All Eight Must Fall

by MemoryLane

Where The Grass Grows Black

The fires that beckoned to us townsfolk were barely unnerving at this point anymore. It was a sight that everyone here had gotten used to. The loud bangs, the soft cries, those were the sounds that rotted my mind incessantly. Although, people still couldn’t seem to give up hope. It’s been fifteen years, fifteen, since the whole tragedy began. Yet people still had time to sit down with their families in rundown homes, huddling against a fire, and tell themselves that everything was going to be just fine.
I didn’t know whether to pity them, or praise them. Their determination always impressed me. I held onto hope for quite some time, but the realizations that had crept upon me as I slept have almost slowly driven me to insanity. Until I was forced to face the undeniable truth. But then again, when was the last time I got any decent sleep? A few days? A week or so? It was all a giant blur, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
I’ve always been known as a troublesome child, or so I was told. My folks have always told me exactly that, although they’ve always wanted the best for me. I was naive, back then. It could be argued that I was still that way right now, but sometimes, I enjoyed it. I liked being able to blissfully lie back, every now and then, and get my head off of the troubles, that currently plagued me, as well as the rest of this god-forsaken... everything.
The frequent cries of my neighbors, hardly woke me up anymore, when I actually slept, that is. The only things able to disturb me are the inevitable tittering of gunfire in the distance, and another persons touch. However, I haven’t felt the latter in such a long time, though I hardly missed it. If someone touched or grabbed you nowadays, chances were it’s for the wrong reasons.
I had to be honest, even with that in consideration, I didn’t do much to help my situation. It’s practically a war zone outside, and I was cooped up, alone, in some sort of wooden shack in a backyard. I was not entirely sure of what to call it, as the residents didn’t exactly know I lived there. In my defense, the previous owners were nowhere to be found, and I still hadn’t gotten in contact with them. I was slowly running out of food, and I was very sure that there was some inside of the home. I most likely would have made my way inside by then, despite the fact that the windows and doors were practically boarded shut.
It’s every man for himself now, and everyone knew that. I was by no means proud of the thoughts I had, or the things I did. They just didn’t seem to have effective consequences. The police and the government had all fallen. The United States were no longer united. Everything has dispersed, and it was sickening. The President was long gone, and no one has any idea where he went. Some say he went to a private island somewhere off the coast of Brazil to wait until it all died down, while others say he was simply assassinated by his own guards in his sleep.
It all started about fifteen years ago, when I was only two years old. It was a long talked about rumor. I was pretty sure I had read somewhere that North Korea’s threats dated back fifty years, give or take a decade. They hated us. They hated what we did, our selfish  tendencies, our title as the dominative country. The whole oil debacle. They didn’t like us one bit, so when we as Americans laughed off their threats, they took to action.
They spent those fifty years plotting, scheming an idea to shut us up for good, until someone finally raised a finger. A lightbulb most likely appeared over their head as they said, “I might have an idea!”

In 2062, it happened.

The North Korean’s finally found a way to destroy us, with help from a few middle eastern countries, they proceeded to bomb Washington DC on New Years Day. No, the bomb was not small, it didn’t just tear down a wall. The bomb was of something that us American’s have never yet experienced first hand, and some terrorist had somehow smuggled into the White House. It was noted as being “untraceable”, although I highly doubted that.
The bomb destroyed two things: Majority of Massachusetts, and the sanity of every single American with some access to media or word of mouth. Needless to say, the United States lashed out at the first possible foe of whom came to mind: North Korea. We happened to be correct, but to put it bluntly, we were kind of stupid. We prepared for a rebound: an opposing attack on the North Korean government.
With the help of the middle easterners, America was decimated.
We were forced to retreat back to our home turf, however, the panic that had been created was causing nationwide panic. Since then, various countries all over the world wanted to get their revenge on the states, placing bombs and destroying more of what little we had left afterwards. They still kept coming as we speak.
People had begun to revolt. What confused me was that people rioted against the White House and the president more than those across the seas actually doing the damage. Most of the soldiers had left the army by then, fearing their own selves and wishing to spend what could be their last moments of their lives with their families. The police were unable to keep up with the vast amount of murders, burglaries, and vandalisms anymore. They occasionally tried to keep order, but most see their attempts as a joke, or a waste of time. Sometimes, I reflect back on it and just sigh to myself..
So now, it’s everyone for themselves. Your life could end at any moment, and there would be absolutely no justice. It’s horrible, but it’s just life. What’s left of humanity was long gone, and only a scarce amount of it remained.
        It had been a long day, and it was about to be an even longer night for me. I opened the door to my wooden, and rather rundown shack, my dark-skinned hand trembling just a little bit as I reached for the door handle. I was always nervous about coming home, as there was always a chance for someone to have snuck inside while I was out, as I have no way to lock said door. I let out a sigh of relief as I peeked inside, only to discover that it was indeed empty, and in the exact same condition as I had previously left it that morning. I chuckled dumbly to myself before something white in my peripheral vision caught my attention.
        I groaned. Great. Another “mission’. Or that’s what I liked to call them, at least. It made it sound just a little bit cooler. I grasped the piece of paper that was taped to the door, almost ripping it as I brought it up to my face.

