Vanished In Plain Sight

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Lewis!! Wake up!!” As the CO ran his stick across the bars of her cell, Misty quickly woke up while trying to gain her senses.

“Get your things together your being transferred!!” The stocky officer yelled.

“Transferred? Wait… I have visitation today!” Being transferred was the last thing Misty needed, she needed desperately to see her parents today. It had now been a month and there did not seem to be any movement in her case, or her appeals.

Between her parents, and her brothers, the family had managed to retain a defense attorney that was highly respected and knowledgeable in this type of case.

Sadly though, her parents had to put their home, that they had worked so hard for, up for collateral, but there was no question in doing that to save their daughter whom they loved very much and knew was innocent.

The five-hour drive to Tallahassee just about wore her aging parents out during the year, but they were dedicated to seeing their daughter at least once a week, no matter what. Her brothers would help where they could and would also visit as often as their busy schedules would allow, but Misty did not want anyone losing their jobs over her situation.

She understood and made it clear to each of them that if they could not make many visits to not take it hard, but she certainly loved the time together with them when they could.

“Not my concern! Order of the warden get your things packed, you’re heading to Lowell Correction Institute in Marion County, FL! Your parents will have to schedule with you there!” The irate CO yelled.

As Misty gathered her personal belongings, she was saddened to know that her parents would make the five-hour drive, only to find out that she was no longer there.

On the same hand however, she was relieved in knowing that Marion County, FL was just north of Ocala, FL, which was less than two hours from her parents’ home. This would take a huge load off her visitors, which mostly all lived in Tampa.

“May I please have a phone call to let my parents know not to come?” Misty pleaded with the irritated officer.

“Hurry up Lewis!” The officer yelled, exasperatedly blowing out his breath as he escorted her to the already crowded phones.

“Please pick up the phone,” Misty whispered to herself as she danced nervously back and forth on her feet as the irritated officer looked on.

As she listened to the bland recording stating to her father that he was receiving a phone call from the Florida State of Corrections, she could hear him yelling, “yes! I accept” at the same time, as if to hurry the recording along.

“Misty baby, are you ok!” Her father yelled through the receiver.

“Yes, dad I am fine, I don’t have long to talk, they are transferring me today, really soon to Lowell Corrections in Marion County. Please do not head this way, please say you have not left yet dad,” Misty cried into the phone as a single tear slid down her face.

“We have left baby, your mom and I are already on the road, but we are only about 45 minutes out. We will turn around now, don’t worry baby. We will see what we need to do to visit you in Lowell, don’t cry baby, we will get you through th…”

“Lewis times up let’s go!” The CO yelled drowning out her dad mid-sentence.

“I love you dad! Tell mom that I love her!” Misty yelled out as she heard her mom in the background questioning what was going on.

As the connection was lost, Misty was relieved to know that she saved her parents from the long drive, but now, she had to focus and get prepared mentally for what the new prison would be like. She was even more depressed now knowing she would have to start from the bottom all over again with a new set of hostile and dangerous women.

Lowell Corrections was the primary women’s correction facility in the state of Florida, and the largest female prison in the nation. The prison was also tarnished with an unbelievably bad reputation of how things had been conducted in the past.

Misty was fully aware that she could encounter anyone, that had done almost anything, including the prison guards themselves.

Prison was not a game, and Misty knew that all too well in the year she had already served. She did not consider anyone in there as a friend, but she had made a name for herself, and for the most part the women left her alone, but only after proving herself.

Life behind bars made Misty someone that she was not. In the beginning, she was picked on and bullied because she was the new, pretty girl. She was tried sexually on many occasions, and when she fought back it showed that she was not a coward.

Many inmates told her she had heart which she quickly understood was a good thing and was something that also gained a lot of respect in prison. She knew every day would be a fight for survival of some kind especially because of her looks.

As time passed, she gained prison respect from most of the inmates and luckily for Misty, and she was no longer on the target list. However, she knew all that was right back in front of her yet again, and she was terrified just thinking about it.

“Inmates face forward and do not cross that line!”

As the women stood shackled together, the intimidating COs paced back and forth with their rifles at attention as they barked orders before loading the bus for the almost three-hour trip to Lowell Corrections.

Misty thought she would get sick right there as she tried her best to mentally prepare. All she could think of was her fifty-year sentence. Her life would be over before it even had a chance to begin.

It saddened her to know how many things she would miss out on and how old she would be if she had to serve her full sentence. She would be almost seventy-five years old, and the thought alone shook her to her core.

