Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Behind the scenes: Shit the girls do






                        Behind the scenes: Shit the girls do

~Leah and Swan’s badly made plan~

Swan looks around the porch to make sure no one of importance was looking before coming up behind Victoria and throwing an arm around her shoulders. “Hey there Victoria, how’s tricks.” She said slyly, knowing that Victoria was a pretty big time prostitute before she got caught and sent here.
“Get the fuck off me Swan.” She snapped pushing her arm off of her, looking at Swan with a glare.

“What do you want?”

Swan tried her hardest to look insulted. “Well, I just don’t know what to say Victoria. I mean my shrink tells me that I need to be more open and out there, so I try and this is what happens.” She sees a small hand dip into Victoria’s pocket from behind and rushes to keep her attention. “Can you at least tell my Shrink that I did my best to make a friend?”

Swan waits until the small hand disappears again and Lee walks back into the house whistling nonchalantly. Before Victoria could say anything, Swan grins and winks at her. “Nah, never mind, I will just tell him you were too big of a cunt.”

Victoria growls and leaps for swan, knocking her over. The other girls go crazy, only having seen what happened, but not heard what was said. Sue came running out along with two counselors to pull Victoria off of Swan. Swan of course is acting more traumatized then needed, but it kept the focus of anger on Victoria.

“She just attacked me out of no where!” Swan wailed dramatically. Sue looked at swan skeptically but turned to Victoria. Before she could ask however, the three or four witnesses were all talking at once, backing up Swan’s story.

Lee came out from right inside the door. “I saw the whole thing, Swan was trying to make friends and Victoria attacked her. It’s like she was crazed or something. I seen the same shit at the hospital, but that chick was doped up.”

Victoria started fighting the counselors grip and a small baggy of crushed pills comes flying out of her jacket pocket.

Lee cocked her head to the side at Swan and they slowly disappeared into the growing crowed, slipping upstairs into Lee’s room.

Lee Clearwater
*Shakes the bottle, mouth facing you to waft the sweet scent in your direction*

Swan
-Laughs- serve me up!

Lee Clearwater
*pats the bed next to me* Get your skinny ass over here and you can have some

Swan
-Climbs in doing the 'gimme' fingers-

Lee Clearwater
*snorts and passes*

Swan
-Takes a swig- so what’s with the sudden rebel deal?

Lee Clearwater
*Shrugs a single shoulder* Why the hell not? I'm stuck here anyways, might as well. *steals the bottle back*

Swan
-Shrugs smirking- no complaint here

Lee Clearwater
Didn't think you would. *Slumps back taking a pull*

Swan
-Lifts a brow-Come on, tell me what’s up. -Throws you my pack after pulling one free-

Lee Clearwater
*Juggles the bottle mid-pull trying to catch the pack* What do you want me to tell you, exactly? *shakes one out and grabs my lighter from the nightstand, lights up and passes it to you*

Swan
-Lights mine taking the bottle from you- I don’t know. You're only like this when you’ve hit a roadblock somewhere.

Lee Clearwater
*Closes my eyes taking a long drag, speaks around holding the smoke in* I just don't really give a fuck anymore. About anything. *exhales slowly not looking at you*

Swan
-Snorts- that's my line

Lee Clearwater
*Nods smirking* I know it is

Swan
-Grins- alright then, not caring it is

Lee Clearwater
Not caring at all. Winning. *snort humorlessly and takes the bottle back, taking a long pull*

Swan
Alright with the not caring, what kind of trouble should we get into?

Lee Clearwater
Aren't we already in trouble? *lifts a brow* We’re drinking... in a rehab home and smoking indoors. We're essentially fucked, if we were caring that is.

Swan
-Ignores that- I think we should get the boys into trouble ...

Lee Clearwater
I caught what you did there... *Snorts washing down a pull of Gentleman with a drag* How are we doing that?

Swan
Go out and make them react of course. You go for mike, I’ll get Quil and we can “accidentally” get caught by each other.

Lee Clearwater
You actually want to let Quil catch us being fuck ups?!

Swan
-Snorts- you know he isn't going to do shit because he will be focused on mike touching you

Lee Clearwater
*Blinks long and slow, then laughs* Good point. *Takes another long swig practically draining the remainder of the bottle*

Swan
-Steals it finishing it off-

Lee Clearwater
*very unladylike-ishly wipes the back of my hand over my mouth* Don't worry, I've got more stashed. *Smirks pushing myself to my feet, swaying to find my balance*

Swan
I think I hear Quil coming up the hall; I'll stop him and get him with me. -Rolls off the bed and hits the floor laughing hard and scrambles to get up and run to meet Quil-

Lee Clearwater
*Spits laughing out loud when you thud, falling backwards in to the wall. Waits to hear the confrontation between you and Quil and until I hear Mike's voice approaching. Stumbles my way out practically tackling Mike right outside my door*

Swan
-Explains to Quil I had something to tell him in private about Lee and then pulls him into my room pushing him on the bed-

Lee Clearwater
*Shakes my head at Mike trying to push me aside to check on you and grabs his jaw to force him to look at me. Tries not to pass a glance over my shoulder Swan’s way as I pull Mike in to my room, kicking the empty bottle under my bed with the telltale glass rolling sound filling the air*

Swan
Quil tries to get up but I crawl over him. He put his hands on my hips to lift me off when he hears a sound down the hall and I grab his face kissing him-

Lee Clearwater
*Mike lifts a brow and grabs my upper arms to move me out of he way to see what the sound was, I giggle like a drunken school girl and shake my head playing it off as nothing pushing him back on the bed to kiss him*

Swan
-Taken by surprise he responds at first and then pushes me back gathering his senses -

Lee Clearwater
*the alcohol driving my actions, I bite Mike's lip and smirk against his lips holding his face firmly in my grasp not willing to let him go when he groans out a 'Jesus Christ' at the bite. Bites again stretching on to my toes unsteadily*

Swan
-Quil catches on that I am trying to keep him from the room and picks me up taking me with him over his shoulder - you know does anyone realize I can walk?? -Bursts into Lee’s room-

Lee Clearwater
*Mike's hands slide up my arm to mimic how mine hold him, his fingers curl in to my hair just before the door gets thrown open and Quil dumps Swan’s ass on my bed and yanks Mike off me mid-kiss. Lets out a bellow of pain, my knees buckling when Mike's hand pulls the hair from the back of my head because of Quil pulling him away*

Swan
-Jumps from the bed onto Quil trying to make him stop-

Lee Clearwater
*shakes my head as if shaking off the pain like a dog and pushes to my feet grabbing around Swan’s waist to pull her back seeing as the guys have both stopped and are focused on us*

Swan
-Grabs Lee’s hand doing my best to look innocent -

Lee Clearwater
*side eyes Swan quickly. Innocent? Turns my head to look fully at Swan in shock and awe before bursting in to a fit of laughter at her expression, paying no attention to both guys taking turns reaming us out*

Swan
-Laughs with Lee, hiccupping slightly-

Lee Clearwater
*falls backwards to sit on the edge of my bed, howling and laughing like a loon*

Swan
-Falls with Lee, grinning wide-

 The girls get pulled up by the boys, there own parole officer on each one of them. Swan gives a shout, trying to fight Mike off, but is still laughing at the same time, making it hard. “Ack, Mike, get off!”

Swan tries to hold on to Lee, throwing a kick out at Quil to get his attention as mike hauls her out of the room. “Hey baby, thanks for the bump and grind, I want it just as rough next time.” She only laughs harder as he advances on her and mike pushes Swan behind him in a protective and silencing gesture.

The boys growl about talking later with each other. Swan grunts as he pulls her fully out of the room. She is fighting tooth and nail and screaming all the way down the hallway. “LEE! LEE! I'm coming for you baby!”

“He said he is going to have to punish me!” Lee screams back, laughing hysterically making Quil growl a snappish “Shut up!”

Swan laughs insanely when she hears Lee, earning a nasty “Shut up!” from Mike too.

Friday, February 14, 2014

POSTED: The Home

(Signed: Blacksheep Fiction = Swan)




Swan 3

The smell of food turned my stomach again and I pushed my face further into the pillow. The relief lasted for all of two minutes before the door to the room open and then shut again and the smell increased ten fold. “Rise and shine, sleepy head, I have breakfast for you.”

“Fuck off I am not hungry.” I snapped, trying to kick his ass off my bed without success where he had perched.

There was the sound of a tray being set on my night stand and a heavy bounce on the bed before I was being dragged out of my comfy paradise. “What the fuck?”

