Chelsea reaches under her skirt and pulls out her pistol, laying it on top of the main draw. Unbuckling the holster from her thigh and letting it fall to the ground she looks up at the mirror and sighs. Today had been a busy day and she was exhausted. Business had been slow these past few days. Only a few drug runs occurring with also a horrible streak of failed organised crimes putting her spirits down even more so. She undid her skirt so it drops to the ground next to the holster. She never had a been a clean person. The scattered clothing around her room evidence of that. Lifting her shirt over her head, Chelsea stumbles on her exhausted feet over to her bed, letting the shirt join the building pile of clothes on the floor.

The nights cold air that made her naked skin shiver was countered by the sweet embrace of warmth that only her bed could offer as she slide underneath the covers. So much was on her mind, planning for the coming week and all the deals to go down that on any other night Chelsea would struggle to fall asleep. Not this night though. Once the warmth of her bed fully enveloped her body Chelsea’s eyes could no longer stay open. Darkness met her as her dreams took her away from all the stress and trials that came with her way of life.

YOUR SENTENCE IS UP. YOU ARE FREE TO GO.

Chelsea’s eyes snap open. Her eyes were greeted by the view of rolling green hills and forests in the distant. Her ears picking up the sound of running water near by. Was she dead? Chelsea thought to herself. This must be heaven. Strange considering she always expected the fiery pits of hell to greet her in the afterlife. The sound of a gate closing woke her up from her trance and she spun around to see what looked like a prison guard locking a gate. Concrete walls and barbed wire fencing covered most of her vision. She was at a prison. Just leaving it so it seems. Her mind reeled at how she ended up here. The last thing she remembers was going to sleep in her own room. Seeing the prison guard walking away from locking the gate Chelsea calls out to him.

“Hey!!! How the hell did I end up here??”

Turning around the guard looks at Chelsea smiling.

“Your sentence is up. You are free to go.” he replies.

“What?” She exclaims, “You didn’t answer me! How did I get here??? Was I caught? How long have I been here???”

The man kept smiling and turns away heading towards the watch tower whistling as he swung his keys around in his hands. Chelsea continued to call out to him but he no longer was reacting to her. Frustrated Chelsea storms off heading in the opposite direction of the prison. She couldn’t comprehend how she ended up in a prison after being in her bed naked…..NAKED! Chelsea froze as she looked down to see her wearing the same clothes she had been wearing before she went to bed. Her body started to shake with fury at the idea of someone dressing her. They must have raided her house while she slept. She was probably knocked unconscious though she didn’t feel any sores or bruises on her. She kept on walking. No one working the life of crime wanted to be here. Most cases it meant a death sentence so how she was still alive she had no idea. Looking up at the sky as she continued walking she wondered how long she had been out for. How many days had past since she was comfortably in her warm bed.

Chelsea managed to hitchhike a ride from a friendly couple. Dropping her off in the front of Fort Izzel’s headquarters they quickly went away after realising the kind of people she worked for. Storming into the front entrance she yield out for her fellow members, “ Loffy? Liar? Freddy? Annie?? JONO??” No answer. Walking into the main lounge area she slumps down onto a couch. She starts to breath deeply, trying to control herself and relax. Louis walks into the lounge room barely noticing her. “Louis!” She yells. Louis, being caught of guard, spins around reaching for his gun. He notices Chelsea and his body relaxes. “Damn it woman you scared the crap out of me!” Chelsea runs over to him and hugs him. “You wouldn’t believe the day I had. I was in prison!” Shock registers on Louis’ face. “What on earth? How?” he asks. “I have no idea. The last thing I remember was going to sleep at home after that failed OC we ran.” Louis looks at her confused. “Chelsea that was last night.” Chelsea’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean? I must have been gone for days or weeks or even months!!!” A tone of frustration rises in her voice as the day gets even more confusing. “No Chelsea we ran that OC last night and failed miserably. In fact you were wearing the exact same clothes.” She looks down at her clothes sighing and collapsing on the couch. “Then I don’t know what is going on” she mumbles. “Listen,” Louis says, “I am gonna find Jono and we will get this sorted out.” Louis walks out of the room rolling his eyes thinking Chelsea just had one too many drinks again.

Alone in the room the exhaustion of the day caught up to her and Chelsea’s eyes started to close. Hopefully Jono could make sense of it all she thought. Her eyes closed and darkness welcomed her.

YOUR SENTENCE IS UP. YOU ARE FREE TO GO.

Chelsea's eyes snap open. Again she is greeted by the grassy hills and sound of running water. “WHAT THE FUCK!!!” she yells. Turning around she sees the prison guard closing the gate. She runs over to him screaming at him through the wire fence. “Listen here you little shit you will tell me what games you are playing at or else!!!!” The prison guard only looked up at her smiling. Turning around he began to whistle while twirling his keys around his hand as he heads toward the watch tower. Again Chelsea had to find her way back to the headquarters. This time she took a bus, threatening the bus driver a beating if he didn't let her on for free.