The last part was written and underlined multiple times. With another groan , I memorized the address and crumpled up the letter. I threw it arrogantly on the ground as I stomped inside my shack, tracing my fingertips over a still throbbing lump on the back of my head.
They didn’t need to threaten me anymore. I didn’t like doing it, but I knew the consequences that would occur if I didn’t obey. To be honest, I didn’t entirely know what to call their... group. It’d make sense to say a gang, or something. They’re always harassing me for my things. They had a good reason too, as I’m the only one who could easily supply them on such short notice.

I stared at the inside of my shack, which really wasn’t much. To my left was an extremely small bed that was about two sizes too small for me. It was very uncomfortable, but until I can find a better one, it’s the best that I could get right about now. To my right was my desk, where practically all the magic happened.

I feel like I should explain this now. No, I was not a druggie.

I grabbed my backpack and hurled it on top of the desk and took a seat on the chair. I took every single thing out it, all while grumbling to myself. Luckily, I had gotten enough supplies to be able to make what they need, and have some left over for myself. Something that I managed to pull from my backpack consisted of some firecrackers, smoke bombs, and a few fireworks until I finally found my special sack of gunpowder. It’s impossible to find this stuff nowadays, so I pretty much had to make it from scratch. It sounded hard, but after some practice it got extremely easy. I was only out for about three or so hours that day.
I made fireworks and other explosives, which is why everyone wants me to obey them so much, I guessed. Explosive equipment is in high priority nowadays, so that made me a slave to everyone else.
I’ve been making fireworks ever since I was a little kid. On the fourth of July I used to love how they flashed in the sky, the loud noises that infiltrated my body as the sparkles glistened over the stars, like some sort of heat-driven dance. I was mesmerized, and I still was to this day.
So, I studied up. When I was younger, we still had access to things like the internet, not like today. I researched what went into fireworks, how to make certain colors and how to make them explode in the sky. I memorized it somehow over all these years, and now I could make perfect fireworks. I’m amazed by this myself, sometimes. Occasionally, I go onto the roof of one of the boarded houses nearby and light a few off. The look on some of the kids’ faces as some of them saw the magical wonder that is fireworks for the first time was absolutely priceless. I still do it every now and then, although it takes a lot of prepping. I just did one the other night, unwittingly. I’m pretty sure that that was how that “gang” originally found me again.
Speaking of them, their usual stash was five pounds of bottle rockets, eight fountains, three parachutes, and three aerial fireworks. God knows what they had in store, but I’d rather not be a part of it.