“You need to get up and to put it mildly, you stink.” He said casually as he carried me to the shower. I started to squirm out of his grasp but he held tight. “Stop it before I drop you. I will stay in there and wash you myself if you don’t behave.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Isn’t that some kind of breech of patient and doctor relationship thing?”

“Not when it’s done clinically and without emotion.” He said, planting me on my feet and turning on the warm water. “Now, are you going to do this the hard way or the easy way?”

I smirked, loving how he just made shit so easy for me. I sat on the shower floor and glared up at him. He sighed and shook his head. “Alright, we are five today. I got it.”

Jared reached over, pulled the shower tab making the water go from the spigot to the sprayer, and it hit me full blast making me gasp. I stayed stubborn though, not moving as the water pelted me. To his credit, he stayed true as well, getting soaked as he peeled my clothes off in a detached way. He scrubbed me down and even did my hair, which I know was a bitch because there were pounds of the stuff and you only get four showers a week at the hospital and I hadn’t gotten any in jail. It took three shampoo and two conditioner rounds to get it clean and unknotted.

When he was satisfied that I was clean, he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower toweling him self off, soaked clothes and all and walked out of the bathroom and into his room, which was easy because, it was a dormer type bathroom, so our bedrooms were connected through it.

He came back with clean dry clothes on and I still sat in the bottom of the shower, glaring at him. He held out the towel as you would to wrap around a child. I stood slowly and stepped out of the shower, ignoring the towel and walking back into my room naked, not giving a damn about the puddles I was making along the way.

I wouldn’t tell him, but I actually felt better having taken a shower. I felt lighter and just… better. Only thing that would make it better would be sprinkling some getting laid into the mix. I turned to Shrinky and smirked. “Hey there Shrinky, how firm are those doctor patient morals of yours?”

He lifted a brow at me and busied himself in the bathroom. I guess being detached and clinic only lasts so long. “Rock solid, Isabella. Get dressed.”

“Don’t call me that.” I grunted out and sighed, flopping on the bed, ignoring his request. “Well damn.” I sat up to my elbows fast though as another thought came to me. “You know, Mike did have a thing for me in high school. I’ll bet I could get him over here for some fun.”

Jared sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You know I could get Sue in here to dress you. She is kind, but I guarantee she won’t be gentle or sweet about a grown ass woman who refuses to dress herself out of some little childish tantrum.”

My brows rose into my hairline and I smirked at him. “Well, well, well. The doctor does have a set of balls under that dress he wears. His balls are apparently named Sue, but still. The fact that the threat was thrown out is a step in to the manly direction.”

He stomped his way into my room and came right up to the edge of the bed. “You are not a petulant sixteen year old child Isabella. You don’t get to act this way in the normal world and have it be alright with everyone because of what happened to you.” He seethed. I lost all humor in me and suddenly, I wanted to cover up. “What happened was horrible and should never happen to anyone, but it doesn’t give you a free pass!”

I sat up pushing past him and opened my duffle. I rummaged around inside until I came out with a white tank top and gray sweats. It felt like everything was spiraling down into darkness and I was trying to claw my way back out. “You don’t know anything about that.” I choked, trying to shove the clothes over my body in a hurry. I spotted Mike’s business card that he said he had thrown into my bag. “You don’t know anything about anything, you’re like 12, straight out of shrink school!”

I didn’t turn and look, but I could feel Shrinky right behind me. “Yes I do, I have read what happened to you. I researched it non-stop since they handed you to me as my only and high priority case. I have yet to find out why you were so high priority though.” He was speaking calm, but I could hear the fury leaking into his voice. “You act like the world owes you a favor when really; maybe you should be thanking the world for leaving you intact and not ending up like your family.” I covered my ears but he grabbed my wrists and uncovered them again. “You are not the only person in the world to lose their family in such a tragic way. There are people all over the world that had even had it worse, but they are still walking around and surviving each day like a normal person. They are not in and out of mental facilities and jail. They are not treating everyone else like shit just to make themselves feel better!”

I spun on him looking him dead in the eyes and feeling the almost comforting heat rise in my body that signaled the moments before I completely lost it. “You know nothing about it. NOTHING. Give me your phone.” I clenched my teeth when he just stared at me without moving. “Give me your fucking phone.”

Slowly he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cheap phone. Something I would have called a burner phone when I was on the streets. I flipped it open and dialed Mike’s number from the card he left him my duffle.

“Isabella, if you just get over this—”

“Don’t. Fucking. Call. Me. That!” I ground out. “Fuck you, how about I cut off your fucking balls and then let me repeat to you how you need to get over it.” I snapped.

“Swan?” I had never been so relieved to hear my parole officer’s voice. “Oh god, Mike. Please come get me, this was a mistake. I am about to stab my shrink in the eye with the Chinese hair pick I have in my duffle if you don’t come and get me right now.”

There was soft swearing on the other end before Mike’s smooth voice came back. “Okay is he in front of you right now?”

“Yes.” I said honestly, eying Shrinky contemptuously. He was looking back at me with a cautious look.

“Do you have a weapon on him?”

“No.”

“Hand him the phone.” Mike said gently.

“No.”

Mike sighed. “Swan goddamnit, you know that if he sends one bad report to Tyler and Tyler is feeling even a mite spiteful today, you will be going to prison.”

I growled, feeling the tears run down my face without my permission. “He is talking about my family like he knows what happened!” I yelled. “He doesn’t know me! He doesn’t know them!”

“Give him the phone, Swan.” Mike said, more authority leaking into his calm soothing tone.

I cried out, throwing the phone in frustration and sitting heavily to the floor, just staring straight ahead at nothing. I wanted to feel nothing. I closed my eyes, praying for numbness, but it didn’t come. Instead, came the usual assault of senses from that day. The smell of my father’s cologne, the sound of my mother screaming, the smell of gun powder and blood mixed. 

There was a snapping noise and Jared’s face hovered in front of me. “Isabella, come back here. You’re in La Push home for women. Do you know what day it is? Can you hear me?”

I skittered backwards away from him frowning as I came back into the present time. There was a bang on the door and Jared stood up and opened it, talking low to whoever was on the other side. Finally he moved aside and Mike walked into the room looking around.

I made a desperate noise and was on my feet running at him as soon as I saw him. He caught me, allowing me to wrap myself around him, shaking badly as all my emotion drained from my body. He held me close to him, a hand holding my head to his chest and one at my back practically supporting me.

I felt the stubble from his chin on the top of my head and inhaled the smell on his jacket. It felt slightly damp, which meant it was probably raining outside. He was murmuring softly and stroking my hair. “Its okay, you’re going to be fine, Swan. You’re right, he doesn’t know you. It’s okay.” He put my back to Jared, so he could face him, I guess. “Have you lost you’re fucking mind? What the fuck is wrong with you?” It took me a full three seconds to realize he wasn’t talking to me.

“She needs to learn that the behavior and attitude that she uses to keep herself from coming to grips with the past isn’t acceptable behavior in the normal world.” Shrinky said. His voice was a tad defensive.

Mike sighed rubbing my back and pulling me towards the door as if shielding me from the horrible memories that threatened to invade me. “You don’t fucking start right off the bat forcing her to face this shit outright. Are you a real fucking shrink, because right now you fucking suck at it?”

There was a small room off to the side up stairs, like a second common room, that Mike took me too after we left my room. Shrinky didn’t follow. “Okay your safe now Swan, you can let go.” I shook my head and remained locked around his waist, making him laugh. “You know if people think we are too close, they will assign you another probation officer.”

My grip went slack and I stepped away from him at once, looking up at him with a smirk, before rubbing my face in frustration. “Look, I know it’s pathetic, I am sorry, but you said if I was about to do something wrong I should call you. I was seriously going to shank the fucker.”

He shook his head and reached for my hand holding it lightly. “I am glad you did, I do not want to have to come here to arrest you for murdering your shrink.” He let go of my hand as if he just realized it wasn’t proper behavior of a parole officer and instead ran his fingers through his hair. “Look, you know he is only doing his job right?”

I shrugged sitting down in one of the chairs. There were noises around the house, sounds of the other girls out and about I supposed. Not like it was a bright beautiful morning, according to view from the window in here, it looked like it was pouring again. “Yeah well he came on like molasses and that shit is hard to choke down, you know?”

He smiled slightly and nodded. “Yeah I get it, but you have to try too.”

I rolled my eyes nodding. “Yeah I know.”

Mike sat down next to me and touched my face so that I would look at him. “Don’t you think it’s time? Time to just face this and move on, I mean, you have been carrying this heavy weight of what happened for so long. Look at what it’s done to you so far. Look at where it’s gotten you.”

