The Jailhouse Blues Ch. 02

And I believed her.

So did the other prison officers too, who chuckled in amusement; prison officer Billie Jo, exclaiming with delighted approbation to prison officer Bella Donna: "We could do with a few more like her - she's a natural!"

Me, though? I thought better of saying anything in reply, as, standing chest to chest with prison officer Victoria, through the thin fabric of her uniform pale-blue blouse I could actually feel her nipples hardening in sadistic lust as I stared back at her up-close sugar-sweet face.

There was no elegant 'ping' to announce the lift's arrival at the Ground Floor, just a very sudden jolt, that might have rocked its passengers off their feet had we not been crammed into the thing like too many pilchards into a can.

Upon exiting the lift my six escorts regrouped into formation, and they marched me across the open expanse of the Ground Floor; the slapping of their flip flops sounding all businesslike and purposeful as we strode on the diagonal towards the steps that led down to the basement.

When we were about half-way across, something made me look up. And I saw that, leaning on the safety-rails on every Wing walkway on all five Levels, Wing-patrolling prison officers were staring down at us... or rather, staring down at me: the 'condemned' man.

Prison officer Billie Jo suddenly jerked me to a standstill, and angrily glowered at me. "Do not provoke me, prisoner Lightwood!" she snapped. "You will keep your eyes respectfully lowered, focused upon the feet of officers Cassandra and Victoria in front of you!"

I respectfully lowered my eyes to her own, olive-complexioned feet, focusing my gaze upon her unvarnished toenails. "Yes, Miss Billie Jo," I said respectfully. Because I knew she'd give my face "a good slap" there and then if I didn't.

Above the dark-grey painted smooth-concrete stairway, was a large sign, indicating that the prison officers' Bar, the Foot Massage Room, and the gymnasium were all to be accessed downstairs.

As before, prison officers Bella Donna and Billie Jo and myself were sandwiched between the other four prison officers; prison officers Cassandra and Victoria again leading the way, while prison officers Louise and Cora followed behind as we descended the steps of the narrow stairwell.

At the bottom of the steps, directly facing us across a narrow corridor was a double-door entrance. Above the white-painted doors were three signs, all with pale-blue letters printed on a white background.

The sign in the middle had a downward-pointing arrow, and read simply: Gym. The sign on the left had a leftward-pointing arrow, and read simply: Bar. The sign on the right had a rightward-pointing arrow, and read: Foot Massage Room. These last two facilities were accessed as directed, via the corridor leading off to left and right.

Prison officers Cassandra and Victoria crossed the corridor and pushed their way through the double-door entrance, leading the way into the gymnasium. The rest of us followed.

The gymnasium was larger than I'd imagined. At first glance, it seemed pretty much fully equipped. Over-equipped, in fact... with the Wheel of Chastisement.

Already assembled in the gymnasium, were the twenty or so prison officers who had been assigned to attend - and, some of them, actively participate in - my "therapeutic treatment"... Including, I noticed with great trepidation, prison officers Natalie and Melanie - I'd seen quite enough of those two today already!

A woman of unmistakable authority then looked our way, upon her noticing our entrance into the gymnasium.

Instinctively, I knew she was not a woman you said 'No' to.

She saw me, and caught my eye right away... and, once direct eye contact was made, she was hard to look away from. She was stunning to look at, and the power of her gaze was incredibly magnetic. Hypnotic. The phrase 'Held in thrall' came to mind. Because that's how I felt.

A study in lady-like deportment, the deeply suntanned, extremely attractive blonde-haired woman walked over to us; her measured, elegant stride regulating the stately-sounding slap... slap... slap... slapping rhythm of her thin-rubber soled pale-blue flip flops against the bottoms of her bare heels.

Though she wore the same specially adapted concave bob hairstyle, and was dressed in the same body-hugging pale-blue uniform as the 'Jailhouse Blues' prison officers under her command, she was more mature than the average 'Blue' - in her early thirties, I guessed.

And now that she was standing right up close, and looking right into my eyes, I was finding myself greatly affected by her. Finding myself unsettled, by her aura of presence. Finding myself in awe, of her charisma. Finding myself excited, by her attractiveness - finding myself disturbed, by her pulse-quickening sex-appeal.

"Welcome, prisoner Lightwood!" she said in sardonic greeting. "I am Meredith Monroe, Governor of Greystone Prison. I hear you are in need of a bit of straightening out."

