Losing Light

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I got out of my bed for the first time in ages to go to the gym. I was better now, trying to ignore all thoughts of Reyna as my muscles strained under various exercises. People gave me quick, obvious glances but I ignore that too. I felt better than I had a week and a half ago.

My hunger was completely ignored until I step into the cafeteria for lunch. The smells of food overwhelm my senses. I had forgotten the cafeteria in the time I had spent in my cell. It was almost like it was the first time being thrusted into the new, routine life of the inmates. I laugh quietly. My first day seemed like it had happened years ago.

After grabbing my lunch tray, I sit down at my usual spot. Gareth was waiting for me, devouring his BBQ hamburger like a savage. He looks up at me and grins with his teeth.

I wrinkle my nose in disgust. "You are aware that I can see the remains of your sandwich, right?"

He swallows and gives me a closed-mouth type of smile, much to my relief. "Hey, Violet. Nice of you to join the living."

"Gar. What have you been doing lately?"

"Nothing much, really. I did see some new inmates arrive yesterday morning. One of them kept puking all over the place. All the prisoners kept laughing at the poor fellow. I'm willing to bet they're gonna get beaten soon by the Scissors."

I choke on my sandwich. "Scissors?"

"Oh, right! You weren't there. They were brought in last week. Well, they're these two shady guys that beat people up. They've got life sentences, so they really don't care about any punishments."

"What'd they get in for?"

"The brutally torturing of women and men, and raping them when they died. I heard they disposed of the bodies by dipping them in a bunch of acid."

I shiver.

"Anyways," Gareth says. "Are you going to tell me what happened with Reyna?"

"About that..." I trail off. The Hispanic man's demand replays in my head. "I, erm, can't today."

He frowns. "But this is the only time I really see you. I don't eat dinner, remember?"

"Oh. Right." Gareth refused to eat dinner. He was convinced that breakfast and lunch were the only meals he needed. He also felt guilty for having more to eat than his family. This he did not tell me. But he had hinted at it, and that was all it took for me to know.

"Look," I tell him. "I'll tell you tomorrow, alright? There's something I have to do."

"Can I come with you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

I hesitate. He wouldn't like it, the mystery man. He had talked about it like it was important, whatever it was. And I guess I had heard enough of whatever he was doing to be let in to what he was up to.

Gareth snaps his fingers in front of my face. "Well?" He demands.

"Don't follow me." I warn, and dump my virtually uneaten food in the trash. I stalk away a hallway, shooting looks behind me to make sure the stupid failure of a drug dealer wasn't on my trail. Okay, that was probably uncalled for, but he acted like a child. Therefore, he deserved it.

I wasn't exactly sure where the library was, as I had not visited it in my time here. It wasn't until I heard a 'harrumph' from a closed door that I see someone watching me. I open the door gingerly.

A skinny Hispanic man with walnut eyes observes me. His jumpsuit makes him seem small, and the chair he sits on adds to the small-size he projects. A few books sit patiently on the wooden table front of him. The table is scratched with initials and inappropriate creativity.