I sighed, not wanting to agree with him at all. It’s made me strong and able to handle the simple bullshit of life without falling apart. No, it wasn’t time. I smirked at him in a suggestive way. “You know I was going to call you anyways.”

Mike frowned at me for avoiding the subject and sighed. “Oh yeah? Why?”

I shrugged leaning closer to him, biting my lip a little. “Well Shrinky in there forced me to take a shower. All manhandling me as he washed me, but when he was done I thought, well now that I am clean, I need a good fuck.”

Mike swallowed audibly and I grinned. “So I thought of all the fun we had in high school and maybe we could use this parole officer thing to our advantage.”

My hand slid up his leg and he shot out of the seat as if someone jabbed his ass with a needle. “Whoa, whoa, whoa there Swan. You know we can’t do anything like that. I will be thrown off this case and you will get some hard ass. Trust me; there are a bunch of them in the department.” 

I sighed and laid back in the chair looking up at him. “Yeah I actually saw one the other day; he cuffed his girl just to sit in a group meeting. This chick wasn’t even like psycho or anything. In fact she reminded me of the Chief’s Talo from back in the day.” I snorted. “I like you a lot Mike, but if you cuff me for no reason, I will kick your ass.”

He grinned at me and offered a hand so I could stand. I took it and we headed down stairs. “You hungry?”

I shook my head violently and covered my belly. “Oh god no. Shrinky drugged me with Ativan last night and that is still fucking up my stomach today.” I explained, letting him lead me to the porch. He stopped me by the railing and turned me around to face him again.

I watched as he dropped to one knee, checking my ankle monitor. He was already different in the few seconds it took to get outside. He was tense and had a pissed off air about him now. I could see the muscle in his neck ticking. I frowned at him when he stood up, poking the muscle with my index finger. “Why so serious?” I joked.

He shook his head running his fingers through his hair again before pulling a new pack of smokes out of his jacket pocket and handing them to me. “Here I got you these last night; I figured that you would need them today.”

I took them, but was still looking at his tense face. “Thank you, but that isn’t going to make me forget I just asked you what was wrong.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Okay so let me get this right, in less then 24 hours that you have been in this house, you were drugged, manhandled and physically washed and then berated for not coming to grips with watching your family get murdered right in front of you?”

I thought it over and nodded as I pulled a cigarette out and held my hand out for a lighter I knew he had. “Yeah that is about the size of it.”

Mike handed me the lighter and rubbed his face. “Look, I am going to have to go up and speak with this kid before I go. Are you going to be okay out here?”

I nodded shooing him along. “Yeah I am a big girl, I can handle being on my own out here for a while.”

He put his hands up in surrender and headed for the door. “Alright, alright, I am right inside if you need me.”

I sat in the old rocker I was in the night before and looked over the railing at the heaps of water falling down today. It would have been a beautiful day for a walk, if allowed to move more then 200 feet from the grounds that is. If Mike kills my shrink, I wonder if I will be given another, or they will just give up on me all together.

There was talking to my left, arguing really between two guys and some chick. I stared openly, enjoying the entertainment when I realized it was the shy chick and her over zealous parole officer, but who was…

“Jacob Black?” I said out loud before I could even stop myself. The shy chick and her parole officer took the opportunity to talk amongst themselves and the other man turned and looked at me. There wasn’t much time spent on my face before I could practically see the light bulb switch on.

“Isabella Swan, as I live and breathe, holy shit it’s you.” He said stepping forward holding out his arms. I went straight for him hugging him tightly and wrapping my legs around his waist laughing.

“Oh Jakie! What the hell are you doing here?” I mumbled into his neck, relishing the good memories that came from his embrace.

He grinned, pulling back some, but still holding me. “My sister is here, I was just visiting.” He shook his head as if still trying to comprehend my appearance in front of him. He finally set me on my feet again and I grinned up at him. “Well damn girl, time has done you very good.”

I grinned spinning as if I weren’t in old gray sweats and a white tank. I looked him over and bit my lip. “I could definitely say the same for you. Damn Black, I’ll bet you got either a brothel of women or a wife with forty kids.”

He shook is head, taking my hand and leading me along the deck for a walk. “No, actually, since dad died, I have just taken over as Chief; I am also on the police force, so I haven’t really had time to have either.”

My jaw dropped and I looked over at him as we walked. “A police officer? Jacob Black, you are not a police officer, how do you live with yourself knowing what we used to do?” I lowered my voice and leaned closer to him conspiratorially. “We used to break into the school so that we could get out of the rain, smoke weed in the nap room, and fuck on those little mats they had there!”

He laughed hard and coming to a stop when we ran out of porch to walk on. He turned and faced me smirking mischievously. “Well only I and you know about those things, I could always just off you and the secrets will always be safe.”

I grinned licking my lips. “Or we can go do them together again.”

He leaned in close to my ear, speaking in a breathy whisper that made me shiver. “You don’t have another cherry I can pop for you and I don’t have the rabbit anymore.”

I put a hand to his chest to steady myself and laughed when he moved back some wiggling his brows. “Yeah well I popped your cherry that night too, baby.” I said feigning a glare. “Besides, we did it in more places then the rabbit and the school.”

Jake gave a smirk and shrugged. “Yeah well, you gott’a be sure right?”

I laughed hard. “Be sure that the virginity status was well and gone?”

“Exactly.” He said laughing with me.

“Where the fuck did you go, Swan?” Mikes voice cracked like a whip making me jump. I turned fast, feeling guilty for having told him I would be all right and then wandering off. “You were supposed to stay by the door, no to go wandering off with random people.”

Jake put a hand up in soothing gesture and stepped forward some. “Relax Newton, we are old friends and don’t act like I am some random person, we work for the same police station.”

Mike narrowed his eyes at Jake and shook his head. “No, you are no better then a PI with his dick in his hand, I am a parole officer and you wandered off with my charge.”

Now Jake narrowed his eyes and I knew shit was going to get bad. I came between them, looking at Mike. “Hey, hey its okay Mike, we were just talking and I am sorry about the wandering off thing. I won’t do it again, okay?”

Mike looked at me and grabbed my wrist, pulling me towards the front of the house again. I heard Jake protest, but Mike was too pissed to listen. He walked me right back into the house and started for my room again. “If you are going to make it out of here with out an extension to your sentence or getting kicked out for non-compliance, then you need to listen to what I tell you.”

“He was an old friend, Mike.” I said, finally getting pissed and jerking my arm away. “What is your problem?”

Mike moves us back into the upstairs common room and pushed me against the wall, putting his hands on either side of my head. “You and I are old friends too Swan and I don’t think he would give two shits if you got sent to prison.” He seethed his face close to mine. “I do, however, care. I care a lot and if you get mixed in with another residences family member, you are just asking for trouble, Swan.”

I frowned, nodding some. “But—”

Mike shook his head. “No, no buts’. You stay away from him and any other guy, Swan, I mean it. Normally you don’t even have to ask for trouble, it just finds you, so don’t go searching it out this time. Okay?”

I crossed my arms and sighed. “Fine, alright, I get it.”

He nodded and stepped back taking my arm again, more gently this time and leading me back to my room. Jared stood when we walked in and almost nervously moved his hands about, seemingly unsure to do with them. Mike leaned close to my ear. “Be nice, I have to go to the station, I will be back around dinner.”

I nodded, watching him leave before turning back to look at Jared, who still looked unsure. “I… apologize for my behavior before.”

I nodded and shrugged a shoulder. “Get it, but lets pretend I am a blushing virgin and you need to take it a bit slow, alright?”

He looked away rubbing his neck and I narrowed my eyes grinning slowly. “What’s wrong, you act like you’re the blushing virgin.”

He didn’t say anything, just kept looking at everything but me.

I gasped. “No shit! Really?”

He rolled his eyes and gave a small smirk shrugging. “I am a very dedicated student.”

I came into the room more, sitting on the bed. “Not even some heavy grinding? A blow job? Are you some kind of religious freak saving yourself for marriage?” I gasped a little being dramatic. “Are you gay?”

He sighed running his fingers through his hair. “I really don’t think—”

“If you want me to trust you this cannot be a one way street.” I said calmly, void of any thing other then a matter of fact tone.

His hands went up in surrender. “Alright, alright.” He said immediately. “No, nothing other then kissing and no, I am not a religious freak. I am not gay. I was seriously just a dedicated student.”

I couldn’t help it, I cracked up laughing, which of course mad him frown. We heard Sue down stairs ringing something the equivalent to a cow bell to signal everyone for lunch and I couldn’t help but think, this man was no longer someone I saw as a hurdle, but now I saw him as a challenge. I will get this man laid, even if I had to do it myself.

