CHAPTER SIX
“Next,” a gruff voice said.
Mia stepped forward, feeling like she was in the midst of some terrible fever dream. Around her, the gray walls of the prison seemed to clench, growing ever-smaller, the farther she stepped inside.
The bus ride from the courthouse had been surreal. She’d looked out at the neighborhoods she’d considered to be her home for most of her life, wondering if she’d ever have freedom again. Even just the thought of walking through the thick grass of her lawn seemed impossible now. Breathing the air. Feeling something other than this massive weight, pressing down on her.
At the front of the line, a woman behind a wire mesh netting said, “Name?”
“Mia North,” she said in a wobbly voice that wasn’t her own.
The woman marked something on her computer and mot
