Last day: it was as if the evening was one big blurr. Becky was in her nightgown.

She had said her prayers, and was getting ready to read a little bit before calling it a day.  Was around 10 that she fell asleep.  Seemed like a few moments later, when she heard a loud crash - from inside her unit.  It was the front door.  Before she had time to think, she found herself being rough-handled, and hurled into the back of a van.  Within, were several sobbing others - along with the smell of varying stages of both fresh and stale pee and solid matter.  If the van wasn't smelly enough, the holding cell was ... she threw up.  Well, she more less dry-gagged, but enough to sprinkle the front of her nighty, and the old robe she slept in.  With neither socks nor slippers on her wet bruised feet, she shivered.  The cell, through crowded, had a chill about it.

Near the one corner, a little boy was sobbing, "I'm so scared."  He kept his murmurings low.  Discernment?  The kid didn't look much older than five or six.  His mother appeared nowhere in sight.  She may have been in one of the "last chance" interrogation rooms, or have already been "dealt with - and disposed."  Or, like countless other kids, simply abandoned.  

It wasn't as if Becky had just fallen off the melon truck.  She knew what was happening, and it scared - literally - the shit out of her.  

Lord no, don't let me cave, she murmured softly.

The kid's small voice moaned again, "I'm so scared."  Beside him, stood - since there was really no place to sit - besides upon the floor, which was filthy - a what appeared to have been trucker - and boy, did he look worked over.  "Kid, I'm scared too."  The two didn't appear even remotely related, but the man was, well as best as he could, was looking out for the little guy.

Hours passed.  Becky's ankles were swelling up from the cold standing.  She was able to lean against the wall, for a little while.  But there were others, and besides the stupid wall was cold, and, of course, damp too.  Neither did she talk to anyone - well except one or two people, but very briefly.  It was known there would be atleast one or two plants.

Becky's number was up.  She was none to politely led into one of the rooms.  As predicted, she was offered the last chance to "cooperate" - for the greater good, of course.  What she didn't expect was.  Why the calmness?  Why wasn't she shaking like a leaf in last September's storm?  Why wasn't she crying like a river?  

When the offer - for lack of better terms - was made, she politely responded with, "I can't do that."

"WHY?"  The interrogator's response was followed by a the usual diatribe - and peppered with a rather foul smelling shower of - a drug nearing the strung-out stage.  Anyone who's been out of the house lately, has seen it, has smelled it.

Anyway, to wrap this up - cause, Dear Reader, i really need to get back to 2021 - the interrogator had a melt down.  Fortunately, and mercifully, Becky was spared the unspeakable abuse that went on in such places.  

Well, not just yet.  The interrogator was furious - about some personal issues, namely about a stiffed pay rate.  And the repo.  There was nothing more embarrassing than being seen driving to work in a .... it didn't matter.  For all the bragging, the others were dishing it back, and then some.

Anyway, whatever had set off the interrogator, Becky didn't see it coming.  Happened so fast.

She was dead before hitting the heated cement floor.

Needless to say, not an hour later, the interrogator was the one begging mercy.  For not following procedure, the, now ex interrogator had five minutes to clear out locker #9.  No uc of course.  And yeah, the landlord would - in this case, with no court drama or cost - be able to rent the apartment within days.  Anything left behind, the landlord was legally able to dispose or sell, with no legal snags, whatsoever.

Oh, for some reason, nobody could figure, why all the hub-bub over some old broad who died of a broken neck.  Before dawn, someone from the janitorial staff had been directed to remove the body, and throw it in the "bio hazard" dumpster.