When A Heart Stops – Chapter 10
Copyright © 2021 by Loudest Thoughts
No part of this work is to be copied or distributed without the prior written permission of the author.
CHAPTER 10 – Prison POV
Martin stood at his quarter’s door and waved to Ginger to come quickly.
She peered down the corridors and dashed into his quarters.
“Hey!” Martin greeted.
“What’s the emergency?” “And I told you the fact that you saved me once does…”
“More than once.” He interrupted.
“Whatever,” she shrugged. “I don’t owe you any visits.” “Especially not in here, so stop slipping coded notes under my pillow,” Ginger muttered and glanced around the room.
It was a small, shared chamber with wallpaper of islands—something that would only be found in the outside world. Ginger smiled and walked closer to the wallpapers as they caught her attention.
“Do you like them?” He inquired in almost one breath.
Ginger jumped out of her skin. “f**k!” “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry. He apologised and reached out for her hands.
For a minute, everything came to a standstill, then Ginger pulled away.
“What’s this place called?” She inquired, pointing to a wall-papered island.
“Oh, that’s Kauai.”
“I like it, auai” she mimicked and laughed.
“No, Kauai…”
“I heard you clearly. “Now tell me why I’m in your chambers,” Ginger asked.
He scratched his face and then moved to his head. Ginger watched as he fidgeted.
“So?” Ginger prompts with her hands in the air.
“I pulled your files.” He retorted.
“I thought I asked you to leave it alone.”
“I know, but I don’t understand why you don’t want my help to get out of here.”
“Because I don’t want to, and it’s impossible.”
“Ginger, you were 13 at the time.” “Who in their right mind throws a thirteen-year-old behind bars for using a gun left by grownups?”
“I didn’t tell you that,” Ginger said as she walked away from him.
“I don’t know if you know this, but someone went to great lengths to seal your file.
“I’m guessing you have them redacted.” She muttered in an undertone.
Just when Martin thought everything was okay, Ginger yelled. She was swamped with waves of emotions. Martin glared into her bloodshot eyes. He was sure; she wanted his help a few months ago when they attempted to talk about it.
“Who do you think you are?” If I ask you not to do something, you don’t. At this point, she was yelling.
Martin held her tightly as she struggled to get out of his arms. That was the only way he could end whatever emotions she was feeling at that time. She finally gave up after 10 seconds and broke down in tears.
“It’s okay.” Martin held her to the floor. “I’m sorry, I brought back memories.”
“I didn’t…” she said amidst her tears when Martin kissed her.
Ginger hesitated for a while before giving in. She came to her senses when the siren outside blared. Ginger pulled away immediately and rushed out.
Martin, who was embarrassed, rushed after her to make sure she wasn’t caught. He rushed through the corridors, then to the cells, while the siren was still blaring in the background. Then he came face to face with the riot going on in the inmates’ dining space. Bumping into a few inmates, he set off to find Ginger, and his eyes caught a glimpse of her keeping her cool in a corner watching the rest fight.
He stood far away and smiled. Martin was surprised for the first time since he got in there a year ago—she was not the ringleader of the riot.
“Man, what are you standing there for?” “Hit them and lock them up.” He got startled in the midst of the noise and spun around to see his colleague giving him a bat.
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Elis couldn’t sleep the entire night; she kept checking on Jewel as if Ginger had some disease that would plague her daughter. She went in to do her final checkup while the two sisters were soundly asleep.
Elis picked up the pillow that fell off the bed and moved towards Ginger.
Hatred settled in, and fear of Ginger destroying their almost perfect life engulfed her.
As she walked over to suffocate her, Jewel woke up.
“Mom, what’s going on?”
She jumped up quickly. “I came to talk to you.”
Jewel tried to get rid of the sleep in her eyes and stared at the wall clock.
“At four in the morning?”
“Well, I couldn’t sleep until I was sure you were fine.”
“I’m a big girl now, so you’ve got to stop sneaking up on me.”
Elis was quiet for a while, glaring at Ginger.
“I just worry about you.”
She read the expression on her mom’s face. “I haven’t had an episode since I stopped the medication.”
“I know, but I’m not sure now that she’s back.”
“So, this is about Ginger.”
Elis walked over to her bedside. “I don’t want the past to take over your mind again.”
She took her mom’s hands into hers.
“Has it ever occurred to you that Ginger going away was what made me snap?”
“Maybe, but we had it under control.”
“I know, but I snapped and couldn’t talk for an entire year when she was ripped from my arms like a murderer.”
“But she is a murderer,” Elis murmured without an iota of regret.
“It was an accident, mom.”
“How do you know when you weren’t even there?” Her mom frowned.
“I know my sister would never hurt anyone intentionally.”
“Yet a child died, and another is bedridden.”
“For the record, Luke walks now.”
“How do you even know that?”
“Forget it, mom.” I guess all I’m saying is, “Give Ginger a second chance to right her wrongs.”
Elis heaved a sigh of relief. “It doesn’t mean she didn’t take an innocent life.”
“I know, mom.”
“Okay, she can stay and keep the other room.”
“Yaay, m…..”
“Shhhh.” On condition that she behaves and avoids me.
Jewel rushed into her mom’s arms. “I love you, mom.” “Oh, mom, she’s Ginger now.”
“So I heard.”
“Can you go along with that and support her as you would me?” Jewel pleaded.
Elis sighed heavily. “I just hope we are making the right decision here.”
“We are, and I promise she’d do right by you.”
Elis held on to her daughter for a while before letting go.
As soon as she went away, Ginger laughed.
“You heard all that?”
She turned around. “Thanks for standing up for me like that.”
“Always my love.”
There was silence for a while.
“You know how you said you were ripped from my arms?” Ginger asked.
“Yes,” Jewel replied with concern registered on her face.
“What do you mean by that?” Ginger’s heart skipped for a moment.
“After we heard the shots from outside, I cried to be let into the room to see you, and you looked so fragile that I rushed into your arms just for the police to enter at that moment to take you away.” “I remember you had blood all over you, and I still can’t take my mind off it.”
“That’s okay, let’s go back to bed.” Carla quickly shut her up.
