Inconsolable » Squid [Holes]

35: Wren

This chapter contains sensitive subject matter, specifically talk around sexual assault and rape, therefore is potentially triggering. Proceed with caution.

Blood roared in his ears. If Eagle directed another smirk his way, Squid would rearrange his face; give him two black eyes like the ones Pendanski struggled to see out of. Indentations bit into his crossed arms beneath the strength of his grip. He focused on his breathing, pulled it in through his nose, held it for four seconds, and let it out through his mouth for five. He continued the deep breaths, until his urge to punish the smug bastard deescalated from throttling to maiming.

"This is bullshit," he muttered.

"What was that?" Bull was on him before the words finished leaving Squid's mouth. His nostrils flared and spittle landed on Squid's face as Bull bumped his chest. He very much lived up to his name. Except for the odd smattering of acne coating his cheeks.

"This is bullshit," Squid repeated, "And you know it." He gave Bull a hard shove. Bull merely blinked away the blow, taking only a fraction of a step back.

"We're just following orders," Eagle said. If his grin got any bigger, he'd swallow the sun. If they were lucky, he'd choke on it.

"The Warden has you doing bed checks now?" X-Ray asked. His question sounded as unbothered and nonchalant as it always did when dealing with B-Tent.

"Just for you guys," Bull replied, turning his beady eyes over to X-Ray. He didn't flinch when Bull came up to him. X-Ray's glasses fogged up beneath his heavy breathing. "Special request. Apparently, she has reason to believe you're holding onto drugs."

"Can't imagine why." An easy smile slid onto X-Ray's face. "We haven't done anything wrong."

"Save it, X-Ray." His eyes flickered over X-Ray's shoulder, and he lowered his voice. "We know you have it."

"Oh? And why is that?" X-Ray's words smoothed over with innocence, but Squid knew that look in his eye. The first time he'd come across it was in the middle of one of his withdrawals a week into arriving. Some punk from E-Tent decided to stick his nose where it didn't belong, and X-Ray put him in his place fast with barely a word. "Why is it that you think we specifically have anything?"

"Now, Rex, he doesn't mean any harm," Pendanski broke in. He felt around blindly until he found X-Ray's shoulder and patted it. X-Ray stared at Pendanski's hand until it was removed. "This is protocol, as you know. If anyone has suspicion of carrying anything illegal, we're allowed to check for contraband."

"As long as I've been here, it's been the counselors or Mr. Sir that's supposed to do bed checks. Not fellow campers," X-Ray said.

"Warden's orders," Eagle all but sang. As if they needed the reminder. He reached into a crate and pulled out a rubber octopus. Making a face, he threw it over his shoulder.

A growl rumbled at the back of Squid's throat. "Watch it," X-Ray said beneath his breath. Squid backed down, lips forming a line.

Noticing the exchange, Eagle held Squid's eye and dumped out his crate. The others' crates soon followed: scattered papers, a book, near-pristine notebooks, a baseball glove, a tv guide, a picture of Magnet with a few older women and little girls, and the broken base of a snowglobe littered the ground.

"X." It was a single letter Magnet uttered but he may as well have whined like a child and stomped his foot with the way Bull sneered.

"My God, do any of you have your balls? You're all so whipped it's pathetic."

"Matthew, that's not necessary," Pendanski spoke up. "The Warden has asked you to carry out a task, please see to it."

"Fine. Keep looking. We might find something interesting this time."