Chapter 1 Chapter 1
“Some cages are made of walls. Others of choices.”
The storm had ended, but the roof hadn’t gotten the memo.
Rainwater still dripped through the ceiling, forming a pathetic rhythm in the dented metal bowl sitting on the kitchen floor. The whole apartment smelled faintly of wet socks and cheap instant noodles. A faint hum from the old refrigerator filled the silence, the kind of silence that presses on your chest until you want to scream.
Trinity George sat at the kitchen counter, hunched over her cup of lukewarm coffee like it might whisper a solution. Her curly hair was wrapped in a towel that had once been white, and her fingers tapped against the table in nervous rhythm.
Clara stood by the doorway, watching her for a moment before she spoke. “If you stare at that cup any harder, it’s gonna start boiling again.”
Trinity’s head snapped up. “Clara, I swear, one more drip from that roof and I’m calling the landlord. I don’t care if he says he’s on vacation.’”
She smiled weakly and walked over to her, dropping into the seat across the counter. The table wobbled beneath her elbow, just like everything else in this apartment. “The man’s idea of a vacation is probably hiding from tenant's complaints.”
That earned a soft chuckle, the first sound of life since the thunder stopped.
But the truth was that they were tired. Bone-deep tired.
Tired of counting pennies, tired of smiling through overdue notices, tired of pretending the world wasn’t closing in on them.
Trinity noticed the look on Clara's face. She sighed, setting her cup down. “Alright, look. We’ll figure this out, okay? First, we go to work. Then we’ll stop by the nursing home to check on your dad. Maybe something will click by then.”
She nodded slowly, trying to summon a spark of hope. “Yeah… maybe.”
The clock ticked on. They dressed in silence, the kind that comes when two people have run out of comforting lies.
By noon, the sun was out, but the town still glistened with puddles and the aftermath of the storm. The library where clara worked was warm, filled with the soft scent of paper and lemon-scented polish. The place had always been her safe haven; quiet, predictable, tucked away from the chaos of the world.
That was before Jason Wellings walked in.
He didn’t belong anywhere quiet. The man was built for noise. Six feet of arrogance, with his slicked back hair and that smirk that made her stomach twist. Two of his goons followed behind him, blocking the door like she was about to make a run for it.
“Clara Voss,” Jason drawled, dragging her name like honey over venom. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
She kept her voice calm. “It’s a library, Jason. You’re supposed to avoid talking, not people.”
He laughed, slow and mean. “Still sharp. Shame that mouth’s wasted behind a counter.”
The librarian at the front desk vanished like smoke the moment he stepped in. Clara stood straighter, trying to hide the tremor in her hands. “You’re not supposed to be here. You can’t just...”
He cut her off, slamming a folder on the desk. “You’re overdue, sweetheart. Four months now. You really think I’d forget my love?”
The sound of paper hitting wood made her heart skip and his use of endearment made her tummy twist uncomfortably. She had borrowed the money to pay for her father’s first round of treatments. It had barely scratched the surface.
“I’ll get it to you,” She said, hating how small her voice sounded. “I just need more time.”
Jason leaned closer, his breath warm and heavy with mint and two packs of cigarette. “You could have all the time you want if you’d just say yes.”
“Say yes to what?” She asked feigning ignorance
He grinned, teeth too white for a chronic smoker his age. “Marry me. Forget the loan. You and your daddy live free and happy. I’ll even throw in a new roof for that sad little apartment you live in.”
Her stomach turned. “I’d rather die broke.”
He clicked his tongue. “Wrong answer.”
He turned to his men. “Show her what happens to people who keep me waiting.”
Before She could move, one of them kicked over a cart of books, the crash echoing through the quiet space. Another swept his arm across a table, sending papers flying. Her heart hammered as she shouted for them to stop, but Jason only smiled.
“Seven days,” he said, voice low and final. “Or I drag you to the registry myself. You’ll wear white either way.”
Then he left, leaving chaos in his wake.
By evening, the library felt emptier than usual, even after she cleaned the mess. She clocked out early and walked through the drizzle toward the nursing home. Her shoes squished with every step.
Her father’s room was small but neat. He sat by the window, staring at the dying light like he could see something beyond it. His wheelchair squeaked when She leaned down to hug him.
“Hi, Dad,” she whispered.
He smiled, tired but warm. “You look like you fought a hurricane.”
“Close,” she said. “A loan shark.”
That made him laugh..a dry sound that broke halfway through. “Clara… you shouldn’t...”
“I know. But I’ll fix it.”
He patted her hand, but she saw the worry in his eyes. The same worry she'd been running from.
On her way out, the nurse stopped her.
“Miss Voss, just a reminder, the payment for the surgery is due in two days. If it’s not settled, we’ll have to postpone the operation, again.....” She said in a low voice, dragging the word "again" deliberately
She forced a smile. “I understand.”
But inside, She was cracking.
By the time she got home, the rain had stopped again, but the leaks hadn’t.
Clara changed into an old sweatshirt, sat on the couch, and cried until her chest hurt.
Every drop that fell from the ceiling felt like a countdown to losing her father, to losing everything.
An hour later, the front door burst open, and Trinity came rushing in, dripping wet but grinning like she’d just won the lottery.
“Clara! You’re not gonna believe this!”
She wiped my eyes quickly. “If it’s about another broken pipe, I’m moving out.”
Trinity laughed, shaking her head as she dropped a flyer on the table. The ink was slightly smudged, but she could read it clearly:
VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT: SAINT RIDGE PENITENTIARY. Generous pay. Immediate placement. Government-approved.
Trinity was practically bouncing. “Can you imagine the paycheck? We could fix the apartment, pay your dad’s bills, maybe even....”
“Trinity,” she cut in, scanning the paper again. “It’s a prison.”
“Yeah, but a fancy one! It says they just need civilians for research work or whatever. They’re paying a fortune.”
Clara frowned. “What kind of research?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know. Probably paperwork, right? You’re the smart one, they’ll love you!”
“Trinity, I don’t want to get arrested for something illegal.”
“Illegal?” She scoffed. “Please. If the government’s paying, it’s probably boring. We’ll read files, push buttons, maybe clean something gross. You’ve handled worse at the library.”
Clara looked at her hopeful face and felt her resistance crumble. The thought of her father in that hospital bed haunted her.
“Alright,” she said softly. “We’ll check it out tomorrow.”
Trinity squealed and hugged her so tight she could barely breathe. “I knew it! I knew you’d say yes!”
When she finally let go, she picked up the flyer again, tracing the bold letters.
Saint Ridge Penitentiary.
Something about the name made her stomach twist, a shadow of something she couldn’t quite name.
Still, she whispered to herself, “Finally… Hope...."