Page 3 of Us Dark Few

Shock snaked through her mind as his words slowly registered.

No.

“The Court of Apollo sentences you to life in Braderhelm Prison.” The gavel struck the stone slab, sealing her doom.

2

Since the dead can’t speak,

I thought I’d sing for them.

“Move.” Her brutish escort shoved her with a heavy push to her back.

She stumbled forward, nearly tripping over the worn sneakers they gave her that were one size too big. They burned her clothes and forced her to change into a thin, tattered jumpsuit. The grey fabric reeked of urine, and she fought the urge to dry-heave as the repulsive scent enveloped her body.

Khalani was led into Braderhelm Prison through a gargantuan gate, protected by armed guards double her size. They wore long-sleeved, black vests and sneered at her mercilessly.

The frigid air beat against her skin, the thin fabric of her uniform offering little warmth as they descended deep into the earth. Her teeth chattered in the dark for what felt like a mile until the long tunnel opened, and the bald guard shoved her into a multi-story area of blocked cells.

She lifted her eyes to the ceiling that stretched high above her. Bright lights were attached along the stone walls, luminous and vivid,revealing hundreds of prisoners.

Braderhelm didn’t separate men from women. Both sexes peeked out from cells at the sound of their footsteps, and a dull roar crept through the immense cavern. Prisoners hollered and banged against the bars.

The pressure of a hundred eyeballs slid across her thin arms, and Khalani wanted a pit to appear under her feet and swallow her whole.

The guard beside her reached for his gun and aimed the barrel at the ceiling. Three consecutive bangs erupted from the weapon.

“Quiet down!” the guard shouted.

Silence emanated from the cells as the guard grunted, sheathing his gun. Shallow breaths pumped out of Khalani’s chest. She warily rose from her ducked position, uncovering her head. Her eyes slid to the left and made contact with a young male prisoner.

Pale hands fisted around the steel bars, and his beady eyes glared at her with blanket disdain, as if he envisioned circling his fingers around her throat and squeezing out every drop of life.

Khalani’s head shot forward, and she hurried to keep pace with the guard who led her inside an elevator. The shiny, modern interior starkly contrasted with the stone of the prison. They quickly ascended a few levels before the elevator shuddered to a halt. She followed the guard out to see a dusty sign hung overhead.

Cell Block 7.

The guard forged onward, and prisoners peeked out of their cells.

“She’s gonna go quick.”

“I’ll give her a week.”

“Less than that.”

“Long enough for her mouth to work.” Someone chuckled.

“Apollo-rat.”

A girl pushed against the bars and spat at her face. Thick saliva slid down Khalani’s cheek as the harsh words bombarded her from men and women alike.

Khalani tried to keep her facial expression as blank as possible because she couldn’t afford to show any signs of weakness, not in Braderhelm.

Inner dread and darkness continued to trail like permanent shadows with each heavy step she took.

The expressionless guard stopped at an empty cell and opened the bars for her. She walked in and found a dirty, twin-sized cot on the floor with what appeared to be vomit stains on it, and a toilet in the corner. That was it. There were no virtual windows, just a dark, decrepit cell and a musky stench that filled the air.

The guard grabbed her arms roughly and unlocked the manacles. Her fragile skin looked worse than it felt. Or maybe her body was too numb by that point to feel anything.

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