Stirring, the girl with the platinum blond hair held her head up, and looked around the room.

"Shit!" she said almost instantly. "Where are my contacts...?!" she uttered nervously. A frantic Laura combed the bed she sat on for her contacts, feeling around for their squishy, smooth texture. A shocked Amanda stood speechlessly in front of her. Laura couldn't tell Amanda was standing less then a foot away from her, because she was too consumed in finding her source of sight. After several minutes of Laura looking around and Amanda and Rigg exchanging awkward glances, she gave up. Laura laid her head back on the bed in a huff, sighing out of stress. She opened her eyes wide again to examine the rest of the room.

Laura observed that there was a large form located right in front of her, it appeared to be a person. "...Is someone there?" Laura questioned. Amanda's eyebrows raised as Rigg watched the encounter in his peripheral vision. Rigg was on watch duty at the time, so he had nothing better to do than watch what went on in the cells. Amanda stared at Laura for awhile, studying the look of confusion upon her face before she spoke. "...Yeah theres someone here." said Amanda quietly. Amanda was eternally shy in her behavior. Laura's brows furrowed the minute she heard Amanda's voice. "Who are you...?" questioned Laura, furiously. "My name is...Amanda." Amanda uttered with a slight feeling of regret. For some reason Amanda couldn't pick out, she didn't feel like it was a good idea to have revealed her actual name to this stranger.

"Where the fuck am I, Amanda?"

After Laura asked where she was, Amanda took a look around the room again. She reluctantly studied the grimy toilet in the corner and the two disgusting cots dressed in very worn and over-used sheets. The bars holding the cots up were made of a very cheap metal that was deteriorating and rusting by the minute. At any given moment, the bed supports could collapse. Amanda paused, and then she spoke again.

"Looks like we're in hell."

Cogs turned in Laura's head at Amanda's statement.. "Oh...er, Jail right? I think I remember being arrested a while ago...by the way, the name's Laura." Laura retorted in a calmer tone. "Oh...okay." said Amanda, less interested in her now. There was a brief pause, and then Laura spoke. "So how did you get here anyway...?" she said. "I...don't even know." Amanda said quickly. "Oh come on, there has got to be more to your story." Laura said as she rolled her eyes at Amanda's poor attention to detail. "Well...one minute I was home and safe, the next a SWAT team barged in and teared me out of my home." Amanda responded. Laura's face suddenly turned cold and expressionless.

"Yeah...they took me from my home too..."

With those words, they both glanced at the floor; concerned looks painted on their faces. They were trying to revive the better times in their head, and play them back. Laura tried to regain her composure, but she was still in sheer shock. She tried to study the room the best she could, but all she could make out was black, green, brown, and dark orange shapes.

Laura sat up on the bed and wrapped her arms around her knees, softly sobbing. Amanda sat on the bed next to Laura, and she put her hand on Laura's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. They could both hear the sound of footsteps going out the gates of the holding cells, Rigg had completed his shift, and by the looks of it Amanda and Laura were getting along well enough for him to leave.

Neither Amanda or Laura paid attention to their surroundings, they just silently comforted one another by being in each other's company. They were both unsure of what was going to happen next. Laura grabbed Amanda's hand and rubbed it with her thumb, and rested her head on Amanda's shoulder. Instantly, Amanda felt wet. She looked down and saw that Laura's hair was damp and smelled like grass after a fresh rain. Amanda pushed the hair away from her shoulder, and out of Laura's tear-soaked eyes.

Amanda then contemplated what could have made her so damp. God, it must have been pouring when Matthews took her out of the police car, poor thing...I hope to she doesn't catch anything in this dump. Despite her rather grim outlook on the situation, she tried to reassure Laura that it would be fine. "We'll make it through..." said Amanda softly. "...Laura?" Amanda questioned if she was awake or asleep. Amanda looked down to the blond girl, clad in a rose pink summer dress.

She didn't respond.

Laura had fallen asleep. Amanda gently shifted her shoulder out from underneath Laura, and put a pillow in its place, laying her down on the bed. She lifted up the bedsheets and tucked them in around Laura to ensure she wasn't cold. Amanda then walked to the other side of the cell, and plopped herself down on the bed. With lack of having anything better to do, she watched Laura sleep for awhile. She admired her pretty blond hair from afar, and wished she had a cute little dress like hers to wear. Amanda watched her chest rise and fall over and over again.

For some reason Amanda could not put her finger on, she took a liking to Laura. She tried admiring her in the dark lit room, but it was almost impossible. She could barely make out the shape of her, as the sun had set and everything in the room blended into one black mess. The natural light from the sun was pretty much the only thing that aided her to see beforehand. Amanda laid on her back, closed her eyes, and tried to think of happier thoughts. Immediately she was brought back in time, to the park across the street, and the couple. She thought that they were sharing a typical moment for a happy couple, but it was really the opposite.

Jill walked just a few feet in front of John, marveling at all the tall trees green with life. She was so happy, and in love.

