Worse Than Prison

Chapter Eight

I Am A Human

"Let us through!" Jared snapped. The guard glared at him, retrieving his nightstick from the thick belt around his waist, holding it at the ready.

"You two may pass. Silence has to stay in here until you come back to fetch him." He stated firmly, getting tense. Jared could feel a tremor of annoyance springing up his spine and causing his fists to clench even tighter, until his knuckles were white. Silence just stood there, lost in his thoughts and barely noticing that the guard had the nightstick much too close to his face. Megik, however, remained completely calm.

"Come now," He began, spreading his arms and causing the guard to take a step back, glaring cautiously and suspiciously, "Let's not argue about something so insignificant. He's just a kid and he has Jared and I watchin' him. And even better, how much fame and fortune would you receive for training one of those creatures to ignore flesh and blood? And to turn to a normal human diet?"

The guard paused and thought about this. Fame and fortune sounded delicious right now.

"And what if he decides to eat one of the inmates?" He asked slowly, though, he couldn't possibly care less. The less inmates the better! Megik shrugged.

"He won't. Jared and I can easily handle him. Why do you think he's not attacking you right now?" He poked Silence in the back. In response, the teenager growled and the guard took a step back, keeping his nightstick at the ready. Megik grasped Silence's shoulder firmly and the teen remained tense, but ceased his growling. He knew what Megik was up to, but the guard obviously didn't and hummed thoughtfully, slowly taking careful steps aside.

"I suppose... But if he screws up, we will shoot him without a second thought." He added quickly. Megik nodded and led the way into the cafeteria. Which wasn't exactly a cafeteria, more of a giant stone room with busted tables set up and a long bar with a variety of leftovers from the previous day.

"Thanks for that," Jared murmured as they walked, noticing the queer glances they received for walking with Silence, "I thought I was going to have to skip food." Megik chuckled and gave a shrug, glancing down at Silence, who was staring in awe at the large room.

"No thanks. Just doing you pair a favor... And best you teach ol' Silence to start speaking up." He added as they walked, grabbing trays and lining up. Jared handed one to Silence, only to have Silence look at it oddly and start to put it back. Jared glared.

"Silence, you need that," He warned and Silence reluctantly picked it back up, with a sigh, Jared turned back to Megik with a grim expression, "It's gonna be hard... Megik, I don't think he remembers how to form words." Megik looked at him, perplexed as he heaved a spoonful of some gunky gravy stirred with bread and sausage onto his tray.

"No kiddin'? How'd you find that out?" He asked. Jared placed a couple pieces of toast on his tray and assisted Silence in tossing bacon on his. At least, it looked like bacon. It could've been false.

"When he, uh, attacked Skull the second time, he was trying to apologize to me, but it came out chopped up and backwords. I think he knows what to say, but he doesn't know how to say it. Literally." He added. Megik frowned and watched Silence, who poked at the globby mass of bread, gravy, and sausage.

"That so...?" He murmured thoughtfully. Silence glanced over toward Jared and Megik, who continued their conversation before he looked back at the food that was piled on the bar. None of it looked at all appetizing. How could any of these people eat it? Why did that gray pile jiggle like that? Was it supposed to look like it was alive?

Silence dipped a finger into it and put in his mouth. At first, the flavor was odd. Peppery, hot, dry, but then he bit into a bit of sausage and the peppery flavor grew hotter, but the idea of biting into meat thrilled him. He went to dip his finger in again, but Jared smacked his hand. Not harshly, gently, enough to say 'oh no you don't'.