nala

bunker

Nala

Andi and I jumped around or solitary cell throwing punches at each other, flailing legs at the opponent. Andi caught my wrist as I swung at her, smiling maniacally. She elbowed my shoulder and threw my entire body backwards, crumbling to the smooth but hard cement floor. Andi climbed on top of me, grabbing my collar with one hand and preparing to punch me with another.

"I win." Andi admitted proud. "Andi onh Napoli just beat the best fighter in the league! Finally!" Andi jumped up and bounced in place, squealing like a little girl who didn't just beat the best fighter in the league.

"You fit the role. 'Nineteen-year-old Andi Lymm finally beats princess-turned-fugitive Nala Blake as top fighter in the Matches.'" I said, imitating guards that would always gossip about the Matches, the only form of decent entertainment in Napoli. The government has criminals in the Bunker prison fight.

"I personally think I do fit the role." Andi raked her fingers through her hair and flipped it over her shoulder, replacing her happy expression with a flirtatious one.

"Awesome. Now you just—" I admitted as a guard banged the door. He twisted the lock open and pulled the door into the hall.

"Prisoner 319. Finalization of criminal status tonight. About six hours." The guard announced awfully louder than he had to. The guard winked at Andi and shut the cell door.

"Emerson?" I asked Andi. She used to seduce him for seconds for daily rations or excuses to get out of Matches. I never did though. Maybe I was afraid, but it was probably because the guards smelled like a rotting latrine.

"He's not awful. And he gets us more rations than Fontaine." Andi countered. "WAIT! Your branding is tonight?!" Andi screamed. She jumped to me and searched my stomach, looking for the 'c' that was never burnt into my skin. "We could do it! We could actually do it!" Andi hopped around. "It didn't work last time but this time it will!"

"Why? Is it because you will seduce Emerson and not me?" I asked. Andi had devised a plan before her branding to escape, but I would have had to trick Emerson into sex, but I do not hope or believe I am capable of that.

"Exactly my point." Andi smiled. "You just have to pry open the vent in the closest bathroom and get through this path of vents." Andi drew an odd pattern of perpendicular and intersecting lines into the dust on the wall. I recognized the start of the map in the Cylinder bathroom, leading to the ladder well. The map was a labyrinth of lefts, rights, and straights.

"How will I remember the path to the well?" I asked Andi. If there wasn't a multitude of turns I wouldn't need an aid.

"Remember how I said you must pry the vent in the vent in the restroom open?" Andi asked. I nodded, anticipating the purpose of her question.

Andi spun around and grabbed a razor blade from behind her. She also had a metal rod as long as my forearm. I took the blade from her palm and lodged the rod between my teeth.

Andi and I seemed to be on 'the same page', because she shut her eyes as I began carving the letters 'l', 'r', and 's' into my forearm.

I finished thirteen of fifteen letters when Andi finally looked. "Wow. I would've thought you would make at least one noise from pain. How much do you have done?" Andi asked as I finished the last one. I threw the razor blade down on the ground as it clanged loudly.

"I am done." I said as I wiped the blood from an 's'. Most of the letters were just scratched into my skin, but some of them bled.

Andi ripped the hem of her shirt and wrapped the grey cloth around my arm. "Just leave it covered until the guard comes." Andi instructed. Andi was a better 'doctor' because she fought with force and not strategy. Andi would end up with more than four fresh bruises per Match.

"Hey! Time for torture!" A guard slammed his fist on the door.

I smoothed Andi's hair to help trick Emerson into seduction.p