I didn't know what to say to that. So I didn't say anything.

Turning to prison officer Bella Donna, Governor Monroe said in her rich-toned and pleasantly modulated voice, "That is the case, isn't it, officer Bella Donna? And that it is you yourself, as sponsor, who have brought charges of gross impropriety against prisoner Lightwood, and petitioned my fast-tracked authorisation to personally administer his rehabilitative therapeutic treatment, on the Wheel of Chastisement?"

"Yes, ma'am," affirmed prison officer Bella Donna succinctly.

"Um... I am in no way questioning your judgement, officer Bella Donna, but... the Wheel of Chastisement? You are certainly not pussyfooting about, are you? I mean - and, correct me if I'm wrong - this is prisoner Lightwood's first offence, isn't it? You don't think a Ball-Bust is a... tad harsh?"

"Ma'am, I'm as lenient-minded as the next prison officer, and a big believer in second chances. But there are occasions when one has to take off the kid-gloves."

"And this is one of those occasions, officer Bella Donna?"

"Yes, ma'am, I'm afraid it is. Prisoner Lightwood has an attitude problem. And in my opinion, ma'am, it needs to be nipped in the bud. The sooner he is made aware of the errors of his ways - made aware of his improprieties, where females are concerned - the better off he will be in the long run. It is not yet two hours, ma'am, since he was admitted to the prison by officers Natalie and Melanie, and already he has committed not just one offence, but a whole series of egregious infractions."

"Oh, has he now?" said the Governor, looking askance at me. "Could you please elaborate for me, officer Bella Donna?"

"Certainly, ma'am. Prisoner Lightwood has treated me with the utmost disrespect, signally failing to recognise my authority as a prison officer. Despite my repeated instructions, he has brazenly stared me in the face, instead of respectfully staring down at my feet; failed to stand, in the presence of a prison officer; and he has repeatedly spoken out of turn. In addition, he has been flagrantly disobedient and noncompliant: he has refused to assume the position, at my expressed order; refused to provide Foot Service, upon my command. In summary: prisoner Lightwood has repeatedly disrespected, disobeyed and defied me, ma'am. Again and again, he has said 'No' to me. Never before, ma'am, have I come across such bare-faced impropriety in a prisoner."

"Ma'am...?" said prison officer Billie Jo politely.

"Yes, officer Billie Jo?"

"Ma'am, I can verify everything that officer Bella Donna has just said. In fact, ma'am, when prisoner Chapman had assumed the position for me, and was providing Foot Service, prisoner Lightwood spoke out of turn to me, too - actually, he even laid a hand on me. And then on top of all that, he actually had the gall to try and take the moral high ground, taking issue with the prison's practises - not least, the manner of my treatment of his cellmate."

"I see... Thank you for your testimonies, officers Bella Donna and Billie Jo," said Governor Monroe.

"Ma'am...?" said prison officer Melanie politely.

"Yes, officer Melanie? Do you have something to say?"

"Ma'am, I can vouch for what officer Bella Donna has just said, too, with regards to prisoner Lightwood's having a serious attitude problem. In the Security Checkpoint building I'd identified it straight off, since many of the classic signs were immediately apparent. In fact, within minutes he'd exhibited so many of them, that as a disciplinary measure I'd found it necessary to slap his face."

"Ma'am...?" said prison officer Natalie, who had also just stepped forward.

"Yes, officer Natalie? Have you something to add?"

"Ma'am, I am in full agreement with the sentiments of officer Melanie. Examples of prisoner Lightwood's improprieties were manifold. In fact, I'd thought officer Melanie had shown great lenience to prisoner Lightwood, in only slapping his face once - he'd been very fortunate, I thought, not to have felt the cut of her cane for being so ill-mannered. On top of his disrespectful behavior, he'd been very inattentive, too - which I'd found extremely annoying, ma'am, and several times I was on the very point of taking my cane to him myself. During officer Melanie's prep-talk, when she'd been explaining to him what would be in store for him here; apprising him as to the ethos of Greystone Prison, throughout her discourse he'd had a silly, smirking look on his face. In fact, that's what motivated me to suggest to officer Melanie that we should bag 'firsts' - pre-book prisoner Lightwood, ma'am, for Prisoners' Canteen Service, tomorrow lunchtime. We'd soon wipe that silly smirk off his face! Oh, just the thought of it... I can hardly wait, ma'am, to—"

"I see... And that, I take it, is why you and officer Melanie asked me to temporarily relieve you of your receiving-officer's duties, and assign you both as members of this afternoon's caning-party?"

