The Perfect Machine: Kingdom Of Glass (GxG

2. New Prisoners

We stroll in line after one of the guards towards the main entrance. The prison's paint has vanished off the bricks. On the second floor, the glass has been replaced with bars over the windows. Female detainees gaze down at us, probably thinking we are the new meat to be served. They seem intrigued, but a few frown at us.

The man stops before an enormous gate made out of metal scraps and he thumps on it. A little window on the entrance opens.

"New prisoners," He says, and the man on the other side closes the window and not long after the door opens. We walk after the guard, and a few of us starts to break down into tears, but I try as well as I can to remain silent and strong.

We can't show weakness. I'm scared it's going to get me killed. In here, there are not just merely criminals like me; there are murders and individuals who have done the most disturbing things that I can ever imagine. If I look weak, people will come for me.

"Hernandez." I hear my last name and venture towards another guard; he is shorter than the greater part of them; however, he has a similar disapproving look on his face. He has clothes in his hands, which he reaches over to me.

I take the white shirt and black pants into my arms, and I change into them as forced. The thin shirt is a bit too big, but the trousers fit nicely. They don't smell all too bad, and it's like they were just washed. However, there are a few black stains and rips.

I step to my left towards a tall man. He stands in front of another steel door, but this one is smaller. I can feel my heart accelerate again by the hints of shouts on the opposite side.

I don't want to go in there as every bone in my body locks me to my ground, but I know as soon as everyone has gotten their clothes, there is no turning back.

I hear footsteps after footsteps come in behind me. The more I listen, the more my skin goes cold, and my stomach turns as if something wants to come up. This is frightening as if I'm staring death into its cold, dark eyes.

"Let's go!" The man in front of me yells, so I jump in my place. It made him roll his eyes before he opens the door. We all follow him into the prison. We walk past inmates, some of them gaze upon us, and some ignore.

This is the very first prison to be opened after they tore the older ones down. It was built in 2025, and it might also be the reason why it's so famous. It has steel bars to divide the rooms. The hallway in between is as empty as President Morgana's heart.

There is a bottom floor and a second floor. I feel so small being stared down by those who are on top. We keep shuffling down the long hallway, but a moment later, we stop. There are many cells here, and it makes you wonder how many women there are and males in the other section.

"Convicts consistently share rooms," The guard says as he looks down at his scratchpad.

"This is Ayla and Callie," He says and keeps going, with the rest of us on his tale.

"Hernandez and Eden," I hear my name, and I step into the room, followed by my roommate, which is the older, taller woman. Like it couldn't be worse, she hasn't exactly been kind since I met her.

"Top or base?" Eden asks, but then she pushes me to the side and takes the bottom anyway. I roll my eyes at how selfish someone can be, but I guess here you must be.

I climb into my rock-hard bed. The only thing I have to cover myself with is a thin sheet.

The room is so tiny, with just a toilet and a sink in the corner, but it looks so dirty. I didn't expect any better, but it's all sinking in now.

I lie down into the bed and stare straight onto the ceiling, where the white paint has almost faded. In the grey concrete, someone has marked the days in here. There are so many stories in here. It makes me wonder what happened to those who laid in the same bed. Are they gone or are they still breathing?

I close my eyes as the overwhelming emotions want to come out of me. Anger, sadness, frustration, there are too many to count. The tears slide down my face as though there is no other path for my feelings to go. They are trapped inside of me like I am trapped inside of here.

All I want is to go back to my home to my parents, but how much of life is left? Even if we weren't really in prison, we still lived in one.

We lived in fear every day, of not having food on the table, not having money in our pockets, and of sickness to end our lives. I have seen people starve to death and die of diseases. We live in horrible conditions for the government's joy. It's not like they care. They only seek power and then let the rest rot. With no bad conscience for the people. Why not merely execute us?

"Do you have a family, Eden?" I ask as I dry the tears away from my face.

"I did," She says and I feel her shift in bed, maybe because it was an uncomfortable question.

"What happened?" I ask curiously.

"I had two kids and a husband. My daughter died not long after she was born. My husband was murdered, and my son died of sickness," She says, and my mouth opened, not believing my ears.

"I am so sorry," I say as tears crawl out of my eyes.

"It was a long time ago," She sighs, but still that must have been the most painful thing a person could ever go through. I can't even think about losing my parents because I hold them very dear.

"What is your name?" Eden asks.

"You can call me River," I tell her.

"It's nice to meet you, River. I'm Christina." She tells me, and a small smile comes upon my face.

"Nice to meet you too," I say, and we lay in deep silence. We are focused on survival because we are surely not living.