Scarves

Prisoner 284 part two

I was gagged and put on my knees in front of King Janneaus Lynn. King Janneaus looked surprised when he saw me, for I was like a daughter to him. Then he looked over at Avery and he scowled.

Little did anyone know, I was picking the lock on my cuffs as I looked up at our king. I finally got my cuffs unlocked and was up and running before anyone could realize what was happening. Avery dropped his cuffs and ran after me, I assume he caught on when he saw me take my hair pin out.

The guards caught us and King Janneaus boomed behind us, "Put them in the prison pod! They can decide their own fate there" I guess the king wasn't one for my antics.

We were shoved back into the patrol car and driven across the bridge to the prison pod. Our king wasn't one for crime, no matter how small. Thieves, murderers, and even mental patients over the age of 20 were executed. Any younger and they were sent to the prison pod. Sometimes, if your crime is hostile enough, you will executed no matter your age. Since I was sixteen, and Avery 17, we were sent to the prison pod, or sky pod as we called it. Prisoners from the sky pod would disappear 7 at a time. Everyone thought they were being executed, but no one could know what was really happening.

I was pulled through the corridors and thrown into a cell. Getting stares from other inmates on my way because of who I am.

I had no idea how long I'd been in the cell when it opened and another person was thrown in. It was Avery, he was broken and battered.

"Oh my gosh, Avery." His name left my lips gently causing him to look at me for the first time since I was thrown in here.

"Lyrenna! Are you okay?" Avery seemed genuinely concerned. It was sweet, even though we haven't seen each other in years he still treated me as if I was fine china.

"I should be asking you the same question. You weren't like this in the car." I said as I tried to stop the bleeding on his arm.

"You could say some of the guards had their fun." I gasped. I knew exactly what he meant. That's when I noticed that the back of his shirt was torn. Whip lashes, I thought. The people of Asline hated outlaws. When outlaws were caught, the guards got to beat and break them before they were executed. In Avery's case, before he was thrown in his cell.

I noticed a small first aid kit on the table by the beds, I grabbed it and started dressing his wounds. I was knowledgeable in dressing wounds and home remedies. Medicine always intrigued me, though I haven't had to use these skills till now.

The door opened again and the guard shouted, "Prisoners 284 and 129, hands against the wall"

Avery groaned as he tried to stand, "He can't stand" I said defiantly. "Maybe if you hadn't beat him so badly he could do what you asked" That comment, however, earned me a slap to the face.

"Lyre, don't. Just help me up." It took me a second to help him, he called my Lyre. No one has called me that since Avery went on the run. I helped him up and had to help him keep standing.

One of the male guards grabbed me by my waist and Avery collapsed.

"HEY! Get you hands off me!" I screamed. The man behind me laughed until one of the female guards hit him over the head.

"Let her go, idiot. You don't wanna get transferred again do you?" The guard behind me gulped while another snickered. He let me go and I rushed to Avery.

"Are you okay?" Avery groaned out.

"Yeah, though if that guard hadn't stopped him, I don't think I would be." Avery nodded. All the sudden the door clicked shut.

I turned around, "What did they come on here for if they were just going to leave with out saying anything"

"I think that is why they were here" he said as he pointed to one of the beds. There were two prisoner uniforms and......No. No they wouldn't. They couldn't, I thought. There were scarves on the bed. A navy blue with the girls uniform, and a crimson red with the boys. They gave us scarves, that means we won't be let out. It means we will disappear next.

Avery saw the horrified look on my face. "Lyre, you okay? They are just scarves, aren't all the prisoners given one?"

"No. Not since you left. Scarves are only given to the ones that disappear. We are disappearing next" Avery looked confused.

"What do you mean disappearing?"

"I mean, inmates have been disappearing seven at a time for about a year now. No one knows where they go. They don't come back. Everyone just assumes that they are executed, but they aren't. I heard King Janneaus talking to Kenna the other day-" I was cut off by my sobs finally escaping. They racked my whole body.

Avery tried to console me saying we would be okay, but he didn't understand. We were going to die, but it would be slow and painful. Though, there was still a chance we could survive, but we had to focus. I finally calmed down.

"Now what did you hear the King tell Kenna?" Avery asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

"He has been sending the inmates to Earth to get rid of the disgraces in our population. Seven kids at a time take a ship, to Earth, to die." Tears were threatening again.

"Wow. I wonder if we can survive" and that was all that was said.