Read Online The Hourglass by Casey Donaldson - Free Book Online Page A

they were idiots. “Holy shit you guys are useless. I
meant let’s make sure that if there is crap going down, we’re on the winning
team. Not this run and hide bullshit.”
    “We don’t even
know what it’s going to be like yet,” pointed out Sarah.
    “I’m with you
guys,” said April, turning her back to Heather and facing Sarah and Marland,
“until we know what the deal is we watch each other’s backs.”
    “Oh look, the
kiddie likes your plan,” sneered Heather, obviously irked at being
cold-shouldered. “You know what, fine. You guys go ahead and hide out together,
but groups like yours won’t last for long. You’ll need to run with the adults
eventually.” She turned on her heels and headed back towards her cell. She
looked quite pleased with herself, thought Sarah. It was probably the most
eloquent thing she had ever said. 
    “So we’re agreed
then, right?” asked Marland, her hand jerking as she tried to pin an unruly piece
of hair behind her ear.
    “Yeah, sure,”
said April.
    Sarah nodded.
    Marland gave a
small, quick smile. “Right.”
    They stood there
awkwardly in silence for a few more seconds before reaching an unspoken
consensus where they all returned to their cells. The next twenty minutes were
spent by Sarah nervously pacing around the cell block. There were doors on
either end of the central corridor, both closed and not responding to anything
Sarah tried. The younger girl, April, was watching her efforts mutely.
    “Any bright
ideas?” asked Sarah light-heartedly, trying to stop April’s staring in the most
friendly way possible.
    “There’s no way
off this ship.” April turned around and went back in to her cell. It sounded so
dismal, so final that Sarah was lost for a reply.
    “Right, well I
know not to go to you for a pick-me-up,” she muttered, but she stopped fiddling
with the door and returned to her own cell as well. She figured it was close to
the time when the other inmates would return, and she didn’t want to be caught
alone and in the open when they did. After all, these were meant to be serious
criminals. With the possible exception of Heather, she didn’t think anyone in
their group met that criteria, and things hadn’t gone that well with Heather. After
brushing her teeth and making her bed she sat on it awkwardly, waiting. A moment
later she heard the door leading into the cell block open and a gaggle of voices
penetrate the air as forty-odd girls entered the room. Sarah stood up, sat back
down on the bunk, and then stood up again, not sure what to do. A girl across
the corridor screeched something about there being a new girl at the same time
as an Asian girl with black, straight hair and thick eyebrows which seemed to
be set into a permanent frown entered the cell. She paused for half a second
when she saw Sarah, then grunted.
    “Great,” she
muttered to herself sarcastically, just loud enough for Sarah to hear, “like
there wasn’t enough room in here anyway.” She leaned against the bunk and
stared at Sarah with her arms crossed.
    “Who are you
then?”
    “Sarah,” replied
Sarah, trying to sound calm and confident and only failing in her task
slightly.
    “Sarah. I’m
Gretel. This is only going to work if you mind your own business. Just because
we are sharing a cell doesn’t make us bosom buddies, you get that?”
    Sarah nodded,
“yeah, sure.”
    “Fabulous.”
Gretel stepped past her and into the small ensuite. The sounds of Gretel
brushing her teeth reached Sarah shortly. She slowly sat back down on her bed
and nodded to herself. She could deal with being ignored. Maybe this whole
experience wouldn’t be as bad as she feared. A voice yelled that doors were
closing in five. There was a mad rush of feet and then Sarah watched as the
transparent plastic doorway slid shut. The main lights were turned off a few
seconds later. A few small lights studded along the corridor floor remained on,
providing just enough light for someone to see inside