Life of Maggie Marshall

Day 21

Chatsworth Criminal Prison: Ward 1

Day 21

My last day! I am so relieved. You may be thinking that three weeks is a small sentence, but it was not at all dangerous to the public, it is just illegalities between the LSA and Chatsworth. Big illegalities.

I am allowed to say goodbye to Sallie and I am eventually allowed to see Laura. I have never seen Laura; I have just spoken to her so I am excited to see what she looks like.

Sallie comes in the evening to take me out of the cell. She hands me back the clothes I came in and I get dressed. It feels so nice to have soft, comfortable clothing again. Sallie takes me next door to see Laura. She opens the door and there is Laura sitting cross-legged on her bed.

'Hi Laura, its Maggie,' I say, smiling at her.

'Oh my gosh. Hello Maggie. It's you. You are so, so beautiful,' say Laura.

Beautiful is not a word that is usually used to describe me. Except when... except when Leon said it to me.

'I'm off now Laura. I will miss you,' I say and I wrap my arms around her shoulders.

Laura is as pretty as I imagined her to be. She has soft, curly blonde hair and welcoming green eyes. Her face has small wrinkles at the side of her eyes, but they seem to add to her beauty.

'I will miss you too,' Laura says and returns the hug.

I leave Laura's cell and Sallie takes me to a door that has a sign saying GROUND FLOOR. I think that means actual ground level.

We enter the room and it is like the room that Leon and I were in when we first got here. It is circular shape with a couple of wooden chairs at the sides. Although instead of being white, this room is green. There are two chutes in the centre and I know that we will be sucked up them.

Yes, as I thought, Sallie leads us to the chutes and ushers me to step inside one. She gets into the one next to me and counts down from three. One, two, three. Whoosh. We speed up the chutes and all my brain is saying to me is 'how in the world is this possible'. After about five seconds had passed we reach ground level. I take a huge breath and it feels as if someone has just dropped ice into my mouth. The fresh air is so revitalizing and refreshes my body.

I notice Sallie glance at me and smile.

'I thought you said that I wasn't your responsibility,' I ask, smiling for the first time in a while.

'That was when I was a prison warden and life couldn't get anymore crappier. Now my life has taken a turn for the best and I can afford to take you on and take responsibility over you,' says Sallie, grinning.

We walk through the forest and I don't bother restraining myself from trailing my fingers over the rough tree trunks and smooth leaves. It came to me that this is Leon's life, working in this very forest. Then it dawned on me. If Leon won't listen then maybe somebody else will, I need to take responsibility for my actions. I stop and turn to face Sallie.

'I need to go back,' I say.

'You what?' asks Sallie, disbelief showing on her face.

'I need to talk to somebody official. I need to set things right, otherwise I will regret it for the rest of my life,' I blurt, running my fingers through my hair.

'I could take you to a high prison guard...' Offers Sallie.

'No. I need someone high up in the Chatsworth spy industry. Please take me back,' I say, trying not to sound desperate.

'Okay Maggie. Let's go back. I will take you to Agent 1,' say Sallie.

'Er... you can do that?' I ask, quizzically.

'Yes. Yes I can,' says Sallie, turning back down the invisible path. I quickly follow.