Hatta Almawt

Ethan

     I lay sprawled on my bed. My bruises, burns, and cuts still fresh and painful from yesterday. Or was it yesterday? It could have been two days ago? I'm not really sure it was even that long.

"Ethan!" I hear a loud whisper from the cell to my right. Craigs next victum.

"Ya Drew?" I think that's what came out of my mouth. My throat hurts from screaming and my toungue is thick with dehydration.

"You okay?" His voice is shaky as he asks. He knows he's next.

"I've been better." I try to get up but groun when the wound in my side starts to throb.

"Better or worse than last year?" He asks.

"Better." I laugh. 'Better' isn't a word that comes to mind in Hatta Almawt. More like 'not as terribly painful.'

Drew says something but I'm too lost in thought to hear him. 'What did I so to diserve this?' I think, 'what did any of us do to diserve this?' I feel like I should cry but I can't. Eventually I drift off to sleep. I wonder if I will wake up this time?
.....

I jolt awake. Footsteps. No. I can't listen. No! It's Drews turn! NO! NO NO NO!

I get up, ignoring the pain that shoots through every bone and muscle in my body.

"Drew!" I call to him.

"I know." His voice is barely a whisper. "Get back to bed before you get in trouble!"

"Good luck." Its all I can think to say.
.....
Screams echo throughout the hallway. Drews screams. I try to block it out. Is that considered selfish? Blocking out your best friends screams? My vision gets foggy when he screams again.

No. I hold in the tears. Even if he can't see me , I can't cry! I need to stay strong. He screams again. I wince. I hear a thud. He groans. A tear sqeezes its way out of my shut eyelids. A crack. He screams again. I wince and finally let the tears fall. They fall on my pillow, soaking it in seconds. Another crack. Another scream. I wish I could scream, too.