This wasn't just a prison. This was survival. This was a concrete jungle where she was the weakest animal, and the wolves had already caught her scent.
She had been thrown into Blackwater Ridge not because of paperwork or procedure, but someone had made sure she ended up here. Someone had wanted her in maximum security, surrounded by the most violent women in the system.
Her family. The thought came with crystal clarity. They hadn't just framed her for murder, they'd made sure her punishment would be as brutal as possible. They had pulled strings, made calls, ensured that Lin Shuyin would disappear into the darkest hole they could find.
And from the hungry looks in her cellmates' eyes, they were already calculating how long she would last.
Shuyin's back pressed against the cold steel door, and she realized with terrible certainty that this was only the beginning.
The trial had been hell. The conviction had been devastating, but this was even more so. This was where the real nightmare began.
Tank circled Shuyin slowly, her heavy boots scraping against the concrete floor. "So, princess. Do you have family putting money on your books? Someone gonna send you some commissary?"
Shuyin shook her head, her voice barely working. "No. They... they won't help me." They had already locked her away, how were they going to help her out after orchestrating everything?
Up until now, she couldn't understand what she had done wrong, as to why they turned against her! Why did they have to kill that one person who loved her?
"Of course not," Razor said from her bunk, her voice sharp and mocking. "Nobody's family sends money. We're all forgotten the moment we step in here."
"What're you in for anyway? Just nothing?" Blade asked, still sharpening her toothbrush without looking up.
Shuyin opened her mouth but nothing came out. What could she say? That she was innocent? That her family had framed her? That she wasn't the murderer?
Was all this a setup to get rid of her? Up until now, she couldn't believe that she was the murderer.
"Doesn't matter," Tank cut in before Shuyin could answer.
She grabbed Shuyin's face, fingers digging into her cheeks. "Don't matter what you did out there, it only matters what you can do in here. You understand me? You'd better be productive!"
Shuyin nodded as much as Tank's grip allowed her head. The woman's fingers were leaving marks on her skin bruising it all over. With her milky white skin, it was easy to turn red at the slightest pinch.
Tank snickered, letting go, and she turned away. "Bottom bunk's mine. The middle one is Blade's, and the top is Razor's." She pointed to the empty top bunk across from Razor. "That one's yours over there. Don't touch our stuff. Don't use our soap. Don't eat our food. You get something, you share with us first. Clear?"
"Yes," Shuyin whispered unconsciously, in such a situation, she didn't have a way out. Even if she had anything, she wouldn't gatekeep, but she knew she had absolutely nothing.
"Yes, what?" Tank spun around, her voice sharp.
"Yes... Miss Tank."
"Better." Tank sat back down on her bunk, the metal frame groaning. "Lights normally go out in an hour. You'd better learn fast how things work in here, or you won't last the week. Here, it's up to you to survive... This is a no man's territory..."
Shuyin stood frozen by the door. She didn't know what to do, or where to go. The cell felt like it was shrinking and encircling her, as the air was getting thicker. She could barely breathe.
"Well?" Razor called down. "You gonna stand there all night? Get on your bunk before Tank changes her mind and makes you sleep on the floor. Unless you enjoy your nights lying on the floor.... Who knows, you might die of pneumonia..."
Hearing that, Shuyin quickly moved on trembling legs to the empty bunk. The ladder was rusty and creaked as she climbed up unsteadily.
The mattress was thin, barely more than a pad, and smelled of mildew and old sweat.
There was one flat pillow and a scratchy grey blanket that looked like it had been used by countless inmates before her.
She lay down on her side, facing the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible. She didn't want to attract their attention.
The metal frame dug into her hip and the pillow offered no comfort, but she didn't dare complain. Who was she to begin with? This was the situation, what did she think she could do?
Behind her, she heard the women talking in low voices.
"Think she'll make it?" Razor asked.
"Not a chance," Blade said. The scraping of her sharpening had stopped. "Three days, maybe four. Then someone's gonna get to her."