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H/C bingo: O3
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Velie had long since stopped keeping track of the days. The tally marks from her early weeks and months were still there, scratched into the cell wall next to her cot, marking how long it had taken her to lose hope of ever being released; the last day before she gave up on justice being served. The last day before she accepted a life of serving a sentence for a crime she didn't commit.
The days since then had been marked by nothing but an endless sense of monotony. The same walls, the same food, the same guards, the same clothes. Occasionally she could hear rain or thunder, but even that variation was starting to blur into the sameness.
The sound of her breakfast being slid through the door roused her from bed, like every morning, and she pushed her blanket to the side before moving automatically to pick up the tray, placing it on the small table and sitting down. Velie had already scooped up a spoonful and eaten it, purely out of mechanical routine, when it struck her that something was different.
She paused, the spoon still in her mouth, and looked down. Sitting on top of the oatmeal were half a dozen heart-shaped slices of strawberry. Next to the bowl was a small roll - a small, warm roll, maybe even freshly baked?! - and her cup was filled with something far too amber to be the usual water. In a daze, Velie slowly placed the spoon back down and picked up the cup to take a small sip. It was cider; apple cider, the unfermented kind.
It didn't make sense. This couldn't be her breakfast. Velie felt almost as though she should say something; point out that she had been given the wrong breakfast tray. But that was stupid; she shouldn't even be in prison in the first place. She might as well enjoy this accidental reprieve while she had it. Still...
She twisted in her chair to look at the cell door; the usual day-shift guard was standing in his usual place, ignoring her, as usual. The kitchen worker who brought the food trays was nowhere to be seen. There really was no point in drawing attention to it, not at this point. Turning back to her tray, she slowly began eating again.
- - - - -
The next morning, there were blueberries in her oatmeal, accompanied by a small shortbread and another cup of unfermented cider. The morning after that, blueberries again, but with an apple and a glass of milk. She allowed herself to think that maybe, maybe it wasn't a mistake.
The morning after that, Velie sat up in bed before breakfast had arrived, throwing off her blanket and turning so she could see the door. The day shift guard was just taking up his position as the night shift guard left. The worker from the kitchen still hadn't showed up with the breakfast trays, so she congratulated herself on her timing and settled in to wait.. Maybe she would say something; maybe she wouldn't. All she wanted right now was to see who was doing it.
Finally, a tired and bored-looking woman came by, pushing a cart of identical trays. Drawing up to her cell door, she pulled a tray off - the same thing Velie had had for breakfast every day, until recently - and placed it on the ground in front of the door before trundling off.
Velie's heart sank. Had she ruined it by getting up to watch? Was everything going to--
"Guess you caught me." The guard was looking back at her, a small smile on his face. Once he had her attention, he pulled a small bag out of his jacket, crouched down, and proceeded to sprinkle something that looked like cubed apple into the bowl, poured out the water and replaced it with cider from a canteen, and laid a slice of what looked like raisin bread on the tray before sliding it through the bars of the door.
Slowly, Velie got off the bed and went over to the tray, as the guard stood up and resumed his usual position. She stared at the food, then up at the guard.
"...Why?"
He looked back at her, visibly surprised to hear her speak. "Everyone knows you didn't do it. I can't do anything to get you out of here, so..." He shrugged. "Something to make it a little less miserable for you."
"...thank you." Velie picked up the tray and hastily turned away. She was not going to cry.
Velie had long since stopped keeping track of the days. The tally marks from her early weeks and months were still there, scratched into the cell wall next to her cot, marking how long it had taken her to lose hope of ever being released; the last day before she gave up on justice being served. The last day before she accepted a life of serving a sentence for a crime she didn't commit.
The days since then had been marked by nothing but an endless sense of monotony. The same walls, the same food, the same guards, the same clothes. Occasionally she could hear rain or thunder, but even that variation was starting to blur into the sameness.
The sound of her breakfast being slid through the door roused her from bed, like every morning, and she pushed her blanket to the side before moving automatically to pick up the tray, placing it on the small table and sitting down. Velie had already scooped up a spoonful and eaten it, purely out of mechanical routine, when it struck her that something was different.
She paused, the spoon still in her mouth, and looked down. Sitting on top of the oatmeal were half a dozen heart-shaped slices of strawberry. Next to the bowl was a small roll - a small, warm roll, maybe even freshly baked?! - and her cup was filled with something far too amber to be the usual water. In a daze, Velie slowly placed the spoon back down and picked up the cup to take a small sip. It was cider; apple cider, the unfermented kind.
It didn't make sense. This couldn't be her breakfast. Velie felt almost as though she should say something; point out that she had been given the wrong breakfast tray. But that was stupid; she shouldn't even be in prison in the first place. She might as well enjoy this accidental reprieve while she had it. Still...
She twisted in her chair to look at the cell door; the usual day-shift guard was standing in his usual place, ignoring her, as usual. The kitchen worker who brought the food trays was nowhere to be seen. There really was no point in drawing attention to it, not at this point. Turning back to her tray, she slowly began eating again.
- - - - -
The next morning, there were blueberries in her oatmeal, accompanied by a small shortbread and another cup of unfermented cider. The morning after that, blueberries again, but with an apple and a glass of milk. She allowed herself to think that maybe, maybe it wasn't a mistake.
The morning after that, Velie sat up in bed before breakfast had arrived, throwing off her blanket and turning so she could see the door. The day shift guard was just taking up his position as the night shift guard left. The worker from the kitchen still hadn't showed up with the breakfast trays, so she congratulated herself on her timing and settled in to wait.. Maybe she would say something; maybe she wouldn't. All she wanted right now was to see who was doing it.
Finally, a tired and bored-looking woman came by, pushing a cart of identical trays. Drawing up to her cell door, she pulled a tray off - the same thing Velie had had for breakfast every day, until recently - and placed it on the ground in front of the door before trundling off.
Velie's heart sank. Had she ruined it by getting up to watch? Was everything going to--
"Guess you caught me." The guard was looking back at her, a small smile on his face. Once he had her attention, he pulled a small bag out of his jacket, crouched down, and proceeded to sprinkle something that looked like cubed apple into the bowl, poured out the water and replaced it with cider from a canteen, and laid a slice of what looked like raisin bread on the tray before sliding it through the bars of the door.
Slowly, Velie got off the bed and went over to the tray, as the guard stood up and resumed his usual position. She stared at the food, then up at the guard.
"...Why?"
He looked back at her, visibly surprised to hear her speak. "Everyone knows you didn't do it. I can't do anything to get you out of here, so..." He shrugged. "Something to make it a little less miserable for you."
"...thank you." Velie picked up the tray and hastily turned away. She was not going to cry.
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