POSTED: The Home



(Signed: Kyla Lockheart = Rachel)







I started to aimlessly walk around the house after breakfast because quite frankly my room was depressing to me. I tried to open the window to let in some fresh air in to get the addict smell out of the room but once I started to yank at it the old wood started to splinter and crack so I gave up before I ended up breaking it and getting blamed for trying to escape.

There was no TV allowed in the rooms and I had no books so really all I could do was sit on the ledge of my window. Watching everyone walking in and out of the house leading a normal life It almost gave me hope but then I reminded myself how I got into this mess and I was back to being sure normal is a life I'll never have again.  Once you lose it the way I did you'll never look at life the same again.

All my clothes were still trashed around on the floor. I had absolutely no intention of picking them up anytime soon so I picked an outfit from the pile and stepped over the rest changing for a second time out of boredom.  I had to kick a pair of jeans clear across the room to open my door and walk out. A lot of the girls seemed happy, most of them hung out together. The whole house seemed filled with laughter. I actually liked the light mood of the house today as I explored the different areas.

"Don't be afraid to show your soul. No one can take your words from you. It's the greatest power you can have." A man passionately spoke to a small class of women. I stopped to glance in trying my hardest not to be seen or draw any attention to myself.  It must have been some sort of class for writing. I looked around the walls seeing a bunch of inspirational quotes scattered around. ‘Be Strong. Because things will get better, things might be stormy now but it never rains forever.'  'Remind yourself its ok not to be perfect' 'When the sun goes down the stars will come out'

"Hello there, Would you like to join us?" A gentle voice caught my attention; I hadn't even noticed I wondered into the class memorized by the quotes. Shaking my head I started to stumble to leave but the gentleman quickly handed me a binder of paper and a pack of pens. I smiled thanking him with my eyes he nodded going back to speaking to his class not pushing me to do something I was not ready for. That gesture alone actually made me want to do it.

I ended up finding a small patio off to the side of the house. It looked unused and abandoned. I could almost hear the chattering of the ghostly memories of it. As I approached it with caution looking for do not enter signs I noticed there was a beaten up broken chair off in a corner. I pulled it closer to the railing taking a seat watching the rain drip off the chipped beams, Listening to it dig and tap everything it touched. I closed my eyes for a moment feeling as if I was back at home on a rainy day. The rain was inspirational to me, it made my hand pick up and glide across the first blank sheet of paper.

It all started to pour out of me; all my thoughts and fears flooded this piece of paper. Everything I wanted to say, but couldn't, have found its way out. I might have been crying as I wrote but I was starting to feel a lot better.

The familiar sound of muddy boots breaking twigs approaching me made me  automatically shut the booklet quickly smearing away a few stay tears I saw Sgt Lahote soaking wet letting out a breath  relief when he seen me. Everything about him seemed calm, his eyes stayed on me; a hand reached for the railing and he took one long stride of a step still midway in the rain.

When his words finally found there voice I knew he was upset. I just had no idea why. Since last night I have followed all rules, even ate whatever it was that they called breakfast. Maybe Lahote just hated me for some reason. 

"You didn't even last a full 24 hours Black." I frowned not have a single clue what he was talking about I just looked away to ignore him. I didn't want to put up a fight today, I was tired and just wanted to relax here and enjoy the rain. "Do I look like a joke? Is this all a joke to you?" His voice crept closer I turned to see him towering over me his voice was angered but his face screamed worried. Water dripped from his hair rolling down his face to his chin onto my jeans.

My hand had a sudden urge to reach up cupping his cheek with the palm of my hand wanting to comfort him. His eyes closed for only a split second moving quickly away from me. I stood up leaving my pad of paper on the chair. "No I don't think this is a joke." My foot moved forward his stepped back.

"You don't get to do this." Lahote muttered putting his hands up like a shield from me.  A hand threaded through my hair confused as hell. "Do what? I haven't done nanything" Lahote’s eyes narrowed at me stiffing a laugh.

"No? You really want to sit here and lie to my face?"  Blinking rapidly I shook my head offended.

"What?" I spat out turning to grab my pad of paper off the chair. "Are you high Sgt Lahote? How am I lying?"  I sounded like a wounded animal the way he accusing me doing whatever he thinks I did actually hurt me considering I spent all day trying to do right. I even had plans to apologize for my behavior last night but I guess that was something he didn't want to hear either.

"You really are like the rest aren't you?" The question was rhetorical and I wasn't really sure it was directed to me but still I snapped. I don't know what he thought he knew about me but I was about to show him a side of me not many have seen.

"STOP SAYING THAT!" I yelled shoving him in the chest not giving a fuck who he was or what kind of control he held over me. "I have done nothing wrong! I woke up, I ate, I went to my one on one and I stayed here!" The desperation that leaked between my words scared me. I cared what he thought and I needed for him to believe me for someone to believe me.

"Seriously!?  You where here all day long?" He laughed out in total disregards for what I was saying as he pulled his phone out putting it on speaker. "Hey, what time was it that you said you seen Rachel Black?" He asked giving me a hard glare. I stood staring at the phone hugging the stupid pad of paper to me as I listened.

"Ugh fuck I don't know man, like 3. I'm pretty sure it was her."  Lahote brought the phone to his ear turning speaker off. "Sure and pretty sure are to different things did you see her or not!" He snapped keeping a close eye on me.  I gritted my teeth shaking my head hating everything about this probation officer. He had it out for me that much was clear to me.  When he hung up his eyes found mine. I could see an apology forming but I didn't want to hear it I slapped him instead, as hard as I could then sprinted off the deck into to the rain trying to make it into the house so I could try and call Jacob.

I hit an icy patch of grass slipping and falling on my ass I screamed angrily up into the sky throwing the notepad getting soaking wet not even trying to get up. I wanted to give up, doesn’t anyone get that? Lahote ran after me almost falling when trying to come to a stop.  His hand grabbed me by my forearm yanking me up effortlessly pushing me against the wall pinning my arms above me head while I tried with everything I had to fight him off.

"GET OFF ME! You're the reason I even want to use to begin with!" I screamed in his face trying to knee him but he kicked my legs open moving between them so I couldn't move. My chest was rapidly rising and falling against his, I was unable to move.  I had to give up fighting back. The deeper his eyes looked into mine the softer his grip became, I could have wiggled out of it and ran but I just started at him instead.

"So you admit you want to use?" He asked while his grip started to tense I sniffled unable to really tell if I was crying or if it was just the rain falling onto my face. "I have urges when I have bad days. In rehab they say they don't always go away." I muttered beginning openly honest with him, his head dropped letting out a muffled sigh. "I didn't go looking for it." He glanced up letting go of my wrist I guess trusting I wouldn't run.

"You wanted to use because of the way I treated you?" His question had a sad ring to it I felt bad but nodded. "Fuck, what the hell is wrong with me. This has never happened before, why now?"

I had no idea what he was talking about but I still answered him. "You are not listening to me. I know I am a job and a piece of shit for getting myself into all this but your acting like you know all my moves."

Sgt Lahote rubbed the stubble on his chin that looked like he hadn't shaved this morning; actually now that I look at him he had bags under his eyes and looked worn down.  "What’s going on out here?" I jumped hearing my brother’s voice automatically running into his dry arms that he wrapped around me tightly.

"Jakie!" I thought you weren't coming for a while!"  He grinned down at me pushing the wet hair out of my face before turning his glare to Lahote who stood silent over thinking about the conversation we were having.

I looked down not sure what to say when I noticed Jacob assisting the situation. "Why are your wrists red?" Jacob put a finger under my chin to look at him but his eyes where already on Lahote.

I didn't want to get him in trouble. " I fell on an ice patch."

"No tell him the truth, Rachel. I accused her of trying to score after one of my CI's mistaking ID her. She ran off I chased after her." Jacob put a hand up to stop Lahote from talking, my hand tugged on his arm to try to stop him but he shrugged me off. "That's doesn't give you any fucking right to lay a hand on her!"  Jacob barked out both of them eying each other.

"Jacob, I deserved it. I slapped him."  I ran between the two of them.

"She is my charge Jacob, She gets no special treatment." Lahote and Jacob both ignored me even with both hands out on each of there chests. Jacob pulled me to him looking down at me, trying to collapse any anger. "Why would you hit him Talo! For fucks sake what is wrong with you?" I shook my head losing my voice, hating to see him like that with me and not having an answer.

I heard Sgt Lahote sigh before forcing himself to speak. “I deserved it Lt. I accused her without making sure the ID was positive. It was a misunderstanding on both our parts and she was the one to eat the consequence." Jacob lifted a brow in his direction narrowing his eyes. "And what about Sgt Lahote? Are you going to be baring any consequence for her wrist?"

