Counterfeit

-six--

--six-

IT WAS THE guard.   

The same guard from the hall, the one who had looked at me with hope in his eyes, the one who gave me an uncertain feeling. How had he known we were here? Had he followed us? 

I turned to MiKinley who, although seemed a little nervous, was giving the guard an impatient look, as if to show his frustration that he had interrupted our conversation. 

"What are you guys doing down here?" The guard asked, his tone somewhere in between authority and curiousness. He began walking towards us, and we met him halfway, both unsure how to respond to him. 

"There's nothing to say we can't be down here." MiKinley answered, squaring up to the guard in stubbornness. 

 "That doesn't answer my question." He fired back, seemingly unfazed by Kinley's attempts to display dominance. "What," he began again, more firm and condescending, "are you doing?" 

"We were trying to have a conversation. Is that not allowed?" It was then that I noticed the guard hadn't looked at me once. Even when MiKinley turned to me in bewilderment, the guard's eyes were fixed on him, and him only.  

"What I heard sounded concerning. I'm just doing my job." His voice was deep and steady, and in the way he spoke, it was hard to understand what he was feeling. He was blunt and to the point, focused on his work alone. 

"You just got here." MiKinley laughed. "You don't know a thing about your job." 

"And I suppose you do?" 

His question ticked MiKinley off, turning his hands into fists at his sides. If it wasn't for the rule, the one, stupid rule that kept us alive, then I had no doubts that MiKinley would have stirred the conversation in a different direction. 

"Get to your cabin."  The guard commanded. Though the sun had now set and they sky was covered over in darkness, I could faintly read out the name branded on his name badge. 

|CHARLESTON|

The name, one I hadn't heard before, suited him. It had a warm feeling to it, despite his strict and impassive deliverance. He must've seem me staring, because his eyes flickered over to me for a moment. Ours met again, and I was still trying to understand the feeling I had when they did. But MiKinley spoke up again, I was left more uncertain than before. 

After checking his watch, he replied, "But we've still got twenty minutes left." 

"But I'm your superior and I am ordering you to your cabin." 

The two shared a moment of silence as MiKinley contemplated the consequence he would have to face if he did not oblige. He rolled his eyes, huffed, and stormed back through the clearing of the trees until he disappeared from sight. I took a step forward to follow him, but I was promptly stopped by Charleston, the guard.

"Look at me." That was all he said for a while. 

His voice was softer than I had ever heard from him, but it still carried a firmness to it. It was gentle and crisp and husky, and nothing like when he had been speaking to MiKinley. And then his eyes, I had met again, waiting for something. Searching. He suddenly became soft. Each time they seemed more familiar, and I was left wondering if he was thinking the same about me, too. Maybe that was why he had been staring at dinner. Why he had found MiKinley and I down here - because he thought he had recognized me from somewhere. 

But I knew he didn't. I wouldn't have forgotten a face like his. Or a name. 

It seemed we had both become caught up in each other. Upon realizing that he hadn't follow his request with anything else, Charleston tried to think of something to add, but he stumbled for a minute until he could come up with his best improvisation. 

"Be careful down here. If anything would happen, no one would see you." 

-six--

12/06/17

So happy with my little Charleston boy.

I'll probably say this about every one, but I seriously LOVE that gif of Bob. 

With the plan I have for him as a character, he is one of my most favourites I have created.