Chapter 2: A Night in the Cells

"All right! Everybody out!" Sister Jude barked, her voice clear through the dark hall as the guards went and opened the doors.

Mona woke up and hazily pushed herself to sit up in bed. She had been here a few days, but it still took her a minute to remember where she was. Once she remembered though, it didn't take her long to oblige and go stand out in the hall with everyone else. One thing she had learned, never get on Sister Jude's bad side. If you could do that, you might just have a chance here. Maybe.

As she stood out there, she looked down the hall spotting Lisa only a couple rooms down from her. Then further down, she saw both Kathy and Emily.

It suddenly weirded her out how people could show up here and not be noticed. If they could show up that easily, they could leave that easily. None of the other patients would know.

Lisa looked over and shyly smiled to Mona. Her attention was quickly taken over to Lana and Grace though. The first person that she had met there was Grace and she had heard about Lana.

Within the day that she had been here, she had watched the two, wondering. Grace didn't seem insane to her, and neither did Lana. But, Lana did sound bad. She kept the good people from escaping. Then again, who could you really trust here? That Lana lady was taking notes just like she was. What if she were in here trying to mess with everyone as part of some experiment?

She could see Grace glaring over to Lana, and Lana just looking. Maybe guilt? It wasn't too clear yet. Maybe, some sort of bittersweet self satisfaction. She didn't really seem to sorry about anything, but she wasn't happy either.

"We like to keep our charges honest," Jude insisted as she started walking down the aisle. The guards going in and out of the rooms, making sure there was nothing there.

The small group stopped at Pepper's room. "No food today Sister," Carl announced.

Jude smiled down to Pepper. "Good girl," she complimented, receiving a childish smile of achievement from deranged girl. Lisa noted though that there was something oddly cute about her.

"I think you'll find something interesting in my room Sister!" Shelly called.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Jude replied, slightly smirking. Even if she found her morally wrong, there was some amusing element to all of this. It was a challenge. She was also one of the only ones brave enough to stand up to her. No matter how much she wanted these people to respect her and listen, there was some respect given to her honesty and boldness. She would never outwardly admit it though. Never.

Kathy, who was in the room next to Shelly, looked over and started laughing. The two had actually grown pretty close.

Kathy had arrived only a few hours after Mona. The first person she met, was actually Kit. She made the mistake of coming onto him though. Apparently she was too aggressive for him. To her, sitting on his lap wasn't really so bad. She was just being affectionate. Although, Lisa had filled her in on the dirty looks that Grace had been giving her. That might explain things.

"Ms. Winters," Jude coldly stated, stopping before her, keeping her eyes locked on her. "I'm not too sure what to think of you now," she admitted. "You come in here the lesbian wanna be writer and then decide to do the right thing."

That comment, received another dirty look from Grace. Even though she was spared her punishment, she didn't like seeing Kit get punished. It wasn't right. He didn't even belong here.

Jude just stood before her as the guards went into the cell. "Clean Sister. We even checked the pillow cases," Frank reported.

Jude raised an eyebrow to Lana, approvingly looking her over. "Maybe there is some hope for you," she stated.

Mona watched her as she went through two more rooms before getting to her. She didn't know why, maybe it was simply her reputation, maybe it was the look in her eyes, but she was scared. Mona nervously gulped as the nun stood eye level with her. "What's wrong Ms. Foreman? Hiding a scalpel in there?" she questioned.

"No," Mona squeaked, getting another laugh from Kathy.

Jude questionably eyed for a moment as Frank and Carl went into the room and searched through everything. Jude looked up and nodded to them before looking back to the young girl. "What are you hiding?" she inquired.

"Nothing. I just went to Catholic school," Mona answered, causing Jude to raise a brow to her. "Nuns sometimes scare me."

Everyone in that hallway turned and looked to her. That was not what she needed. Jude on the other hand, just nodded as if that were what she wanted to hear and then moved on to Lisa.

"You're turn Ms. Harris," she stated.

Lisa nodded. No fear, nothing. Mona was impressed. "I have nothing to hide," Lisa firmly announced.

