Blade and I haven't been allowed out of our respective cells for a few days. We're barely fed. My stomach hurts. My head aches. My heart bleeds thinking about Blade. He's trusting me and following my wishes no matter the pain it causes him.
Yesterday, Rope discreetly threw me a piece of bred as he was passing by my cell. All inmates are constantly looking at us. It's weird. I can't decipher what they're thinking. Are they judging us? Pitying us? Mocking us? They probably fear for their own lives.
Looking at the ceilling, I start singing. It's a slow, melancholic French tune that I learned as a teenager. I'm not afraid of anybody hearing me. The other prisoners are in the yard, as usual. There's only a guard in the corridor, watching Blade and I closely.
" Comme s'il suffisait d'un thème
Les chansons les plus fragiles sont les plus légendaires
Les chansons les plus belles sont celles qui ont des failles
Et combien d'lumières s'éteignent sur un million d'étoiles? "
The bell rings and inmates are guided back into their cells, but I don't stop singing. I'm detached from everything around me. I've been stripped bare, literally and figuratively. What do I have left? Although I love Blade deeply, we'll never be happy together. There's no more hope. I thought I could be somewhat satisfied, living beside him, even between those prison walls. How mistaken I was. The director won't leave us alone until we tell the truth or we're dead.
Unlike usual, the prisoners are silent. They listen to me. I ignore them but I can feel them looking through the bars of my cell door. They think I've lost my mind.
" Comme s'il suffisait d'un thème
Les chansons les plus belles ont des plumes étranglées
Les chansons les plus vraies sont celles qui en témoignent
Et combien d'lumières s'éteignent sur un million d'étoiles? "
All cells are closed and my voice echos in the silence. This place has never felt so still. It's like they're all dead. Dead. I will probably die soon.
I stop singing and a single tear escapes from my eye. I wipe it away and let out a small, uncomfortable laugh.
"Purity?"
It's Blade. He's calling me.
I turn onto my side and close my eyes. I wish to fall asleep and never wake up. Yet I don't sleep.
The next morning; the director comes into my cell. I'm still naked, yet this time I don't try to hide. He's seen everything and more already. Sitting next to me on the bed, he brushes my hair away from my face. This gentle gesture is uncharacteristic for him.
"I know you won't tell me the truth. You won't unless I hurt Blade. You probably think I'm a monster, but I'm doing what's right. I'm here as a director because I want justice. I want to better the world. You're an obstacle to me. I need you to help me achieve my duty."
I stare at him. I don't understand this change of behaviour. It's probably a trick.
"I could help you out. I took a closer look at your case. You have a little sister waiting for you at home. What if I set you free?"
Now I know. It's a trap. Zone 3 prisoners never come out, or at least never alive. But the director can probably seen the interest in my eyes.
"I read your file and looked at you judgement tape. You've always claimed innocence. Why?"
I shrug. It's too late now. I won't to risk getting my sister in trouble and I know nobody will ever believe our fabricated version.
"Look me in the eyes, and tell me what truly happened.
- I can't.
-There is a saying, that the most innocent-looking ones are often the most evil ones. Is that your case? I don't think so. You're a liar, a terrible one, but not a killer. Your heart is truly pure. You would rather suffer the worst torture than denounce whoever helped you out. Tell me the truth, just once. You won't give up the name of the guard who helped you for now, it's fine, but at least tell me the truth about why you're here.
-You'll think I'm a liar again, or you'll hurt someone that I love. I can't tell you the truth.
-Someone that you love. Your sister? Did your sister help you?
-No! She didn't do anything.
-Judging by how defensive your are, I believe that she did do something.
-No, she didn't.
-I see.
-Do you have a family?
-My job is my priority."
The director sighs and gets up. He looks at the floor, at an old chalk drawing that I made. It's a portrait of Blade, half erased because he walked on it. The left side of his face is missing but he's still easily recognizable.
"How about we make a deal? I don't believe that you deserve more pain. Now Blade, that's another story. He's a brute, a killer, a true criminal. But you... I'm not so sure about you anymore. I'll give you an opportunity to earn my trust. All you have to do is tell me everything you know. About your own case. About the guard who helped you. Everything you know about everybody in here. Like a little spy. Who owns a weapon. Who works with who. Every alliance. And after a while, if I trust you, I'll let you out.
-If you trust me... So there's no guarantee.
-I promise to release you once your job is done. You just need to prove to me that you deserve it. That you're truly as pure as you look.
-And Blade?
-What about Blade?
-Is he a part of the deal? Will he be free too?
-Blade's a criminal. I can't help him.
-Then I'm not interested.
-Come one. It's your only chance, Purity. Think about it.
-I'll think about your offer, but I beg you to help Blade too. I swear he can be good. Please, if you truly believe that I'm innocent, I would be crazy to love Blade if he were just a criminal. Please! And he can work for you too. Just... Please."
The director walks toward the door and goes out. Looking at me from behind the door bars, he sighs.
"We both need to do some thinking, then.
-Thank you.
- And by the way, just so you know, I would have never actually forced myself on you."
YOU ARE READING
Surviving the Jungle
ChickLitNothing can ever be the same. After Purity is accused of murder and thrown in the Jungle, she has to learn how to survive. But the Jungle isn't what you think. It's a prison, in which criminals all over the worlds are thrown, regardless of their gen...