"Jacob, stop it!" I finally was able to speak up above a whisper. "You're blowing this whole thing up! This is why I have a hard time talking to you, please calm down!" Jacob turned to look at me frowning cupping my face in his hands letting out a loud defeated sigh.

"Jacob Black!" His head shot up like a dog hearing a whistle and he turned seeing someone behind him. I didn’t even try to see who it was. I avoided looking at Lahote again but still felt bad for my actions.

"I'm sorry." We both said at the same time making us both lightly laugh. I shook my head walking back towards him, as he tugged me under the bit of shelter there was from the rain. "I never gave you a chance, and for that I am sorry. It's just…"

"It’s just that I am a case, or a charge as you put it, I get it. You have to look at me a certain way to do your job. You're not my friend or therapist, you're the law. A line shouldn't be crossed, I am sorry."
Lahote looked at me, his eyes seemed to be searching mine and when he didn't correct me I left it as it was.

Jacob made his way back over to us shaking his head and ranting to himself about all parole officers being dick heads and he tossed an arm around my shoulder walking me back inside and to my room. "Get dressed in dry clothes and meet me down stairs Talo." He shut the door when he walked out, I peeled my drenched shirt off glancing out the window I seen Sue running off after Lahote who was about to get in his car. He was shaking his head and she looked like she was pleading with him to come inside. Sue of course won and Lahote came back to the house.

I quickly changed, running a brush through my hair trying to get the knots out, wondering what that was all about. I was sure it was about me and that he would also be waiting for me with Jacob but when I got down stairs, my PO was nowhere to be found. Jacob stood when I jumped off the last step smiling at me. "I thought you might want to see Dad since you haven't been since the funeral." Jacob sounded hopeful but that was the last thing I wanted to do right now.

"I can't." I mumbled like a child avoiding any eye contact with him.

"You can. You're allowed to go it will make you feel better I promise." He started to walk towards me but I shook my head. "NO Jacob, no I do not want to go."  I moved up a few steps I could tell he was confused as he tried to come closer to me.

"You need to come see him, he was a damn good father and you need to understand he is gone." Jacob tried to voice reason but I sat on the steps refusing to leave with him. "Talo. What happened why are you being like this? Dad never did anything to hurt you." Jacob knelt down in front of me speaking with caution caressing my cheek. "I know that. I am very aware that his is dead. You wouldn't understand." A barely audible whisper left my lips.  Jacob sighed sitting next to me but I inched away not wanting him to touch me. He sighed and inched away to give me space. "I'm just not ready ok? Please try to understand."

"I'm trying. I have been trying to understand since this whole thing happened but you won't talk to me, you wont open up to me like you used to. "Jacob complained sounding more frustrated I sat quiet trying to find a way out of this.

"Maybe it's just not easy to talk about for her without the emotion over taking her. Since the hospital she has people in her face every couple hours on her ass about how she feels and why she feels it. I think Rachel just needs a breather." I was completely shocked to see Sgt Lahote standing there, and even more surprised when Jacob stood up and agreed with him. Jacob kissed my cheek looked at me a long moment and smiled.

"I'll stop by soon and I am always a phone call away." Jacob said to me but gave Lahote a warning look just as Sue passed by trying not to notice us but I saw her grin suspiciously when she rounded the corner.
I smiled and nodded at him, Sgt Lahote took his seat clasping his hands together leaning in on his elbows. I didn't know if I should get up or say thank you.

"I wasn't being fair to you. You are supposed to trust me and be able to come to me if and when you get yourself into a jam. I guess you remind me of someone I once knew a long time ago and I took it out on you. I said no special treatment but I shouldn't treat you worst either." When he spoke he didn't look at me he was staring at the wall witch made me frown.

It was as if no one could really see me anymore. I felt invisible. I wasn't even worth to be looked in the eyes because of a few bad choices.  I was never one to sit back and let others treat me badly; I always made sure I was herd. So you tell me why now I feel like I don't deserve to be heard or seen for that matter. My arms crossed as I exhaled a sigh look through the stairs railing to the floor.

"You know I remember you in school, such a loud ass little girl." Paul laughed making my side glance over at him. It had been a while ago, but I still did not remembering seeing him around. "I am not a little girl anymore. But I am still loud. “I snorted a laugh at the double meaning. “You sure the fuck did grow up.” His deepened tone made me blush and look away fully from him.

"I don't remember seeing you, I am sure I would have noticed you." I finally looked over with crimson cheeks earning a grin from Lahote.

"No? I was the jock. Football, basketball..." He grinned trying to get me to remember I laughed covering my mouth nodding.

"Oh yeah you're the older boy to play with little Jakie!" I couldn't help but to laugh hard teasing him.

"Whoa hold on missy, we did not 'play' we worked on cars" He was laughing but I could tell his ego was kind of wounded.

"Same thing" I laughed harder at the look on his face, I laughed so hard my side started to hurt. I couldn't even remember when the last time I laughed this hard was.

"I don't know why you’re laughing so hard. For being a native, down to earth Talo, you were snotty as hell." I smiled trying to act offended. He went on making me smile wider. "Like oh my god, he actually thought I would date a guy like him. Yeah. Right. I totally laughed at him; I mean I do feel like bad but just eww."  His  mocking tone and over the top girly hand gestures made me laugh so hard I had to try to get up to pee but just couldn't fully stand. Lahote laughed but not as hard, he was just sitting there
looking at me with a hard chuckle.

"I don't think I sounded like that back then." I tried to defend myself, but I knew I was guilty. Lahote wined at me when my laughter finally calmed down. "Naw, you where the cool chick, girls wanted to be you and boys wanted to date you. No shame in that."

"And now?" I asked with a half a smile wanting an honest answer.

Lahote smiled leaning against the wall looking at me seriously before answering. "And now you're going to find your true self and learn to live a healthy life. No more hurting yourself. You have a lot of people who care."

My shoulders shrugged giving him a forced smile just as the lunch bell (which was Sue, literally ringing a bell) went off. Lahote grunted standing up. "I got to go check in on other cases and you have chores after lunch. Call me phone day or night if needed. If not I'll see you tomorrow. Stay out of trouble and don't keep so closed off. Talk to people. Make a friend. That's an order."

I stood up watching up hesitantly turn to leave. I was glad I got to see him as a person for a few minutes and not as Mr. Robocop. I rubbed my eyes ready for a nap but did what was expected of me instead of what I wanted and to be honest I think that was really a first for me.

Monday, February 10, 2014

POSTED: The Home

                                       (Signed: RealEyesRealizeRealLiez = Leah )





Leah - Chapter 1

“All rise!”

Like an army of soldiers following the commanding officer’s order, every person that had filed into the mahogany-finished courtroom rose to their feet, myself included, and waited for the judge to make his grand appearance. Aside from the creaking of the floorboards that move in time with each orange-clad woman shifting the weight on her anxious feet and the ticking of seconds going by on the antique clock, the oversized room is silent. Eerily silent.  

The last thing I want to do right now is make a spectacle of myself by looking around, especially considering the friendly reminder that my court-appointed lawyer had given me, but as the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. My large, chocolate brown eyes scan over the shape of each and every woman, strategically seated in the rows ahead of me. Looking to the row across the main aisle to see at least two other females that, like me, must be deemed “volatile threats to society” judging by the chain around their waists to secure their handcuffs to the matching set of cuffs on their ankles, I silently wonder what exactly they did to land themselves in restraints identical to mine.

My eyes’ wandering was stopped abruptly when the ornate door that leads to the judge’s chamber opened. The silhouette of a large, uniformed man cut off the light, which streamed through the door’s opening. He wears a stern look as he takes in all the faces of the room before he steps aside and takes his post next to the door. His face is familiar to me, as is one of the guards I’ve dealt with more than once during my stay in the adjoined prison. Let’s just say I’m on a first name basis with a few guards. In a stark contrast to the burly size of his predecessor, the judge steps through the doorway dwarfed by the room’s size. The petite, white-haired man who wears a friendly, even grandfatherly expression, though he can’t be more than his mid-fifties moves swiftly up the three steps to his podium. The vibe he puts off is one of authority, which leads me to believe this guy is going to be a hardass on all of us gathered today.

“Court is now in session,” the guard, who gave the command to stand up and pay attention earlier, began, “The Honorable Judge Walsh presiding.”

“You may be seated.” Walsh’s tone carried all the authority of his robe, and then some. I quickly realized in the time it took me to go from standing to parking my ass on the hard wooden bench that this may not be much of an easy, quick, in-and-out type of progress check proceedings I was hoping. With those four simple words strung together the bailiff called the name of the first defendant here for her review.

