Semi-Fresh Meat

"Well, depending on the level, it might be able to run nonstop at least...hm...maybe up to a week or so, actually."

"A WEEK?!!" Jill shrieked. It went without saying there was clearly no way she could endure that. She shouted down at her still unconscious roommate on the floor. "B-Mi-...Barker! Miss Barker! Wake up!"

The two guards got a good chortle from this. "And oh, yeah!" said Abbie. "I almost forgot. Redding's out today!"

"So she is," realized Barb. "Well, let's go grab her!"

Polly Redding was an ex-grand larceny thief who had today concluded serving her term. Abbie and Barb unlocked her cell and began escorting her out of the building.

As they passed back by Jill (and dead-to-the-world Krysten), they momentarily paused. Abbie called to her, "Hey! Kaufflin!" She grinned at her. "Like you to meet someone. This is Polly Redding. Her sentence, as is turns out...happens to be complete today."

Oh, Jill could tell she was taking some heavy schadenfreude in this development. Not that she could really comment or reply to the situation while being continuously tormented by this infernal, relentless, cursed electric toothbrush. She could only gasp and groan and blow out her breath in response.

Abbie turned back to Polly. "That's, eh, Jill Kaufflin. She says hi."

"Yes, well, anyway, Kaufflin," added Barbara, "We've told Miss Redding here all about you, and, well, uh..."

They paused for effect, making the part of Jill's brain that could still function go through a hundred different thoughts.

"And...well, uh...what?" Jill choked out, her head against the top bunk.

"It seems there's one particular thing about you in which Miss Redding is especially intrigued," she heard one of them say.

A red flag shot up in Jill's mind, but she couldn't determine exactly where.

"Yes, actually," said Abbie, "Miss Redding's plans upon being released are really quite simple."

She stepped up to the bars to address Jill just a little more closely.

"And, so, don't you worry about a thing, Kaufflin..." she said, low and ominous.

Jill made herself lean her head up and look at her.

"Rest assured, we and Miss Redding are going to make absolutely certain...that that lovely husband of yours..."

Suddenly, Jill found the red flag.

That same devilish smile crossed Abbie's face again.

"...is well taken care of." They turned back around and continued leading Polly Redding out.

Jill's eyes went red in fury.

It appeared Miss Polly Redding's days as a thief were not over after all...or was the situation even more dire than that??

"DON'T you fucking d—" She wrenched against the ropes again, imprinting even deeper, redder rope marks into her wrists. If she had not been well enough motivated by anything to break through these ropes until now, she sure as hell was now. "You go anywhere near him, you're DEAD!" Jill exploded at them. "Literally!"

"Yes, well, good luck with that," Barb said.

"Perhaps you might've thought twice before ever so politely asking us to go fuck ourselves," Abbie added.

They waved goodbye to her.

"I mean it, you sick bitches!" Jill screamed. "I swear, I'll fucking kill you!!"

"Sleep well, Jilly-Bean!"

They disappeared from her line of sight.

She couldn't breathe.

"Y-..." Jill felt her body tensing, heating and welling up once again. The murderous impulse was flaring up in her again. Her heartbeat picked up. Suddenly, something she was dreading five minutes ago was the only thing she wanted to happen right now.

"BARKER! BARKER, WAKE UP!...BITCH, WAKE THE FUCK UP!"

Deep down, Jill knew that even if Krysten Barker showed enough humanity to untie her from these inexorable ropes and take this damn toothbrush off of her, it still wouldn't protect her husband. She'd still be locked in the cell, unable to escape. And even if she could escape, she had no clothing. If by any means she got outside nude and started streaking, she'd either be flat-out raped or sent right back in here with another mark on her record. She knew all of that, but her mind wouldn't process it. All she could think right now was, Get me the hell out of these ropes! She let it all sink in, that the most special and dear person in the world to her right now could have any number of terrible things about to descend upon him. She suddenly felt very, very scared.

She looked up. Oh, please, God, she thought, PLEASE...please don't let anything happen to my husband...

"WAKE UUUUUUUP!!"