"Yes, ma'am," replied officer Natalie. "It is. I can overlook and even forgive one or two rough edges, but prisoner Lightwood is an extremely uncouth individual. And I can tell you, ma'am, I am more than looking forward to playing my part here today, and caning some manners into him."

"I see... Thank you for your very informative supplementary summations, officers Natalie and Melanie. Very enlightening... I think I've heard enough now, to get a handle on prisoner Lightwood's number."

Turning to me, Governor Monroe said, "Prisoner Lightwood. I have now been duly satisfied as to the true extent of your guilt in this matter. Consequently, I approve, and now duly endorse, the three extra months added on to your original three-month tariff, as recommended by officer Bella Donna."

Poison Ivy! I thought.

"In addition - and also on the recommendation of officer Bella Donna, who as sponsor will be the principle administrator of your correctional therapy - you will now undergo five, one-minute rotations on the Wheel of Chastisement."

My god! I thought. I knew what that meant... Once again, I recalled what Ross had told me about it. About his own horrific, "Never again!" experience.

This was outrageous. I couldn't let this stand. I had to stop this thing in its tracks, before it went any further. I had to say something. And say it now - before it was too late!

The Governor seemed to me a fair-minded woman. She'd listened, just now, and gave due consideration to what was put to her by her officers. Evaluated the evidence. I believed she would listen to me, too, and hear me out - hear my side of the story.

But I had to make the Governor understand - make her see!

"Governor," I said, diffidently but urgently. "I don't mean to be disrespectful or anything, but, please may I speak? Before this... travesty of justice goes any further, I need to tell you about—" Slap! I got no further.

Prison officer Natalie's thin-rubber soled flip flops had rapidly slap slap slap slapped against the bottoms of her bare heels as she'd quickly and furiously approached me, and then slapped my face every bit as hard as prison officer Melanie had done earlier in the Security Checkpoint building - and, just like then, it stung like hell. "Shut up!" she yelled into my smarting face, her cheeks colouring in anger. "You will show due propriety! The Governor is speaking! You will remain silent, prisoner Lightwood!"

"Thank you, officer Natalie," said Governor Monroe. "But, actually... though it is somewhat irregular, I think I'll grant the prisoner permission to speak. From what I've heard of prisoner Lightwood so far, I think I'd actually be rather interested to hear what he has to say for himself."

"Ma'am," replied prison officer Natalie, still giving me the evil eye.

Turning to me, Governor Meredith Monroe said, "Very well, prisoner Lightwood. You have my permission to speak. Say your piece. But make it quick - we've all got homes to go to afterwards, even if you haven't."

But now I was all nervous. Flustered. I could hardly believe that the Governor was letting me speak; actually letting me have my say. I had been right, I thought, in my estimations of her fair-mindedness. Now, I had to seize with both hands what would surely be my one and only chance. My whole future was at stake here. I had to make the Governor aware of the wickedness in her midst. I had to make Governor Monroe see! The first words out of my mouth, I knew, would be of crucial importance.

"Governor, I must bring to your attention the fact that prison officers Bella Donna and Billie Jo are corrupt. They are two no good—"

"I beg your pardon!" exclaimed Governor Monroe, outraged.

"Governor, it's true! I assure you! They intend to retain me and my cellmate indefinitely - and mould us! Just for their own selfish purposes! Governor, you can ask prisoner Chapman - he'll tell you!"

"Oh, you assure me, do you? And I can ask prisoner Chapman, can I? Your fellow criminal? Your accomplice? He will verify your claims, will he? Well, that would be proof positive, wouldn't it?"

The assemblage of prison officers all chuckled at the Governor's mordant wit... except, I couldn't help but notice, prison officers Bella Donna and Billie Jo, whose faces glowered with outrage.

The Governor saw prison officers Bella Donna and Billie Jo's outraged expressions - but misunderstood them. She interpreted their angry expressions as outraged innocence - not great umbrage.

The Governor's sense of humour was then superseded by her own sense of outrage.

"Mother of God! You have been accused of having an attitude, prisoner Lightwood, but this surely takes the Garibaldi. How dare you, prisoner Lightwood, stand there in front of me, and impugn the reputations of two of my most valued officers? How dare you, look me in the face, and cast your groundless aspersions against two of Greystone Prison's finest rehabilitation practitioners? How dare you, assassinate their characters? I will not stand for it!"

