to push himself before he lost control and killed someone else?
Chapter 9
Selena
My whole body was sore from my most recent wakeup underneath a table in the cafeteria. I’d woken up when someone had clanged a tray full of food right above where I was sleeping.
I shrieked when I opened my eyes and realized once again, I wasn’t in my bed. Adrenaline coursed through me as a group of prisoners sat down right around where I’d found myself. I narrowly missed being kicked in the ribs as one of them guffawed loudly as he swung his legs underneath him.
I lay there for a moment, examining the old food crusted under the table, wondering how the heck I was going to explain myself if I suddenly popped out from under the table.
Not only was I freaking out because I’d woken up somewhere other than my cell, I was also freaking out at the fact that I hadn’t woken up before this.
The cafeteria was loud already.
Meaning that we were well into breakfast, and I definitely should have woken up before this.
What if it wasn’t breakfast? What if it was lunch?
Just then, I realized that not only was I underneath a disgusting cafeteria table, but my clothes were also soaking wet, like I’d gone swimming during the night.
I shifted out of the way of another swinging foot and cringed when I felt something slimy squish against my neck. These floors had obviously not been cleaned last night. Or maybe ever.
Another person sat down, and this time, I didn’t miss the kick to my leg.
I gasped in pain, and the confused face of a guy I’d seen before, rumored to be a bear shifter, suddenly appeared underneath the table. His mouth dropped open as he saw me there.
I waved and took the opportunity to scoot out from under the table as smoothly as I could. What felt like a million eyes were suddenly on me. The area around the table was silent for a moment before whispers and laughter erupted.
I stood up, trying to look as confident as I could, despite the fact that I knew there was last night’s casserole squished in my hair and I was soaking wet.
I kept my chin held high as I strode quickly over to the door. Laz appeared beside me, and I held up a hand before he could say anything and he wisely kept silent. I’m sure the smell emanating from me was a great deterrent as well.
I was about to turn right to go to my cell when I heard what sounded like a pack of prisoners coming down the main hall. Not wanting to run into so many people, I turned left and jogged down a hall and then another, turning down what I thought would connect me to another hallway that led to my cell.
It only took me a minute or two to realize I in fact had never been down this hallway. I stopped and leaned against the wall, fighting the urge to bash my head against the wall in frustration. I didn’t need a headache or a concussion on top of everything else.
A sign for a women’s shower room just down the hall caught my attention. Thinking that I could clean up a bit before finding my way back into my cell, I hurried over, thinking it was odd there weren’t any guards around.
There was no one around, and I couldn’t hear any of the showers running. I walked over to the sinks and let out a squeak when I saw myself. It was a good thing that I didn’t care what anyone in this prison thought about me, because I looked like I had been ridden hard and put away wet.
I was literally soaked. Clumps of food were bunched in my hair like I was going for a sort of epicurean dreadlock look. There was ketchup somehow smeared on my cheek. Although I’d gone to bed in my nightclothes, I’d somehow ended up back in my prison jumpsuit. It was smeared with food stains and of course soaking wet.
Sighing in distress, fear over what was happening to me searing through my veins, I headed to the showers.
Looking around, I noted that these showers were unusually clean. Dusty but clean…like they hadn’t been used in a very long time. Usually, the showers were littered with debris and questionable items. There was nothing like that here.
Everything was spotless.
Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, I wandered over to the showers.