Chapter Two
The Prison Carol Concert
When Chloe came downstairs, she saw everyone getting ready to sing carols, some of the prisoners were setting up instruments, and Sylvia was standing at a keyboard wearing a Santa hat.
The whole prison was decorated festively, tinsel and holly hung from the walls and a large Christmas tree stood fully decorated and sparkling and the tables in the canteen were filled with Christmas refreshments and drinks. A small group of prisoners including Verona, Kaliyah and Celia stood on a small stage that had been set up to sing the carols and the other prisoners were sitting on chairs ready to watch.
Everyone in the small group were dressed in Santa hats and scarves and holding sheets of carol music in their hands. "Ok everybody" said Karen the wing governor, "let's all take our seats and listen to the carols, hope you're all in the Christmas Spirit!"
Sylvia began to do some warm up exercises on the keyboard as all the prisoners who were singing took their positions and held up their sheets, the guards the allocated the prisoners to their seats, Chloe sat next to Julia and Darlene. "Verona's got a good voice" said Julia "she used to be in a choir as a teenager"
Chloe then looked across to where Jenny and Julie were making mince pies for refreshments afterwards; Ellen was also up with the other prisoners in the Choir. Chloe then thought back to when she was in the school choir and how people liked to listen to her sing yet she hadn't felt in the mood for singing in the choir in the prison as she still felt a little sad.
"Yoo ok Chloe?" asked Darlene looking at the depressed poodle "Yowa seeming sad?" Chloe looked up at the lioness, "Oh I'm fine Darlene" she said forcing a smile "I'm just thinking" Julia looked at Darlene "about Rouge" she chuckled "ah understand" said Darlene "We ahll miss Rouge"
Just then Karen the Wing governor clapped her hands "quiet everybody, quiet" everyone then settled down and sat still facing Karen, "thank you, welcome to G-Wings Carol Concert, may I proudly announce the Choir with Sylvia on keyboards" she turned to the elderly ginger dog who nodded. Karen then nodded "enjoy the Concert everyone!" she then stepped aside as everyone clapped and cheered.
The Singers then look a deep breath and Sylvia started the music, start they started singing a couple of well known Christmas Hymns, Ellen sang the first verse of 'Once in Royal David's City' then the Choir joined in. They then sang 'Hark the Herald Angel's Sing' then 'Ding Dong Merrily on High'
Then the Choir sang a song that everyone started to join in with:
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
'Tis the season to be jolly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la.
Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.
See the blazing Yule before us.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Follow me in merry measure.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
While I tell of Yule-tide treasure.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Fast away the old year passes.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Hail the New Year, lads and lasses
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Sing we joyous, all together.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Heedless of the wind and weather.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Finally the concert ended with 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' then 'Silent Night' which Verona sang the first verse of then the Choir joined in. When they performed the last song, everyone clapped and cheered, then the Choir all sang their grand finale.
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
we wish you a Merry Christmas;
we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer We won't go until we get some;
we won't go until we get some;
we won't go until we get some, so bring some out here
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
we wish you a Merry Christmas;
we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Finally everyone gathered in the Canteen for some mince pies that Jenny and Julie made, they had even made some gingerbread biscuits in the shape of Christmas trees, Snowmen and baubles.
As Julie, Darlene and the other Deadly Six were talking, Chloe took a plate of her own refreshments to a corner with a cup of juice, she had enjoyed the carol Concert but she didn't feel like talking to anyone. She still felt sad about her loneliness and that she didn't deserve to be loved again after her crime.
"Most of the other prisoners, even the rest of the Deadly Six have friends and family on the other side, but not me…" she nibbled on a mince pie and stared into space at the tall Christmas tree in the Canteen. "I remember sitting under the Christmas Tree as a child and looking at the pretty lights, and thinking about Santa Claus" she thought "all those years with my parents, before they divorced when I was fourteen"
She looked at the other prisoners in the canteen, Jenny and Julie were handing out more mince pies and Karen was praising them for their hard work in the Kitchen, "I wonder if they miss Christmas at Home" she thought, "I never thought I'd be thinking this, but I do miss the outside world, though I never regret my crime, I do miss what's outside the prison"
"Butcher Girl!" Chloe then snapped out of her daydream and looked across to where a large fat pig and a scrawny grey rat, Maxine and Frances, Buxton's cronies, were standing; they both were standing with their arms folded looking at her. "Oh hello" said Chloe coolly "what do you want?"
"Why you standing there all alone, no-one wanting to talk to you?" sneered Maxine, "can see why" said Frances "no-one likes the cold bloodied Butcher Girl as a friend! Nobody likes you!" "Fuck off" muttered Chloe turning away from them and taking a bite out of a mince pie.
"Hey!" said Frances slapping a hand on Chloe's shoulder "don't look away from us!" Chloe turned to them and snarled, "Piss off!" she said standing up away from them. "Hey!" Frances and Maxine looked up to see Sylvia walk up looking serious "what's going on here?"
Frances and Maxine took a step back and held up their hands "nothing miss" said Maxine, "just chattin'" "well" said Sylvia "I've got my eye on you lot!" she looked at Chloe then at the two bullies, "if I see any nonsense or bullying you'll be down the block!"
Frances and Maxine watched as Sylvia turned her back on them, then Maxine stuck her tongue out and Frances gave her the middle finger, they then turned and walked away from Chloe but not before sniggering and laughing at Chloe who sighed and looked back at the tree again sipping her drink.
Well, sure is festive in the prison.
Those horrid bullies, they never miss a chance to be nasty. Poor Chloe.
Acknowledgements to Rock-Raider for some of his ideas and to Shadowmjl for the story title (Sorry Baby, I should have mentioned it in the first chap, love you).