Caged Bird-Tika

As the horn sounds for us to wake up I rise from my cot and bang a fist against the bed above me. Rising from the bed I stretch as I walk over to the sink to brush my teeth and was my face before leaving the cell. My cell mate Nona groans as her body cracks in all places from such horrible arrangements. With a grimace I place the toothbrush in my mouth and brush my teeth as quickly as I can.

Even after being in here for four years I still can't stand the toothpaste. It's supposed to be healthy because it contains baking soda. They definitely tried to cover the amount of salt with the barest hint of mint. The first couple of months I spent using it I almost threw up from the overwhelming taste of salt. Now that I have been here for so long it is just another part of the day that I hate.

I move away from the sink allowing Nona to prepare for her morning also as I change into the only other set of close I have. A white t-shirt and another jump suit. Everyone wears the same uniform. Wearing them half off or tied is not permitted no matter how hot it gets. Every inch of us is covered at all times or there are consequences. Just as we finish dressing a knock from the baton of a correction officer beats against the bars of our cells.

Used to the routine we place our wrist into the space provided and feel as the cuffs are snapped onto our wrist. I grind my teeth as mines are tightened extra tight by an officer that seems to have a personal vendetta against me. "Don't worry girly, I won't hurt you too much" he says as he laughs. I quickly pull my arms away from the cell not wanting him to touch me longer than necessary. Even though he has only been on this tier for a year he has made it known that he doesn't like me. Every chance he gets he harasses me or haggles me.

The bars open with a loud clang and we exit the cell to get in line for chow. The prison is still dark at this time and It is only 5 a.m. I have had to train my stomach to be ready for food at this after all these years. I quickly learned that if I didn't eat then I would have to wait until the two other mealtimes. I sigh with relief when I remember today is not the day that we head to the showers.

Those days are always the worst for us as the prison guards love to toss out salacious barbs in our direction when we are bare. They are never allowed to come directly into the showers unless they are women unless it is to break up a fight. As I hold my tray I grimace at the grey slop, the stale, bread, and the juice box I have been given. I still haven't gotten used to this slop that they call oatmeal but at this point I have learned to swallow instead of chew.

As I finish what they call food three loud knocks echo through the large room and it quickly grows quiet. The warden is here. The soles of his shoes hitting the floor echoes loudly and he stops right near the metal table in which I sit. I don't dare look up, not wanting to catch his attention. Most of the girls here that do never come back the same after a meeting with him.

"Tika Heather, Janie Mathis, Sierra Avalon, Nancy Grieves, Savannah Harden, Monica Winston, Shelby Connors, and Asia Stone. Report to my office now" he bellows. No one dare moves until you hear the soles of his shoes no more. Just as quickly All the names shouted are gathered and marched to his office. Once we enter we are place into a line and the air grows heavy. Everyone waits in silence as we wait to hear what we have been called here for.

My mind runs through everything that I have experience the last few weeks and I am unable to come up with any trouble that I have been in. I stare confused at a spot in the carpet as I wonder what I could have done to warrant a visit to the warden. Just as I run out of items to review his gravelly voice fills the air.

I watch as his shiny dress shoes come into my vision and he walks down the line of women. My body feels disgusting as I feel his gaze travel over me. My heart rate picks up speed and continues to beat fast even as he moves on. "You have all been called here today for a tremendous opportunity. Does anyone have any idea of what I speak of?" he ask with an air of authority.

No one dares to speak up knowing that he doesn't care what we have to say. In his mind we are all lower than the scum of the earth. We have no rights. We have no freedoms. We are here for a reason and that reason is because no one wants us. No one cares and no one ever will. We have all been given this speech. Most like me, have even started to believe it. We no longer fight it. We just bare through it day after day because there is nothing else out there for us. We will never be free.

"Well, it seems that you all have learned something here. You are all quite obedient if I may say. I like obedience. There is so much that can be done with it" he taunts as he continues to survey us. "You are here today for an opportunity to gain your freedom. The only problem is that there are a limited number of spots available for this opportunity" he states with a wry chuckle.

My hear prick at his words. I finally lift my eyes and see that the other women are now paying much more attention to the words coming out of his mouth. A spark of hope lights in my chest at the thought of leaving this place for even a moment. To see the world again. To touch the grass and smell the flowers. To be able to eat something edible for once. At the thought my lips twitch wanting to smile at the idea of it. The smile is quickly wiped off of my face when I hear his next words.

"Now that I have your attention, who would like to work for their spot" he ask grinning widely. I can't even hide my grimace at the look on his face. His eyes are small brown and beady. His nose is so large that it nearly takes up half his face at many angles. His lips look thin and cracked as he smiles cascading the yellowness of the few teeth that he still owns. Add that with all the gel in his thinning hair and he calls himself a winner. He believes that because his suit and shoes are expensive that any of us would be lucky to partake in time with him.

