The Long Dark- A Journey Through Frozen Hell

Blackrock Blues

Miho slowly came to her senses.

She stared at a concrete wall before lifting her head and stared through the iron bars.

She hissed, touching her bruised head.

She sat up, banging her head on the top bunk before closing her eyes.

Her ribs hurt like hell as she looked around before she unbuttoned her shirt and looked at the large purple bruises on her ribs before buttoning her shirt up.

She turned her head to the window, which was out of her reach. Out of reach for most men anyways.

"Psh. Hey, you awake yet?" A voice called.

Miho looked around but couldn't find it.

"I hear you're awake. Come to the window. We have to talk. Stand on the toilet, and you can reach the window."

Miho walked over, standing on the toilet and reaching the bars.

Looking down, she could see the top of a man's head as he stared ahead.

"There you are." He said, barely looking up.

"Welcome to the shitshow."

"Who are you?" Miho asked.

"Unfortunately, I run this place."

"You're the warden?"

"Yes, well... Normally, I'm on the other side of the bars. Names Franklin. I'm the warden here at Blackrock. And you are?"

"Miho Nishizumi. What's going on here, Mister Franklin?" Miho asked.

"The situation is this. You and I are locked up in here. Mathis and his gang of thugs are trying to break someone out of solitary. We're still alive for now. So they must need us for something. The power has been out for days, and nobody is coming to help."

"That lines up with what's going on."

Miho looked at the bars and back to Franklin.

"What is Blackrock?" She asked.

"Maximum security prison. Built a hundred years ago and updated a few times. It's basically a fortress. You notice the wall on your way in?"

"I... didn't... I was knocked out."

"Okay, well, they ain't that high or impressive, really. You know why?"

"No."

"Because whatever dumb son of a bitch tries to escape from this place has to get through about fifty clicks of dangerous terrain and wildlife before they can even think about finding a road that leads out of here."

"But we got here."

"Yeah, but are you gonna get out? Twenty years ago, a pair of cons escaped. They came back three days later, half dead, begging us to take them back, and that was in the middle of summer."

"I get the picture now." Miho said.

"Who is Mathis?" She asked.

"We go way back. He was in for murder on the mainland ten years ago. He did seven and got off on parol. I was warden at one of the federal pens there and well... Let's just say Mathis isn't sending me any Chrismas cards these days."

"Why is he trying to break someone out of solitary?"

"He's here for Donner."

"Who is Donner?"

"Donner is his son."

A dreadful feeling and chill shot down Miho's spine as she shivered.

"Mathis is bad, but he's old school bad. Murder, larceny, the occasional heist, and grand theft auto. Donner? He's a chip off the old block, and he's some."