Catacomb Heart

Stone cold

A week later..

Breathe.. Just breathe.

Stepping through the metal gates, I looked around the area where the dusty dirt ground occupied most of the floor leaving a small grassed path towards the prison. The grass was cut short and in need of some water from the Nevada heat, but gardening isn't what this place was built for..

This place was built to house the criminals, the inmates, murderers and drug dealers. The worst of society were housed here.

Gulping, I looked up at the prison as I approached the door. Taking a final breath of fresh air, I pulled the door back and took my first of many steps inside of the prison.

Finally, I was here. But whilst I was excited to start my live case study, I was also terrified to find out who and what was to be expected in this place. I'd never been arrested, or been inside a county jail before. So to walk into a penitentiary and expect to know how these things work was a big no..

After checking myself in, I was referred to a plastic grey chair to my right in which I had to sit on until an officer was able to take me further.

10 minutes later my name was being spoken by a small but rounded officer called Harris.

"Morning Ma'am my name is Officer Harris and I'm here to escort you today." She smiled.

"Haven." I smiled nervously.

"Well okay, do we have a second name for you Haven?"

"Lockerby.. Haven Lockerby."

"Well okay. If you'd like to follow me and we'll get you processed."

I nodded following her off through a heavy security door and into a smaller room.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to place your bag and cell phone into a locker. Also take off anything that is sharp and can be used against you."

I complied instantly and turned to look at her "Pat down?" I guessed.

"Yes ma'am. You been in a place like this before?"

"Never.."

"Well I hope we don't scare you too much."

Standing spread eagle, I got a quick pat down and the approval of Harris. Her soft smile and chocolate features reminded me of a Sunday school teacher, not an officer in a maximum security prison..

"If you stand on that spot there.. I'm going to make an ID badge up for you. It will only have your last name on, for security purposes and you'll need to wear this whilst in the facilities."

I nodded and looked straight ahead at her as she snapped the photo. Within seconds I had a plastic ID card in my fingers which I clipped onto the side of my shirt.

"Okay follow me please."

It was then things changed for us as we left one room and took a short walk down the corridor, once we passed another two railed gates we were in the main hub.

"This penitentiary is split into 4 wings. The criminally insane, which includes the psycho ward. They have their own food hall for security and safety purposes as well as their own wreck yard. Your 4 wings house, A wing is your introductory wing, first timers, they spend up to a week in A wing before they are transferred to B wing  which is gen pop, C wing as I mentioned earlier is criminally insane and D wing, death row."

"You got death row here?" I whispered.

She smiled  "Sweetie, you better look tougher or they gonna eat you alive."