Divided On Earth

~2~

Walking down the hallway, I started to get a little nervous. Was there still PRISONERS here? Like, actual detainees that have possibly killed people?

I supposed it was nothing serious to worry about... for now at least. A lot of "For Now" happening so far... I think it's because you never know if something is actually going to happen. Unless you follow Murphy's Law, in which case you know that whatever happens will be the worst possible outcome... I'm getting off track.

ANYWAYS.

The hallway, a dark and narrow corridor, led to an immense lobby, filled with guards, and staff. A couple survivors were talking to a short Asian lady at a desk in the very front.

"I think that's how we find our cells." I said.

"Yeah..." Miranda said.

After a moment, Leah groaned.

"You guys are taking forEVER. Just go!"

I laughed, as she pushed the three of us to the desk. The lady looked at us strangely for a second, but then smiled. It was a warm smile... like a smile that I haven't seen in a while.

"How can I help you kids today?"

"We're here for cell assignments?" I said, softly.

"Jesus, when did you turn all nice?" Miranda said.

I looked back at her, and she looked genuinely surprised. I put my pointer finger up gesturing for her to wait a moment, and then turned back to the lady.

"Cell assignments, please." I said.

She smiled, and nodded. "Yes... your names?"

"I'm Jack Smith," I said, and then pointed at the others individually. "That's Miranda Cleary, Daphne Chambers, and Meleah Coon."

"Cool." The lady said, clicking away on a keyboard I had not noticed before.

After what seemed like forever in awkward land, but was in reality about three seconds, the lady spoke again.

"Alright. Jack, you are in E219, Miranda, you are in D113, Daphne, you are in D114, and you will be sharing a room with Meleah"

Daphne and Leah high-fived.

"Who are we sharing rooms with?" Miranda asked.

"Jack, you're with Mark Johann, and Miranda, you're with Julia Moore.

"Sounds good." I said. "Which way do we go?"

"Cell Block E is through those doors to my left, and Cell Block D is on the right." She said.

"Why are we separated?" I said, nervously.

"Because boys and girls in a prison wouldn't do too well would it?" She told me, smiling weakly. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine." I said, shaking my head.

I slung my backpack over my shoulder, and it fell over my sword scabbard. I paused.

"Do I have to turn in my sword?"

"As long as you don't kill anyone with it, I'm fairly sure the guards will let you keep it." The lady told me.

"Alright."

I turned back towards the others.

"Do you think we'll see eachother at all?" Miranda asked me.

"I dunno." I said, sighing. "We'll see."

I looked towards the receptionist. "Thank you... umm... Ms. Pointdexter." I said, reading her name tag.

"No problem dear... and you can call me Cheryl." She said.

I grinned, and nodded. I waved to the other three, and I went on my way, through two solid metal doors to the left of Cheryl's fairly large desk.

As soon as I was through those metal doors, I suddenly wished I had stayed in that truck the day before.

The cell block was organized quite well. There was a little bit of open space for guards to walk around. Then the entire North and West walls were made up of cells. There was about 40 of them on the bottom level. Then, a flight of stairs led up to another row of cells. There were three rows. Guards were walking around, yelling into closed cells. Not all of them were closed though. Some of them were open with people inside. I guessed they were the quiet ones... maybe?

I remembered my cell assignment. E219. E Block, second level, nineteenth from the Left. Or thirty first from the right.

I gingerly walked up to the stairs, trying not to get noticed by guards. There were only about five of them, but boy, were they making a racket. Their roars were echoing off the glass ceiling, and making them about three times louder. I scaled the stairs quickly on to the second landing, and started counting.

17...

18...

19... ah.

As I was about to walk in, I heard a grunt.

"You!" The unmistakable voice of Stevenson spat.

I turned around, and he was striding towards me, his face red.

"You're trying to escape!" He snarled.

"I just got here, how can I be trying to escape?" I said, tilting my head. "Sir." I quickly added.

"Shut the hell up, and get back in your cell, delinquent." He growled, shoving me into the cell with uncomprehending strength.

I yelped, as I flew backwards. My feet hit the ground first, but my body decided it wasn't done moving yet. I continued to topple over, my stomach in knots. My head smacked the brick wall of the cell. I winced, as I slid to the floor.

Someone in the cell whistled.

"That's gonna leave a mark." He said.

I looked over to the voice. The kid was around 14...ish. He had really red hair... like Ron Weasel red hair. His skin was kinda tan, but it was the kinda tan you got when you go outside for the first time in three months. Not at all rooted, it's just kinda there. He had blue eyes, and kind of a squeaky voice, but it wasn't annoying.

"Ha... Mark. Get it?"

"You must be Mark." I groaned, standing up. He got off the bed as well.

"That was a hell of an introduction... You have a name?"

"Jack." I said, shaking his hand.

"Oh right, you're my roomie. How you doing?"

"Was doing fine, I suppose. Now my head is bleeding." I said, feeling around the back of my head.

"Yeah, seems harsh." Mark said shaking his head. "The way they treat the people here"

"I guess so..."

"Don't worry about anything, though." He told me grinning. "I've been here a while. It'll be fine."

"I sure hope so."