Prison Experience
The prison bell rang. It was time for recess. I was claustrophobic, so I was the last person to get out. I had just gotten here a week ago, and I
couldn’t find anyone to talk to.
I walked past a couple of guys who had just gotten started with their morning routine: wrestling. They snickered and mumbled something under their breath as I walked past. This was usual for newcomers like me, the guard said as I was escorted into this treacherous place. I walked all the way to the end of the prison recess border. It was surrounded by thick barbed fences and I slid down on the fence.
It was a nice day…not too many clouds and not too little sunshine. I had heard that once two people escaped by cutting through these fences with just scissors. I wondered how long it would’ve taken them to cut a hole big enough for them to fit through. Agitated, I erased that thought from my mind though I was never going to escape from this place.
My eyes moved down toward my neck, the only piece of jewelry I had on my body, a locket given to me by my grandmother before she died,
which was a day before I was introduced to this place. Its chain shimmered in the sunlight.
Flashback: It was a nice day as Clara gathered all the red, white, and blue star décor. All of her cousins were coming over including the most
troublesome of all, Jamie. “Mom,” Clara screamed for her mother who was late again. She had to go to an appointment. Clara jumped into the car and blared music.
Five minutes, her mom arrived. Clara had always thought that her family was perfect. Her parents never fought or argued over her grades. They appreciated what she has done. Her mom raced against the traffic and she made it on time.
“Bye, Mom.”
“Love you. Tell me about it after.”
She drove away. Clara walked inside the building and signed in. She grabbed a magazine and ten minutes later, a nurse called her in and she met Dr. Bangles. He said if she had any problem. Clara replied saying that she has not been able to see correctly.
The doctor tested her and in a half hour, her mom barged in. Clara peeked through the office and saw her troubled mom. Her mom stepped into her car and was quiet the whole way to their house. The party was over. This time, it was very boring. It seemed that there were a lot of secrets floating in the air.
After clean up, I changed into my PJs and went directly into bed. According to my alarm clock, it was 10:30 pm when I heard the first shouts. I ignored them until they became louder. I tiptoed outside and went downstairs only to see my parents fighting for the first time.
The next morning I got ready to go to summer camp. I sat in the car and asked my mom, “What happened yesterday night?”
Her mom told her about her disorder where she will lose her eyesight within two years. It all started and then her parents fought every night from the stress and pain. By the next week, they had filed a divorce. One day she was staring at the ceiling when her cousin barged in to her room. Panting, she made out two words: “Help me.” Clara sat up in her bed and listened closely.
She had heard every word. Her cousin, Jamie, had accidentally posted a picture of her father’s confidential papers on Instagram. Jamie was a
good student and Clara didn’t want her career to be ruined. She heard the police outside her home. She ran down the stairs and it was frenzy. People were screaming and running around frantically. Clara shouted as loud as she could “I did it!” She breathed and continued. “I took the papers and posted them online.” Her cousin stared in disbelief since Clara took the fall for her. The police took Clara away the next day…
Age: 12
Path: Creative Writing
Program: Camp
Location: Milpitas, South Bay
Teacher: Kristine Tsung