First was the reading of the charges, then her plea, followed by an absurdly boring rendition of Walsh reading her the riot act before laying down her sentence. A newbie to the system, from what I gather. That’s one going right back to the prison food and cell block. Damn. Without any hesitation, she was led through the door to the left of the room, which from my angle I can see leads back down the LED-lighted hallway of grey concrete cinderblocks, directly back to the transfer area of La Push County Correctional Facility. Victim ‘Numero Uno’, as my mind decided to name her, wasn’t even fully through the door with her lawyer before the next case number was called.

For more than an hour I allowed myself to space out, not paying any mind or attention to the many cases being heard while I, as well as the other VTS’s wait in our body shackles at the back of the room. Perhaps spacing out isn’t the appropriate description of the journey my mind had taken me on, though. Reflecting would be more of an apt descriptor, one that even Judge Walsh would approve of. Shit, my lawyer, which was pathetically assigned to help me out, would even be proud.

Over the past eighteen months of staring at the inside of my cell, with the exception of my counseling sessions twice a week, the phrase “reflect on your choices” was used more than I would like to think. It was sickening really, but the longer and the harder I fought against it, the more my reflective thoughts encroached. Just as they have done for uncounted months now, as I let my mind wander in an effort to pass the time until my case was called, my reflections took a hold of my mind and wouldn’t grant me release.

It was the loud, wood on wood, bang of the gavel followed by the judge calling out “The court will take a brief recess!” that finally blew a hole through the wall that had enveloped my mind and caused me to jump, sitting straight up in my seat fully alert as I looked around. With a heavy thud, my shackled feet fell to the floor after my lawyer kicked them from their propped position on the back of the bench in front of us and hauled me by my underarm to stand on my feet with him while Walsh made his exit.

“Jesus Christ, Cherney! You mind?” My tone clipped as I spun on my lawyer. Shaking my cuffed wrists in irritation and to prove a bit of a point, I continued, “They don’t body cuff just anyone. Clearly there’s a fucking reason I’m deemed unsafe, you asshat.”

“Ah, Ms. Clearwater. I’ve dealt with you long enough to know what I can get away with.” I watched my lawyer actually roll his eyes at me with his all-knowing smirk as he released his grip on my upper arm and gestured for me to walk past him out of the row. “Court’s in recess, Ms. Clearwater…”

“Leah.” I quickly corrected him. He claims to know what he can get away with after working with me for so long, and yet the moron can’t seem to get my name right.

“Fine. The court is in recess, Leah,” the tone of his voice almost brought me close to salivating. Almost. The velvety texture of his authority and knowledge of the situation made me feel like putty. “When Judge Walsh returns there are three cases left to be heard,” he continued to explain while carefully guiding me out of the courtroom to get a drink from the water fountain, “Your case could be the first or the last. I have no way of knowing. But just the same, we need to be prepared for your plea of guilty.”

“No contest, Ben. That’s my plea. No Contest.”

“We’ve already discussed this, Leah. If you plead no contest, you’re not getting out. At least by admitting guilt, you show that you acknowledge…”

“No.” If not for the chains holding my cuffed wrists in position, I would have folded my arms like the petulant child like whom I’m acting. The sigh and the way that Ben pressed his forefinger and thumb in to his eyes and rubbed told me just how unimpressed he is with me right now. But fuck it. This is my life, I know damn well what I did and more importantly, what I did not do; therefore, I will plead as I want. However, I know my time is ticking away before court is back in session and as it stands right now, I may just be going back in without a lawyer if I don’t at least pretend to play the game by his rules.

My options are simple: If I plead Guilty, I can either be locked back up which is not a fucking option in my mind, or I could be let go on ‘Time served’ with an extensive record to my name; or, if I plead No Contest, well, my options are most likely the same, but I won’t be admitting guilt to anything, just stating that I do not contest the charges against me. I’m not much of a gambler under normal circumstances, but I’ll say what I need to in order to get the hell out of prison and have my freedom back.

“I’ll plead Guilty if you swear to me that it gets me back on the fucking outside, Ben. Free. No bullshit.”

The victorious smile turned smirk Ben wears as he slides his hand off his face has me rolling my eyes this time. Arrogant bastard. “A guilty plea is your best option, Leah.”  Right on cue and before I had any time to ask further questions, the courtroom door swung open with a guard coming to announce one minute until the recess was over and court would resume. Ben guided me by the arm, far more gently and even gentlemanly this time, back through the doors and in to the room where my fate will linger in the balance of the next unknown amount of time. Minutes? An hour? Though I’m almost certain it can’t possibly take that long, I know it will feel like an eternity. But, then again, what’s one more hour after spending the past 13,140 in a prison cell for something I don’t really think was bad enough to warrant any time behind bars? This time Ben didn’t stop me and shove me in to one of the very back bench seats, but rather he directed me up to the front bench, directly behind the half-wall that separates the viewing area of the courtroom from where the defendants sit at the table before the judge.

“All rise!”

I involuntarily let out an audible groan at the announcement for us to, once again, stand after I’d just planted myself. It didn’t go unnoticed, both Ben and Judge Walsh shot me a look that told me of the inappropriateness of my protest. I could feel the heat build in my cheeks and the flesh of the inside of my lower lip give way to where I’ve chewed it raw enough to bleed. “Sorry,” was all that I managed to whisper to the still glaring attorney at my side.

“Court is now back in session. The honorable Judge Walsh will now hear Case Number 753401.” The court’s henchman, more commonly known as the bailiff, called everyone to wake up and pay attention then scanned the three faces of my fellow waiting defendants and me. His look screamed with annoyance as he announced the number again, “753401.”

Ben cleared his throat loudly beside me and gave a flick of his wrist to make the back of his hand connect with my elbow. “What the hell was that for?”  I questioned before I was able to place the weird feeling of being watched and it all made sense. The bailiff called out the number for a third and final time, clearly irritated, with his hand growing whiter from the force of his grip on the baton attached to his belt and I snapped straight. Blowing out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding I shuffled my way up the short distance of the main aisle and moved in to my position in the defendant’s chair with Ben taking his stance next to me.

“Ah, Ms. Clearwater, we meet again.” Every fiber in my body was waiting to flip Walsh off for his attempt at humor. Of course we are meeting again, the bastard is the one that sentenced me all those eighteen months ago and promised this progress check. It all clicked in my mind as to why he looked familiar upon entering the room earlier. “My apologies, for keeping you waiting, it will just be a few more moments.” The look of shock and disbelief was painfully plastered on my face. I can feel it.

My eyes swung to Ben’s face looking scrunched with his own confusion, frantically flipping through his folder of papers in front of him for some sort of explanation as to what was going on. This is apparently new to my lawyer, as well. A chorus of loud, rambunctious laughter broke the confused silence causing all people present in this courtroom to reel around and see a handful of bulky, over-muscled, casually dressed and armed men storm in through the large double doors and take a seat. One of them caught my eye but I quickly diverted my attention from him before he could recognize me. “I’m glad you could join us, gentleman. Please, take your seats. Court is already in session.” The authoritative, don’t fuck with me tone was back in full force as Judge Walsh spoke to the crew of newcomers.

I took the opportunity, while Walsh was reprimanding the men for their lack of respect for authority and the judicial process, to lean in to Ben’s side. “Who are they?”

“Ms. Clearwater, your questions, should you have any, are to be directed to the Court.” Shit. I swallowed the lump in my throat that had just formed with my acceptance of the fact that Judge Walsh is not in a forgiving mood today, and what that could very well mean for me.

“Your Honor, my client would like to enter a plea of…”

Walsh’s hand flew in to the air silencing Ben declaration, and it remained there for a second asserting him as the all-powerful. A moment of respectful silence later, Walsh calmly folded his fingers together and leaned forward speaking directly to me as he did so, even though his words targeted the man trying to fulfill his duties and represent me to the best of his ability. “Mr. Cherney, your client, Ms. Clearwater, is not on trial here. I’m not sure you’ve heard, but she has been incarcerated for the last eighteen months following her guilty plea, sir.” There was a quiet rumbling coming from the few gathered behind us in the gallery, one of whom I could hear quietly laughing, but my attention was squarely on Judge I Am The Law.

“Yes, Your Honor,” I could hear the figurative frog stuck firmly in Ben’s throat and in my mind, I picture him as a young boy hanging his head after being scolded by his mother. “I understand that, Your Honor.”

“Very well then, Mr. Cherney. Then you will kindly allow me to continue doing my job with no further interruptions. Now, Ms. Clearwater,” I could see his lips purse as he flipped to the correct page in front of him before continuing. “According to my notes here from the corrections officer, you have shown minimal improvement and a concerning lack of remorse for your chemical substance abuse.”