She twirled around the path imagining herself as a ballerina; she had never been such full with bliss since her childhood years. When Jill was a little girl she dreamed of becoming a ballerina. John watched as she gracefully made her way along the cobblestone path. He laughed lightly as he watched her bask in the sun's rays. John recalled the first moments they shared together, and of course that fateful Monday they discovered Jill was pregnant.

John was beaming with joy when he found out he was going to be a father. John had a lot of darkness in his life previous to his relationship with Jill, so having her by his side was the best thing that could happen to him. This was really a breakthrough in the relationship. Times like these were a rare occurrence. Previous to them finding out Jill was pregnant, they had been clashing non-stop. All of a sudden John saw Jill stop in her tracks.

She crouched down in front of a patch of grass. Quizzically, John followed her to the same spot, and stood behind her, looking on."John, take a look at this flower..." said Jill. She pointed to a small flower that was peeking out of what seemed to be a completely dead patch of grass. Despite its surroundings, it was full with life. John bent down next to Jill, and reached his arm out to the flower. He felt the rich creamy texture of the flower's bright red petals. Then his fingertips graced the stem, and he could see that it was strong and healthy.

"It's such a beautiful sight to behold, isn't it?"

Jill happily nodded at John's observation and grabbed his hand. She led him across the park to a big tree with a wide trunk. "And look at this tree." she said softly, in a sensual tone. Jill walked right up to it and felt the rigid pollen covered wood. She admired its vein-like branches. All of a sudden Jill felt a hand on her back, and before she knew it, John had turned her around and gently guided her back up against the tree. "I love you, Jill." he said. Then he reached in for a kiss.

Without warning, Amanda heard a large clanging sound. She awoke, and sat up straight. Amanda looked around the room, everything appeared to be normal, however, Laura was missing from her bed. Amanda swung her legs around from the bed, planting them on the cold linoleum floor. The clanging sound was still evident. A few seconds would go by, and she would hear the noise again. Amanda walked around the room, trying to find the source of that annoying racket.

All of a sudden she turned around and looked towards the prison bars. Laura was slouched down in the corner, her flip flop in her hand. Amanda could hear a soft sobbing noise was emanating from Laura's body. She heard the noise again. Amanda approached Laura, and as she did she realized the sound got louder. Amanda wished that her eyes had gotten used to the dark a little sooner, because as of yet she couldn't see very well. Amanda again, could hear the noise.

"Let...me...out."

Laura's voice was cracking. As Amanda's eyes began to focus, she realized what was going on. Laura was banging on the bars of their cell with her shoe, delusional with stress. Laura's eyes were stung with fresh tears, while dried ones remained in a trail down to her jaw. Amanda knelt down next to Laura, and petted her hair. "Shh...its okay, everything is going to be fine." Amanda said to her reassuringly. Laura choked on her tears and sat wordlessly as Amanda stroked her hair. "We'll get through this...I promise." Amanda stated to Laura.

Laura could feel how cold Amanda's last sentence was, and her cries erupted into an uproar of sobbing. They both knew that Amanda had no idea how or if they would pull through. Amanda was lying to try to lift Laura's spirits. "Come here..." Amanda said to Laura.

She guided Laura towards her, and sat her on her thigh.

Laura instinctively leaned her head against Amanda's shoulder, like a small child seeking comfort from their mother for a boo-boo. Laura was so distraught. It seemed like she had never experienced hopelessness of this caliber before. That surprised Amanda even more. "You know I never had anything..my parents didn't give me anything...so I had to take it." Said Laura. "Hm...?" Amanda responded, as the sentence Laura had just uttered seemed to only be a piece of the puzzle. "Matthews arrested me for stealing...but...I only did it because I had nothing." Laura explained. Amanda was about to respond, but Laura cut her off mid-breath. "Though I had stolen before...this time, I didn't actually do it!" she exclaimed. Amanda's eyes opened wide; had they both been framed? "You mean to tell me...that you weren't the one who did the crime...?" Amanda uttered curiously. Laura sniffed, trying to hold back tears as she nodded in agreement to Amanda's question. Laura's mind raced back to that moment when she was captured.

Laura sat on the edge of her bed, remote in hand. "No...eh...nope..." she thought contemplatively as she flipped through the channels, trying to find something feasible to watch. She looked down to her bed, noticing that the sheets visibly hadn't been changed in months. Scoffing in disgust at the sheets, she got up, and placed her remote at the top of her TV. She ripped off the bed sheets and threw them to the floor. Tiptoeing around them to make sure she didn't trip, she made her way to the wooden dresser opposite the bed.

With one tug of her arm she pulled the middle drawer all the way out, and it fell to the floor, right before her feet. Laura bent down and retrieved the washed sheets; carelessly tossing them onto the bed. Laura let out a heaving sigh as she turned around towards the bed, ready to dress it in the fresh new sheets. She lived alone, and had little contact with most people. Laura was a recluse and didn't care much about the human race in general, but she was an avid worker. She always dreamed of becoming a CEO of a company. But as her mother told her, Laura's emotions would just get in the way of the job too much.

