The House of Fire and Bones

The Woman in Red

   The next day, Axel suddenly felt a little awkward in his position. He hadn't spoken to anyone since the conversation with Priester yesterday. Priester had told him he had a meeting to attend for something important, but it's been five hours. Axel stared outside the scratched, dirty window.

   A faint, almost inaudible, tapping sound diffracted through the door. Patiently Axel listened to the growing sound until it was just on the otherside. He waited and furrowed his eyebrows in suspicion. The metal door panned open, revealing a petty smirk layered with red lipstick. Rose was back again, and Axel snared.

   "What are you doing here? I thought I told them not to send you again. Damn Priester, this can't be happening." He rubbed his cheek against his shoulder. Exactly why was Rose here in the first place, and how did she get in? Surely, this unit was heavily guarded by the most experienced.

   Rose chuckled shortly, "Ohh, but it can be. And it is. Sure, you were done with me, but I wasn't with you. I need you for something far to important. Thanks to the visits before, I know the perfect amount of info." She crept closer to the disturbed inmate. Her face was twisted with madness, and the unresistable urge to lift a hand and run it through his scruffy hair. Instead, she stopped where her knees touched the edge of his chair. It was a shockingly bold and drastic change in demeanor, Axel never believed would happen. Sure, Rose was a little strange, but now she was completely off her rocker. She carried this essents that, in a way, resembled his. He couldn't help but question if she had always been like this.

   Axel scooted deeper into his chair and lifted his head to the gazing camera lens in the top corner of the room. Smiling, he asked, "Do you know your being watched right now? I wonder, how did you make it in here?" The inmate turned to her excitement filled expression while his leg bounced vigorously.

   "I'm afraid you take me for the wrong type of girl, Axel. We're alone, and no one's going to find out what we're talking about." Rose informed. She chuckled at his vigilant enthusiasm. "You're going to become an important piece soon. But, for now just sit tight." Turning a heel, Rose sauntered out the door and into the flashing hallway. Now that Axel got a good look, he saw that the lights weren't in the best shape, flickering and buzzing until some gave out. Then, the door shut, and he was left in solitude for a quiet moment.

   A chill ran down his spine, and his expression dropped. An hour went by, and nothing happened. Still no sign of Priester or any other officer, and Axel was starving. Nothing happened, that is until the door came bursting open with a loud squeal, and the footsteps of a giant came storming down to his cell.

   "That wretched woman! Where the hell did she run off to!?" Priester cursed, slamming his fists on the door and inching his face closer to the glass. "Axel, you better not have anything to do with this, you hear me!?" He seethed.

   "Priester~! I'm so happy you're here, I missed you so much! Say, that's the first time you've said my name." The inmate cried happily, soaking in Priester's daunting features.

   "Shut up! I swear I'll catch that woman and arrest her myself!" Priester screamed in frustration.

  "You mean, Rose? She stopped by not too long ago," Axel remembered, holding up a finger in thought. Maybe, Axle could clue him in the right direction for a little entertainment.

   Priester paused in shock, and peered his head back into the window, eyeing the man on the other side, "She came to you," he seethed as he watched Axel nod his head in excitement with the same cynical grin. Priester squinted his eyes, "And you did nothing." Axel scoffed with a gleam in his eyes. "What's that look for, inmate?" Priester demanded.

   "Oh nothing, I just thought we were finally making a breakthrough in our relationship. Apparently not I guess," Axel sighed, dipping his head to the side. He eyed priester with an all-knowing look. "Y'know you should have more faith in me, Mr. Pig. It's not my fault you're not here to do your job. Honestly, they had to choose you to watch over my cell?"

   "It's Priester. And I was in a meeting don't you remember? Anyways what'd she say to you?" Priester questioned, testing a different approach to the stagnant man.

  "I do, but for the whole day, I don't think so. And why would I tell you, hm? It's not so important to tell anyways." Axel giggle to himself, his left leg bouncing agitatedly again. He silently looked down and rubbed his chin on his collarbone as a way to scratch it. In an instant the three clicks of the door sliding open caught his attention. Axel felt Priester tug his straight jacket by the collar, pulling his face just inches to his own. Axel scowled in disgust trying not to breathe the in the air Priester exhaled. "You're awfully close Priester."

  "I'll be as close as I want. Tell me what Rose said." Priester was at the end of his thin little rope. What Rose had told Axel had an important part of what mess was going on.

   Axel chuckled, and a disturbing gurgling sound echoed inside his throat. The inside of his stomach came tumbling out of his mouth and onto Priester's hand still clutching onto his jacket, spilling onto the floor as well. Axel smiled and panted from regurgitation.

    Priester's hand trembled as he quickly let go, backing away and reaching for the radio patched on his arm. "Code yellow. And don't feed him until I say so. Close cell 2546 in the meantime." He grunted. He shook off his hand and walked out the closing door. His eyebrows furrowed in distaste, "Maybe if we feed you less, you'll quit."

   "Maybe if you stopped being so controlling we'd get along." Axel mocked, stiffling a laugh.
Priester shook his head off as the footsteps of the personalized "C.Y." team came rumbling through the hallway.