Burned Wings

Chapter One - Caged

Dedicated to SeriouslyInTrouble for sticking with me through the last book...and for always writing honest comments. Thank you for all the help! :)

CHAPTER ONE

Caged

No one was waiting for me. I stepped out of Feltham Young Offender’s Institution and into an empty car park. The sky was grey, filled with swollen clouds. The wind was shockingly cold. I clenched my fists, trying to ignore how each fresh gust cut through my shirt. It had been August when I’d been locked away. Now it was February.

“See you soon, Flynn,” the guard said.

I didn’t turn around. ‘No, you won’t.”

He sighed. “That’s what they all say, lad.” Before I could reply, he closed the door. I heard it clang shut behind me.

I was free.

Funny, this was what I’d spent six months dreaming about. Now, though, I only felt as if I’d exchanged one cage for another, bigger one. The heavy clouds seemed to be pressing down on me, a new roof to replace Feltham’s cracked ceilings. Standing alone, I felt just as trapped as if I was surrounded by bars.

There was no point in loitering. I began to stride towards the road, moving quickly in the hope of combating the cold. Back in August, a shirt and trousers had been suitable clothing. Now, in the middle of winter, I was totally underdressed.

A bus stop was nearby. An old woman was waiting underneath the plastic shelter. Unlike me, she was snugly wrapped in a scarf, hat, gloves and thick coat. When she saw me coming, she stiffened and retreated a few tottering steps, keeping as much distance between us as possible.

Welcome back to society, Sonny, I thought. Everybody was just so freaking pleased to see me.

By the time that the H26 bus arrived, my eyes were watering from the chill and my nose felt like a block of ice. My toes had gone numb.

I let the old woman get on first. “Going to the railway station, sir?” I asked the driver as I climbed on board, and then grimaced as I realised that I’d added the epithet of ‘sir’. That was one habit I’d have to break quickly…

The driver looked at me, understanding. “Just got out?” he asked, gesturing in the direction of the prison. He had a faint Irish accent.

I nodded.

“No one brought you a coat to wear, then?”

That wasn’t really a topic I wanted to talk about. I had to force myself to reply, “My old man’s probably hoping I freeze to death on the way home.”

The driver studied me. He was overweight and bald, with what looked like a coffee stain on the front of his uniform. “Get on with you,” he said, waving me into the bus. “This one’s on me. I’ll let you know when we reach the station.”

His kindness was so unexpected that I felt suspicious. “Thanks,” I said, accepting his offer only because I didn’t have much cash in my pocket.

A pair of girls giggled as I began to walk down the bus’ aisle. They looked about fourteen and seemed to be finding my choice of clothes entertaining. I picked the seat behind them and sat down, making sure that I leaned in too close. That shut them up.

I hadn’t seen any girls in six months. True, there were a few women guards in Feltham but I didn’t really count them as female. Now, I inhaled the scent of the girls’ perfume. After the smell of bleach and male body odour, it was a bit of a nasal shock. Still, they didn’t smell anywhere near as good as her, as Evie…