Alma worked the sewing-machine needle into her palm, worrying it under her flesh with barely perceptible gestures. She felt it slide into her skin, hoping she didn’t bleed and reveal her secret to the guard, who gazed tiredly at the prisoners from her hard metal chair. The guard looked at the inmates while they worked, but she didn’t really see them. Prison put a glaze on people’s eyes, like they were looking at you through fog, like you might not be real and they didn’t care much if you were.
She tossed her short, dark hair, all attitude and went back to sewing, trying not to get sad. Pedro roamed around in her head again, smiling his sweet smile and promising her she wouldn’t get caught if she did him one little favor. Yah, like magic one tiny favor turns into five years of her life. She’d do it again in a heartbeat. Again and again, mi querida.
Alma was pretty sure the guard hadn’t seen her hide the needle, and she knew the sisters hadn’t seen a damn thing, but she wasn’t sure of old Bonnie. Today, Alma’s fourteenth day at Grimmel Hills State (but who’s counting, right?), she already knew that Bonnie Yagach was the woman who knew everything — where to get your dope, who not to piss off, when the fights were gonna start, how to stand in the shower so you didn’t get hassled — everything.
The sisters looked up from their sewing machines, both turning Alma’s way, but they didn’t see anything. Both of them were stone blind, and Alma’d heard that behind their dark glasses sat four empty eyesockets. She’d heard that their eyeballs were plucked out by the birds at their sister’s wedding. Damn, she thought, ain’t that a raw deal.
Their hands moved the cloth evenly, dexterously, pushing the fabric through their sewing machines to make perfectly straight seams. This morning the guard boasted to Alma that neither sister had ever messed up a garment. Damn. She’d had to pull stitches out twice this morning and she had perfect 20/20.
“Can you believe that letter from Cindi?” said one of the sisters in a nasal voice. The other made a rude, guttural noise.
“Who the hell does she think she is, writing to us in here and telling us she’s living happily ever after?”
“She’s always been selfish,” said the other one. “Officer Healy says she still signs her name with little hearts over the ‘I’s.”
“Juvenile!”
“Idiotic!”
The lunch whistle blew and the inmates put away their work. When the guard gave the order, they lined up to be escorted to the cafeteria. The sisters helped each other up, tottering like toddlers on their thick, black orthopedic shoes.
Bonnie Yagach stood behind Alma and gently touched her hand, the hand with the secret needle. Alma was saving it so she could tattoo Pedro’s name inside her skin with ballpoint pen ink, so he’d be with her forever in here like he’d be with her forever in life.
“Are you gonna squeal?” asked Alma.
“Hell no,” Bonnie whispered, “why’m I care if you end up like those two fools. They cut off their heels and toes to marry Prince Charming and look where it got ‘em. Baby, I’d never mutilate myself for no man.”
Alma looked at the stumbling sisters, bitter, crippled and blind. Her heart felt cold. She inched the needle out of her palm, depositing it on the edge of the sewing table closest to her. The guard blew a harsh tweet on the whistle and the line of convicts slowly filed out of the room.
Michelle Klein‘s written work includes “His Mother’s Son”, a pirate fantasy story published in the anthology Black Sails. Her flash fiction stories “Stolen Kiss” and “Echo” were featured in Every Day Fiction. Michelle freelances for Talisman Studios. Michelle currently resides in Media, Pennsylvania with two redheaded pirates. One is bigger than the other.
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19 Responses to “MUTILATION • by Michelle Klein”
Comments
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December 8th, 2009 at 4:58 am
Great, dark take on the fable of the glass slipper. Sometimes love ain’t worth the consequences. Peace, Linda
December 8th, 2009 at 7:07 am
Always interesting to see what happens to ancillary characters in fairy tales. Glad they continue to teach others through their mistakes. I took Bonnie’s comments to be metaphorical until I read Linda’s comment and then on a second pass I got that “ah ha” moment.
No more reading stories before my first Diet Coke of the morning.
–John
December 8th, 2009 at 7:24 am
It wasn’t at all obvious until almost the very end that this was supposed to be a take on “Cinderella.” Most of the way through I was reading it as just a plain prison story. There should probably be more, earlier, hints as to what we are looking at. Also, while the two sisters are explained (eventually), “Alma,” “Pedro,” and “Bonnie” don’t seem to connect to the Cinderella theme … are they just there to provide a framework, or what?
December 8th, 2009 at 7:55 am
What a great, dark, twisted fairy tale – stepsisters, godmothers, princes and all. I love it, Michelle!
December 8th, 2009 at 8:05 am
I loved the fact that I learned that it was part of the Cinderella story a little farther into the story, and that Bonnie Yagach is really Baba Yaga – wonderful!
However, I guess my fairy tale lore isn’t all that complete or I might be able to figure out Alma’s story too . . . or is she not from an older fairy tale, but instead a new creation along with this story?
The only part of the story that I had trouble with is the title. I know it fits, but I almost didn’t read the story because I started thinking this was some kind of “circus of pain” type story.
December 8th, 2009 at 8:21 am
I’ll join in the uncertainty over Alma/Pedro – if they too are fairy tale characters then I didn’t get the reference, and therefore what Alma’s “crime” would have been (for that matter it isn’t really clear what the Ugly Sisters’ crime would be, either). It thus ended up, for me, falling unevenly between a twisted take on fairy tales and a genuine story about the price of love.
December 8th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Good story!
December 8th, 2009 at 9:01 am
I liked this story, it wasn’t evident to me at firs that it was centered around Cindrella eithier, but I really enjoyed it after I did. I had to read the story over twice to make sure that I didn’t miss anything.
I think Alma and Pedro were just ordinary characters to bring in the stepsisters and have us see them for a different point of view. I like that angle though.
December 8th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Great!
I’m afraid I missed the cinderella thing as well till near the very end, might have liked some early warnings but top marks for a good idea! I can’t blame a writer for my own folly, no matter how hard I might try.
December 8th, 2009 at 10:18 am
I like it. Thanks
December 8th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Great story! I loved the idea of a Cinderella story told in a women’s prison.
December 8th, 2009 at 11:19 am
I love the idea of a fairy tale version of “Where are they now?” When we read a tale that ends “and they lived happily ever after”, that usually only pertains to two characters or so. We tend to not really think about how all the rest lived after their original tale. This is a concept that could turn into a whole flash fiction series. Very well done!
December 8th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Thank you to everyone who commented. I’m glad you enjoyed ‘Mutilation’.
Bonnie Yagach is indeed Baba Yaga (good eye, Tyrean). Alma is not herself a fairytale character, though her name is not an accident (Alma means “soul”).
December 9th, 2009 at 8:20 am
What a wonderful follow up to the tale. I love the how much ‘voice’ you give each of the characters in such a short span of time.
Also? The fact that the reveal comes so late in the game seems like it’s done exactly how it should be to me. I like that I didn’t realize until near the end who the sisters and Bonnie are.
Delightful!
December 9th, 2009 at 9:52 am
I’ve probably read 12 books in my whole 38 years of life. I was never good at seeing double meanings or metaphors; I’m just not that bright.
But I enjoyed the story very much, even though I only read it on the surface. I am interested in these characters, and they make me care about what happens next.
The commenters above are telling you that it works on the deeper level. I’m telling you that it works on the simple, too.
Nicely done!
December 9th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Loved it!
December 9th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Great story, loved it!
December 13th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Little hearts over the I’s – our newspaper delivery girl does that and her trackshoes are quite tiny. Loved the story but now check to see if she’s being followed.
December 15th, 2009 at 1:14 am
Nice tale! I didn’t get any of the references (go me), but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Good job!