"But, Governor! You've got to believe me! I'm telling the—"

"That's enough, prisoner Lightwood! I've heard quite enough from you - enough of your slanderous fabrications! And what's more, as a penalty for your outrageous, and totally unfounded allegations against officers Bella Donna and Billie Jo, I am now awarding you a further, six-month supplementary tariff. It will run concurrently, at the end of your existing six-month sentence - so you can now expect to remain as our guest at Greystone Prison for a full year. And now, prisoner Lightwood, if I hear just one more word out of you, I shall take very great pleasure in doubling that!"

I held my tongue - I knew Governor Monroe meant it!

Prison officers Bella Donna and Billie Jo were as corrupt as could be. But the Governor wouldn't hear a word said against them - not a word! She wouldn't hear a word, of my "slanderous fabrications". She wasn't having any of it.

So much, then, for letting me have my say. So much, for evaluating the evidence. So much, for listening, and giving due consideration!

Just a couple of hours ago, I was looking at a three-month sentence. But now, I was going to be stuck in this damned hellhole for a full year! Because I'd failed to convince the Governor as to what appalling fates were in store for Ross and me, as prison officers Billie Jo and Bella Donna's... moulded foot slaves!

Governor Meredith Monroe now told me, "Now, prisoner Lightwood, let us return to the business at hand... The correctional therapy that you are about to undergo, is a highly effective treatment - successful, in ninety-nine per cent of cases. The object of the Ball-Bust exercise, is to expunge from your mind the capacity for irrational thought. By clearing your head of irrationality, you will thus become clear-headed. You will then see reason. You will be enabled to think straight - think coherently and logically. The errors of your ways, will become apparent to you.

"Now, prisoner Lightwood," the Governor continued, and now there was more than just a hint of retributive relish in her voice. "I shall explain the proceedings of the Ball-Bust to you: You will undergo five, one-minute rotations - Rounds - on the Wheel of Chastisement. And, to... kick-start, as it were, each of the five Rounds, officer Bella Donna, as principle administrator of your correctional treatment, will administer a therapeutic kick, barefoot, to your fully exposed testicles."

Instinctively, I tried to do a runner; tried to hightail it out of the gymnasium - but I was still handcuffed to prison officers Bella Donna and Billie Jo. But before either of them could slap me down and rebuke me, the beyond beautiful prison officer Victoria stepped forward to do it for them... Slap! Slap! Two very hard, stinging slaps, one to each side of my face. "You will remain still, prisoner Lightwood!" she reprimanded me imperiously.

"Whereupon, prisoner Lightwood," the Governor went on, as if nothing had happened, "I shall then set the Wheel of Chastisement in motion. Upon which, at five-second intervals, by each in turn the twelve prison officers of the caning-party - including officer Bella Donna herself and the other five officers who escorted you down here to the gymnasium - will administer one therapeutic stroke of the cane to your bare buttocks, as and when your fully exposed bare bottom comes around to their respective caning positions."

Hell! I thought. Therapy? Treatment? This was nothing but torture, in the name of... medicine!

"On the sixty-second mark," continued Governor Meredith Monroe, "upon the twelfth prison officer having duly administered her therapeutic cane stroke, I shall then stop the Wheel of Chastisement. This will be to allow you a moment or two, to reflect upon the errors of your ways... and to allow officer Bella Donna the time she requires, to line up her next therapeutic kick to your testicles. Whereupon, I shall restart the Wheel of Chastisement, for Round Two. Upon which, during the next sixty seconds, at five-second intervals, you will receive another twelve therapeutic cane strokes to your bare bottom. And so on, and so on... Are you following me, prisoner Lightwood?"

I clenched my fists impotently - and kept my mouth firmly shut.

To acknowledge the Governor, I thought, would be to imply willing complicity in my "therapeutic treatment". Would be tantamount, to actually condoning it. Approving it.

Again, the too lovely for words prison officer Victoria shouted in my face. "The Governor just asked you a question, prisoner Lightwood! She wants to know if you are following the details of your Ball-Bust!"

At least the Angel of Doom calls a spade a spade! I thought.

"Yes, Governor," I said. "I'm following you. But, Governor, this is a travesty of justice. Officers Bella Donna and Billie Jo, they are corrupt. They are no good. They mean to mould—"