Behind the Walls

Part Seventeen- Jasper

074.2 Hours Since Quartz's Disappearance

Once again, I'm lying awake in my bed. Thoughts are chasing each other around in my head like a gaggle of squirrels. More and more disturbing details have come into the light. I don't know if I can take much more. I can see now why Mico would rather accept things then fight against it, but I'm not like him.

Chchi would know what to do. She'd probably already have escaped if she were in my shoes. My memories of her have been slowly coming back since Lyla told me her name. I can remember Chichi scowling at me during my first lesson with a sword. Even if I've always been over observant and cautious, she's the one who taught me to be wary of guns.

In my locket, there's another boy who's name I still can't recall. It's driving me crazy! I know we're close, but all I can get is a faint impression of him. What I do remember is seeing his face lit up by a computer screen in a dark room. It's the second time I've seen him behind a screen. He must be pretty good with them if those are my strongest memories.

There's been flashes of others, too. I even saw Lyla once. She was wearing a half-mask that hid her eyes, but I was also wearing a mask that hid my entire face. There's a reason she only recognized my voice. Why would I wear a mask? I can also see a man, slightly shorter than me, chatting with me in some sort of office. We're acquainted enough with each other for him to crack a joke while there's still a hint of admiration. For some reason, I want to call him 'fox', but that doesn't seem quite right. Dozens of half familiar voices and faces beg for me to recognize them. I don't. It's not all there yet. Lyla hasn't even remembered everything after a few months, so I don't know why I'm so hopeful.

The buzzer doesn't make me jump this time. I just sigh and slide out of bed. Here we go again..... another day in this prison. The door to my cell has swung open, so I step out into the hall. I'm out before Mico for once. He's still only a step behind. Lyla glances at me quickly before looking away. The twins only acknowledge each other before walking down the hall. I imagine they only truly trust each other.

A shower and a change of clothes sound nice, but I still haven't found a place in my cell to hide my locket. Bleh. I know the routine by now. The guards' faceless gazes still make my skin crawl, but I ignore it and don't look at them. The bathroom is just the same as always. I doubt there's any girls waiting for me in one of the stalls today. Chichi would slap me if she heard that last thought. I'm pulling out a fresh set of clothes when someone clears their throat. I swear that my neck cracked when I jerked it around to look over my shoulder. Eli is standing right behind me with his arms crossed.

"......... Hey? I don't think we've met, well, talked yet. My name's Jasper......". I have no idea what to say to the dude when he's looking at me like that. He's ignored me for two days.

"I know your name", Eli's tone isn't nearly as aggressive as his body language. In fact, he seems to be more hugging himself then just crossing his arms. "You grew up outside? In the city like Lyla?".

"Yes. I'm from the East side, I think. And you were raised here?". Mico told me the three of them were, but Eli's nod confirms it. He looks confused when I say I'm from the 'East'. They must not know much beyond this facility.

Eli's eyes dart away and back again to look at me. "You know, Ella and I tried to run once".

"We shouldn't be talking about this". Mico pops up so suddenly next me to me that I jump. I had forgotten that he was here. His face has a strained look on it.

"It's fine", Eli turns to look at him, "Just go get in the showers".

Mico stays still for a moment. I can see conflicting emotions playing out in his Delta eyes until he abruptly turns around and locks himself in a shower stall. "Mico has it the worst. He attacked a guard a few years back", Eli looks after hims sadly. I can hear what he's not saying. The punishment for running or fighting must be so bad that it's made all three of them dead and compliant. They're not as brainwashed as I thought.

"So what do you want from me?", I ask, confused why I've been confronted.

"You're not going to stay idle much longer. This place is driving you crazy. I can see how you stare at the guards like you're about to snap their necks. When you make a move, tell me. We'll help you". Eli is almost pleading with me. He wants out.

"Okay", is all I can say.

I shower quickly and head back out to the cafeteria. What do I tell Eli? I have no plan. All I've been doing is observing. To make an escape outside the wall, I'd need supplies to last a few days in the woods. I'd be too easy to track down otherwise. I don't even know another way out of the building besides the fenced in parking lot. There could be one in the kitchen, but I'd have to vault over the counter and make a run for it. I could also steal a guard's gun, but I wouldn't be able to stop all of them. Would Eli and Lyla help me? Mico seems too timid to do anything, and I haven't met Ella yet. All this pondering takes place while I push a lump of breakfast around on my tray.

Instead of the regular buzzer going off, it's replaced by a soft jingling sound. Mico's entire body jerks, and a terrified expression flashes over his face before he puts on an emotionless mask. What's happening?

"Inspection day", Lyla whispers quietly across the table, as if reading my thoughts.

I follow the others when they stand up. We line up against a wall, Mico and Eli standing on either side of me with the girls on either end. They're all rigid and stiff. I can't help but get nervous. Mico usually has an air of calm about him. Now I know that it's just to comfort himself, but now he's too scared to even fake it.

The kitchen door behind the counter opens. Two more armed guard march through before an older man in a suit follows. He radiates power and superiority. I divert my gaze away. I can't remember where I've seen his face. Two more guards walk through with a prisoner between them. They're head is covered in a bag, and I can see bruises on their shackled arms.

"Good evening, my children", the man in the suit smiles, revealing too white teeth, "It's Inspection Day! I'll be meeting with you each personally after your jobs are completed for the day, but I've also brought a guest. He's done some very bad things. He'll be accompanying one of you. The guards will be recording to use it as a...... warning to others". The man says all this with a smile. He wants....... he wants to feed that guy to the monsters? And record it? This is sick! I can't do this! Has this happened before?

One of the guards pulls the hood off the prisoners. His eyes are wide and terrified of the threat, but I'm sure he doesn't yet know he's going to be monster food. Their eyes dart around the room before locking onto me. I think both of us stopped breathing for a moment. I recognize him instantly from my locket, but then I get his name. I remember Sean's stupefied face when I called him Yulks for the first time. I remember when I first met him. He was hacking into the school's lunch menu to add extra crispito days. I can see him now, crying and bawling his heart out when he told me about his home and brother in the West. When Yulks looks at me, he mouths one word: 'Quartz'.

My world explodes.