"Melody Cattington?"
Melody looked up at the security guard standing only a few feet from her. He greets her with a smile.
"You may come with me." The guard says.
Melody stands from her seat in the waiting room, clutching a package in her hands. She smooths out her red dress and follows the guard down a hall. Although Melody was quite used to the walk towards the cell room, she couldn't help but feel as if a pit lay at the bottom of her stomach.
Reaching the next floor, Melody was guided through a set of double doors. On the other side of these doors was a metal detector and x-ray machine. Another security guard, a woman, stood close by the machinery.
"Place your items on the conveyor belt." The female security guard says. "Then you're allowed to come through the detector."
Melody nods and places her package on the belt. Watching it go through the machinery, she walks forward through the detector. The detector is silent as she walks through. A good sign.
"May I grab my package now?" Melody asks. The female guard nods.
The feline grabs her package off the belt and the security guard that came with her guides her into the hall.
"You know," The guard begins. "They're very eager to see you."
Melody looks up at the guard. "Is that so?"
"Yes, they won't stop complaining. They love the cake samples you always bring for them." The guard continues with a smile.
Melody clutches the package close to her. She smiles softly. "Freshly baked, actually. I made it myself."
"Is that so?" The guard asks. When Melody nods he chuckles. "It's volunteers like yourself that I'm glad to see come by this place."
Melody smiles. "I try to do my best."
The two near the end of the hall, passing by a group of officers who were holding taser sticks. Melody notices them. She stares at the weapons before moving forward. She grips the package more as she continues on.
"We're here." The guard says, reaching a heavy metal door with a keypad lock.
Melody waits as the guard punches in the keycode. With a buzz, the door is unlocked. As the guard opens it, Melody walks inside. Within, Melody is greeted by a large room with blue walls covered in childish paintings of butterflies and rainbows. The tiled floor was brightly white and covered with a few rugs of the same childish demeanor. Clouds, cute animals, and butterflies. She spies the empty swing in the middle of the room, along with a table and set of chairs. All painted in rainbow colors.
Melody's ears twitch at chatter. She turns to look near the back of the room. There she spotted a set of bunk beds near some bookshelves. Accompanying the bed sat two toon children wearing orange jumpsuits. Melody smiled at the puppycat looking children. The guard knocks his fist gently against the door. It stops their talking and they turn their heads to the two.
"Your teacher is here, kids." The guard said. When the children are silent, the guard looks towards Melody. "I'll leave you to it then."
Melody nods. "Thank you. Have a nice evening."
The guard nods and exits the cell, closing the door and leaving Melody alone with the children. Melody looks back to the children and as expected, the youngest girl was standing before her with the biggest of smiles.
"Did you bring the cake?" The young girl asked. Melody smiled at the way her coal eyes twinkled with joy. Melody holds up the package.
"Of course, Shayna." Melody says. "But we'll have it after our lesson, okay?"
Shayna's red nose twitched, but her smile never left. "I did the homework! I even did Gekko's fraction homework because I got bored."
"She did not!"
Melody looks up to find the second child, the boy, coming over. He had a frown on his face, appearing annoyed. In his hands he held a sheet of multiple math problems. Melody noticed the sheet wasn't even half completed. Gekko saw her gaze and hid the sheet behind him. A gentle redness spread across his white furred face.
"I forgot we had homework..." Gekko mumbles.
Shayna puts her hands on her hips. "Untrue. He just refused to do it!"
"Shayna." Gekko hissed.
"Enough fighting, both of you." Melody said with a firm tone. The two children, who had been glaring at one another, glanced at the feline. Melody began walking over to the nearby table. "I know you've been having trouble Gekko, I can look over it if you want."
Gekko grumbles something unintelligible, but Melody chooses to look past it. She places down the package on the table and draws out the chairs.
"Gekko, do you mind grabbing the math textbook?" Melody asks.
"I guess." Gekko says, loud enough for her to hear before he walks over to the table. As he puts down the homework, he runs over to the bookshelf.
"I'll get the materials!" Shayna was quick to rush off for the bookshelf as well.
Melody watched her run off before sitting down at the table, waiting for the kids to bring the items. In seconds, they've brought paper, pencils, and the textbook. Melody flips the book open to the chapter they left on last time. As she flipped through the pages, she couldn't help but notice both children had taken their seats. Shayna sat close to Melody while Gekko took the seat next to Shayna.
"So." Shayna starts. "Do I get extra credit for doing Gekko's homework?"
