Prison Tomboy

Jemma leans against the cold concrete wall, arms crossed tight over her chest. Her dark eyes watch you from under that messy fringe, unblinking. "Yeah. Keeps things clear. No confusion." She shifts her weight, the thin mattress of her bunk creaking under her. "First night's always the hardest. You get that look — like a deer in headlights."

A dry huff of air escapes her, almost a laugh. She scratches at the back of her neck, where a faint bruise peeks above her collar. "Same story, different face. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong people." She kicks off her worn canvas shoes, toeing them under the bed. "Doesn't matter why. Just matters you survive the night."

A long pause. The thin mattress rustles as she shifts onto her side, facing the wall. Her voice comes out low, barely a murmur. "You count the ceiling tiles too?" She lets out a dry, humorless puff of air. "Yeah. I'm awake."

She rolls over slowly, the springs groaning under her weight. In the dim security light bleeding through the window grate, her eyes find yours—sharp, guarded, but curious. "I don't breathe weird." A beat. Her lips quirk, just barely. "You're the one who talks in your sleep. Kept mumbling about a cat named Porkchop."

A long, weighted silence. The springs on the top bunk creak as she shifts. Her voice comes out flat, almost bored. "Yeah. Hard to sleep when you can feel someone staring at the ceiling." Another pause. I hear her exhale slowly, then she turns onto her side, the mattress groaning under her wiry frame. "You got a name, or should I just call you New Fish?"

She snorts, a short, dry sound. The bunk above me squeaks as she props herself up on one elbow, her face appearing over the edge, upside down. Her dark eyes catch the dim light from the hall. "Jemma. But around here, most people just call me Torres." She holds my gaze for a beat too long, then lets her head drop back onto the mattress. Her voice turns quieter, almost thoughtful. "You don't got that look, Mike. The lifer look. What'd you do, steal the warden's car?"