It took me almost about three hours to finish, as I had to triple check to make sure that they passed my safety regulations. If one is a dud, or blew up in some guy’s face, I’m sure that it’s not going to end very well for me.
I finished at around 10:30, which was rather perfect for me. The instructions said to be at the address by midnight, so if I leave then, then maybe I’d actually be home before midnight and be able to get more time to try and sleep. With a smug grunt, I carefully shoved all of the fireworks into my backpack, making extra sure not to damage anything before I hurriedly ran out of my shack.
The nighttime was especially dangerous. I’ll admit that I came acrossed a few lurkers and muggers in my time that had their eyes on my bulging backpack before. Most of the time I manage to get away, but it’s still not very easy to run. The backpack weighed a ton!
I took my time strolling through backyards and side streets, as I had also memorized what streets hid what dangers. Lucky me. The streets stank of dew and burnt wood, but I had gotten used to both long ago. “This better be worth it..” I mumbled under my breath. I’d gotten pretty lonely over the last few years, although I refused to admit it, and had accidently picked up a bad habit of talking to myself. But anyways, in return for fireworks and other sparkly things, the “gangs” usually gave me about a weeks worth of food, but that’s if I used it sparingly and strategically.
I was not strategic in the slightest, so the food only lasted about four days on average.
Every week, I would have had to make this stupid trek through some part of that stupid Wisconsin suburb, carrying illegal fireworks and practically sweating like a hog. The nights  there tended to get very humid. You’d be lucky to even come across a building with air conditioning nowadays, well, that wasn’t completely filled with people, I should say.
I hung my head sullenly as I heard the distinct crushing sound of my worn out sneakers stepping on very dry, and possibly burnt grass. I rhythmically stomped on the crunchy parts of the earth, making my own beat in my head as I pathetically tried to occupy myself. I had always had a strange love for music, though I never had time for it at all anymore. No one really did. It’s been an extremely long time since a recording artist came out with new material. I did manage to find an Mp3 player on the ground a few weeks back with some decent music, but it didn’t take me long before I had gotten sick of the music. Part of me wanted to just throw it in the street, but I thought that leaving it in the open for some other kid to pick up would’ve been just as nice.
The things in my mind swirled as the time aimlessly wandered by, like a lost child. Memories from my past rudely took this time to barge it’s way back into my brain and into my consciousness, making me roughly shake my head in protest. I couldn’t think about that now. I was almost there. Just drop off the backpack, and take their food. Easy as pie.
There was a highway just beyond this house. If I could quietly walk down it without causing attention to myself, maybe I could get to my destination just a little bit sooner. That reminded me, I had no idea what this 154 Point Way or whatever was. I knew it’s going to be some sort of big building though. That’s where they always had me deliver to. Last time, I delivered to an abandoned school. I had to say, I was creeped the hell out while I was navigating the hallways. The time before that, it was an abandoned hangar, which was definitely not a fun trek either. I left my shack at around seven in the evening, and I didn’t return until sunrise the next morning.
I quickly made my way through the backyard of another dark house. There was a fence that would lead me to the street, and eventually to the highway. I put my hand on the home itself as to carefully guide my way to the fence. I had made a mental note before to do this, since some people went absolutely crazy when this all popped off. I’ve had many accidents before while crossing yards, especially when it comes to holes that people just love to randomly dig on their property. I’ve sprained my ankle many times before. I’ve had to go to the hospital every single time, although it literally takes days just to be able to see a doctor. People are usually getting hurt so often that the hospitals were almost always backed up.
I approached the wooden gate, but then I almost immediately ducked down. Something wasn’t right. There was an immensely strong light that resonated from the road, which almost burnt my pupils to a crisp. There were also strange sounds in my ears, like various whirring and clanging of metallic parts, and behind them were voices.
The voices worried me more though. Man, I felt so stupid. I was so lost in thought, how did I not manage to hear the commotion that had been going on? It was deafeningly loud, but what worried me was my curious nature. I couldn’t help it, I’m naturally nosey.
