Five months, three weeks, two days;
I crossed the tally on the wall as another day began. Alan was still snoring loudly upon the bunk, probably dreaming about causing a mass genocide or such.
I gazed out the window at the glittering moon in all its fullness. Partially shielded by grey clouds and surrounded by sparkling stars.
Although dim, it was enough for me to make out the words in Joey's book.
"Come to me, and I'll give you rest." I just had to take this necessary pause after that verse. I mean, how accurate was that? Top notch.
There was this point in everybody's lives where you'd feel emptiness even when there could be everything around you. The point when your possessions and people around suddenly meant little.
It was the insatiability of Mankind. Most people would then go down this path of self realisation in search for peace.
I've been there, walking down the exact path hopelessly. I still am, honestly.
Trying to let go of everything and everyone so I could achieve self realisation within the secluded walls of prison.
Just months ago, I was scared of spending my entire life in here, until Noah proposed a plan. I was going to leave jail! Before then though, I'd have to achieve all I came here for.
With that in mind, I concluded that this was the truest verse in the book.
"What…what are you doing?" Alan muffled the words out carelessly it almost did not sound English.
"None of your business." Sighing, I simply replied.
He muttered something that sounded like a grunt as sleep slowly befell him once more. But I did hear "deal with you by morning."
Hours later, we all were strolling along the hallway at the break of dawn.
Most people still had sleep tempting their eyelids while we followed behind the guard.
It was a Saturday morning of Autumn, the day of the week in which we could go outside but within the fenced premises in the name of recreation.
"Morning, Jeff," Jayden bumped against my side from nowhere, a grin along his mouth.
Well, that was new. "What do you say you teach us a few moves just for a change?"
And there I was thinking if I still remembered how to fight.
The first melee of inmates had begun their descent down the stairs, armed police guards on either side in case anything happened. Right then, I noticed Butcher ahead while he cast a scowl over his brother and I, one that held every sort of dark emotion I was almost disturbed.
However, I remembered I'd left Jay's question still hanging. "I'm not sure I still remember how to punch." Lie.
My fists were twitching endlessly for that one time when either Butcher or Alan crossed my path or pulled my tolerance string beyond its limits. Better if they cooperate, they'd be literal smashing of teeth.
The set Jay and I strolled along with were making it down the stairs now. It's either the group in charge of sanitation today did a bad job at cleaning up or some folks decided to save shower for later.
Either way, a furious smell teased my nostrils, like the dead stench of dried blood. I would not be in the least surprised if I was told this stairway was once a war zone. But then, the light at the end of the tunnel began to show in little glimpses.
It was certainly not my first time leaving the building. Neither was it my first glimpse of sunlight outside the walls. However, something to it looked different, better, more promising.
"My brother there and his bluds might want to check you out some time later, just for the record," Jayden's words snapped me out of memory land, taking me into that of contempt instead.
So promising…
Was it safe accumulating this number of enemies just by being myself? I wasn't sure, time would tell. With a frown, I just nodded to him and finally stepped through the final doorway.
The beam from the radiant sun forced my eyes to narrow. Soon after, I took my attention down to study the premises.
Over a hundred square meters covered with tarmac filled the entire premises, staged into sections for each sport the prisoners practiced. Too bad I was the only boxer here who got himself into jail.
Several hateful eyes fell on me that very instant while I strode side by side with Jay; Alan's crew, Butcher's crew, and a couple more I didn't care to remember.
The only thing still keeping me untouched till now was the security placed on me.
Little did I know it was about to be my worst day yet.
The next two hours were spent on mainly whiling about or tossing basketball. They were the only hours we got to do that in an entire week.
I was as good at it as a turtle was fast; horrible. Funny how the only sport that made me gladdened was that which caused people to bleed. Did that make me sadist?
Never had I pictured myself spending two hours passing a brown ball around in circles in the name of recreation. It made me want to puke. You know what was worse?
The hateful eyes continued to stare, and it felt like a strange weight upon my shoulders that sent shivers and darkness down my spine.
A minute sect of me turned afraid_cautious, hoping Cyrus and his guards never let me out their sights for any reason.
Strong as I might be, I wasn't sure I could take down Alan and Butcher combined, not to speak of their flies.
"Yo," I heard a familiar voice yell from above me. "You good?"
From where I sat, slumped over, I struggled to raise my head to meet Jayden's concerned stare. With sweat drooling down my face, I squinted at him out of extreme fatigue. "Yeah, I'm good. Completely dehydrated though."
Right after, the muscles of my neck weakened considerably and my head bowed once more.
His hand tapped my arm soon after he snickered. "Come along. Let's go find some water."
At the sound of that, my legs suddenly gained a few more bones and I was up on my feet and staggering behind Jayden.
At that moment, a terrible feeling befell me, like I was doing something wrong. Totally wrong.
However, I'd pushed the thought away soon enough to laugh about the convo we'd kicked up.
A little door led to the back of the building, somewhere tagged "Emergency exit."
I was just a follower at that moment and I slipped in right after Jay.
Once more, darkness enveloped us, with only a flickering bulb above acting as lighting. Deep down, my heart pounded, making me spare one more glance at the door behind us. That was when I got to understand why I'd had a terrible feeling about getting hydrated.