Surviving the Jungle

Line Up

Stallion looks at us suspiciously. He must be wondering why we left together yesterday. I thought he wasn't watching us, but I guess I was wrong. It's only a matter of time before he comes for us.

Today is Blade's birthday, so he was here early and I know he'll be here long after we've all gone back to our cells. I hold him in my arms and hope he can't feel how sweaty I am. According to my calendar we're in August. I made a cross on it to remember Blade's birthday next year. it can only be useful if we survive until then.

The day goes on painfully slowly. Most inmates have moved to the shadow, so it feels somewhat crowded around us. The heat has become almost unbearable. Only Stallion and a few men stay under the sun. They probably do it to impress everybody, but it does the contrary. A few minutes ago, I heard a girl talking about him. They all think he's stupide, a brainless brute. Even the more threatening and creepy inmates think so. Stallion's skin looks redder and redder as the day goes on. It looks like it hurts, but his ego has taken full control of his body. He won't come to the shadow, and it's fine with me. He can stay away. Blisters are already visible on his broad shoulders and his forehead is sweaty, to the point where his hair almost looks wet.

Blade reads one of the books Marie gave us yesterday. Since she let the both of us on the balcony, she let us borrow one each. Blade couldn't take his when he was thrown in the yard early in the morning, but luckily I brought mine. An old woman sits on our right, listening carefully. Books are sometimes handed to the nicer inmates, but not as often as Marie gives them to me. She catches me looking at her and smiles. I smile back and relax against Blade's chest. Rope stands to my left, leaning against the wall, and listens as well. Looking around, I think most people around us are listening. As long as they don't question where I got the book, I can't complain. I'm happy to share.

I keep the book during lunch and bring it back with me in the afternoon. Blade looks wet. Kneeling against him, I guess he got a bucket of cold water thrown at him.

"Pretended to sleep to they would throw it at me. Fuck it felt good. I can't take this heat."

I laugh at Blade's little strategy. It must have felt terrible being out here all day. At least I got to have lunch in my cold cell. It was a relief. 

Since Blade's hands aren't completely dry yet, I start reading. I'll give it to him once he isn't wet anymore. The same people as this morning have gathered around us, wanting to hear what happens next in the story. I'm so engrossed in my reading that I don't see the person standing behind me. Blade grabs my thighs tightly and I look up at him. His serious look makes me turn around. Stallion hovers over me. He crouches next to me, smirking at me and touches my arm. I flinch away from him and close the book.

"Are you doing better? That's a nasty scar on your face."

I don't answer his provocation. It's pointless. He's the one who gave me this scar when he kicked me in the face.

Blade is tense underneath me. His hands claw into my legs. Outraged by Stallion's provocation, he doesn't even notice that he's hurting me. I put my hands on top of his in hope he will get the message and loosen his grip, but it doesn't work. Stallion stares Blade right in the eyes as he starts touching my hair. I shiver in fear but don't move. Chuckling, he leans forward and grabs the book from my hands. 

"That's a nice book. Where did you get it?

-From... from a guard.

-Nice. Now be a good girl and tell me where you two went yesterday."

My eyes snap to Blade's. We can't tell him. And if the other inmates hadn't noticed we had left yesterday, now they know. They're probably aware we're receiving a special treatment. 

I panic and look to my hands in my lap. My vision is blurred, partly from the tears, and because my eye hasn't gotten one hundred percent better yet. It probably never will. Stallion chuckles again as he stands up. I wish he would stop doing that. It creeps me out. He throws the book at me, making yelp in pain, before leaving to go back to the bench. I guess he didn't really have anything against us today. It was probably only a way to be in the shadow for a few minutes. Had he provoked Blade more, a fight would have exploded. Blade was on the verge of snapping. I could see it.

At the end of the day, I give a final kiss to Blade, knowing the day isn't over for him. As night approaches, it isn't as hot anymore, but it is still warm and the dry sweat on our skins feels terrible.

Once in my cell, I fall to my bed, exhausted. My ribs hurt but I'm getting used to it. I don't even know how long they will take to heal. I only saw the doctor when I woke up. The bandage on my hand is getting dirty, but I don't want to remove it. My hand feels safer when it is wrapped in it.

Thinking about the chalk sticks I put under my bed, I get on the floor and start drawing. This time, it's a portrait. I have never been good at those but I'm trying my best. This one is supposed to represent Blade. "Supposed to", because it doesn't ressemble him at all. Wiping it away with my sleeve, I try again. And again. I'm half asleep on the concrete floor a bell rings. 

I stand, ready to be taken out of my cell. Through the bars, I can see other inmates being put into a line. We haven't had a lineup in a few weeks and I definitely wasn't expecting it now. A guard opens my cell door and grabs my by my elbow, pulling me out. Is it only this corridor or is there a line up in each one? 

A man I have never seen comes in, and most inmates fall silent immediately. From the whispers I hear, he's the Jungle Director. From his uniform, I can at least see that he's an important man.

"Silence!" he shouts.

Just then, I notice that the guards have formed a line in front of us, and the man walks between the two lines, his hands behind his back. Not a word is heard from their side, nor from ours. Zone 3 has never been so silent.

"Now, I've been told that some of you had gotten some time out yesterday. I don't know how or who helped you, but let me tell you, I'm the one in charge here. If I need to teach any of you a lesson, I will. Those animals need to be kept in their cages. Some of them look like cute pets, but they'll bite you the first chance they get. Let's learn from yesterday's mistakes."

Pulling a gun out of his hidden holster, he pulls the trigger twice. A woman who used to take her shower with my group falls dead, a bullet between her eyes. On the other line, a man was shot in the throat. The guard chokes on his own blood before becoming completely still. He's dead. This is a lesson for the staff as much as for us. No one is safe here. I don't know how the director became aware of our outings to the balcony, but it's over. There is no going out now.