Energia Tower

Chapter 3: The Worst One of All

The infamous Gil Zain strode into the crowded cafeteria, with all eyes on him. They looked at him as if he were a savage beast, but at that time, all he desired was a simple meal. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, driving him forward with a sense of urgency. He noticed the long line of people waiting for food and he eagerly maneuvered his way towards it, his immense hunger making it difficult to stay still.

He was especially surprised by the aesthetic of the large cafeteria. The white walls were devoid of any adornment and created a sense of minimalism that spoke volumes of the stark environment. Large windows, though equipped with sturdy bars, allowed feeble streams of natural light to penetrate the otherwise controlled atmosphere, casting gentle shadows upon the prisoners. Though the tables and polished tile were white as well, he couldn't help but be blown away by how spectacular the lighting appeared to be. Why did the environment appear to be so welcoming? After all, it was a prison, not a restaurant. The shiny white floor made him think about who mopped the place? They surely excelled at the task.

Perhaps a sense of trepidation lingered in the atmosphere. The prison had a stench of regret, burdens, and hopes. Even Gil, void of emotions could sense that.

"Excuse me," Gil said to the prisoner standing in front of him. "What's the food like in this place? It's not bad is it... please tell me it's not bad." He rubbed his rumbling stomach, hoping for a reply.

The prisoner immediately recoiled, his face turning pale as if he were speaking to the grim reaper. Without uttering a word, the prisoner fled, followed by the two people ahead of him in line.

I guess the food sucks, Gil frowned.

Watching them run also made Gil ponder on the fact that all of the prisoners came in many shapes and sizes. He noticed that some of the men were way older than him, while some seemed to be around his age. Some were ripped like bodybuilders, while some were scrawny like broken strands of grain. He wondered which prisoners were giving off the hopeless stench, and which prisoners were giving off the stench of optimism. It was too hard to tell. Regardless of the prisoner, none of them approached Gil... Not one.

Gil glanced around the enormous cafeteria once again to meet everyone's beating eyes. His cellmate told him he would be attacked by anyone; so far it seemed like he was in the clear. It seemed the crime he was accused of committing instilled massive waves of fear in his fellow prisoners... no one wanted to come near him.

His cellmate also informed him that he was going to beat him up during dinner, yet so far he was nowhere to be seen. Gil didn't really believe him, he seemed like the kind of guy that told a lot of lies. Perhaps he would be proven wrong.

When Gil finally made it to the front of the line, he was almost salivating. The spicy smell of chili was driving his eager nostrils mad.

"He-re... You go," the prisoner  serving dinner said as he nervously scooped a large pile of savory chili into a metal bowl.

"How's the chili taste here?" asked Gil.

"Um... It's okay I guess, it's uh- bet- better than you'd think," the sweating young prisoner stuttered.

"Awesome!" cheered Gil as he reached for his bowl. He looked into the serving stands and could see multiple prisoners working in the cafeteria. Two were men, and three were women. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen a woman in about two days.  All of the fellow prisoners he saw so far were men. As hungry as he was, he had a few questions for the worker.

"So... You work here for extra points?" Gil asked. "Also, I didn't know this tower had girls here too. I haven't seen a single one other than the ones working behind you."