Naomi Grim: Complete Novel (Parts 1-4) (The Silver Scythe Chronicles) by Tiffany Nicole Smith
Authors: Tiffany Nicole Smith
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Chapter 34
Guards walked through the halls yelling, "Lights out!" I
turned my light off and curled up on the cot. It hurt my body, and there wasn't
even a pillow to rest my head on nor a blanket to cover myself with. I thought
about my comfortable bed at home and how I would never sleep there again. I
prepared myself for a restless night.
I forced myself to close my eyes. I heard the murmur of snoring
coming from the outside cells. I envied their ability to fall asleep. I wasn't
sure what time it was. If I had to guess, I would say it was about two or three
o'clock in the morning when I heard a knock on the door of my cell. I rose from
my cot and went to the door. No one was there. I figured it had just been a
guard passing by so I turned back toward my cot.
"Naomi," called a gravelly voice.
I turned. I knew that voice. "Dunstan? You got your cloak
back." I remembered the last time I'd seen it; it had been in the hands of
Doyle. I wondered how he had gotten it to Dunstan without Dunningham noticing.
"Are you okay?"
"For now. They're going to kill me in three days."
"Don't worry, my dear. Everything is going according to plan.
Your execution will be the perfect distraction." "What?
What does that mean?" I wished Dunstan wasn't invisible right then. I
needed to see his face.
"Naomi, you
cost us a lot. It's only right that you pay us back. The day of your execution,
every Grim in Nowhere will be in one place at the same time. Their guard will
be down. It'll be the perfect time for us to attack."
I
heard Dunstan's feet drag across the floor and assumed he was leaving.
"Wait!" I called. "Is that going to be before or after my
execution?"
Dunstan
breathed deeply. "I can't be sure, dear."
I
would have appreciated a definitive answer to my question.
A
noise came from the end of the hallway. "I have to go," Dunstan said
hurriedly.
The
sound of a guard's heavy footsteps made their way closer and closer to my cell.
A bright light shone in my face. I shielded my eyes with my hands.
"Back
in bed!" the guard ordered. I couldn't see him because of the light, but I
backed away and returned to my cot. My growling stomach wouldn't allow me to
sleep. I lay awake hoping for breakfast time to arrive.
* * *
After
what seemed like an eternity later, deep voices bellowed throughout the
hallway. "Up! Wake up!" The yelling was accompanied by a loud
clanking sound. I rose and looked out of the small window of my cell door, my
body sore from the hard cot. The guards ran their nightsticks against the bars
of the cells.
I
sat on my cot, wondering what would happen next. It had been a sleepless night
for me. I would fall asleep for a few minutes and then wake up, hoping this was
all just a nightmare that would be over when the sun came up. But sunrise came
and I was still locked in a filthy prison cell. After a moment, my cell door
popped open. "Let's go. Hop in line," said a surly-looking guard.
I
followed his instructions. When I exited the cell, a long single-file line of
men were headed downstairs. I was last in line. A guard stood directly behind
me.
I
wished for shoes as my feet slid across the gritty concrete. The bottoms of my
feet were already blackened with dirt, and I wanted to wash them. Feeling
filthy, I wondered when I would be able to shower again. By the offensive odors
being released from the men, I concluded that showering wasn't a daily thing.
We
went down two flights of stairs to get to the cafeteria. There I joined the
massive line waiting to be served breakfast. I spotted the women prisoners—less
than ten—already eating at a table on the far side of the cafeteria. I guessed
my offense was too great for me to be included with them.
I
stood in line for what seemed like forever, only to receive a bowl filled with
gray gruel and a hard piece of bread. Being famished, I was
Guards walked through the halls yelling, "Lights out!" I
turned my light off and curled up on the cot. It hurt my body, and there wasn't
even a pillow to rest my head on nor a blanket to cover myself with. I thought
about my comfortable bed at home and how I would never sleep there again. I
prepared myself for a restless night.
I forced myself to close my eyes. I heard the murmur of snoring
coming from the outside cells. I envied their ability to fall asleep. I wasn't
sure what time it was. If I had to guess, I would say it was about two or three
o'clock in the morning when I heard a knock on the door of my cell. I rose from
my cot and went to the door. No one was there. I figured it had just been a
guard passing by so I turned back toward my cot.
"Naomi," called a gravelly voice.
I turned. I knew that voice. "Dunstan? You got your cloak
back." I remembered the last time I'd seen it; it had been in the hands of
Doyle. I wondered how he had gotten it to Dunstan without Dunningham noticing.
"Are you okay?"
"For now. They're going to kill me in three days."
"Don't worry, my dear. Everything is going according to plan.
Your execution will be the perfect distraction." "What?
What does that mean?" I wished Dunstan wasn't invisible right then. I
needed to see his face.
"Naomi, you
cost us a lot. It's only right that you pay us back. The day of your execution,
every Grim in Nowhere will be in one place at the same time. Their guard will
be down. It'll be the perfect time for us to attack."
I
heard Dunstan's feet drag across the floor and assumed he was leaving.
"Wait!" I called. "Is that going to be before or after my
execution?"
Dunstan
breathed deeply. "I can't be sure, dear."
I
would have appreciated a definitive answer to my question.
A
noise came from the end of the hallway. "I have to go," Dunstan said
hurriedly.
The
sound of a guard's heavy footsteps made their way closer and closer to my cell.
A bright light shone in my face. I shielded my eyes with my hands.
"Back
in bed!" the guard ordered. I couldn't see him because of the light, but I
backed away and returned to my cot. My growling stomach wouldn't allow me to
sleep. I lay awake hoping for breakfast time to arrive.
* * *
After
what seemed like an eternity later, deep voices bellowed throughout the
hallway. "Up! Wake up!" The yelling was accompanied by a loud
clanking sound. I rose and looked out of the small window of my cell door, my
body sore from the hard cot. The guards ran their nightsticks against the bars
of the cells.
I
sat on my cot, wondering what would happen next. It had been a sleepless night
for me. I would fall asleep for a few minutes and then wake up, hoping this was
all just a nightmare that would be over when the sun came up. But sunrise came
and I was still locked in a filthy prison cell. After a moment, my cell door
popped open. "Let's go. Hop in line," said a surly-looking guard.
I
followed his instructions. When I exited the cell, a long single-file line of
men were headed downstairs. I was last in line. A guard stood directly behind
me.
I
wished for shoes as my feet slid across the gritty concrete. The bottoms of my
feet were already blackened with dirt, and I wanted to wash them. Feeling
filthy, I wondered when I would be able to shower again. By the offensive odors
being released from the men, I concluded that showering wasn't a daily thing.
We
went down two flights of stairs to get to the cafeteria. There I joined the
massive line waiting to be served breakfast. I spotted the women prisoners—less
than ten—already eating at a table on the far side of the cafeteria. I guessed
my offense was too great for me to be included with them.
I
stood in line for what seemed like forever, only to receive a bowl filled with
gray gruel and a hard piece of bread. Being famished, I was
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