Luciana lay on her stomach, the thin roughness of her cot a dull pain in the background as her fingers idly toyed with the corner of the page she was currently reading. The silver of her bracelets caught the glow of the fluorescent light above distracting her momentarily, disrupting her minds journey through H.G.Wells War of the Worlds. Methodically, she began the paragraph she was reading from the beginning once more. As she neared the middle of the passage, the hard clack of boots on concrete interrupted her concentration once again. She looked up over her shoulder towards the door of her cell, the dull gray of the walls providing little variation to the eye.
From outside the door, she could hear two guards conversing in hushed whispers. One of the two voices she could make out belonged to Danny, the guard the MSP had permanently stationed outside her cell. The one she wouldn't fight for her medication. The other harsh tone made her grimace, as she recognized him as Jared, a guard with a seemingly unnecessary hostility to her. Though she couldn't see them talking just out of sight, she knew both of their faces and could imagine them conversing as she quietly tucked her book away, moving to the door to eavesdrop. At first, she had to strain to hear their voices but, their conversation quickly increased in decibel.
Luciana silently scattered back onto her cot, pulling her knees into her chest to try to seem as natural as possible. The jingle of keys grew nearer and as she turned to look at the guard carrying them, she was instantly regretful that she had. The rough stubbled jawline of Jared's face greeted her gaze, his thin lips curling at the corner in a nauseating variation of a smirk. The bridge of his nose was adorned with a massive twist of cartilage, the evidence of his nose having been broken previously and haplessly healed over. "Prisoner X-52. Move." he instructed her, motioning sharply with his hand but keeping his distance, his free hand resting closely on his pistol.
"She has a fucking name..." Luciana heard Danny hiss through his clenched teeth as she entered the hallway where he stood waiting. The grimace on his face melted away as he saw her, his lips curving into a natural grin. The light in his smile reached his eyes, giving them a soft fatherly glow to them. His dark brown hair had started to grey and was mostly evident in his trimmed beard. As Jared clacked his boots behind her, evidently ready to escort her, Luciana watched Danny's face turn rigid once more. With a silent nod, Danny turned on his heel and headed down the hall, Luciana behind him with Jared tight on her heels.
The room was cavernous, the largest single room she'd seen since her year here at the prison. There were various other prisoners scattered around the room, some in a group while others preferred to be curled up with a book or plucking the strings of a guitar. Luciana noted that all of the prisoners were male as she made her way to a separated table, seating herself with her back against the wall. 'Lovely.' she thought to herself, her eyes assessing each and every one of them. Surely one of them would approach her before communal time was over. After all, men would always be men, with or without powers.
From outside the door, she could hear two guards conversing in hushed whispers. One of the two voices she could make out belonged to Danny, the guard the MSP had permanently stationed outside her cell. The one she wouldn't fight for her medication. The other harsh tone made her grimace, as she recognized him as Jared, a guard with a seemingly unnecessary hostility to her. Though she couldn't see them talking just out of sight, she knew both of their faces and could imagine them conversing as she quietly tucked her book away, moving to the door to eavesdrop. At first, she had to strain to hear their voices but, their conversation quickly increased in decibel.
"Jared. Look, stop being a young know-it-all asshole and do your damn job." Danny said, the hint of a Spanish accent on his words.
"Why the hell does this nutcase get to go to the SCR? Doesn't this new Warden know she's fucking Coo-coo?" Jared retorted, to the man who had come down the hall.
Luciana could see the outline of his shadow on the ground, noting he was shaking his fist at Danny, a twinge of anger coursing through her, causing her to clench her fists.
"It's not in your job description to think, Jared. And I think it'd be in your best interest if you don't call her crazy again. She's misunderstood." Danny defended, bringing a soft smile to Luciana's face, before Jared's harsh tone broke the brief silence.
"She's a God-damned killer Danny! You must be getting slow in your old age."
Luciana could hear a shuffle of feet, no doubt Danny was squaring up to his younger companion.
"Get the fucking keys and let her out. Once she is safely at the community room, I'm back on duty with her in time for her next dose and you," Danny paused, emphasizing his words. " go back on your rounds and away from her."
"Why the hell does this nutcase get to go to the SCR? Doesn't this new Warden know she's fucking Coo-coo?" Jared retorted, to the man who had come down the hall.
Luciana could see the outline of his shadow on the ground, noting he was shaking his fist at Danny, a twinge of anger coursing through her, causing her to clench her fists.
"It's not in your job description to think, Jared. And I think it'd be in your best interest if you don't call her crazy again. She's misunderstood." Danny defended, bringing a soft smile to Luciana's face, before Jared's harsh tone broke the brief silence.
"She's a God-damned killer Danny! You must be getting slow in your old age."
Luciana could hear a shuffle of feet, no doubt Danny was squaring up to his younger companion.
"Get the fucking keys and let her out. Once she is safely at the community room, I'm back on duty with her in time for her next dose and you," Danny paused, emphasizing his words. " go back on your rounds and away from her."
Luciana silently scattered back onto her cot, pulling her knees into her chest to try to seem as natural as possible. The jingle of keys grew nearer and as she turned to look at the guard carrying them, she was instantly regretful that she had. The rough stubbled jawline of Jared's face greeted her gaze, his thin lips curling at the corner in a nauseating variation of a smirk. The bridge of his nose was adorned with a massive twist of cartilage, the evidence of his nose having been broken previously and haplessly healed over. "Prisoner X-52. Move." he instructed her, motioning sharply with his hand but keeping his distance, his free hand resting closely on his pistol.
"She has a fucking name..." Luciana heard Danny hiss through his clenched teeth as she entered the hallway where he stood waiting. The grimace on his face melted away as he saw her, his lips curving into a natural grin. The light in his smile reached his eyes, giving them a soft fatherly glow to them. His dark brown hair had started to grey and was mostly evident in his trimmed beard. As Jared clacked his boots behind her, evidently ready to escort her, Luciana watched Danny's face turn rigid once more. With a silent nod, Danny turned on his heel and headed down the hall, Luciana behind him with Jared tight on her heels.
The room was cavernous, the largest single room she'd seen since her year here at the prison. There were various other prisoners scattered around the room, some in a group while others preferred to be curled up with a book or plucking the strings of a guitar. Luciana noted that all of the prisoners were male as she made her way to a separated table, seating herself with her back against the wall. 'Lovely.' she thought to herself, her eyes assessing each and every one of them. Surely one of them would approach her before communal time was over. After all, men would always be men, with or without powers.