"She's telling the truth," Carl confirmed.

"Good."

Jude made her way over to Shelly's room. She found a naked picture of a man that she managed to get a hold of somehow. She then got to Kathy.

"Ms. McCarthy. Enjoying yourself tonight? I seem to hear a lot of laughing coming from this section," Jude inquired.

Kathy looked down, taking a breath. She could see Shelly look over with anticipation. Kathy looked up and pulled a condom out of her pocket. She handed it over to Jude without saying anything.

"What is this?" Jude implored, getting agitated.

"I heard you have a stick up your ass. I think getting stick up somewhere else might help with that problem," she boldly announced.

Emily, who was standing behind Jude, shot her a thumbs up, nodding. She wanted some one to figure out what goes on during punishment here.

Mona caught Emily's little signal and her mouth fell slightly ajar. She wasn't willing to take it herself so she sent Kathy. She just did not approve of that at all.

Oooo

The cane quickly whipped through the air, smacking Kathy's bare butt. She winced, both at the feeling and the sound.

Ten lashes. That was her punishment for her little trick. Even though it hurt now, she was sure that it was all worth it. A welt was nothing. She was going to survive.

"You can stand up now Ms. McCathy," Jude instructed as she turned and took the cane back to the cabinet.

Kathy stood up and pulled her dress back down to cover herself. "Now what?" Kathy questioned. She looked as if she were daring Jude to do anything more to her. It wasn't so much that she was sore, but she hated the idea that one person could punish her because of a remark.

Jude looked to her. "You go out there and try to behave yourself," she curtly explained. This was going to be a girl that she was going to have trouble with.

Kathy just stood there. This was going to be a long month. A very long month.

Oooo

Gary sat in his cell. He had managed to get a hold of a certain magazine, and was now looking over it. He and Scott both figured that if they were going to get committed for something, they might as well go in addicted to something they actually love. Gary got in for porn addiction and Scott on weed.

Even though they had to act like there was nothing wrong, hinting at a sickness every once in a while couldn't hurt. Besides, every other guy here seemed to have something like a magazine, or a picture.

It wasn't too hard to hide something, just as long as you didn't get onto Sister Jude's bad side. You behaved around her, she didn't have your cell searched as thoroughly. He had heard that and figured it was true.

That was something else that Lisa had mentioned to him. People that she didn't like, were more closely watched. Another form of bias. This could mean that either the people she didn't like got treated quicker because they were actually being watched, or it could set them back further because of abuse. This was something that all of them were going to have to watch out for now.

"Let me outside! Please! I'll do anything," Scott begged.

Gary heard this and set the magazine down next to him. Slowly, he got up and went over to the door and watched as the conversation took place right across the hall from him.

"I can't let you do that," Carl firmly stated.

"Just tell me what you want. Anything at all, I'll make it happen," he promised.

Carl just looked to him. This was going to be a long night, he might as well just see what he said. "You know that new girl, Emily?"

"You like her?" Scott inquired.

"Don't do it! I've talked to her, she won't do it!" Gary warned. He didn't want to see Scott get himself into trouble here. Not right away at least. Besides, he liked Emily, and he would have hated seeing Emily get shoved off into some closet with this stranger.

Carl turned to Gary, said nothing, just watched him and then turned back to Scott. "Deal's off," he announced and then left.

"Now what did you have to do that for?" Scott desperately asked.

"I was saving your ass. What did you think? Emily would just go with him? Even worse than that, did you think he would just forget about it if she didn't?" Gary responded.

Scott just flashed him the finger before turning and going back to his bed.

In a cell a few rooms down, Kit sat on his bed, listening in on the conversation. He had been seeing the new people coming in and was wondering what was even wrong with them. The two guys that he had just heard talking didn't seem all that weird.

Along with these new people, there was a girl that was interesting. Lisa. He had met her earlier through Grace. They were talking about how life changes once you're committed, how you're stripped of your identity. They were right. Now, he was just starting to wonder exactly how long a person could be in the place before they lost it. He was scared for his own sanity.