Her parents would be dead, and she probably would not even be allowed to attend their funerals. Her brothers would probably have families, and unfortunately, she would miss out on being an aunt; miss out on all the holidays… birthdays, everything.

With all these sad thoughts, Misty did the one thing she could not do going forward, she broke down and sobbed like a baby in front of everyone. It was too much to even comprehend. Her life was going to be wasted because she trusted someone who never had her best interest at heart.

Misty knew she did not kill Elaine Stevenson, but she could not provide any answers to the night of the murder that made any kind of sense. Although the body was never recovered, the detectives felt they had a solid case and went ahead with charging Misty with murder in the first degree, based on what was left at the scene.

The evidence included a partial, severed finger that matched Elaine’s fingerprints, tons of blood that also matched Elaine’s blood type, large strands of hair that appeared to be pulled from the root that also matched Elaine’s DNA, and other various personal belongings that was scattered about the home.

The knife that was found at the scene was covered with Misty’s fingerprints, along with her own body fluids, which to the prosecution pointed to a struggle between the two women.

The case was made that during the violate encounter, Misty stabbed Elaine and, in the struggle, had somehow cut off a portion of her finger, while also pulling out her hair. In fear after realizing she killed her, Misty disposed of the body, and according to the prosecution, is refusing to disclose the location of her remains.

The thing that Misty, and her lawyer failed to convey to the jury was, if she did all of what she was accused of doing, why would she leave the scene like that… in such an utter disarray?

Misty was found the next day by police sleeping in her bed, covered in blood and with only a small cut on her arm. There were no drugs or alcohol found in her system, it was as if she had a sudden mental breakdown, and when Elaine came to visit, she was attacked and killed for no apparent reason.

There were so many details Misty could not remember, or that made sense that night, but she had a plenty of time to try to remember, and piece together as much as she could. Her life depended on it.

“Lewis! Get it together! No need to cry now! Do the crime do the time!” The guards were relentless and emotionless. They did not ever consider anyone’s innocence, especially if they made it that far.

As the last inmate was loaded on the bus, the large guard slammed the metal door that separated the inmates from the prison staff. The loud roar of the engine starting was surreal for Misty, she never would have imagined how much she could miss an engine, any engine starting, and as the rumble vibrated the seat that she sat on.

Looking for some resemblance of normalcy, Misty looked out the smeared window as tears began to form once again in her soft blue eyes. Oh, how she missed the trees, the roads, the smell of freshly cut grass, and the warm sun as it washed across her tanned face.

This had been the first real taste of freedom for her in an awfully long time. As the large, retrofitted transport bus passed the cars on the highway, she longed for her life back.

She watched in despair at the families as they laughed together in the cars, the women as they tried to put on their makeup during the drive to work, and the kids that slept in the back seats as their parents sped through the thick traffic.

She missed the hustle and bustle of traffic on the I-10, she never realized until that moment all the little things she had taken for granted.

“Aye! Get the hell up!”

Misty, who had drifted off to sleep was abruptly awakened by a hard tug, realizing that somewhere in the drive her pass thoughts had gotten the better of her.

“Sorry… I’m up… sor…,” Misty said to the inmate she was shackled to. Her sentence was cut short as she was yanked out of her seat and pulled along, almost falling as she struggled to get her footing.

As the inmates stood outside the bus, Misty felt a sharp pain shoot up her leg, realizing quickly that her ankle had been twisted as she was pulled down the steps of the bus by the irritated inmate.

Her attention was quickly diverted to a tall, well-dressed, and buff gentleman as he slowly approached the inmates. She watched silently as the enormous metal gates that he stood behind slowly slid apart after being ordered open.

“Attention ladies! I am the warden! And you will address me as Warden Lordon at all times while in my presence! I welcome you to Lowell Correction Institution!” The snarky warden demanded.

“I do not know your crimes individually at this moment, and I don’t care about your crimes, but you have arrived here for a reason, and you are here to serve out the time given to you for your crimes!” The warden yelled.

“Most inmates consider this their home, and although it will be your home for whatever amount of time you have to serve, I want to get one thing abundantly clear and understood right now! THIS IS MY HOUSE!” The warden shouted as spit flew from his mouth.

“And as long as you follow the rules of my house, your time here can be easy! However, your time here WILL BE difficult if you decide otherwise, the decision is yours! As was the decision for doing whatever you did to land here!” The stern warden continued.

“We did not ask you to come here, you chose to come here, so keep that in mind before you decide to do anything stupid! The decisions that you make while in my custody, will determine your quality of life in here! GUARDS!”