42. A Cell
Summary
- The main character, Kya, is incarcerated in a county jail cell. The cell is a small, dreary cement room with a barred window, a wooden bed, a sink, and a wooden-crate table. The only allowances made for Kya as the first female inmate are a gray plastic curtain for privacy and a picture of Jesus above the sink.
- Kya spends her time observing her surroundings - looking out the window at the sea, watching dust motes in the shaft of light, and dissecting strands of her hair. She considers her situation and the language used to describe it, wondering when humanity decided to switch from using the word 'cage' to 'cell'.
- Two other male inmates spend their time jabbering about fights they’ve begun and speculating about Kya’s chances of receiving the death penalty, a sentence that has not been carried out on a woman in 20 years. They are serving thirty days for starting a bar fight.
- Kya is not scared of death but instead is horrified by the thought of her death being planned and scheduled by another's hand.
- She recites and reflects on a poem, "Broken Gull of Brandon Beach," which speaks of loss, injury, and death, seemingly reflecting her own circumstances.
- Unable to sleep because of the stress and uncertainty of her situation, she often finds herself stuck in a state between wakefulness and sleep. She counts the hours and waits for her upcoming trial.