At his question two girls immediately step forward. I would say that I am shocked but I am not. Many girls have taken to using their bodies to get what they want from the officers. I am no longer looking ahead of me to what this disgusting man will do to these poor women. I can hear fabric hitting the floor as I find a spot on the floor to be extremely interesting.

As moans, groans and the sound of gagging fills the air, it takes everything in me not to hurl where I stand. I'm no prude but the injustice of what is done to girls in here makes me sick. Just as I have the thought a pair of less shiny shoes fill my vision. The scent of his after shave is as usual overwhelming.

"If you want this opportunity princess, all you have to do is work for it. I can guarantee your spot" he whispers in my ear. I jerk my head away from his breath against my ear. Turning my face to the side, losing my breakfast becomes a real possibility as I gag. One would think that the man never used a toothbrush in his entire life and ate garbage for every meal by the way that his breath smelled. Even though he looks clean, his body odor is near the same and I can smell the sweat on him.

As I gag I can hear others around the room laughing. He sighs in frustration and I can feel the weight of his angry gaze on my face. When I final get the urge to vomit under control I speak without meeting his gaze. "I would rather die, than to do anything with one of you." The whispered words leave my lips before I can stop them. However, I know that they have an effect on the men in the room when all goes silent.

Staring at the floor wishing I could set it ablaze, two loud groans from men in the room fill the air. At least this part is over with I think. "Now, that was a wonderful performance ladies. I will definitely be keeping you two in mind for the adventure ahead. Shelby I have already counted our conversation from yesterday as points to your good behavior" he says allowed as the sound of his zipper fills the air.

My shoulder tense as he steps forward toward me. When he stops right in front of me I still don't lift my eyes from the carpet. I should never have let those words slip. As far as I know no one has been raped here because there are so many willing. A part of me knows that it will always be a possibility though.

"Since, after all these years, you still think you are the better than the rest of us, there is a surprise in store for you. The five of you who refused to show your appreciation to your great care givers will all be receiving a prize. The three of you that were so willing, you may remain here while the others go to pack their belongings" he states as he walks back to his desk.

My head jerks up as I wonder what the hell he is talking about. Before I can ask Shelby does. "I thought that we did the work so that we could go. We are supposed to gain our freedom" She says boldly stepping forward.

"Oh, they have gained their freedom dear. It is just not a freedom that they would want. The place where they are going, no one has ever seen someone leave it once they get it. There are monsters there, that transform into beast. The freedom I have just delivered them to dear Shelby.....is death" he says as he laughs.

I feel as my skin pales. What could he possibly mean by that? Surely he is not sending us to die. This has to be illegal. I know that what I did all those years ago was wrong but it doesn't mean I deserve to die. As the five of us who are left start to cry we are ushered out of his office. They march us quickly through the halls and each of us are made to pass our cells.

As I reach mine Nona is waiting with a bag in hand. Shuffling forward she offers me the bad with tears in her eyes. I'm guessing that she somehow already heard the good news. Before they can move on I rush forward hugging her for dear life. "Be safe and remember to never give in" I whisper into her ear as I am snatched away. I lose my balance and fall against someone.

When I raise my eyes I look right into the face of the man I have grown to despise. He encloses his arms on me tighter as he gives me a cocky grin. "I tried to help you stay. It's not too late if you want to earn your spot back. I promise that you would be my favorite" he says as he licks his lips and grinds his hips against me. When I feel the poke of his little member I shove against him.

He quickly releases me and then we are moving. Things are moving so fast that all I can see are the faces of the other prisoners as they watch us go. We are led to the prison garage and loaded on a bus. They hardly even wait for us all to sit down properly before they are pulling off. After a few minutes, the bus stops and I feel the tension in the air.

It slowly relaxes as I realize that we have stopped at the prison across the road. We all look around in confusion when five male prisoners also get on the bus with their guards. They all look around the bus at each of us and I can tell that they are just as lost as we are. The bus starts moving once more as the guards take turns being stationed across the bus. I look to the window and enjoy the scenery as it goes by. The dirt and dessert that surrounded the prison disappears as beautiful sprawling acres of trees come into view.

"pssst" I hear someone call out. Turning my head in that direction I look to find one of the male prisoners across the aisle signaling me. He has come to sit on the edge of his seat to get my attention. Not wanting to be this close to another male I scoot all the way toward my window as I eye him. "have they told you anything?" he says not meeting my gaze anymore.

Looking out the window I try to tune him out. It's not my job to tell him where we are going. Technically, I don't know either. The information that I do have however wouldn't bring him any hope. I was just as surprised when I heard it. At least I do know that I am heading to my end. It has already made the scenery better. Deciding to tell him I lean forward "They have told us, that they are taking us to die" I whisper.

I lean away quickly as his gaze holds mine while he laughs. His laugh is so quiet that one could easily think that he was coughing. As I take him in I realize that he is young like me. The hair on his face adds a few years onto his age. When he sees that I am not laughing along with him, his dark skin loses its color. I give him a nod to see that he understands and look back out my window. If I am going to die, I at least want to smell the real air once more. I just want to go outside before they kill us.