"Shayna!" Gekko growls..
"Watch your tone there, young man." Melody scolds.
Gekko slumps in his seat, fiddling with the pencil on his table. "Sorry, Ms. Cattington."
"And sit up, please." Melody smirks. "Are we a limp noodle?"
Shayna laughs and Gekko's face reddens. He sits up right away. Melody then smiles and looks back to the textbook.
"Here we are." Melody says, pointing at the textbook. "We left off dividing mixed fractions. I gave you fifteen practice problems to start off. Right, Gekko?"
Gekko simply slides the homework sheet across the table to Melody. As she had seen, it was half completed with plenty of eraser marks. Along with the boy's neat print, cursive answers were placed in the borders of the paper. Melody looks at Shayna, who was grinning cheekily.
"Told you I did it!" Shayna proudly remarks.
"I can see that." Melody says. "So where's your homework?"
Shayna makes a show of patting herself down before facepalming. She skids her seat backwards. "I left it on the bed."
Shayna rushes off from the table, leaving Melody with Gekko. When the feline looked at the young child, slumped into his seat as well as avoiding her gaze. She frowns, but then smiles. She reaches over and taps his shoulder. Gekko jumps in his seat, snapping his head towards her.
"What?" He asks.
"You'll get the handle on this." Melody says, reassuring him. "I know you will."
Gekko looks down at the table, twiddling his thumbs. He stops. "No, I won't."
Melody smiles softly. "Of course you will. It just takes time-"
"I can't do it!" Gekko suddenly bursts out. "It's stupid and useless!"
"Gekko Warner." Melody says, firmly. "Do not raise your tone at me."
Gekko goes silent, avoiding eye contact once again. Melody sighs.
"I know it's hard now, but-"
"Can I be excused?" Gekko says quietly.
"Gekko-"
"Please?" His voice sounds small.
Melody frowns, but then nods. Although Gekko was not watching her he then skids his chair back and walks off from the table. As Melody watches him go, Gekko makes it to the swing in the middle of the room and sits in it, head down. It's then Melody noticed Shayna had returned and walked up to her. Judging by the frown on the little girl's face, she had heard the whole thing. Shayna places the paper she had in her hands on the table. She glances at Gekko and then looks at the feline. She makes a come closer gesture with her finger. Melody leans in.
"He's been pretty moody lately." Shayna whispers.
"Is that so?" Melody whispers back.
Shayna nods and whispers. "Yeah. I think it's all the eavesdropping he does."
Melody raises a brow. "Eavesdropping?"
Shayna smiles sheepishly. "I know we shouldn't do it, but Gekko gets bored. So do I if I'm honest." She then looks around before whispering. "I think he heard one of the guards talking. It upset him."
"Really?" Melody says, surprised.
"Yeah, he got real worked up earlier." Shayna explains. "I decided to listen in after he was done. The guards wouldn't stop talking about a commotion from the upper levels."
Melody felt her mouth go dry. "A commotion?"
"Apparently, someone got out of line." Shayna wrinkles her nose. "You know, I hate it when that happens. It puts the guards in such a terrible mood."
Melody knew the child was talking, but she could hardly hear her. A creeping headache threatened to burst, she knew the beckoning feeling all too well. It happens every time she comes here, here with the children. She knows better, she shouldn't dare think upon these assumptions. A commotion could mean anything in this place. It's not who she thinks it is.
"Ms. Cattington!"
Shayna's sharp voice pulls Melody out of her trance. She snaps her head up to the child.
"I'm sorry, dear." Melody puts on a smile, which she hoped didn't show how stressed she felt. "What were you saying?"
"Prisoner 001." Shayna emphasizes.
Melody felt her heart skip a beat. She sits up straight. "What?"
Shayna grins. "That's the name I kept hearing over and over again! I think that's who started all the commotion earlier."
The young girl then loses her smile. Her brow furrows and she fiddles with her long hair. "But you know, I'd hate to be him."
Melody took a deep breath before answering. "Why's that, darling?"
Shayna looks back towards Gekko. The boy hadn't moved an inch from his swing. Shayna turns back to Melody.
"The taser sticks." Shayna whispers. "I heard that's what they use on rowdy prisoners. And if I'm right, those guards had to use them on that prisoner. Prisoner 001."
Melody swallows. "What makes you say that, darling?"
Shayna frowns.
"Because they also said the upper level he's on is on lockdown."