I opened my mouth to speak out my protest that the reporting officer has had it out to get me since the day I was sent in, but once again Walsh’s hand went up to silence any protests.

“Based on these reports, I’ve no choice to deem you unfit for society at this time. However, I do not feel another stay in incarceration is in order. Therefore, I am sentencing you to no less than two years at the La Push Home for Women, where your assigned parole officer will closely monitor you. You will submit to regular, random drug screening, and you will attend private counseling sessions with the court appointed counselor twice a week for the duration, also assigned to your case.” The quirk in his eyebrow as our eyes locked was a dare for me to open my mouth and protest. It was a dare I couldn’t pass up.

“A HOME?! You have got to be fucking kidding me!” A hand was tightly clasped over my mouth as another strong arm pulled me back tight against the solid rock of a body to which it belongs.

“We’ll take it. Thank you, Your Honor.” Ben’s voice was right above my ear. He was thanking the white-haired bastard? My body thrashed as best it could despite the body cuffs restricting my movements to minimal. As easily as if I weigh no more than a piece of paper, Ben picked my fighting frame up from the floor and carried me out of the courtroom, shushing next to my ear to calm me. “Easy there, tiger.” Our movement never stopped until Ben had thrown my ass in to yet another wooden bench, in another smaller courtroom, identical to the one in the courtroom I was just physically removed from.

My breathing comes out in ragged, labored breaths through my clench teeth. How the hell could this happen? Ben assured me it was one of two things, back to prison, or home free. There has never been the option for a halfway house. Never. A home is worse than thrown back in my cell. The tease of having freedom at the threshold of my door and not having the ability to bask in it is a worse fate than living in the cellblock. Ben crouched in front of me to be at my eye level and I have to remind myself not to attack him, at least not here, still so close to being locked away. The large door behind me opened and quickly closed, the room instantly filling with the sound of heavy footsteps and the jingling of metal.

“I’m able to release her from the restraints, if you feel your client is sedate enough to handle it, Mr. Cherney.”  Remaining still, apart from my eyes shooting a look from the corner of my eyes, I work to keep my breathing even. Ben nods his head and motions towards my cuffs before standing and stepping aside.

Taking his place a guard eyes me skeptically and makes slow, careful work of undoing all the metal locks, starting with my right ankle then my left, and moving with practiced movements to the cuffs at my wrists before finally removing the chain-link belt that has served to anchor them all to my body. A sigh of relief blows past my lips feeling the freedom of not being chained like a rabid dog, for the first time in far too long.

“Thank you.” My voice laced with the sincerity and gratitude I feel deep down. I turned in my seat watching the guard leave the room, whistling a tune on his departure. My hands took to rubbing at the red marks ringing my boney wrists. “You never said anything about the possibility of a halfway house, Ben.” Pushing myself to stand up, there is a physical weight lifted from me knowing that I am not going back to my 4x6 foot cell and wrought-iron bed. Stretching my limbs in a way I’ve not been allowed in too long, my feet begin pacing the floor of the main aisle.

“The La Push Home for Women will be a good fit for you, Leah. All you have to do is follow the Home rules, and cooperate with your parole officer and counselor. Then you’re home free. You’ll see that it’s a far less horrible fate than going back to prison.”

“Right. Cooperate with some steroid-driven, gun-slinging parole officer who thinks himself to be God, that’ll be just great!” My words dripped with sarcasm.

“Hey! Watch who you’re calling steroid-driven and gun-slinging and for your information, I don’t think myself to be God, but you’re welcome to think it of me if you wish.” I spun around recognizing the voice as soon as the first syllable was uttered. My breath hitched in my throat as soon as my eyes confirmed what my heart had already known. Standing just inside the door of this courtroom, grinning like a damn handsome as sin Cheshire cat was my new parole officer. This has got to be some kind of a joke.

“Quil…?”

Sunday, February 9, 2014

POSTED: The Home

                                                    Signed: Blacksheep Fiction = Swan





I did not hang around in my room. I have just spent a long time in a small room and then went to a jail cell. The last thing I wanted right now was to be held up in some room. I walked out of the room, slipping the key into my pocket. I wonder when my roommate will be around. I heard the little den mother Smiley calling everyone into some group therapy as I was coming down the stairs and snorted a little, walking past them as I headed for the door.

“Ms. Swan, aren’t you joining us for the group meeting?” Smiley said when she spotted me. I shook my head and smirked. “I got a date with the Marlboro man.” I joked, heading out the door and planting myself on one of the ancient rocking chairs on the porch. It was a nice night out, not too cold, though the usual clouds were covering the dark sky making it seem somehow even darker.

La Push never changed, I mean not in its core. People come and go. There were good people, bad people, kind and spiritual people, and hateful and bitter people. The land however, it’s core heartbeat. It never changes. I inhaled deeply and sighed lightly. I love that it never changed.

“Mind if I join you?” The male voice made me jump a little and I narrowed my eyes at the new comer. It was a man, which was my first suspicious fact, since this is a home for women. A very good looking man that had chocolate eyes, dark short hair and a kind smile. Why was everyone always smiling around here?

“Have you had a recent sex change, because if so, I would like to know the name of the voodoo doctor you used.” I asked as he sat next to me anyways, without the verbal okay to do so. The again I did ignore the question. “Why are you loitering around women’s home? Easy pickin’s?” I snapped my finger and nodded as if finally being enlightened with great understanding. “That must be it, right? Broken women are easy, right? Throw out a few compliments; leave out a trail of meth. You’re like the Candy man of the woods.”

The man had an amused smile on his face as he sat silently, watching me babble on about all the fucked up reasons he could be here. It was actually fun for a while, intentionally insulting this person’s very moral fiber and all the while he thought it was amusing. They need to make more of these types of men. “Sprinkle a little cock on some white roses and lure your battered victim into the woods with the promise of clean dishes and precooked meals.” I light another cigarette and laughed hard at the very image that my sick brain had conjured up.

“Can I ask you something, Isabella?” My silent visitor asked as he looked at me with his head slightly cocked to the side.

“Only if you’re not going to call me that again.” I snapped, losing all of my humor quick.

“It’s your name, I don’t use pet names or nick names, I use names.” He said, still keeping his calm exterior. “My name is Jared and I expect you to use it. Now, tell me, do you believe that you are a broken woman?”

Every single red flag that I have on my radar went up all at once. Oh god, he is a shrink. I rolled my eyes and flicked my cigarette over the rail as I stood up. “Great chatting with you, Shrinky, but I gott’a unpack.”

The man stood when I did and my eyes followed up. Now I am not a very big woman, but I got a big attitude to cover that up. This man however, made me have to look up when he stood. It wasn’t menacing or threatening, in fact, he was still wearing that amused look on his face, but you could see the seriousness behind it. He was handsome in a brooding kind of way. You could easily see him in some Romeo and Juliet tragedy looking moodily over every scene. He wore a suit, which looked awkward on him. He looked like he would fit much better with a pair of jeans and a heavy sweatshirt. “Isabella, you need to go to the group meeting that Mrs. Clearwater has set up for everyone because there are two of you new people today and all of the residence here deserve the respect of meeting you, especially the way that you arrived.”

“Don’t call me that.” I snapped automatically. “Respect? I am going to be here for the better part of quite a few years, Doc. I will save them the time, of having to go to the meeting. I will show them respect by not fucking with them and they will show me the respect of fucking off and leaving me alone.” I snapped, glaring up at him. “Don’t call me Isabella.”

I turned on my heel, heading for the door. Fuck this shit, I will call Mike and tell him they made a mistake in bringing me here. Tyler will just have to make good on his promise to lock me away for good.

I never made it to the door. There was a pinch in my right trapezius and I turned in time to see the dock putting the little orange protector back over the needle and slip the syringe back into his pocket. I opened my mouth to bitch him out and suddenly… forgot what I was going to say. Or no longer cared.

I started to wobble back and the Doc caught me, laughing slightly, helping me back to my feet. “Why did you give me that?”

“Relax and enjoy being relaxed. You see the great thing about Ativan is that if I inject it into the base of your neck, as I just did, it works within seconds. It only lasts about two hours, but it serves its purpose, which in this case was getting you to the group meeting.” I nodded and grinned. I was hearing everything he was saying, I understood everything, but I had a small leaking sensation in my brain that made me think I won’t be remembering it later.

“Should I call Mike?” I asked, hoping he knew who Mike was. I really was not at all interested in explaining how I knew him or why I would call him. I didn’t really care about anything at the moment. Except for maybe the color purple on this painting I was now face to canvas with.