While unwittingly not thinking it through, I peered over the wooden gate to assess the situation around me. I was correct about the lights, still. Although they were not the streetlights, they were some sort of industrial type of spot lights that lit up practically everything within fifty feet of them, but that was irrelevant, as they were spaced about a hundred feet away from each other. There were large, green armored vehicles littered in the driveways of the homes, as well as parked next to white pitch tents. I felt strangely intimidated by the large trucks, though, as I could have sworn that I’ve seen them somewhere. Most of them had around six or so wheels that were made for transportation, while the vehicles with lesser wheels had some sort of machine gun on the top.
I decided to turn my gaze back to the strange white tents. They also seemed familiar, medicine tents maybe? I subconsciously moved my head to get a better look at what was inside of it. I may be more visible, but I just needed to be careful.
There was a few doctors inside, decked out in nothing that wasn’t completely white. Not much of them were showing except for their eyes, as the rest of their face was covered in a mask. Next to them were some IVs that contained some kind of blue fluid, and a single patient lying on a bed.
They weren’t moving. I gulped. I had a bad feeling about this.
I maneuvered my head to the after hearing a loud voice that come from my right. I furrowed my eyebrows, desperately trying to adjust to the bright lights. Although, I kind of wished that I didn’t. I couldn’t believe what I saw. It was... what?
There were literally dozens of people in line, their heads facing the ground as they, one by one, were shoved into an awaiting bus. It was a prison bus, but that is not exactly what I thought was going on there. The people in line didn’t look like criminals in the slightest. There were mothers, fathers, children, you name it that were being thrusted inside of the cramped bus. A few of the people in line were quietly sobbing with their heads in their hands as they slowly inched their way closer and closer. I felt my heart drop quite suddenly when I saw a little girl, no older than nine, in line. The people in front and behind her paid no mind, leading me to believe that she was all alone. The images were trying to enter my mind again, which caused my eyes to water, but I held back my emotions. I’ve gotten quite good at doing stuff like that. It’s not like I had anyone to talk to anyways.
Due to the year, it’d be quite expected to see some sort of new, futuristic stuff whizzing around like flying cars, hoverboards, and those kinds of things. It’s what I would have thought, as I believe that we’re actually living in said time. There have indeed been some sort of technological advances, such as holographic billboards, one actually shone over the street that I was overlooking. There were also things like holographic phones and such, but they’re rarely used nowadays by common folk. Everytime some sort of invention is made, it almost immediately went straight to the military or the government for their use.
One of the soldiers at the front of the line took out a large bullhorn, and raised it to his chapped lips. He was wearing a large, grey uniform that reminded me of something that the Nazi’s wore a long time ago. Actually, a bit of them had been rising up recently, but I had a strong feeling that this guy was American. Especially after hearing him speak when he had decided that a few people in line were getting a little rowdy.
“Everybody! Remain calm! We are in the process of evacuation! There are rumors of another attack in this general area! We are here to protect you and bring you to a more safer environment! When you reach the front of the line, please place your things on the scanner so that they can be deemed as safe before bringing them on board!”
This wasn’t making sense. Rumors of another bombing? Where were these rumors coming from? America has no one on their side, so who’s feeding them information like that? Also, why Wisconsin? Out of all places to bomb, why suburban Wisconsin? I was not the most thoughtful of people, but this was really making me scratch my head.
Ok, this was bad. I was no longer able to take the highway. Well, unless I wanted to take a half-mile long detour. But that could take up to twenty minutes cutting through yards. It’s a miracle that I managed to sneak into the damned place unseen, how was I going to get out?
Speaking of it, what exactly was this? A military base? I quietly sighed to myself. I’ve always had a respect for a higher authority, like firefighters and policemen, but the military? Not quite. I’m not a big fan of the government. If it wasn’t for them then maybe things wouldn’t be as bad as they are currently. It’s the governments fault that all of us are facing death every day in this dying wasteland called the United States. Their faults for being manipulative, greedy, and overall terrible bastards.
“Hey!” I voice behind me shouted, followed by the cocking of a rifle. I jumped so high that I almost fell to the ground. I actually felt my heart almost stop from the shock. I stared wide-eyed at the caucasian soldier, who was currently pointing some sort of... plasma... rifle... laser... thing directly at my chest. I didn’t know what to call it okay!? I held up my hands slowly after realizing the situation that I was in.

