Page 168 of Fragments
Listen, I get why he’s upset. But at the end of the day, if a goldfish is dropped into the tank with a piranha, you don’t blame the piranha.
Blame the twisted fuck who put them in the same shared space, unsupervised.
After Kang stormed out of the showers, Ren and I spoke to Darcey for a few. He honestly doesn’t seem like a bad guy, though on paper, we know that just isn’t true. But this place is full of psychos, some more experienced than others.
I appreciate him looking out for Dash. That’s all I’ve got for right now.
I’ve been walking around in a jittery fog for days. It’s been, by far, the most chaotic week in Alabaster Pen since I’ve been here, and unfortunately, I think it’s only getting worse.
Word is that the prison is now on lockdown. This isn’t something they would tell us officially, but with traveling word comes passed information.
The Warden is fucking pissed.Makes sense…He lost an inmate, and another was killed in the span of one day.
Lockdown in a place like Alabaster Pen doesn’t even seem possible. Intheory, we don’t have shit. But apparently, it can always get worse, which is evident from the sounds of Velle storming around the row. It’s been going on for hours, inmates shouting and cursing his name while he fucks with their things.
Up at the bars, I try to peer through, listening to the rampant complaints coming from other cells as Velle confiscates their hard-earned stuff, a sudden wave of panic sweeping through me.
My computer. Fuck…
Rushing over to Dash’s bed—akamy new workstation since he left—I frantically shove all my spare parts into a pillowcase, lifting my mattress and stuffing them underneath, alongside my computer. The thing isn’t much bigger than a regular tablet, except that it’s obviously thicker to fit the homemade motherboard.
It’s still a work in progress, but it’smine. It’s all I have to pass the time, other than fooling around and fighting with Ren, and working on it helps me overcome the stress of that, along with all the other traumatic things that exhaust me on a daily basis.
This machine is the only thing tying me to my old life. Without it, I fear I’ll lose myself completely.
I’m adjusting the blankets, hiding it as best I can when Velle’s clomping footsteps approach my cell. Taking a deep breath, I try to act normal as he strides inside and barks, “Against the wall, 35. You know the drill.”
I do as he says, peeking in his direction while he flings things everywhere. My stomach is all twisty, anxiety kicking up dust as my mind runs like the fucking Roadrunner. If Velle takes my computer, I’ll be devastated. But what if it’s even worse than that? What if he tells the Warden about it and they send me to solitary… or the East?
For all they know, the thing could be a bomb or some elaborate device that could wipe out the servers…
I gulp down a mouthful of dread like sand, my eyes locked on Velle’s fingers gliding along my mattress. He pushes it up, revealing a hidden stash of items much more elaborate than deodorant and stale candy.
His dark gaze slinks to mine. I’m gnawing on my bottom lip, giving him a sort of pleading look, attempting to wordlessly appeal to his human side. He wasn’t always a rabid animal. There’s a man with empathy buried beneath all the hardened layers he’s had to build up over the years, being the Warden’s henchman.
That guy is still in there. He has to be.
Just as I’m about to start begging, Velle drops my mattress and steps up close to me. “I’m leaving this stuff here.” I gawk up at him, unblinking. “Because your stalker made a promise. But if he doesn’t deliver, I’ll be back.”
My head spins as he storms off, slamming my cell shut behind him.
What in the hell was that??
He barely took anything from my cell… A few pairs of old socks, my flashlight, and some batteries. He left most of it, but more shocking is that he saw my computer and willingly just ignored it.
Your stalker made a promise…
I spin around and lean up against the wall, staring through the bars out into the row.
Ren? Did Ren talk Velle into letting me keep my stuff??
How would he even manage something like that?
My stomach clenches so tight, I think I might puke. There’s only one kind of deal Ren makes… And if that’s what he’s offering Velle for me to keep my stuff, then I don’t fucking want it. I’ll gladly throw it all away right now.
Nothing is worth that much.Not to me.
Pacing around in my cell, I feel myself spiraling. From what I can tell, Velle and Rook have something going on, and he hasn’t been hooking up with anyone else. At the same time, Velle and Ren have a history…