“No, I will call Mike after the meeting to let him know what is going on.” Sexy doctor said behind me, just before the painting went sideways and started to float away. No wait, what?

I looked around me and saw that sexy doctor was carrying me. “Why can’t I walk?”

“Because you are easily distracted. See, at lease with me, I carry you in, if you called Mike he would do what Sgt. Lahote is doing right there and bring you down here in cuffs.” I am pretty sure I just licked his shirt.

“I like being carried better then cuffed, unless the cuffs are for fun.” I grinned at nothing and closed my eyes. “Sleep?”

“No, stay awake until after the meeting, then you can sleep it off all you want.” He plopped me down on a seat next to him and I looked around at a room full of chicks all sitting in a circle. Fuck I hate this drug shit. It makes it really hard to figure out if I am dreaming or this shit is real.

I turned to the shrink Jared and grinned. I’ll bet if I get him all hot that he will get me out of this shit. I tried to crawl up on his lap again, whispering close to his ear. “Come on, I want to go to sleep.”

“Isabella, I need you to behave now and try to pay attention. This group is going to help you.” He said easily, sliding me back to my seat. I smirked fixing my hair some. “I thought that was why they brought you in, to help me, why don’t you help me to bed and I’ll help you stay in bed.”

He gave me a reproachful look and I laughed, jumping slightly when someone started shouting about a tree. I shook my head, trying to clear the constant ADD that was trying to force its way into me.

Oh look, there is a penny on the floor.

Ms. Smiley started talking and I forced myself to look at her, but I got lost on watching how her lips formed the words she was saying. How the fuck is this shit supposed to help me when I can’t even focus on what is being said? I shook my head to clear it and put all of me into listening.

“…So the full list of rules will be on the bulletin board in the common room, but just remember; No smoking in the house at all. Keep your space clean. Report…” No smoking in the house, which is a fucking bummer, that means I have to walk my ass outside and stand in the rain to smoke. That shit is lamesauce.

Fingers snapped in my face and I turned to Jared glaring.

Everyone was laughing at something and I looked around the group to see the handcuffed chick standing up, looking ready to run and hide under her bed or something. “I’m Rachel.” She said quietly and then looked around at smiley who, of course, smiled. We all did the ‘Hi Rachel’ thing, though I really just made the appropriate noises without actually saying the words.

“Honey, tell us a little about yourself why are you here?” smiley said to the nervous girl. I snorted a little. There’s a loaded question.

The girl eked out a quick answer, which I guess infuriated one of the chicks. I think she was a chick. She looked like she took a dive into a pool of ugly and attitude and then drowned in it. “For fucks sake just tells us what makes you a nut case like the rest of us!”

Smiley’s smile was less bright and an odd mix of disapproval in there. I was fascinated by how she was doing it. I have never seen someone smile and frown at the same time. This woman was amazing.

I am pretty sure the penny on the floor moved three inches.

Shy girl suddenly flipped out and started shouting. “A nut case? I am not a nut case; I do not flip out when people make eye contact with me threatening to smash faces in. I, as a normal person, do not fucking freak out about imaginary cameras in paintings of trees, and I defiantly keep my lady bits in my pants.” She was panting. I was pretty sure she would hyperventilate herself. “You all might be fucking nut cases and fucking satisfied with being a low grade of a person but I am not. I am here because apparently taking a pad of paper is against the law and taking too many pills by mistake is a fucking crime that labels you batshit crazy.”

Smiley started to talk again.

Wait what? I glared at girl and suddenly I was talking before I even knew what I was saying. “You think we all started off this way?” I snapped, blinking when my focused wavered for a moment. Wait what was I saying? Oh right, the bi-polar bitch pissed me off. I shook my head to focus again. “Like we used to play crack head Barbie or some shit growing up? We all had dreams and shit but life threw piles of shit our way. I don’t give a fuck who you are or why you think you’re better all of us are here.”

I started to stand but was sitting again with a tug to my hand. “You’re the one out of all of us in cuffs, so you want to explain that? I am no better then you, but you damn well believe that there isn’t one of you bitches that are here better then me. These suited douche bags with your badges and your pointy needle drugs that are the low lives.” I shut up after that. No one needed specifics. I made my point.

I think. Hell I don’t even know what my point was. Other people were talking now so it didn’t matter. I was watching that tricky fucking penny though, I’ll tell you that. Fucker was not moving again without me seeing.

There was a tap on my shoulder and Shrinky was helping me stand. I looked at him and looked back at the penny, ready to pick it up. Who doesn’t need a moving penny?

It was gone. Damnit.

Smiley was standing in front of me with the shy girl and her little body guard. “Isabella, I would like you to meet Rachel, she came in only just today too.”

I glared at smiley and looked at the girl, who looked like she was on the flip side again and back to playing shy. I nodded at her and Shrinky poked my ribs. I grunted and sighed. “Hi.”

She gave a nod. “Hi there Isabella.”

“Don’t call me that.” I snapped.

She frowned looking at the shrink and her body guard. “Okay then… Bella?”

I shook my head glaring. “Don’t call me that either.”

She sighed and rubbed her face the best she could with the cuffs. I bet I could be out the door and up the road before they even moved. I eyed the door and then looked back at the group. Her body guard was eyeing me back and I lifted a brow daring him to try.

“Alright then, Izzy.”

“Jesus fucking Christ if you call me Izzy, I will choke you to death with your own fucking handcuffs.” I snapped, looking back at her.

“Well for fucks sakes, what do you want me to call you?” She finally snapped back at me making me smirk.

“I don’t want you to call me.” I moved past them and headed for the door only to be stopped by a hand on my shoulder and I tried to shake off but failed in my drugged state. I looked back and saw Shrinky behind me.

“That wasn’t very nice, Isabella.” He said directing me to the stairs.

“I don’t really give a shit, Shrinky.” I said heading up the stairs two at a time. At this point sleeps sounded much more appealing then escape. My feet where way too heavy to move any further and the stairs grew about 20 steps. I sighed, trying to sit, but was scooped up again by Shrinky. “You know I have been walking for a number of years now. All by myself and shit too, it’s a pretty awesome sight to see.”

Shrinky laughed and opened the door to our joined room, setting me on the bed before walking through the sheet door and flipping on a light switch in his room. “Stay there.” He said from the other room. I am pretty sure the meds where starting the ware off, which just goes to show how much I zoned off in the meeting I guess, or how long I can stare at a fucking penny. My head was starting to hurt pretty badly and I was almost positive I was going to throw up.

I groaned and stood up, stumbling my way to the bathroom. I started to retch and gag as I fumbled with the toilet seat. There was slap of feet against the floor and Shrinky came in sighing. “Didn’t I tell you to stay on the bed?”

I gagged and dry heaved over the toilet bowl and glared into the water. “Please tell me how any aspect of our relationship thus far has you believing that I will be doing anything you fucking say?”

There was another pinch in my neck and I turned to look at the doc too weak to do anything other then throw a serious mad face at him. “What the fuck did you give me now?”

He rolled his eyes at me and started to rub my back as I gagged over the toilet again. “Relax; it was caffeine nitrate, basically injectable coffee. It will counteract the effects of coming off the Ativan.”

He was right. Even as he was explaining it, the rolling of the room stopped and the nausea was subsiding fast. “You know I wouldn’t have had to give you anything tonight if you had just listened to me in the first place.”

Shrinky reached around my waist helping me up to my feet and, thankfully, let me walk by my self to the bed. I half joked, half snapped as I flopped onto the bed, ignoring my clothes that I didn’t have the energy to take off. “Did all your other roommates give in automatically and do whatever you say?”

“I have never had any other roommates who were my patients’.” He said evenly as he walked over to the bathroom sink and filled up a glass of water. He shook out three Tylenol and handed everything to me. I grunted taking the water and pills. “So you are saying in am you’re first? Like, you graduated out of shrink school and they used me to pop your cherry?!”

He laughed some and shook his head. “You are not my first patient.” He reassured, sitting how next to me on the bed and gently pushing the pills to my mouth so that I would take them. I complied, washing them down with the whole glass of water. He took the glass from me and set it on the night stand next to the bed. “I used to be a resident hospital psychologist; however this was more…fulfilling.”
I snorted nodding as I laid my head down on the bed. My eyes started to droop, but I was still talking. “Right, so they offered you twice as much to be in this secluded hell hole.” I joked, letting him move my arms and legs around as he attempted to carefully undress me.

“Absolutely.” He said calmly which made me laugh. I felt the covers being drawn over me and smoothed out. “Good night, Isabella.”

“Don’t fucking call me that.” I mumbled as I drifted off to sleep.