Cell Block 8: Araminta's Story

By Tasia Lawrence

Out of a small town in Illinois, 15-year-old Araminta is one of the best athletes among her peers. The rising track star has just begun her sophomore year in high school when her future is shattered. Araminta is falsely accused and placed in a women's prison. She is cut off completely from her family and the outside world. Once inside, Araminta discovers the sinister plan behind her entrapment. Her fight for survival begins when her innocence is threatened and a dark empire is exposed. Araminta stumbles upon her last opportunity to flee. She can risk her life and expose their secrets to the world or spend the rest of her life at the mercy of her captors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tasia Lawrence
• Release date: Sep 2, 2020

Book preview

Cell Block 8:

Araminta’s Story

A Novel

By Tasia Lawrence

Cover design by Tasia Lawrence

Copyright © 2020 Tasia Lawrence

All rights reserved

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means without written permission from the publisher.

The purchase of this book does not include reseller rights. For personal use only.

Contents

Chapter 1 Araminta

Chapter 2 Modesty

Chapter 3 Monday

Chapter 4 Danai

Chapter 5 Espionage

Chapter 6 Sable

Chapter 7 Extrication

Chapter 8 The Game Plan

Chapter 9 Cargo

Chapter 10 Cohesion

Chapter 11 Run the Gamut

Chapter 1 Araminta

I was framed, ok! It’s not mine! 15-Year-old Araminta shouts.

Araminta is surrounded by her school administrators and police officers as she pleads her innocence. There have been multiple reports of hard drug dealing at her prestigious school and all the student’s belongings have been searched. A significant amount of cocaine was found in Araminta’s gym bag.

Araminta is one of the star athletes at her school and the fastest student track runner in her town of Mayfield.

We can’t have this type of press at my school! Araminta’s principal states.

You’re free to take her. Just make this go away. All of this attention will interfere with our schools funding, and the good students will have to suffer! The principal adds while glaring at Araminta.

All you have to do is investigate! Check the surveillance footage, question people. My innocence could easily be proven if you all really wanted the truth! Araminta shouts.

We’ll need to get in touch with the girl’s parents. We need their contact information since she is a minor. One of the officers says.

The principal complies and they take Araminta away, while completely ignoring her request for an investigation.

15-year-old Araminta is taken into an interrogation room and a bag of cocaine is tossed in front of her.

I am a minor! My parents, and a LAWYER!

Araminta perks up and spells out the word lawyer as she lists her demands.

If you’ve done nothing wrong you should have no problem talking to us about the coke and how it got into you bag. One short, chubby officer says as he leans over the table.

Araminta sits straight up in her chair and addresses officer Faukler by name. She suggested they dust the bag of drugs for fingerprints to find the culprit. The two officers look at one another, grab the evidence and step out of the room. While in the room alone, Araminta tries to remember everything her mother told her about her rights and how to conduct herself while interacting with the police. She concluded that she would not say anymore until, at least one of her parents had arrived.

My name is Sable Silver and you have my daughter Araminta! Araminta lifts her head and gleams at the sound of her mother’s voice. Araminta hears commotion beyond the one-way mirror in the in the interrogation room. She attempts to rush toward the door to reach her mother, but she is cuffed to the table and forced to remain. Sable enters the room and looks her daughter square in the eye.

Araminta, talk to me!

Sable says while leaning over the table toward her daughter.

Mom I didn’t do this! They said they found drugs in my bag, but I don’t do drugs. I’ve never even seen any up close before they showed it to me! Araminta cries out.

She’s not going anywhere until her bail hearing tomorrow. Officer Faukler says from outside of the room. Sable leans in closer to Araminta and speaks in a low, stern voice.

I don’t know what’s going on here, but I need you to be strong while I work on getting you out of this mess. Don’t worry. Everything will be alright. Sable leaves the room and the police station without saying a word to anyone else on her way out. The interrogation room door is closed behind Sable and Araminta is left in the room until night fall.

Araminta is jolted out of her sleep by two men wearing armored suits. They cuff her hands behind her back and lead her out of the room. The men are silent as they place her in a prison transport van. When Araminta asks her escorts if they are taking her to her court hearing they chuckle amongst themselves and offer no reciprocity. Sometime into the drive with the strange men Araminta realizes they are well beyond her familiar surroundings. Her local courthouse is only a short drive into town. Araminta is now fully aware of the lies that were told to separate her from her mother. Araminta is frozen in fear as she sits helplessly in the back of the van, while at the mercy of strangers. Streetlamps fade into the distance as they merge onto a dark highway overlooking the black ocean.

The Dawn breaks and the sun peers through in the distance. They pull up to a wide grey building surrounded by metal poles, bolts of electricity oscillating in between them. A sign that reads Huxley Penitentiary is affixed to the front of the building.

I’m going to prison? I didn’t even do anything wrong! Araminta screams hysterically as she kicks the seats and windows around her, trying to break free. The guards rush to Araminta and try to gain control of her.

I know my rights! I have a right to a fair trial! Araminta shouts during the match of tug of war. One of the men restrains Araminta’s arms while the other places shackles on her feet. Her hair a mess and her clothes disheveled, Araminta is led into the building feeling defeated.

Aye young blood. Welcome home! A janitor acknowledges Araminta as he sweeps the entrance of the facility.

Araminta is processed, striped of her belongings and escorted to the general population area. A short and stout female guard hands Araminta a stack of dark grey bed linens and toilet trees and leads the way. They walk down