Here's an excerpt:
It
was raining the day they put me out of jail. Heavy drops like the sky was
determined to beat me down under it. I could hear mom in my head saying
somewhere the devil was beating his wife and those were her tears making their
way down my face and soaking my pants. The rain got soaked up into the walkway.
Could almost hear them hissing. For weeks I’d wanted
some cool weather on the yard. Figures it’d come on the long walk home. Styles
walked next to me, uniform creased like he was attending a funeral. Underneath
all that hat and all that hair his face was creased just like his pants. Seemed
like everytime he looked at me the crease got deeper and longer. Thought I saw
him open his mouth to say something once or twice, but if he had anything to
say it got lost in the sound of the storm.
“You going to be okay, Swift?” He said,
finally.
We’d reached the gate all barb wire and
doom. Remember when I’d been forced through it 8 years ago. Now I was leaving
the same way. Guards stood up above me like the eyes of god watching, making
sure I wasn’t doing wrong. Making sure I walked right and went down the right
path. Truth be told I felt the right path was right back into that brick house.
Wasn’t nothing for me on the other side of that gate. Nothing and no one.
“Yeah,” I said. “I made it this far.”
Styles spit on the ground, didn’t know
if he was spitting at what I said or just in general. He grunted. Didn’t say
nothing after that.
When we reached the entrance he gave me
a bag. I looked in it to see everything that’d been on me when I got took. My
wallet, with not a damn thing in it but wishes, prayers, and an ID. The kid in
that picture looked soft and stupid.
I wasn’t much for goodbyes. I took the
wallet and put it in my back pocket. Nodded at Styles and turned to go. He
grabbed my arm. If I hadn’t been looking, would’ve thought my arm was caught
between two 45lb plates. I tried to pull away. You didn’t let nobody grab you
like that on the other side. Quick way to be somebody’s bitch. Took everything
I had not to swing at a cop.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll figure it out.”
Styles pulled something white from his
chest and handed it to me. His card.
“You call me, Swift.” When I nodded the
crease in his forehead got deeper. “God dammit, Swift.” He said. Yelled. He
tightened his grip on my arm. “You don’t belong in here. Everybody saw that.
Don’t end up back here like so many of you do.”
I nodded again. Something he saw
must’ve satisfied him because he let go of my arm. I rubbed it. Not like I was
hurt, just wasn’t used to people grabbing me the way he did.
“We had some good times,” Styles said.
“Considering your situation. I’m not
opposed to having a few more outside of here.
Call me. You owe me a game of
chess.”
Here are my stats:
I feel good about this one. Hoping to finish or come extremely close. :D
