Post by thimble on Apr 15, 2010 20:58:10 GMT -5
[TAG: Rome! ]
The black shirt or the green shirt? Standing in front of the small bathroom mirror Abby had each draped over one shoulder, holding them up with her chin and her hands. She turned this way and that, put one down too see the solo effect, pausing slightly only to toss aside the other one. Abby wrinkled her nose at her reflection; aware of the importance she was putting into this trivial situation. After all, for the past five years Rome had only known her to wear the standard prison blues, what would it matter if she chose the green shirt over the black?
Pulling the simple green t-shirt over her head (she thought it might bring out the green in her hazel eyes) Abby turned to leave the bathroom, pausing a quick moment to run her fingers through her hair. She checked her wristwatch and gave a small squeak of surprise. Abandoning all preening actions, Abby ran to scoop up her beige coat and brown purse. She flew out of her apartment, fumbling her keys in her urgency to lock the door and go.
Hurrying down the steps, Abby darted through the lobby and out onto the streets. She half walked half jogged the short distance to the bus stop, catching her breath just as the bus pulled up.
Abby flashed the driver her bus pass and took her regular seat in the middle row, turning her gaze immediately out the window. She felt all jittery and couldn’t explain why. Her hands knotted and unknotted themselves in her lap, and she shifted constantly in her seat. The thought of returning to her place of imprisonment was a bizarre one. It would be the first time Abby would see the familiar walls and fences since her incarceration, and it would be even stranger as she saw them as a free citizen and not a condemned criminal. Abby wondered momentarily if she would run into Mama while visiting Rome. She closed her eyes at the thought, pushing it to the far corners of her mind. She couldn’t think about Mama right now, there were too many other momentous things occurring.
Abby leaned her head against the window, feeling every jolt as the bus rumbled down the uneven street. She watched the chaos of the busy city melt away slowly into more docile and remote areas, and with each mile passed her anxiety grew. The thought of seeing Rome again excited and chilled her. Abby tried not to think about it, but a small voice in her head wondered if things would be different now. After seeing him every minute of every day, the separation had been difficult to overcome – and it was something Abby was still learning to deal with. How would it be now to see him across the table?
Abby was startled from her thoughts as someone pushed the buzzer for the bus to stop. Collecting her purse, Abby hurriedly followed them off the bus and towards Fox River. She paused at the gates, staring up at the great structure with wide eyes. Five years, five years she’d survived this place, only to return now. Abby suppressed a shudder and hurried to catch up with the small group of visitors. She would soon learn that they were a regular lot, tight-lipped and cold-shouldered, hardly speaking to one another except for when it couldn’t be avoided. Despite their hardness there was a sense of unity about the group, a familiarity with one another that came from the shared feelings of ‘me-against-the-world’.
Abby signed her name and waited with the other visitors until they were called in to visiting room, her cheeks rosy from the warm day. Her heart sped up when she recognized the CO who ushered them forward as a regular customer of Mama’s. Bowing her head slightly, Abby willed herself not to be recognized and followed in the back of the line. She lifted her gaze for long enough to pick a table in the corner of the room and quickly sat down. She nervously rubbed her hands together, and then folded them neatly in her lap.
“Hey, don’ I know you?” Abby jumped at the male voice and turned to see the CO from before watching her. He pushed back his cap to scratch at his head, and then recognition dawned in his eyes.
“I do know you! You were one of Mama’s girls weren’t you? Jus’ tryin’ to remember your name sweetie, what was it again? Oh yeah! Thimble. Heh, funny name that.” He smiled broadly and folded his arms across his chest. “You visitin’ Mama now, sweetie?”
The black shirt or the green shirt? Standing in front of the small bathroom mirror Abby had each draped over one shoulder, holding them up with her chin and her hands. She turned this way and that, put one down too see the solo effect, pausing slightly only to toss aside the other one. Abby wrinkled her nose at her reflection; aware of the importance she was putting into this trivial situation. After all, for the past five years Rome had only known her to wear the standard prison blues, what would it matter if she chose the green shirt over the black?
Pulling the simple green t-shirt over her head (she thought it might bring out the green in her hazel eyes) Abby turned to leave the bathroom, pausing a quick moment to run her fingers through her hair. She checked her wristwatch and gave a small squeak of surprise. Abandoning all preening actions, Abby ran to scoop up her beige coat and brown purse. She flew out of her apartment, fumbling her keys in her urgency to lock the door and go.
Hurrying down the steps, Abby darted through the lobby and out onto the streets. She half walked half jogged the short distance to the bus stop, catching her breath just as the bus pulled up.
Abby flashed the driver her bus pass and took her regular seat in the middle row, turning her gaze immediately out the window. She felt all jittery and couldn’t explain why. Her hands knotted and unknotted themselves in her lap, and she shifted constantly in her seat. The thought of returning to her place of imprisonment was a bizarre one. It would be the first time Abby would see the familiar walls and fences since her incarceration, and it would be even stranger as she saw them as a free citizen and not a condemned criminal. Abby wondered momentarily if she would run into Mama while visiting Rome. She closed her eyes at the thought, pushing it to the far corners of her mind. She couldn’t think about Mama right now, there were too many other momentous things occurring.
Abby leaned her head against the window, feeling every jolt as the bus rumbled down the uneven street. She watched the chaos of the busy city melt away slowly into more docile and remote areas, and with each mile passed her anxiety grew. The thought of seeing Rome again excited and chilled her. Abby tried not to think about it, but a small voice in her head wondered if things would be different now. After seeing him every minute of every day, the separation had been difficult to overcome – and it was something Abby was still learning to deal with. How would it be now to see him across the table?
Abby was startled from her thoughts as someone pushed the buzzer for the bus to stop. Collecting her purse, Abby hurriedly followed them off the bus and towards Fox River. She paused at the gates, staring up at the great structure with wide eyes. Five years, five years she’d survived this place, only to return now. Abby suppressed a shudder and hurried to catch up with the small group of visitors. She would soon learn that they were a regular lot, tight-lipped and cold-shouldered, hardly speaking to one another except for when it couldn’t be avoided. Despite their hardness there was a sense of unity about the group, a familiarity with one another that came from the shared feelings of ‘me-against-the-world’.
Abby signed her name and waited with the other visitors until they were called in to visiting room, her cheeks rosy from the warm day. Her heart sped up when she recognized the CO who ushered them forward as a regular customer of Mama’s. Bowing her head slightly, Abby willed herself not to be recognized and followed in the back of the line. She lifted her gaze for long enough to pick a table in the corner of the room and quickly sat down. She nervously rubbed her hands together, and then folded them neatly in her lap.
“Hey, don’ I know you?” Abby jumped at the male voice and turned to see the CO from before watching her. He pushed back his cap to scratch at his head, and then recognition dawned in his eyes.
“I do know you! You were one of Mama’s girls weren’t you? Jus’ tryin’ to remember your name sweetie, what was it again? Oh yeah! Thimble. Heh, funny name that.” He smiled broadly and folded his arms across his chest. “You visitin’ Mama now, sweetie?”