Number Six

"So how was it?"

"That dude is creepy. He tried giving me a job as his assistant,"

Ray raised his eyebrows at me,while Sasha was filing her nails. "I'm going to the district office for my re-trial." I smiled at the woman that I thought of like second mother.

"That means you might get out on parol?" She gave me a weak smile and nodded. "Nah but it does does mean if I do I might get out in a month or two if the re-trial goes good."

"See during the length of the trial, there was second person on trial, my lover Tammi. I thought she was one of the best thing to come into my life, you know? She accepted me for who I was.

But when I got be happy, she hung herself before the sentencing even started. Left a note sayin' she was sorry and she didn't mean to plant them drugs on me. Bullshit, right? Because of that I get a re-trial and they'll look over the info. Since that time in 1979, I actually get to be free,"

Her face grimaced, her eyes were watery, but she did not cry. She must've loved that woman a lot.

Sasha looked at Ray and I. "If I get I'll promise to visit. I'll do that and visit her grave, " She finished filing her nails as well as her sentence. "I want to stomp on her grave."

"Sash-" Sasha cut me off and had walked out with the two guards. I waved at her and continued talking to Ray.

"So did you say yes?"

"Heck no. I don't want to be working for The Warden."

"What if you get out? Don't you want money when you get out?"

I laughed at him, taking my shirt from his hands.

"Leave it. I'll be fifty when my appeal might be approved. For now I'm going to sleep and relax."

"A'ight I'm going to meet Reese in the courtyard,"

I nodded my head, before laying down to nap, before I closed my eyes, his lips were next to my ear, whispering a haunting message.

"Want me or not, I want an answer from you. I'm not a patient man, Nieve."

When I got to the point of going to sleep, I had of dream of my father. It was a happy memory and it would always be. He took me on my first fishing trip.

Back then he wasn't a drinker or a gambler or a cheater. He was a pretty normal husband, doctor and dad. He loved saving people's lives, even though he couldn't save his own.

His joyful smile faded to black.

I recall his pale blond hair and blues like mine. Just like mine. I stared into those baby blue eyes that day. I didn't feel sadness or regret when I saw him bloody and on the bridge of death.

Gasping for breathe, wanting my help, but it was too late for me to give it to him.

I'm sorry dad, so sorry dad.

It's not like I couldn't change his fate.

Maybe god wanted him to die that way, or myabe he didn't. I can't really answer that.

No, in fact, I made sure I stared into those baby blues, right before he croaked. My mother didn't say a thing either. She just stood there and let the gun fall to the floor with a dramatic affect.

It felt like a made-for-tv murder, but with a twist.

'WIFE OF ASPRING DOCTOR SINFULLY KILLS HIM, SON CHARGED WITH THE MURDER'.

Huh, that sounded about good, sounded right. It'd be still the talk now even if it happen years ago.

I'll always remember his smile.

It was one thing about him that didn't change about him

It's funny that's the only thing that did stay the same.

I'm well-rested when I come to, my dark laid on the bed bed like wildfire. My skin burned, my heart raced, then slowed down. I kind of felt like crap to be truthful, my back hurt, and my arms were sore for no reason.

Other than that I'm fine and dandy.

I sit up, get greeted by the sunshine coming from the windows above my bunk. Nice, sealed, prisoner escape proof.

I jump off the bed, take a piss and go to shower.

After my first encounter, I usually have to shower with Sasha and Ray.

Both of them were in different places, so they weren't here. I looked different way as if I were a child crossing the road and at that time, I felt like one.

Like the first time of went to take a plunge- people still say that right? Yeah, sure; into the prison shower room. I started the shower, so far so good. Now where's the soap?

Grunting in joy, I picked up the soap from the wall. A tap, though, on my shoulder made me jump, like a cat sprayed with water.

"Little meh ain't gon' hurt ya, wonderin' if meh could use dat soap in ya hand for sec."

