[ THE PRICE OF FREEDOM! ]

Prologue

Behind Bars

[ Season Five ]

" I'm not even Mexican, I'm Filipino! "

~ NESSA TRAGER 

☆《》¤ 

NESSA TRAGER HAD NEVER BEEN ONE TO BACK DOWN, but this time, she was outnumbered. A group of women, faces twisted in rage, circled her like vultures, their fists landing blow after blow. Nessa fought back with everything she had, but their punches were like the weight of the world crashing down on her, each one a reminder of the life she'd tried to escape.

"We run this prison, you little latino bitch!" one of the women sneered, her hand yanking Nessa's hair to the side as another landed a knee to her stomach. The rest of the group laughed, enjoying the display of violence.

Nessa gasped for air, her vision blurring. She couldn't take much more of this, "I'm not even Mexican," she spat, her words slurring with pain. "I'm Filipino!"

The group paused, momentarily confused by her words. It wasn't the first time someone had mistaken her ethnicity in this hellhole, but this time, it didn't matter. She was just another target, another outcast in a world where survival meant staying on the right side of the lines.

Before they could react, a sharp voice cut through the tension.

"Hey!" The voice was strong, commanding, and unfamiliar to Nessa. 

The women turned, momentarily distracted. From the corner of the room, Tara Knowles stepped forward, eyes locked on Nessa. There was something about her, something defiant in her stance, as if she wasn't afraid of the chaos that filled the room.

"You wanna pick on someone, you pick on me," Tara said, her voice low but full of authority. The other women hesitated, sizing her up.

Tara didn't wait. She lunged at the nearest attacker, her body moving with purpose as she knocked the woman off Nessa. In seconds, Tara was in the thick of it, taking on the group with an aggression that surprised even Nessa. The women tried to fight back, but Tara was a force they hadn't anticipated.

With a final, swift move, Tara slammed one of the attackers into the wall, sending the group scattering. Breathing heavily, Tara turned to Nessa, who was still kneeling on the floor, struggling to catch her breath. Her lip was split, and there was a bruise forming on her cheek, but she was alive.

"You good?" Tara asked, her voice softer now, but still with a hardened edge.

Nessa, her chest heaving with effort, nodded slowly, "I think so..."

Tara extended a hand, helping her up. Nessa's hand shook slightly as she gripped it, still in disbelief that someone had stepped in, someone had actually cared enough to stop the beating.

"You've got a lot of fight in you," Tara said with a half-smile, brushing the dirt off Nessa's prison jumpsuit. "But in here, you need to know when to fight and when to get help—Friends are everything." 

Nessa met her gaze, something stirring inside her. For the first time in a long while, she didn't feel entirely alone, "I'm Nessa," she said, her voice shaky but sweet. 

"Tara," she replied. "Welcome to the crazy world of prison, Ness. But trust me, it's not as bad as the world out there."

Nessa almost laughed at the irony, "I think it's worse in here."

Tara's eyes softened just a bit, a flicker of understanding passing between them, "You might be right," she said quietly. "But it's the only world we've got for now."

And in that moment, Nessa realised something that would stick with her for the rest of her life: sometimes, the people who save you aren't the ones you expect, but they're the ones you need most.

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