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I sit in my cell watching the old ceiling fan rotate and hum. I could hear the city noise and sirens from outside the tiny window of my cell. It was a constant reminder of a life of freedom I once had, but it seems impossible for me now.
I could never have imagined I would one day end up here, surrounded by walls and cold metals. The incessant rotation of the fan pulls me back to the memories of betrayal and hurt I carry with me like a bad omen.
As my head continued to spin with the rhythm of the old fan, I replayed my last visit to my ex's mansion, his girlfriend, my younger sister, Mirabel Dawn, had just put to bed a bouncy baby boy and Bryan Argol, my once cherished lover, was hosting a party. Hearing this news at first, I cried my eyes out that night but decided I should be there for my little nephew, Cole Argol.
I recalled how the music had died down when I stepped into the grand hall. This was the life that should have been mine. I was bitter with frustration and the pain of their betrayal was unbearable.
But I managed to wear an indifferent smile that night. The silence in the air was suffocating as everyone cast pitiful and cautious glances at me.
No one expected me to show up but I did. My mind went from the scenario of the evening to the smile on Cole's face. He was a lovely child and I wondered why anyone would have a reason to kidnap such a sweet soul. But here I am, framed for such a crime.
I also recounted in my head the event of the evening that changed my fate. It was an ordinary evening, just like every other night shift at the urban lounge where I worked, The Brass. located at an alley in Downtown Queens.
It was a spot for bohemian artists and other patrons. I had tried to put my head into my work all through the many days that followed the event at Bryan Argol's mansion where I had to take in the reality of my lost happiness.
I spent several nights at The Brass working and trying to drown my head in the whispers of gossip and the sounds of clinking cocktail glasses that floated through the lounge.
I never imagined that this one night would change my whole life forever. I had been busy behind the counter pouring drinks into glasses when the sound of sirens filled the air, cutting through the sound of music and the voices of drunk customers. Thus, transforming The Brass into a scene of utter chaos. My senses heightened and I was on edge.
I watched as the uniformed officers rushed through the door shouting at the top of their voices. Most customers had already fled in different directions feeling guilty for reasons best known to them. I didn't try to run because I didn't feel like I had to.
But harsh reality dawned rapidly on me when the officers approached the counter where I stood. I, Tessy Dawn, was accused of kidnap, a monstrous crime that, even at my darkest moment, I could not think of committing. How could I have kidnapped an innocent child? The question spun in my head over and over again. I was too shocked to move. I could remember the mixture of emotions I felt in that instant: anger, frustration, and confusion.
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