"Sorry." Elsa apologized and collected her pouch and items.
The inmate sucked her teeth.
"Damn white folks." She muttered and entered in the shower.
As she held the towel together, Elsa shuffled out and through the lines of other inmates to avoid tripping. She walked to an empty mirror and sink, without even having to wait in line and removed her towel, wrapping it around her hair to dry. She had gotten used to being nude around the inmates, since they are all women, and even became used to the whistles or dirty compliments she would receive sometimes from gay inmates that would pass by her. Elsa stared into the mirror and at her reflection. She looked at the background, witnessing two more women walking in and occupying the sinks at the far end. Elsa couldn't help but to listen to their conversation since she had nothing to do while her hair dried.
"Hey, there's gonna be another bus coming in tomorrow. Ya know what that means?" A southern inmate giggled.
Her companion chuckled
"Yup, I hope there's more younger folks coming. I'm sick of those nasty old folks that for some reason, get sent here when really they should be in those old folk's houses." She replied.
Elsa ignored the rest of the conversation and as her mind thought.
"Another bus?"
{~}
Eight minutes passed since she came out and she stood on the blacktop, to await for the new inmates to arrive. The ball of her foot involuntarily clapped on the ground as she focused on the wide and long road beyond the fence. Finally, she saw a small glowing ball of orange, approaching closer and closer until it stopped before the fence. The bus door automatically opened and women in orange spilled out. They all lined up the same exact fashion that Elsa had in her first day and an officer walked along the line, laying down basic rules and instructions. Elsa didn't pay attention to the officer's words and examined each new inmate. A majority of them were surprisingly young, maybe around twenties to thirties, except at the very end of the line which appeared an older woman, not too old but mostly likely a little over forty. For some reason, Elsa couldn't get her eyes off of the woman. Something about her stirred an odd feeling in Elsa, as if she were familiar with her.
"Alright ladies!" The officer dismissed.
The bus departed and the inmates begun entering inside of the prison yard, walking pass the gate. Elsa stood among the crowd of less recent inmates, who cheered and threw insults at them. Elsa only eyed the older woman, noticing her slightly bulk figure and an expression that she just can't erase from her thoughts, just by how it naturally looks threatening. The woman begun to notice Elsa's staring eyes and sent her a hostile expression, causing Elsa to flinch a bit and look away. Elsa waited at for a brief moment and looked back. Already, the woman was gone and so were the other women in orange.
Note: I apologize for the short chapter and if the writing is a little weird then I'm sorry for that as well. Thanks for reading.
