Edited....
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Standing in the queue next to Slinky, Joanna observed with interest the huge number of people stacking against the gate to the food hall. This gateway was on the opposite side of the entrance gate she had come from earlier.
A guard was inside the gate with a chart and a pen. Each time someone passes through the gate, he would record something and shout "next".
"It's good to be at the beginning," Slinky said to Joanna "gives you time to take your food and eat it before the others pick on you." He stopped suddenly and looked at her up and down. "You'll be picked on a lot, John. It's a good thing you are strong!" He grinned and continued walking.
Joanna nodded and followed him. She wasn't surprised to hear him say that. For someone who had been picked on her whole life for no reason, she was used to it.
She scratched her head nervously; the small prickles of hair foreign to the touch. Mark had to shave her head almost clean last week for this.
Mark. How was he now? The thought of her cousin crossed her mind as they beckoned to the mouth of the gate. She had been too busy to think about him. She hoped he reached San Francesco safely.
He told her that he had a plan but she couldn’t help but worry about him.
Someone was shouting at the gate and guard was about to snap back at him when another guard approaches. This delayed their entrance further and Joanna felt dark thoughts beginning to seep in her mind.
She hated herself all her life, she hated having a temper, she hated her family; but what she hated most of all was the things she put Mark and his family through yet never in her life had she hated herself more than now for troubling him in this particular problem.
He was in as much danger as she was. And unlike her, he'd be so much easier to find.
Joanna hoped deep down that he'll be safe and sound and she made a silent oath to get out of his life for good once she get out of this mess.
"Your name?" The guard in front of the gate all but barked at her. "John. John Cage." Joanna answered, steeling her voice. "Hank Morales." slinky said next to her. "Okay, next." the guard gestured at them both with his hand to let them in.
And they were in.
It was a grand hall. There were long, metal bench tables scattered all over the place. On the far right of the hall, there was the food court. A few men, the cooks, were standing behind the long rail of food and the prisoners were walking alongside it with their trays in hand.
"Come on." Slinky grabbed her arm and she followed. He handed her a grey plastic tray and motioned for her to follow him again as the stood behind the long line of men.
Food looked bad, but eatable. She had worse, she reminded herself. There were porridge, rice, sausages, bread, apples and a juice boxes.
Once they finished they headed to the tables. Slinky seemed in a hurry as he steeled glances around as if afraid if someone was watching him.
He was weird, Joanna noted, but shrugged the thought off.
They found an empty table at the far left of the hall. "Try to finish quickly, you don't want them to take it, do you?" He whispered to her, his eyes wide with... What was it? Fear? Before he started stuffing the food in his mouth as if it was about to disappeared any moment then. "Who are they?" Joanna frowned while she picked up her spoon and started digging in. once he swallowed and before he could answer, she saw his eye widen at something behind her "uh oh." he said and his shoulders cringed visibly as he lowered his head.
"What?" Joanna asked him and turned her around on her seat to see.
There were three men heading their way. “Don’t look, don’t look, you idiot.” Slinky whispered rather loudly but she didn’t think it’d do any good. It was too late, the approaching men were already been too close to ignore.
The one in the middle, surprisingly the shortest of them, probably five foot three like her self, bended down, pressing his waight on his elbow that layed on their abele until his face was too close to hers.
"Well, aren't you a beauty!" He said to her and gave her a dirty, yellow teeth smile. He was lean, but not thin as slinky. No, this man was all muscles. And his narrow eyes were deep dangerous brown, and they screamed evil. Real evil. She wouldn't pick a fight with him, especially with the two larger men hovering behind him.
Joanna decided to ignore him, so she turned back to her food and started nibbling through with her spoon.
This made the man angry, it seemed, because his hand snatched her apple away and she heard the crunch sound as he took a bite of her fruit. She didn't flinch. Her heart was pumping fast though, but she would die before she showed her weakness to this bastard.
"Co... Come on, Steevy. Leave him alone. He's new here." Slinky said in a low weak voice to the assaulting man, Steevy. Joanna heard him chuckle behinds her.
She could feel him. Blood was rushing through her body and all she wanted to do was to smack the jerk in the face.
'Don't get into troubles'
Mark’s words played in her head and she took a long, calming breath. It was his only request. She would honor that.
Or try to, at least.
"Oooh, look at you, slink'. You finally got yourself a boyfriend." Steevy chuckled slyly and straightening up as his lackeys joined in. Slinky shot up from his seat and started yelling unexpectedly.
"Stop it, man! I’m not a fucking fag! Damn it!"
Joanna looked up at Slinky with wide eyes. His face was reddening furiously, she though she even saw a nerve pop. She felt bad –and she rarely felt bad for anybody- because of her this poor guy was in trouble.
Joanna stood up, she wasn't hungry anymore. She turned to stand between them and Slinky as she faced the three men, and found herself standing face to face with their leader, Steevy.
She had so much to say, she wanted to hit his smug face so bad, but instead, she started walking around the small group of men and made her way through.
She didn’t get far, though, because the two "bodyguards" suddenly stepper right in front of her, stopping her efficyivelyfrom leaving. She huffed in annoyance before she craned her neck to look up at them, “Move. Please." She bit out.
No one moved, and she became aware of the crowd that began to form around their little scene. Steevy came behind her until she could feel his body so close to her back.
"What the matter, pretty boy. You’re feelings' hurt?" He breathed the word to the back of her nick, his stinky breath prickling her skin. "How about you become mine?" He continued breathing the words against her neck and she could smell his awful breath.
"I'll pass." Joanna growled, still standing her grounds. Steevy was probably deaf, she thought, because he ignored her words again and started touching her side, moving lower... Lower.
BAM.
Joanna acted before she could think. Well, she always did that, or maybe her unconsciousness kicked in first. She knew where his hands were going and had to act fast before he reached his goal... Which he'll not find.
Because she never had it.
She side kicked him with and before she knew it, she was grabbed back by her collar and hung up by one of his men. Seriously, why the hell would they obey such a shitty person? She didn't have time to think of that now because Steevy straightened up and he did not look happy.
He glared at her before his features softened and he began to laugh, shaking his head and she knew what was coming. He was preparing to throw a punch at her.
She squeezed her eyes shut in preparation. How many teeth will she loose now? She couldn’t help but think.
Everything happened in a split second after that. She heard the crowd roar around them, making her open her eyes as a large guard grabbed Steevy by his arm and yanked him back.
It was Kevin, bless his heart. He was here! She didn't see him coming. But then there were a huge number of men here, she couldn't have seen him. Or was he here to check on her first day. She was sure he wasn't happy with her.
She was right.
"Seriously, Cage. Five minutes in this place and you get into troubles?" He yelled at her. The man who was hanging her dropped her down and she landed on her feet.
Kevin stared at her disapprovingly and she looked down. Why was she the one glared on, what about the other guy?
Where the hell was the other guy?
She could have defended herself. She could have told him that it wasn't her fault, that she was merely defending herself! But what good did that do the first time? Oh right, it got her into all men prison and made her the target of every living criminal in the country!
So she reminded silent.
"Back to your cell. NOW." Kevin bellowed at her gesturing to the gate with his finger to the gate.
Oh well, she was going to do that anyway. So went back she did. She couldn't pretend not to notice every eye on her.
Great start for 'no troubles', right, Mark? Joanna thought bitterly.
Joanna went through the gate accompanied by a guard as she heard Kevin shout behind her at the crowed.
Once she got inside cell number 204, she heard the loud buzz and the cell door slide shut.
Goodbye freedom, and hello claustrophobia.
She thought as the walls started folding in on her.
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