(OxBlood) (Asking Alexandria)

3: A Nice White World

He woke up to the sound of Sam shuffling around. He must have been awake long before him, his hair was brushed and he was dressed. He didn't speak, he only watched. His throat was still tight and dry from the night before.

Sam turned, noticing that he was awake. "Danny says that I'm supposed to show you around today. I'll give you a few minutes first." He made his way over to the bed and unkotted the leash from the post just enough so that he could move if he wanted to.

He still remained silent as he sat up and stretched to the best of his ability, the links of the chains rattling and clicking.

"You're not much of a talker, are you? That's alright, I'm not either. Well," he paused, "I guess it just depends on who's around." He sighed and sat on the bed beside him. "Most of the lads around here aren't that bad. Cam gets a little sassy sometimes, Ben gets a little moody, Danny gets a little pushy, James is easily irritated...it's all good." He chuckled and nudged at Denis with his elbow. "Do you want a drink?"

Denis nodded quickly. "Please."

"Oh, so you do talk? How about that." He smiled and pulled open the drawer of the beaten up dresser in the center of the room. There were assorted bottles of booze in the drawer, liquors, whiskey, wine, all stolen from the barn. There was a small bottle of water in the back wrapped in towel scraps. "This is the good stuff right here," he pulled the towel away from the bottle, "This is all cleaned up nice. Danny gave us some from the house. He usually keeps all of the nice stuff." He handed the bottle to Denis, who took it gratefully.

He took a sip and looked up. "What do you think of him?"

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Danny? Oh well..." he took a long pause, "He used to be a real good guy, but I think that he's kind of losing it. You don't tell anybody anything, you hear me? Nothing. I can tell you anything you want to know, but you've got to keep it a secret."

"I promise." Denis wiped at the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Later." He stood, reaching for the bottle to rewrap and place back in its spot. "We've got plenty to do today." He walked over to his bunk and pulled the sheets up. "Here, you're looking a little messy there." He came back with a brush. "You probably can't reach with the cuffs though...and Ben has the damn key...I'll do it." He sat back beside him and reparted his hair for him.

Denis stared at the floor awkwardly.

"What's the matter?"

"I feel silly..." His cheeks were burning.

"There are plenty worse things than this that happen around here, trust me." He tossed the brush back into the bunk and untied the leash the rest of the way. "Let's go."

He stood and followed him out of the bunkhouse. He squinted as the sunlight hit his face. It wasn't anywhere near as bright inside. The dark curtains had kept almost all of the light out. They went in a direction that he hadn't previously seen. He recognized the barn and the metallic building from the night before, but to the other side of the barn, some ways up the dusty path, there appeared to be a stable. Around the stable there was a flock of people, much like the crowd in the barn. As they got closer, the outlines of some of the figures became more clear. Danny was standing by the the side of the stable carrying on, Ben perched on a hay bale beside him puffing away at a cigarette, a large grin plastered across his face. James must have been up and busy early. He didn't pay the crowd any mind as he came through, heavy chains thrown over his shoulders and around his neck. The sounds of muffled laughs were filling the open air. And open it was; the sky was such a vibrant blue, one that was almost unreal. There didn't appear to be a single cloud in the sky for as far as the eye could see.