Reckless:
Bunching up the thin towel in my hands, I try to concentrate on the rough texture of the fabric so I won't let the chaos of my situation get to me.
My heart beats rapidly in my chest and I can't seem to make it go any slower.
"Hey, highlights, hurry up it's your turn" An aggressive voice snaps at me, and that's when I finally notice I was next in line.
The woman who was in there gets out, a towel loosely hanging around her wet frame as she puts her hair up in a bun.
All I can do is nod my head and step into the shower, my hands shaking as I pull the curtain closed.
Highlights, the woman had called me highlights.
It was probably because of the deep red highlights curling up my black hair like veins.
The contrast between the colors was strikingly different, making the red stand out even more.
That's why people called me "Cherry", as the color was the same as the fruit.
Shit, I have to stop letting my thoughts wander and get this over with.
I hang my towel over the side privacy wall and begin unzipping my jumpsuit.
It takes a couple of tries as my fingers keep slipping, my hands slick with sweat.
Why was I so nervous? God, get it together!
Finally taking all my clothes off, I hang them with my towel so they don't get wet.
I shiver as the room's cold air wraps around me, settling into my bones and freezing me to the core.
Turning the shower nozzle to hot, I wince as a powerful stream of cold water sprays down onto me.
Shit, it's so cold.
Taking another deep breath, I wash my hair and body as quickly as possible.
After a minute, the coldness numbs my skin and makes me more alert than I was before, causing my surroundings to seem more clear.
I take a glance at my arm and I almost gasp at the sight.
The harsh lighting and bright white walls, it seems to make my scars and burns even more vibrant.
The numerous cuts that line down my arm glows a deeper red than before.
The mutilated and raw skin around my tiny round burn marks pop out like paint splatters.
A grim frown forms on my lips as I remember how I got those.
Burn marks from cigarettes...
I could almost still hear the soft hiss whenever the cig touched my skin and the rancid smell of burning flesh.
"Hey! Hurry it up!" A rough voice yells out, shaking me from my memories.
I turn off the shower and go to reach for my towel but my hand freezes, my blood turning to ice.
My clothes were gone. My jumpsuit, bra, and underwear were somehow gone, taken when I was too distracted by my own thoughts.
My heart started to beat faster and I took in shaky, shallow breaths, forcing myself to calm down.
Luckily whoever took my clothes left my towel so I wrapped it around me, my hands shaking with every pull of the harsh fabric.
I yank open the shower curtain, my hands curled around it like claws, and walk out into the bathroom.
Mostly everyone stops talking and turns to look at me, their eyes widening at my exposed skin.
Monster. Grotesque. Horrific.
I glide to the middle of the room, my eyes sharp like daggers, and look around without saying a word.
"Holy shit! Did you do that to yourself?" Someone snickers and points at me like I'm some zoo attraction.
I swallow to push down nausea and hold my cool and collected posture.
"Who the fuck took my clothes?" I ask, my voice eerily calm but cuts into the thick air like a knife.
"What? Looks like cutter here's finally lost her mind!" A girl says loudly, causing others to join her laughing.
Anger floods me and sanity no longer corrects my mind, the cruel and twisted part of me finally being unleashed.
I repeat my question but this time my words come out like a growl, my tone laced with poison.
Everyone has stopped and circled me, their attention focusing on the new girl.
"I did!" A voice suddenly snarls and the crowd parts, revealing a short girl with brown hair, her face like a rabid pug.
She smiles, her teeth crooked, yellow, and chipped.
"I'm Doggett or better known as Pennsatucky. Your new, right? Cause you don't seem to know how things work 'round here" She says with a lisp, her tone southern.
I laugh, "What the hell kind of name is Pennsatucky? What are you, some sort of redneck junkie?"
She frowns and gestures to her friends, commanding them to stand next to her.
"You talk a lot for a newbie...But soon you'll learn your place" She snarls but it ends up coming out more like a cough.
"Oh, wow, I'm so scared!" I wave my hands in faux fear. "Just give me my towel bitch."
She scoffs, "no, I don't think I will" and walks closer to me, her eyes wide and crazy.
"You really wanna fight?" I ask with a sigh, my anger pleading to get out.
"Yeah, I do! You need to learn your place, cutter" she snaps, laughing at her joke that's been used too many times before.
"Is that the only name you can come up with? Come on, try to be more creative" I give her a wide smile, taunting her to make the first move.
She comes closer but stands her ground, her fists clenched at her side.
Everyone is now watching us, their eyes hungry for entertainment.
Fine, if that's what they want, I'll give it to them.
Without hesitating, I slap Pennsatucky across the face as hard as I can, the echo of skin hitting skin loud in the high-walled room.
She gasps and stumbles back, cupping her bright red cheek.
Before she can even say anything, I grab a fistful of her hair and smash her face into my knee, earning a sharp crack in her nose.
People around us are cheering now and I can't help but like the attention.
"Shit, I think you broke my nose!" Pennsatucky cries, her body hunched over.
I grab her hair again and yank her upwards, forcing her to stand and look at me.
"You listen to me, bitch! I'm not someone to fuck with, do you understand? Now give me my clothes or I'll break something other than your nose" I snap, my voice loud and commanding.
She whimpers and tries to look over to her friends for help but I keep her head steady, not allowing her to move.
"Fine, get this crazy bitch her clothes" Pennsatucky mumbles out and her friends scatter to get them.
I smile and finally let her go.
She drops to the floor and stands up, patting her head with a wince.
Her friends hand me my clothes, their hands shaking in fear.
"How kind of you! Now get lost" I say and they quickly shuffle out their door.
"Woah, newbie! That was sick!" A girl cheers and slaps me on the back.
I flinch at her sudden contact but she doesn't seem to notice.
A few seconds go by and they all get back to their nightly routine, the fun finally over.
"Vira..." I hear a raspy voice say behind me and I turn around to see Nicky, her eyes wide with shock.
"What?" I bite back, my hands clenching my clothes.
"I..I-" she stutters.
"Don't be so surprised, darling." I purr, "You know what I am."
She stares at me, her face twisted in concern.
I smile as I notice that it's not just concern but fear as well.
"God, I hate the name Vira! My name's Cherry! Nice to meet you" I sing, then head back to a shower to change, leaving Nicky with all her unanswered questions.
**********************************
AN: Word count: 1300
Sorry, this took forever, I'm working on my own book! 33k words so far!
Also, did yall like this chapter? Was it cringe? Bye!