Redstone Nightmares

Act III - Chapter 16

That grabbed Jesse's attention immediately.

"You did?"

"Yes. Locked up in high-security alongside you is a prisoner who is supposedly named 'Romeo'," Soren explained. "Apparently, he's a notorious prisoner who apparently knows a huge secret about the Admin, and knows how to escape. Which is why he's locked up here."

"Yes, that's perfect! That sounds exactly like the sort of person we should get on our side," Jesse said.

"Yes! Now let's go meet this 'Romeo' and see if he can get us out of here,"

Soren led Jesse out of her cell and towards the other tower, where Romeo was supposed to be.

"How about you go in and introduce yourself, while I wait outside," Soren suggested. "I have a feeling he'd be more trusting toward a fellow prisoner than a guard."

Jesse took a deep breath, and then stepped inside. She almost flinched back at what she saw.

Before her stood who she assumed to be Romeo. He had matted, faded, shoulder-length dirty red hair, his skin looked dead and sickly and he, like Jesse previously, was wearing a straitjacket over his prisoner jumpsuit and a face muzzle. Upon seeing Jesse, he glared at her with extreme loathing.

As Romeo made angry muffled vocalizations, Jesse hesitantly stepped closer and removed his muzzle. Immediately, he started hacking, coughing and spitting. Jesse took a step back.

"Whoa!"

Eventually, Romeo caught his breath and turned his attention back to Jesse.

"Who the hell are you?!" he demanded. His voice sounded hoarse and rough, as though he had long since lost the habit of using it regularly.

"I'm Jesse," Jesse introduced. "You must be Romeo."

Romeo sneered. "Brave of you to come here, to sneak past all of those guards to enter my cell, without even thinking about who might be inside, eh? I know you're here because you need my help with something, why else would you stupidly risk getting caught in a restricted area by her to meet the most infamous prisoner in this place, eh?

"But, haha, but, what you didn't count on, is that I could easily refuse to help you, and if you get caught after that happens, I'll get the last laugh, as you would deserve it for being so fucking blind!" Romeo continued.

"Look, Romeo, I'm not your enemy. You don't need to threaten me," reasoned Jesse.

"Not my enemy? Oh, you really have no idea, do you? Why do you think that stupid prick Gordon lost his eye, hmm? How do you think he got that job as the Warden?" questioned Romeo. "He used to be a prisoner, like me, and before I was sent to maximum, I struck up a friendship with him. We planned to escape together, but then he sold me out!

"I am very proud to say that I ripped his eye clean out of its socket for that," Romeo continued. "And since that day, I vowed to myself to trust nobody!"

"Fine! Don't trust me," said Jesse. "But you're still supposed to know how to get out of here, right?"

"Oh, playing that card are we?" questioned Romeo. "Just give up! Nobody has ever escaped this place, and nobody ever will."

"You've tried to escape multiple times, why would you do that if you didn't know the way out?"

"I don't have to answer any more of your questions, Jesse," Romeo snapped. "I'm not helping you, just leave."

Okay, this wasn't working. Time to bring the Admin into the conversation.

"The Admin's got her hands on this powerful Redstone Heart, and she's running around, planning to do something horrible with it. I've gotta get out of here now and stop her!"