Barging into the HQ she called out names only to be greeted by Louis. At seeing her he says, “Well hello there. Where did you run off to yesterday? By the time I brought Jono to see you you were gone.” “You fucking serious???” She asks, “The prison thing happened again. I fell asleep only to wake up standing outside the prison again.” Before Louis could respond Chelsea walked past him heading up the stairs leading towards Jono’s office. Going for his door she found Ajani greeting her. “Wow there Chelsea,” he says, “What's going on? You look like a mess.” “Thanks,” she snaps, “look I need to see Jono.” “Not armed you ain't, something's up with you and I ain’t taking any chances so hand your gun over.” “What? I don’t have my gun on…..” Chelsea cut herself short after feeling her gun still holstered on her thigh. How was she allowed to leave prison with a gun? Sighing she pulled her gun out and handed it to Ajani. Entering Jono’s office she spots him at the window overlooking The Loop with his arms clasp behind his back. “Can I help you Chelsea?” Despite everything she had been through that voice instinctively snapped obedience in her and she bows her head in respect lowering her tone. “Don Jono, please I need your help.” Chelsea told Jono what she had been going through but the moment she mentions waking up outside a prison Jono spun around. “Door!” He shouts and the door behind Chelsea slams shut and the clear sound of a lock turning echoes in the room. “Sit down Chelsea” He tells her. Chelsea takes a seat on the sofa opposite Jono’s desk and looks up at him.

“I guess someone should have told you this sooner but…..people don’t like to talk about it. Actually you may find that no one ever has talked about this, in public anyway. What happened to you happens to everyone.” Shock registers on Chelsea’s face, “What do you mean?" she asks. “Listen! This doesn’t happen always, might not happen for days or weeks or even months. Some people have even been blessed as to never have experienced it. We call it The Jailing. You go for a nap or sleep for the night you might wake up outside that city’s prison. Before you ask no one knows why this happens or how. This is something that the Gods do whether it be to laugh at us or play their little games. We do not question it because we do not understand it. Just deal with it. You can ask anyone who you were with the night before and they will all just say they turned away for a second or two and then you were gone. No one actually sees it happening. This is something you will have to learn to live with. It is a part of our life and the only ways to make it stop is if you never sleep or a bullet to the head though the last one has never actually been proven to work,” Jono chuckles. “But what about the prison guard! He must know what is going on.” Chelsea says. Jono shakes his head, “We call him Bubba. He is always the same guard which ever prison you end up. We think he works for the Gods or he could just be a prison guard who has been fucked with too. Doesn't matter cause he won’t speak to you unless it is to tell you that you are free to go.” Chelsea goes to ask another question but Jono cuts her off. “Door,” he says again and the door unlocks and opens and Anaji steps through it. “Take her to her home Ajani. She needs rest.” Looking back at her as she stands up he says. “We will never speak of this again and you will never ask anyone else. Consider this beyond everyone's pay grade.” Bowing her head in respect Chelsea leaves the room.

Back in her bed Chelsea’s mind was still twirling around with the idea of some mystical power that affects everyone but no one wishes to speak about it. If anyone else told her what really was going on she would have called them a liar for fabricating such child stories. But Jono saying it. It had to be true. Chelsea kept trying to stay up but eventually her body gave in and sleep overcame her.

YOUR SENTENCE IS UP. YOU ARE FREE TO GO.

Chelsea swore, it echoing around the prison.

Nothing is worse then jail time! I'm always afraid of bubba, and heaven forbid if Jono were to be in their too with me. 

Your story was a great account of what happened to you in jail and I thank you for sharing it. Hopefully next time you will just be able to walk away with a warning as nothing good happens in jail. well sometimes theres a decent party but as whole. 

And for the love of god run if you see bubba and NEVER drop the soap.

Loffy hear Chelsea talking about been in prison after been a sleep time after time, he think this is a little weird because he has experience the same a lot of times himself and he also cant remember how he got in prison or how long he has been there.

Is this a ting that happens to all of us that do some crimes ? Loffy wonder but he has never asked anybody if its like this 

He alaways thought that he had been drinking to much and that is thr reason for not remembering it but hearing this he realy starts to wonder.

Now Loffy wants to go to Delawere everytime he wants to get some sleep, hoping that the cops dont find him there 

The_Dutchman carefully pays attention to the information shared by Chelsea. He seems to be thinking for a moment.

"Hmm, yes, time in jail is something we all would like to avoid of course, but as risky as some business is, it cannot...
Me myself, surely also has done some time now and then, especially in my younger years when i was unexperienced and reckless.
And i must say, except for the scary Bubba of course, it does kind of make you stronger as a person, not to become too cliché though.
I certainly learned some stuff inside and around the jailhouse, made contacts, and actually had time to read...

Ahwell, it's just how you look at things in life, i suppose?"

Having said all that, The_Dutchman tips his hat towards Chelsea and the other people paying interest. Then he walks off into the city mob to continue his daily business, like anyone else. He disappears in the distance.