LDN

Warning shots

3 months earlier

The twins spotted him as soon as they walked into the packed visitation room, he was sat at the back of the hall with his hands clasped together and his eyes fixed on the entrance. He looked the same at first, he was still 6ft 4, still had tatted arms and steely grey eyes that softened when he looked at them. But as they got closer, once they were stood opposite him in his grey prison clothes and bright blue bib they could see that there was something different about him. He looked worn, his beard was unruly and coarse curls had begun to spiral out of his scalp, so unlike the fresh trim that they were used to seeing. James' eyes refused to linger on him but as Jade watched she realised more subtle changes. His voice boomed and he had a familiar air of authority about him, but his eyes were dimmer and he moved his body with a little less conviction than usual. He had no control in prison, if there was one thing he had always been it was in control. Seeing him without it was unnerving.

"Rah so you've finally decided to come see your big bro," there was an unsurprising hint of bitterness in Kai's words as he addressed his younger siblings. He wanted this visit to be a good one but couldn't diffuse the feelings of anger that simmered inside of him as he thought about the countless visiting orders they had ignored.

An awkward silence descended over their table, Kai being in prison was a surreal experience for the three of them, and none of them knew how to deal with it. Jade for instance was conflicted, she didn't know if she wanted to come see her brother, and even had doubts as she surrendered her bag to the guards to be searched  upon entering the prison. She had idolized him since she was a little girl but as she got older she found that her perception of him was flawed. Jade wanted him to know that he had let her down, that his situation wasn't ok. That no matter how many times he sent his boys to the house with stacks of money wrapped in rubber bands, they could never replace Kai or make his absence anything other than heartbreaking. Jade believed in her brothers, she believed in their potential and wanted them to know that there was more to life than the hood, but it was too late for Kai.

The resentment Jade felt towards her brother at that time couldn't change the fact that he was the rock of their family. Kai had always had the ability to calm and reassure Jade, and as she wrapped her arms around her older brother's solid stature and felt the threat of tears at the brims of her eyelids, she realised that all of the reasons she had not to visit him were selfish. James and Jade needed the visit just as much as Kai did, brief phone conversations and one way emails weren't enough.

A female guard lingered by their table, Kai always sparked her curiosity, but she especially couldn't tear her eyes away from his visiting table this time. She knew that the two visitors were supposed to be family but they looked nothing like the biracial prisoner. Her eyes scanned his body for the thousandth time, she normally didn't have any problem remaining professional, but this inmate made her mind wander into the realm of the inappropriate. She wanted to focus on her work, she wanted him to fade into the background but Kai always found a way to stand out when submerged in a sea of people. His skin was so pale that it was practically translucent, when paired against his anomalous eyes and dark hair he was all the more striking. He could be considered a pretty boy but his tattoos, giant body and sullen expression rebelled against that label. She then studied the twins who seemed so unlike Kai with their rich skin tones and youthful faces. Kai could feel her penetrating gaze on the back of his neck. He swiftly turned his head and glared at her forcing her to look the other way but also causing her heart to jolt.

What the prison guard didn't know was that the siblings were alike in many ways despite the physical differences between them. James was essentially a younger less disciplined version of Kai, he subconsciously emulated his brother. The way he walked, talked and even dressed was somehow derived from Kai. The 24 year old male even inspired James' disregard for consequence. Kai had always been aware of the fact that prison was a possibility but never thought that it would be a reality and refused to alter his lifestyle. And even when he lay awake in his dark cell at night unable to hide from the truth, he still couldn't quite believe it.. James was a reflection of Kai, which only meant that when the two were brought together Kai could clearly see everything he hated most about himself.