Tough chapter to write but hopefully it's not too hard to read. Let me know what you think :)
Thank you to everyone's who's reviewed so far. Next chapter should be up tomorrow
x x x x
Sara's POV
"Let go of her." She orders calmly.
"Yeah, sure." The inmate sitting atop me scoffs, a sound akin to sandpaper on stone. "I know you're new to this Goldilocks, why don't you let me walk you through it?" She adds condescendingly. "After all Cat, you of all people know that I know what I'm doing."
The mocking tone of her voice and the dark look that crosses 'Goldilocks'' face suggests these two have locked horns before. I flick my eyes frantically between the two of them, waiting for one to make a move.
My cellmate – Cat, I presume – crouches down so she is eye to eye with my current attacker. Resigning myself to the fact that the guards are not coming, all I can do is hope that she is on my side.
Right now it could go either way.
"Let go of her." She enunciates slowly. "She won't move."
Somewhat uncertainly, the restraining hold on my arms and legs slacken and finally disappear altogether. Dim light floods back into my view, albeit briefly, as the woman on top of me moves only to be quickly replaced before I have a chance to make the most of my moment of freedom.
Without a word, Cat settles herself on my hips, her hands falling naturally onto my sides. My breath hitches, a hiccupping sob lodging in my throat. Even if I could form words right now, I daren't ask what she is going to do to me.
She leans down, her strawberry-blonde hair falling over her shoulders and shielding our faces from the group. I can smell peppermint on the hot breath that grazes my cheek.
"Just do as I said. I don't want to hurt you." She whispers, placing a hand over my eyes. Reluctantly, I let my eyelids flutter closed against her skin. Perhaps it will be better if I am blind throughout this ordeal.
Without warning, her lips are on mine. The kiss is dominant, rough, as she forces her tongue between my teeth. I instinctively try to resist but the more I attempt to move away, the more strength she puts into holding me still. After several futile attempts, I give into her persistence. Unexpectedly, as soon as I stop struggling Cat releases my mouth.
I can feel her laboured breathing, her grip still firm on my waist. With her body blanketing me I can't see anyone else, but all the blood rushing through my ears isn't enough to block out the sound of their impious laughter. I am their entertainment for the evening, it seems.
"I'm sorry." Cat breathes against my lips, pressing a final brief kiss to my cheek before leaning further down to latch her mouth to her my neck. Her teeth nip softly, then harder when I try to squirm away. A warning, I realise.
Attempting to push all of my instincts aside, I will myself to stay still. If I do as she told me and don't fight back, maybe I can get through this in one piece.
I am vaguely aware of her hands, soft and gentle in comparison to the previous woman's, moving further down my body.
Her mouth follows, inching my t-shirt up and trailing kisses along my stomach. I keep my eyes tight closed, not wanting to see the barrage of leering faces above me. Every now and then a stray hand will reach out to grab me before Cat bats it away. Clearly whatever she is going to do to me, she wants to do it alone.
Their jeers and hollers fade into mere sounds now as my heartbeat deafens everything around me. I can barely even feel what she is doing to me as my deep-rooted defences kick into action and I begin to lock myself away in my own head. The ability to detach myself from my own body was the only thing that had kept me alive as a child.
However, I am rudely brought back from my internal hiding place by a sharp kick to the shoulder. It came from my left but I daren't open my eyes to seek out the culprit.
Without a chance to retreat again, I yelp in surprise and pain when two fingers are pushed inside me. All ideas of just laying still and taking it go out of the window and I begin to kick my legs, attempting to throw Cat off me. Her husky voice appears in my ear again, oddly comforting.
"Stop fighting. It'll hurt less." She mumbles softly. Biting down on the surge of anger and fear running through my veins, I do as she asked. I lay still.
Placing a supporting hand beside my head to steady herself, Cat continues to torment me; peppering soft kisses across my jaw-line as she does so. I wanted to scream but my body won't let me. I try not to respond to her touches but my body can't help it.
"Let go for me." She pleads desperately, pressing her lips to the corner of my own. She slips her arm beneath my neck, until her body is flush against my own. "Then it'll all be over; just let me take you."
And I do. I hate every ounce of my being for it, but I don't see any other way out. Tears stream down my cheeks as I turn my head into her shoulder, shielding myself from everyone else as best I can.
And just as she had promised, everything stops. The noise and the pain vanish all at once. Cat's weight disappears from my stomach, allowing me to curl up in a protective ball on the stone floor.
"You've had your fun. Now get lost." I hear her say in an empty voice from somewhere nearby.
I sense the circle around me disperse as, one by one, they begin to file out; their screeches reduced to hushed whispers as the sound of heavy footsteps finally signals the arrival of the guards.
"Lockdown!" A gruff male voice bellows down the long corridor.
I am vaguely aware of someone nearby talking to me, but I can't focus on it. I feel like my whole world has just crashed down around me.
I feel numb.
I feel nothing.
X x x
Cath's POV
I keep my gaze low as the filed out to the sound of the approaching guards.
They know, of course; but as long as they don't catch anyone in the act they can continue to pretend it isn't happening. And no one would dare speak of it outside the prison.
As long as everyone follows the unwritten rules, no one ever needs to find out what really happens inside these walls.
When I glance back up there is one person still lingering behind, staring at the girl curled up at my feet. Once she catches my eye she steps forward, scuffing her heavy boots along the ground. When she speaks she is talking to the girl, but her gaze never leaves my own.
"You got off easy, Sunshine."
Without missing a beat, she swings her foot out and lands it squarely in the girl's ribs.
I lunge forwards, shoving her roughly away until her back hits the wall.
"Get lost Harper." I bark. "She's not free game anymore."
For a moment I blink at her with baited breath, angry tears springing to my eyes. Last time I stood up to Harper, I ended up in the medical wing for a week. Right now, she seems undecided on whether to act on my rebellion or not.
Whether it is the sound of the guards, or the sick satisfaction she will get from making me wait for punishment, I'll never know; but instead she backs out of the cell, her blank eyes still fixed on my own.
"You'd better watch your back Goldilocks." She sneers. "You and your new little bitch."
"Back in your cage, Harper!" One of the guards snarls, throwing a lazy glance in my direction. He raises an eyebrow at the girl, still curled in a ball on the floor, but says nothing as he slides the metal bars shut and locks us in for the night.
Just the two of us. Alone. Safe ... for tonight at least.
I wait, barely breathing, until the echoing of metal clashes and the dying footsteps fade to nothing.
Finally alone, I move to crouch down beside her. She is shaking, her face buried in her hands as terrified sobs wrench their way from her tiny frame. I reach out a tentative hand but quickly withdraw it without touching her. Right now, I am probably the last person she wants near her.
Instead, I drag the blanket off the bottom bunk and drape it over her. She barely seems to notice, but at least it will keep her from freezing to death her first night here.
I briefly consider going to bed and leaving her to get up in her own time, but I know there is no way I am going to get any sleep just yet.
So I sit down on the cold floor; close enough to keep an eye on her, but far enough away that I am not in her personal space. She has had enough of that for one night.
And I wait.