This is a 350 word teaser from a chapter called, Accused. Writing this first draft gave me goosebumps trying to recall my feelings and emotions during this encounter…
As we approached her cell Billy and I discussed the cell searching protocol. As I seemed to know the procedure better than he did, he agreed to let me take the lead when we got into the cell. Teresa, a posh speaking slender women in her late 30’s let us into her cell with no problem. I was half expecting her to be a difficult offender to deal with. Thinking about all the scenarios that they could throw at us during cell searching training, the obvious one to me would have been an offender not giving us access to their cell.
Billy and I stood side by side in her cell and explained that we were carrying out a random cell search. I asked if she had anything in her cell that she shouldn’t have, and she happily announced that she didn’t. So far, so good. Billy and I both put on our blue latex gloves as though we were both about to perform an internal examination rather than a simple cell search.
Just as we were about start the search, there was a knock on the outside of the cell door. Billy Warren opened the door to Officer Guthrie, who asked if Billy could step out for a quick chat. Without asking why, Billy left me to conduct the cell by myself.
With just myself and Teresa alone in the cell, I was about to ask her to leave so I could carry out the search when she started to scream as loudly as she possibly could. Her eyes tightly shut, and her fist’s clenched. Shit, this doesn’t feel like a role play scenario, she was having a full on melt down right in from of me. It was when she started to shout “get off me, don’t touch me. Somebody help me”. I froze, as if playing musical statues like a 5 year old at a birthday party. Standing in the exact position that I was before she started to call for help, I was hoping that this position would prove my innocence…that should stand up in a court of law, surely.
*This excerpt is a first draft, unedited version.
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