Get up! Get up!! Get downstairs!!!
My jailer banged the edge of the cot that I shared with a couple of other inmates. I got to my feet quickly. I knew better than to resist. Inmates that resisted got a tongue-lashing. Sometimes worse.
I traipsed downstairs into the mess hall. The other inmates were already there looking miserable. There was an illness running amok through the prison and in our wing we all had it. Except for that damn guard.
I slumped at the mess table and surveyed the other inmates.
There was a fat kid, ropes of green snot hanging from his nose. Occasionally I would wipe them for him. The Guard got annoyed if I didn't.
The other kid was a skinny girl, Lady. I think she had designs on running the joint. Pfft. Not while I am still breathing sister. There were two others. The twins. They never spoke and ran around on all fours making miaowing noises and shitting in the outside yard.
I was gonna catch up with the twins later, they hadn't paid me my cigarettes in some time and I can't be seen to be weak.
The sadistic guard slammed some burnt bread down in front of me.
Eat up. You're gonna need your strength.
There was more menace than kindness in those words. I mumbled something that sounded agreeable to keep on her good side.
The skinny girl, Lady, sauntered up to the table and slammed her plate down. The same burnt bread for her. She scowled at me. I could see the illness ravaging her like the rest of us.
Eat your bread.
I instructed. We might have our issues but I didn't want to lose any of my guys to this place.
She glared up at me insolently through a hank of matted hair.
Why do I have to do what Daddy says? Maybe it's my turn to be Daddy.
I let my burnt bread drop to the plate. So this was it, the power play I had been fearing. I hadn't expected her to pull it when we were all smitten by illness.
I looked for some cutlery but they didn't give us anything in this joint that we could use as weapons. Looked like it was just gonna be hand to hand. Mano el mano.
I stood, my chair screeching back. Lady jumped nimbly down from her chair too. She grinned, a sadistic slash of a thing that cut across her face.
I'm going to be Daddy now.
Then she came for me. She was fast, barreling into my stomach. I grunted but recovered quickly and wrapped my arms around her waist and hoisted her into the air.
She scrabbled, fingers digging into my neck, hitting a nerve. Yyyyaargh. I sunk to one knee, half dropping her.
We stared at each other, chests heaving, I clenched my fists.
Then leapt and crashed into her taking her down to the floor. She squealed, vulnerable for the first time. She gouged at my eyes. I pulled my head away and then pummeled here with tiklz. An ancient Japanese nerve strike.
Stop, Daddy. Stop, Stop!!!
It was my turn to grin now, I readied the death strike.
Guys?!?! Get back to the table and eat your breakfast?!?!
It was the guard. She wasn't best pleased.
We slunk back to the mess table and once again sat across from each other. The guard flumped down beside us with her own burnt bread. Watching our every move.
The skinny girl avoided my eye. When the guard looked away for a moment, she finally looked up.
I'm the Daddy.
I mouthed silently at her.
At least for another day.