A olive skinned man with sea blue eyes and curly blonde hair. He looked like a surfer- from the neck up. He looked older, wiser, more taller than I. His eyes were kind, that kindness I could see, was not a imitation. His accented tongue was unusual for someone with his looks.

"Yeah man, sure." I handed him the soap.

"Ryder. Max Ryder, what's ya name boy?"

"Deyes. Amie Deyes. Nice meet you, Max,"

He nodded, washing himself off. As he handed me back my soap, he had asked a question. "Ya Ray's cellmate, right?" I nodded at him, leaning back to wash my hair.

"Heard ya killed ya pops. What, he cut ya ass off, trust fund baby?"

I take the idea that he was kind back.

And t he fact that did end up in the news was interesting.

I wind my hand back, smashing in his nose in. "Fuck!" Max's shrunk in, but the most weird expression was on his face.

It was joy.

"Good, ya don't hit like a bitch. Your alright sweetheart," I'm surprisingly dumbfounded.

This guy might be a real crazy one.

"So any words about what really happened to Jerome?"

Everyone at our table looked at me with blank faces. "What do you mean 'What really happened to Jerome?' He got the chair and fried," It was Ray who spoke, Sasha nodded and Max, well Max just stared at me.

"What are you staring at?"

"Ya got really pretty eyes, like a woman's" SMACK! Sasha had smacked him upside his head.

His head jerked to the side, his sea blue squinted at me as he rubbed his cheek.

"Not meh fault if heh looks like a woman."

SMACK!

"Stop smakin' meh ya Lažni Kuja!"

"At least I ain't no washed up fake-ass Jamaican- "

Ray laughs at my statement the bickering coming form the two inmates from the other side of the table. "Nieve, don't lie. Ya do look real pretty, like a one of them trophy wives." I was one laughing at him this time.

"My mom was a trophy wife,"

"Really?"

I nodded, drinking some water. "My dad was this really well-known doctor. Everyone knew him, his wife and the mistake."

"Was that you?"

"Yeah. My real mom was a just a pretty faced whore that couldn't even take care of her own son. Too bad she died,"

"No one knew about ya Ma?" I shook my hair, looking down at the table for some reason.

"He wanted to forget her you know? He was a medical student from a household and she was town's call-girl. It was a scandal waiting to happen. Then I came into the picture after my mom died when I was about six, I came to live with my dad. That's one thing I regret." Just talking about my father, my mother and my family has got me depressed.

I give the inmates a blank look; Ray takes this as a negative and sits next to me.

"Nieve," Ray got up, walked over to me. This felt like a unneeded moment. It happened as it did with everyone in our little clique quiet.

And with that, Ray and me headed back to my cell.

About thirty minutes laster a gunshot that had fired could be heard from the entrance of the courtyard, there was some yelling also, but it quieted down in time.

Max came back running to the cell, out of breath.

"Sasha, sh-"

"Sasha's what?"

"Sasha's dead, the warden shot her. The other inmates say that she tried to shot him herself with his gun. He tried to take back her appeal and she picked up the gun, but he was faster than her."

"What?!" I screeched, sinking down onto the bottom bunk of the bed.

"She can't be dead, she was supposed to be free, she was supposed to.."

I was crying. I didn't even cry when my dad or when my mother did. Ray had had watery eyes, but he was too prideful to cry. I could tell he was sad, he didn't move or change his facial expression,

"Well now we know she's truly free." Max spoke up, reminding me of the conversation we had with her about her re-trial.

And I at that time, hoped she truly was.

"Where is she, where's her body?" Ray and Max had looked at each with expressions of disdain on their faces

They lead me to the courtyard, her body laid lifeless on the concrete pavement, a graced her chest. Her body was relaxed but her face was in pain.

Men in uniforms in all black was zipping her body up in a bag.

I cried.

I cried like no man should.

That when I had realized how much Sasha meant to me.

The Warden wasn't getting away with this one, he surely wasn't. As long as I sat at this prison as a inmate, I have to come with a plan. A fool proof plan.