Worse Than Prison

Chapter Nine

No Escape

"Breakfast is over, ladies! Time to head back to your cells!" The guards called, clacking their nightsticks on the wall to call attention. Everyone rose to their feet, piling up the trays slowly and moving almsot mechanically toward the jail cells. Jared walked behind Silence as if to make sure he wouldn't bolt or anything. Surprisingly, Silence entered the cell again and stepped aside to let Jared in. The gates slammed shut behind them and locked.

"You can sleep on the bed," Jared told him calmly, "It's fine with me. I've gotten enough sleep." Silence studied him for a while, then inched toward the bed, staring down at the mattress before he climbed on. It felt much better than sleeping in the filth on the floor. He curled up into a fetal position and hugged himself, closing his eyes to sleep.

Jared watched him for a while longer, then leaned against the bars of the cell, watching as the guards put the last of the inmates into their cells before heading for the exit. He frowned as the lights went out, plunging them into darkness.

As soon as they did, however, there was a shriek from outside the doors. All the chattering in the other cells went deathly silent. Jared froze. Had they discovered whatever was left of Skull's corpse?

Just what he needed. Another account of murder on his head.

Then the strangest sound pierced past the doors. It sounded like an animalistic roar, hoarse and hungry.

Silence's eyes flew open at the sound. Every instinct in his body told him to leap to his feet and invite the monster in. The roar was an order to be let in. Lifting his head, Silence sniffed the air and the pungent odor of flesh hit his nostrils, making his stomach ache.

"What the hell was that?" Someone from a nearby cell whispered in horror.

"Ssh!" Someone hissed. More silence followed and Jared stared into the darkness in the direction of the doors. Something was wrong... Dangerously wrong, terrifyingly wrong. Another roar cut through the silent air before there was another scream. Something slammed into the doors, but they remained closed.

"Oh my god, it's one of those things!" Someone immediately shrieked, followed by the sound of them scrambling to escape their cell, which was useless with the lock mechanisms.

"Shut up! They might not know we're in here!" Someone snarled. Jared narrowed his eyes and backed away from the bars. They were safe, for now. The doors were bolted shut and so were their cells. Even so, these animals would probably stop at nothing to get into their cells. At least he had time to buy in safety.

Or so he thought.

He heard a low growl behind him and his blood froze in his veins before he whirled around. In the darkness, he could barely make out Silence's outline on the bed. He was on all fours in that attack position, his head low.

"Silence, stop." Jared ordered, but his voice faltered.

Shit, shit, shit.

"Silence, go back to sleep." Jared tried again, this time more firmly.

Silence snarled at him, but didn't back down. In fact, he was off the bed now and on the floor. The sound of his nails and feet scraping the floor told Jared so. Jared back against the nearest wall, watching Silence's outline cautiously.

Without a doubt, whatever monster was outside the doors was calling out to whoever was inside, which included Silence. It made sense, Jared realized. They could communicate in their own way and Silence was the only one who could understand what the creature outside wanted.

And obviously it wanted in and Silence was the only person to do that.

"Silence, don't do this," Jared spoke calmly, placing his palms flat against the wall behind him as he listened to Silence growl, "You're human. You're not one of them, remember? You're not a monster and you proved it to me when you protected me against Skull, when you protected yourself. And when you cried, that's a human trait." He watched as Silence's form shifted in the darkness until he realized the teenager was standing on the balls of his feet.