I was spotted.

“Wait! Don’t shoot me!” I almost whispered. Oh no, I really didn’t want to die. Not like this, nor here! Especially not at the hands of a soldier.
“What are you doing hiding behind here?” he ordered more so instead of asking. I stumbled a little over my words. The soldier was in no mood to be patient, and as a way to show who was in control here, he pointed the gun at my forehead. I cannot think of a time where I was sweating more than I was right then. My heart was thumping a mile a minute, ringing painfully in my ears as I choked out the words.
“I-I was walking through when I heard you guys were evacuating! Please d-don’t shoot me!” I begged. Ok, so I may not care for my dignity right about now, but I’d much rather kiss ass than get shot in the face. The soldier stared at my for a long few seconds, before he lowered his rifle and forcefully opened the gate, shoving me out into the open and towards the extremely long line of which I was just observing.
“Move it!” he shouted, putting his gloved hand on my backpack. The fear of being shot was slowly rising. The amount of weapons and deadly killing machines that were on his person was something that I really didn’t want to think about. As soon as he placed his hand where he did, a thought appeared in my head. I was a muscle spasm away from cursing out loud.

I still had my backpack.

Shit!

I was about to turn my head towards the soldier and ask to leave, but there was no way that that was happening. I just told him that I was practically trying to evacuate with everyone else. “I... I...” I uttered, but the guard either didn’t hear me, or just didn’t seem to care. He thrusted me into the back of the line, and told me to stay in formation or risk the consequences, to which I politely nodded.
I was beginning to grow paranoid. At the front of the line they were practically going through everyone’s luggage and bags, as well as the people themselves, searching for anything hostile. When they deemed that it was safe, they threw their belongings in a black van to be transported somewhere. I felt extremely lightheaded. I need to ditch my backpack. Now! If I didn’t, there’s no telling what the soldiers will do to me! They might just shoot me on the spot!
I looked around for a place to stash my backpack, but alas, there was nowhere. I considered throwing it somewhere when I got closer to the bus, following the line, but the line was completely separated from anything else in the base.
I was stuck.
I dug my hands into my jean shorts I took a few steps forward in the line. There was an older gentleman in front of me wearing a tuxedo. His graying hair was masked by a fedora as he leaned upon a cane. He seemed to be doing very well for his age, which appeared to be around sixty. I needed answers before it’s too late.
I leaned over to him, almost making him have a heart attack. “Excuse me, but where is this bus going?” I asked him slowly, trying not to attract the attention of the soldiers nearby that were practically within shooting distance. The gentlemen simply spoke over his shoulder.
“We’re evacuating to St. Paul,” he said quietly. I let out a small “oh”, before going back to my thoughts. I didn’t want to speak to him more than that. I already knew why, of course, and I didn’t want to get both of us in trouble just because I wouldn’t stop asking silly questions.
Before I knew it, I was about halfway through the line. During the time period, a young woman was thrown out of the line and into an armored van after something had been found in her purse. I’m not sure what is was, but it was passed down that line that it was a can of mace soon after. I almost immediately felt back for her, but I was more afraid for myself. I would probably be joining her in a few moments anyways.
It was about fifteen minutes before it was just me, and the older man in front of me who had yet to enter the bus. There was a large gray table for people to put their things, along with a few soldiers guarding the bus, while another had some sort of metal-detecting device, almost like what they had at airports. Had.  Airports have been shut down years ago after the potential threat for destruction that they caused.
The man set his cane and hat on the table, and spread his arms and his legs as the soldier with the metal-detecting device scanned his body. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t go off. The man was very okay with the whole experience, as if it was nothing new. It was as if nothing could bother him. Part of me wondered if he was in some state of bliss? The man was thanked for his time, to which he nodded as he was handed back his things. Apparently hats and canes are allowed on the bus, but that didn’t really matter to me.
I was losing my mind. I was going to get caught. It was just a matter of time. I was next, and there’s no way they are going to not check my backpack. I uttered a silent prayer to myself as the soldier to my left pointed at the metallic table.
I felt like crying. I was going to be put to death for this, wasn’t I? I was sure that the woman from before was going to be too, due how much they shoved her towards the armored car. They didn’t treat her carefully, that was for sure. I wondered where that van even went to, anyways?
I gulped as I slowly put down my backpack, hearing a familiar clang as it smacked down on the surface. The guards wasted no time opening it up, while I took a precautionary step back. I saw the guards’ eyes’ twitch as they started taking some of my fireworks out of my backpack, holding and observing it like it was blueprints for world domination. They all glared at me with such a sickening hatred that it made my stomach churn. “Detain him!” one of them said, pointing at me while the other dumped out the rest of contents of my bag. The guy with the metal scanner didn’t even bother to actually scan me, as I was already caught red-handed.
Before I had a chance to explain myself, a nearby soldier that was behind me nearly tackled my to the ground. The grabbed me, hard, almost ripping my orange t-shirt. He threw me over his shoulder as he began to haul me closer to the same armored van. “Wait! Let me explain!” I shouted, but my pleas were in vain.
Now, let me say this. I am by no means a strong kid. I’ve very skinny, and very short for that matter, given that I’m only seventeen. The soldier wasn’t too strong either, but he lifted me up like I was nothing.
Another guard who was keeping watch of the armored van opened the back door. The soldier who was carrying me literally tossed me inside, with me landing on top of the unsuspecting woman from before. This couldn’t be happening. This was all a big misunderstanding! It had to be! I was forced to do this... or risk... no! “Wait! Ple-”
My words were cut off, as the door to the van roughly closed shut, leaving me and a stranger all alone in the back of a military vehicle. The scent of metal hung in the air as my side intensely throbbed from the horrid throw not even a moment before. I heard a small whimper in the somber of the van. In defeat, I slouched my shoulders and sat with my back against the van.
This was... unbelievable. I could not be captured! I had things that I need to take care of! I slammed my hand against the wall of the van behind me, making the girl shriek in fear, for which I politely apologized. I let out a grunt as I felt the van finally start up.

