Goner

Chapter 2: Cold Blooded

It didn't take long for another ear piercing bell to ring. All the patients in the cafeteria began to go to their feet with their plates in hand. They moved in untidy lines to the large trashcans to throw away any extra food they didnt eat, then proceeded to an open door that led outside.
 
Two guards quickly made their way to Jester and Jack, ready to cuff the two dangerous patients.

  Richard stood behind Sylvia who didnt even touch her food, and tapped her shoulder to grab her attention and to say 'Follow me.' As she stood, Jester, Jack, and the two guards disappeared from sight, exiting through a large metal door. Richard walked slowly as he began to trail off, moving towards a door that leads outside. Following close behind, the two slipped through the small cracks between the large heard of patients that crowded the exit. Finally, they were outside. Sylvia immediately noticed the large number of guards that watched over the small field. Two stood leaning against the large concrete walls that bordered the area as they talked about politics. Another guard stood next to the door, giving assistance to the patients exiting. Then two more guards stood at opposing corners of the area, one taking a giant puff of a cigarette.

Richard led Sylvia to an old wooden picnic table that sat on a small slab of concrete. He climbed onto the table, sitting on the top as his legs sat on the area most would sit. Sylvia simply sat next to him, not wanting to trail off and get into any unwanted trouble. Richard was the only person she sort of felt comfortable being around so far.

Richard dug in his pocket, pulling out a half-smoked cigarette along with a small black lighter. Sticking the cancer stick between his lips, Richard inhaled, lighting the cigarette then returning the lighter to the waistband of his pants. He let out a puff of smoke into his shirt, making it nearly unnoticeable to the guards that he was smoking. Stuffing the lighter back into his pocket, he looked up to notice Jester heading his way. His hands uncuffed and in his pockets. Darting from the door, passed Jester was Jack. A huge smile spread across his face as he finally stopped running, stopping in front of Richard who stared at him with a confused look. Jester slowly made his way to the bench, sitting next to Sylvia where the only open spot was.

Jack began jumping up and down in excitement,

"I'm freeeeeeee!" Jack said as he continued to jump in a circle, his arms flailing in the air. Sylvia kept her eyes on the man, to her he seemed to be in a completely opposite mood than what he was just minutes before.

"Free?" Richard asked, inhaling his cigarette once more.

"Yeah man, isn't that a surprise. Thompson isn't here today, had to leave for some kind of emergency. But hey, I'm not complaining. If it were my choice, I'd hire a merc to kill his ass while he ain't here." Jester said, making it obvious he didn't like Thompson. Thompson was the head guard of the facility and sadly, was also the one in charge of max. Stories littered the asylum about his cruel treatment of max patients.

Jack suddenly stopped jumping around as his smile faded, as Jack  slowly lifted his shoe, a lime green string of gum stretching from the concrete to his foot. Suddenly, it was like all the anger from earlier came back.

"Goddamnit! Mother fucker! Son of a..." He continued to scream obscenities, calling the attention of one of the guards as he slammed his foot on the ground, trying to get the gum off. Everyone's attention was now on Jack, including the guard's who headed his way quickly.

Grabbing Jack's wrist, the guard sternly put the boy in handcuffs and led him back into the building, leaving Sylvia baffled by the scene that seemed to happen so quickly.

"What are they doing to him? Is he okay?" Sylvia asked for both his and her own safety.

"Nope. That's what being in max does to you. You get the slightest bit angry and they wanna wheel you off to solitary, stick you with a needle, and add time onto your sentence." Jester said casually.

"Does he not care about his time being extended?" Sylvia asked. Her question made both Richard and Jester chuckle.

"Hell no. The dude's got three-lifetime sentences, he doesn't have anything to lose. With his luck he'll act up so much they'll just put him down instead of just extending his sentence." Jester said, relating to his words.

"Putting him down?" Sylvia asked.

"Yeah, like a dog. Ya know how criminals that aren't all wacky in the brain get to be put on death row? Well here there is basically the same thing, you act up too much or repeatedly try to hurt someone, you get put on this list. It's called M.M.P.P.D. Mazedale's Mental Patient Put Down. It's basically the death row for crazies. But there's only been like four patients who's ever been on the list. That was when this place was just built." Jester explained.

"How do you even get three-lifetime sentences in the first place?" Sylvia asked. Jester chuckled once more as he kept his eyes on all the patients that scattered the small field.

"I don't know, maybe you should ask your best friend. He has three-lifetime sentences." He said, referring to Richard. Richard raised an eyebrow as Sylvia's attention was called to him, her face showing worriedness and curiosity.

"No no no no," Richard said quickly, trying to not have to explain what he had done to get such a long sentence. He didn't want to scare Sylvia, not yet anyway. "Your story is much more exciting than mine anyway." He added with a chuckle.

"Hey look, they overreacted. They could've just shot me but nooo they had to keep me alive to make me 'suffer for what I did to all those people' I only killed 8 of them. I mean shit, i was only doing the vigilatne version of what the government does anyway." Jester chuckled again.

Richard's eyes shuffled from Jester to Sylvia who seemed pale.

"Are you alright dear?" Richard asked. Sylvia couldn't move, talk or breathe. She was paralyzed with fear, she was sitting next to a serial killer, completely oblivious that Richard too was a cold-blooded killer. The sound of silence and her own heartbeat was the only things she could hear. She trembled with fear,

"Y...you didn't actually k..." Sylvia stuttered to get her words out.

"Calm down kid, you have nothing to worry about. Those days are in my past." Jester said, nearly jokingly.

"That is..." he paused as he leaned closer to Sylvia, now at her height. His crazed blue eyes stared into hers threateningly, like a predator to prey.

"Unless you get on my bad side." Jester threatened. He chuckled after placing down his warning. Richard simply rolled his eyes, he knew Jester was simply trying to scare the girl more. Just then, the buzzer buzzed once more. All of the patients began flooding back into the building, the guards keeping a close eye on all of them. Sylvia quickly darted towards the door as fast as she could, trying to get as far away from Jester as possible.

Richard stood next to Jester, watching Sylvia run away.

"You did that just so you can get some business out of her huh?" Richard asked. Jester simply replied with a maniacle smile.