It's true, Laura's emotions tended to hinder her most of the time, but she couldn't help it. Laura grew up as a poor child in a rich town. She had five brothers and sisters, she was the oldest, and was neglected in order for her mom to take care of her younger siblings. She also grew up in her teenage years without a father, he had walked out on her family when she was only seven. Many stresses in her life made her the person she is today—and also made her weak and prone to stealing. She started the habit in high school, stealing designer wallets filled to the brim with credit cards and hundred dollar bills.

She kept all the wallets, and used the cash she stole to buy new clothes for herself. To this day, nobody has caught her for all the stealing she has done. She is so good at it that she relies on that sole ability to support her. However this day much to her surprise, it all went haywire.

Out of the blue, Laura heard a person rapping loudly on her door with their fist. "Open up, Police." said the person on the other side of the decrepit panel of wood. Laura immediately panicked and started swearing compulsively.

"Fuck...oh god."

Laura slowly crept to the door. "Let us in, or we're going to break the door down." The voice stated. Laura massaged her temple with one hand, and with the other, she gripped the doorknob. She turned it slowly, trying to hold back tears. This was something she simply couldn't handle. A clicking noise was made as the mechanism within unlocked, and the door swung open. The SWAT team commanded by Rigg, rushed into Laura's apartment. They all stepped into the room, aiming their firearms at various corners of Laura's apartment.

She looked on in terror and just wished that it would end. "Clear!" a member of the SWAT team exclaimed moments after entry. Laura propped herself up against a wall as she watched Eric Matthews stride confidently into her apartment. "Well I guess we didn't need the SWAT for this one." he said with a cold, disheartening sneer. Matthew's comment about Laura's weakness was like a spear to the heart, he had been confirming everything she feared. Eric dug deep in his pocket and pulled out a set of cuffs. He threw them to the bed and casually strolled to her dresser.

Upon it were various meaningless items. Most have never been opened, with security devices still attached. "Heh, take her out of here." Matthews said as he laughed to himself, combing through various items.

Rigg came up to Laura, retrieved the cuffs and placed them upon her hands.

She did not struggle physically, but you could see by the look painted on her face, she was struggling on the inside. As Rigg and the SWAT team dispersed in the hallway, Eric reached into his pocket, removing a surgical glove. He put his hand into the glove, and reached back in his pocket again. He looked to and fro to make sure there was nobody watching him, as he slipped a brown paper bag into Laura's waste bin. He completed his task. Eric was almost out of the room but not before he spotted a pink perfume bottle on the nightstand—brand new. Again, Eric checked to see if the coast was clear, and then he pocketed the perfume.

He figured it would be a nice gift for his loved one. Eric smiled to himself, glad for taking this job. At first he thought it might not be a good idea to become a cop—after all, he despised anyone who forced people to be set straight. But he realized all the benefits that would come with the title, and he loved the control and power it entailed. Detective Matthews had always been a man power-hungry, and this job had fed his starvation.

Eric wandered outside, and called to a member of the SWAT team to take a look at the bag. He proceeded walked in, discovered the brown lunch bag in the garbage and unfolded the top of it carefully. Inside was about four dozen counterfeit 100 dollar bills. Detective Matthews faked a look of shock and awe, and the deed was done.

Laura cried and shook uncontrollably after recalling those horrible events. Amanda tried her best to comfort her, but it was little use. "God I'm so damn cold..." Laura said, teeth chattering as she still remained damp from the rain. Amanda frowned at the petite girl's discomfort. "Maybe you should take off your clothes, and wrap yourself in the dry blanket for awhile. At first, Laura shot her a strange look. "What...?" she shot back quizzically. "You know, wrap yourself in something dry. It will absorb any wetness that is still left on your body, and you probably won't feel so cold. Then you can always put your clothes back on after they have dried." She explained.

Laura paused to think about what Amanda had just said. You could hear the gears clicking inside her head. "Oh yeah, thats a good idea...but close your eyes." she retorted. With a light laugh, Amanda nodded her head. Laura walked over to her designated cot and ripped off the sheets. She stripped of her clothing and tossed it to the side, as Amanda faced her head towards the bars. She promised Laura she wouldn't look. Within what seemed like seconds for Laura but minutes for Amanda, the sheet was wrapped securely around Laura's body. "Okay." Laura stated.

Amanda turned around and smiled ever so slightly. "I bet thats better huh?" she commented. "Yeah..it is." Laura responded. Suddenly, the pair could hear the jingling of metal keys hitting one another on a ring off in the distance. They both exchanged confused glances as two dark figures appeared in the room. The person with the slighter figure came up to the cell, and unlocked their cage. Both Laura and Amanda equally confused, were looking to the shadowed person for an answer as to who they were. Then he spoke.

"Amanda, its time."

He grabbed Amanda out of the cell by the wrist and lead her down the hallway, with another figure unrecognizable in the darkness trailing behind her. Laura let out muffled screaming noises, her hand cupped to her mouth in fear. Amanda was lead to the door out of the cells, then she saw light.

Author's Notes: Yay! Second chappie is up. I'm going to say this time, I need three new reviews before I make a new chapter. It's getting busy again, because school is starting up. I won't have as much time to work on this story. But if you guys let me know you like it and drop me a review, I'll try get you new chapters faster!