Prisoner•Phan

Chapter 2

I couldn't sleep.

The sound of boots pounding down the dark hallways and the talking of loud prisoners across the way. I looked towards Dan who was humming a tune.

"What are you singing?" I asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He asked while sitting up.

"Yes, that's why I asked," I snapped.

"Fistey aren't you?" He asked with a devilish glare.

"Why do I even bother?" I asked in annoyance as I sat up as well.

Dan stood up, pulling me up by the collar. We were face to face and I could feel his hot breath against me.

"Listen here Lester. If you want to see the light of day you will keep your pretty mouth shut! You say you're innocent and so far you seem like that's a true fact, but you sure as hell are annoying and I swear to god if you don't stop I'm going to hurt you!" He yelled, "Do you understand?!"

I gulped nervously, "y-yes."

He let me down and sat down on his bed, "So what are you in here for?"

"I murdered five people," I shrugged.

"What?!" He asked in shock, "You killed people? I'm not even that low!"

"I was standing up for these kids because this 6th grader was making fun of them. I killed a man who was abusing his wife in an alley. All my kills were in good intention," I explained.

"You killed a child?!"

"That's beside the point!" I shouted, "What are you in here for anyway?"

"It would be easier to say what I didn't do," he shrugged.

"I didn't see you as a secret keeper," I laughed.

"You wanna know what I did?" He asked, receiving a nod from me. "Let's see... I consumed drugs, I sold drugs, I was charged for grand theft, I've shot many people, I was part of a gang, did drive by shootings, and I was accused of rape by my ex."

He said accused. Did he actually do that? I could never imagine him going to that extent no matter how bad he seemed to be. I could tell there was more to him then what he said and even if he didn't want to, I was going to get him to show his real side.

"D-Did you?" I wondered nervously.

"Did I what?"

"Rape your ex?"

"No, but I broke the law too much that they had every right to think that I really did."

"Why did you do all the other things though?"

"I felt like it," he smiled while bouncing his ball again. That wasn't true and I could tell. Everyone has some reason to do that. I wanted to know his past and maybe, just maybe I would understand him.

"No one just feels like doing something like that. What happened to you to make you like this?" I questioned.

"That's enough sharing for today," Dan snapped.

"Can you at least tell me one thing?" I questioned.

"What?" He asked in annoyance.

"What were you humming?" I laughed, obviously not letting it go.

"Interrupted by fireworks," he answered. I recognized the name immediately.

"Didn't see you as the Final Fantasy Type," I smiled, knowing that there was more to him then he showed and this went to prove it.

He looked at me in awe, "You play it too?"

I laughed, "Yeah, your not so bad then everyone think Dan."

"It's Howell to you," he corrected.

I let out a soft chuckle before lying down and letting myself drift off to sleep," Goodnight Dan."

I heard him scoff in annoyance, but I knew he was smiling even though I couldn't see him. He put on a tough act that I needed to break.

"Hey Lester?" I heard Dan ask, his voice returning to the harsh tone it was earlier.

"What?" I asked in a groggy tone.

"Mention this to anyone and you're dead," he threatened.

"Okay," I smiled while falling asleep. It seemed a lot easier to sleep after that conversation then when there was thick silence. It's almost as if I felt...safer.