The Opposite of Innocent | A Sequel to Unexpected Roommates [DISCONTINUED]

Prologue

"Eat, pig." The clang of metal and the screech of rusted hinges startles you from the haphazard slumber that had gripped your mind. Your stomach cramped, claws of hunger shredding your insides, and you sat up slowly to go retrieve the shit that these assholes passed off as a meal. Turning your head at a leisurely pace- there wasn't much to do in a cell so, so small- you absorbed the sight of the space around you for the hundredth time that day. There was a tiny window, blocked with thick metal bars, high on the back wall that failed to let in any sunlight. You had a bed with a mattress that left you with stiff limbs, and a crude silver toilet with a miniscule sink that ran with brown-toned water. That was all. A metal tray sat on the floor in front of a small metal gap in your cellroom bars, a plump fly already buzzing around it. Even from a distance you knew exactly what it was; your Tuesday meal of dry chicken, unseasoned, and boiled vegetables. There was also a plastic cup filled with murky water. You let out a tired sigh, setting your bare feet down on the chilled concrete floor, padding carefully towards the tray. You lowered yourself to sit cross-legged, squinting your eyes as the lights grew stronger nearer the hallway. Pulling the tray closer to yourself, you ditch the metal spoon (the sole utensil trusted for people like you) and pluck the chicken up with your hands. 

"Another day another dollar," hums a voice, and your retort is immediate.

"Shut the fuck up."

"Wow, Jesus- talk about a bad day, huh? What, did you wake up on the wrong side of-"

"They said shut up, Stu. Keep your mouth closed for once." You lift your head to offer a bemused smile to the man in the cell across from you. His hair was brown like melted sugar and his eyes were dark like obsidian. 

"Geez, Billy," Stu huffed, and you heard the clatter of his spoon desperately attempting to slice through the tough flesh of the chicken. You brought your own food to your lips and sunk your teeth in. As always, you winced at the dull flavour, thinking of cardboard. How had you survived so many days of food like this? Of boredom? Fuck, it's been- You stop, and try to recall the numbers in your head. When they finally come, you deflate like a balloon. Three months. It has been three months on Death Row. Six days less than that without Danny, not knowing where he is, not knowing if they've already killed him- three months of thinking of everyone at home and wondering if they thought of you, too, or if they'd just let you disappear. 

"What's up?" Billy asked, scooting a little closer to his own respective bars. Your eyes had started to grow watery and you hadn't even noticed; Billy Loomis was observant. He also brought up horrible thoughts, horrible memories- this man across from you was a Ghostface copycat, as was his partner Stu. A few towns over from your own, they had wreaked havoc and had landed themselves in the same place as their inspiration. "Thinking about your mystery partners?" Right, mystery partners. In three months of dullness you had held back from talking about your best friends. You know that anything you say in this place will be used to tear your soul to pieces; the ones in charge had already separated you from Danny, the moment they had seen the two of you laughing together from three cells apart.

"I..." You force out, but your throat closes up and you shake your head instead. "Nevermind." You force down another bite of chicken. Silence presses down once more. None of you speak again.

***

Food was slotted beneath Danny's door without a word from the one who was delivering it. Bright white light filtered in through that slot, and Danny closed his eyes, hiding from it, not wanting to even taste how wonderful it was before it was stolen away again. Not moving from his place on the padded floor, Danny tried to slow the racing of his heart. It never seemed to still these days; the choking darkness, the claustrophobia, it forced anxiety into his veins and fear into his mind so often that the only reason he was still fighting for life was to feel those few moments of perfect stillness that he experienced so rarely these days. Danny didn't know what day it was; he didn't even know if it currently was day. He'd lived so long in solitary confinement that some days he couldn't even remember the names of those closest to him. He knew the law. He knew that it wasn't legal to treat a human being like this- as awful as it was, he also knew that no judge would care. No judge would try to stop this grave mistreatment, this blatant ignorance of human rights. So, he learned to cope.

"Oh, Brahms, you shouldn't have," He said as he finally moved for his food, "How'd you know I loved bacon and eggs?" Reaching out for his meal, Danny tried to decipher what, in reality, he was being fed. As usual, he wasn't surprised to find a slice of plain bread, three dry crackers and three baby carrots. This was what he was fed every meal- once, twice or thrice a day he didn't know. He just knew that it wasn't enough. His muscle had melted away, his ribs jutting horrifically outward. He never had enough energy, enough strength to do anything but sleep and hurt and wish that things would be different soon. Danny had even tried praying, for a while, but soon he accepted the cold reality that Gods don't listen to people like him. "Delicious as always," He spoke to himself, voice shaking as he bit into the dry bread. He wouldn't cry, he always told himself, because whenever he did he'd cry so hard that his lungs felt like they were collapsing in upon themselves, and then he'd cry even more. He'd cry until his eyes were dry and then he'd heave, painfully, choking on the dusted air for hours, or maybe only minutes, or maybe days.

"No drink today? What, are we out of juice again? Gosh, Michael, go easy on that stuff!" Danny forced a grin on to his face. It hurt his cheeks and he knew it was wobbling almost pathetically. God, he was pathetic. So, so pathetic. "Who- Who wants to run with me to the store after breakfast t-to grab some- some refills?" His voice started to shake. "Norman? O-Ok-Okay- Oh, you t-too, Hannibal? Cool!" He finished as much of his bread as he could stomach. Plucking a cracker from his plate, his smile grew so wide his cheeks started to burn. "W-We're s-still on for th-that movie tonight, r-right everyone?" A hitching sob tore from Danny's throat. His shoulders started to tremble and his eyes began to burn. "What- What d-do y-y-you say, sweet-" Danny couldn't finish his phrase. He dropped his cracker, shaky hand moving to clamp around his mouth. Squeezing his eyes shut, he pushed himself backwards until he collided with a padded wall. Then, he drew his legs up into himself and fought the sobs with all of his strength.

"S-Sweet- sweet-" his smile was still plastered to his face. He couldn't get it to go away. He wanted it to go away. "Sweetheart-" His voice broke, and died in his throat. The crying won over again, and his lungs cried out in pain as the wailing stole his breath away. Burying his face in his hands, Danny rocked, back and forth, back and forth, trying to get words out, comforting ones, but none of those would come. His mind was deathly silent, no racing thoughts to block out or obstruct the bad ones. This was his fault. He was in here because of his own actions. You were here because of his own actions. When your life had just been getting good, getting right, he had fucked everything up like he always did. The day he was ripped away from his normal cell, away from you, he had had exactly three months until he was going to be executed. He had been with you for a week. Not knowing how many days had really passed, a part of him pleaded for those three months to run out quicker.

***

"And you're certain this is going to work?" One voice, gruff.

"Flawlessly." Another, accented, dark and sure and dangerous. "I think it's time they're free."

(A/N): For the duration of this book, the reader is gonna be gender neutral. Get hyped, guys- seriously, the things I have planned are... outstanding. I missed this book.