Oh man, is it dark in here...

***

“Uh, so... how’s it going?”
“...”
“Uh, my name is Oliver Gremley... what’s your name?”
The young woman on the other side of the van remained absolutely silent. She was sitting on the other side of the van, hugging her knees like a schoolgirl. I almost felt sad for her, and I kind of wished she would speak. It’s been awhile since I’ve actually talked to someone.  I was sure she has a good story to tell, also. Believe it or not, everyone did. Everyone always has a decent story to tell. Good or bad, it was always something, and I sure did like to hear them whenever I could get the chance.
We’ve been in the van for many hours, or so it seemed. I lost track of time a long while ago, and my wristwatch seemed to have busted from I was thrown inside of the van. The girl hid her face from me, looking down at her chest sadly. I tried not to let her get to my head. The last thing I should do is feel sorry for myself at a time like this. What I really should be doing is sitting back and enjoying the ride while I can, now that I thought about it. It’s not like I have much else to do. I smiled a little bit when I realized that I still had my little sack of gunpowder in my pocket. Wherever we went, I sure hope they didn’t check my pockets.
It was about five in the evening of the next day when the van finally pulled to a stop. The woman’s head jerked up either of in fear, shock, or anticipation. She had bags under her eyes, and I had failed to realize that she had been crying the entire time. Her raggedy brown hair was strewn all over the place, and her hazel eyes stared at me, like it was expected of me to do something to help her.
I let out a soft sigh. “Everything’s going to be fine,” I said to her, giving her a genuine smile. I held out a hand to her, hoping that maybe she would take comfort by holding  it. She stared at my appendage in some sort of shock, before looking back at me. She unclenched her own hand from her knees and reached out to my hand-
Before any sort of contact could be made, the van’s door blasted open, revealing another soldier holding some sort of laser...rifle... thing. Yeah, I still hadn’t learned what that thing was. I should probably do that sometime. I held a hand in from of my face as I squinted my eyes. After being in absolute darkness for how-many hours, my eyes were extremely sensitive.
“Okay, both of you! Exit the vehicle with your hands above your head!” he hollered, to which we both obeyed. I was never the best at taking orders, as I often got confused, but I told myself that screwing up and asking questions was not a good thing to do at a time like this. The woman was a little slower at getting to her feet.
We both left the van, and about four guards took the liberty of dragging us off. There was a very large and grey building in front of us, with barely any windows. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to notice the twenty foot tall gates and the large amount of soldiers to realize that this was a prison.
The woman was now pitifully crying, but the soldiers didn’t seem to care. It hurt me inside to realize that this was something that they probably saw daily.
We were quickly escorted inside and to a very long hallway full of cells that were literally crammed full of people. They prisoners eyed both of us up as we passed their cells. Some of the prisoners looked extremely hostile, like they wanted to slit my throat, while others looked sorrowful, like they were only there due to unforeseen circumstances. Some even looked like mothers and fathers. I found it rather odd that this prison mixed genders, but I didn’t really see anyone complaining.
Jails were the only things, next to hospitals that had really evolved over the years. They were still gray and lifeless, but those stereotypical jail bars were replaced with some sort of holographic blue barrier. It was impossible to get out without a thumbprint from one of the prison guards, and I’ve seen many of them wandering the halls.
Before I knew it, one of the doors that contained about three large, juice up prisoners opened, and the woman was thrown inside. She landed on the cold, stone floor, uttering a small squeal of distress as her body hit the ground. She quickly rebounded and turned back to the guards, as if to run back out, but the holographic barrier was already back up and running. She pounded restlessly on the barrier, but it was to no avail. Behind her, the three prisoners were staring at her provocatively, and I even saw one lick his lips.
I was thrown into another cell just a few moments later. It was the last cell in the hallway, right next to the door. I rubbed my now-bruised thigh as the guard pressed his thumb to the scanner, ultimately locking me inside of yet another enclosed area.

“See ya ‘round, kid.”