Inside the Prison

Theo turned on Scarlet, causing her capture by the Cosmocrats. She was feeling discouraged by the recent incident. Two squishy pale-yellow transparent blob guards were bouncing along while escorting her to the cell. There was hay and dirt stuck on the guard’s bodies, they were quite sticky. As she walked, she brushed against them, her hair strands stuck to them. She tugged her hair off of them and there was a gooey slime that stretched out. The blobs reached the steel cell opening the door creakily, and they roughly threw her inside. She fell hard onto her hands and knees on the dusty dirt floor. There was a dirt cloud that accumulated and made her cough. It was a rather unkempt place. On top of the ceiling, there was a small, tiny slit for a window where sunlight shined through. There was a pile of coarse hay to sit on with prickly sticks hanging out.

Caw Caw

Scarlet was startled by the noises. She looked over to where the sound was originating from. It turned out that the commotion was at the ceiling window in the neighboring cell.

The black bird was from the outside, flapping its wings. It had jet black feathers, green eyes, and a large round curved beak with spectacles on top. It was continuously squawking at the inmate.

Caw Caw

"Hush, hush, always trying to ruin my nap. I want more sleep, thank you..," said an annoyed inmate from the cell across from Scarlet.

Shoo Shoo

He balled his fist while standing to shoo the bird.

“Beat it! You come here every day to taunt me.”

He stretched out his arms and opened his mouth for a big yawn. He laid back down on the haystack that he had for a bed. His clothes were raggedy with loose thread hanging on the ends, and his bare feet were blackened by the dirt on the ground. Some of his toenails were chipped off. Next to him, there were some animals made of hay. It seemed that those were made by him to keep him company. The largest hay shaped animal was a pig. It was his favorite since it was right by his side. He wrapped his arms around the hay pig as if it was a pillow.

The black crow started pecking at the window loudly. The bird refused to leave and kept mocking the man.

Tap-Tap-Tap

"Scat, what do you want?! I have nothing to feed you. I barely have anything to feed myself."

He took his callused hand to move his brown hair strands from covering his eyes. His hair was long all the way down his back. He had an eye patch on his left eye. His skin was dry covered in dust and debris.

There were whispers from the blob guards. They bounced when they came close to each other. When they bounce too fast, they would collide into one another and then spring away from each other.

"That's Blackwood. He gives me the creeps. That's why I'm distancing myself, I am not getting close to that crazy man."

Scarlet pondered as she looked on.

I wonder what made them lock him up.

Blackwood coughed heavily. Hoping to stop, he took a bent rusted ladle from the water bucket. The water was greenish with dead insects floating up on the surface. He scooped some water to his parched lips. He drank it greedily to quench his thirst. While wiping the excess water from his mouth, he stared at Scarlet.

Scarlet noticed his stares and she turned away from him.

He caught me staring! Please don't interact...please...

"Don't let what the guards tell you, get to you, it’s one of their scare tactics. I'm nothing to be afraid of." He laughed to himself. After a few laughs, he choked on the water and coughed some more.

He waved to her, "What's a young girl like you doing in a stinking place like this?"

She whispered, "The Cosmocrats threw me in here."

He spat out the remaining water from his mouth in astonishment.

His eyes widened, "Cosmocrats?! You can't be serious…They're scared of a little girl like you!" He burst out laughing. His arms held his ribs tightly as he laughed hysterically.

Scarlet did not expect him to react that way or prolong this any further. She held tightly to the bars and tried to signal him to lower his voice. Her face dissolved into a state of anxiety.

“Please lower your voice down, I don’t want to cause a scene,” She whispered.

He then stopped laughing. "I’m sorry, but that is too funny.” He wiped a small tear from his eye.

“Well... it is possible if you indeed have some immense power. I guess only then can you be feared by them." He stared at her again and laughed, “You.. though?”

Scarlet’s face winced in frustration.

Please stop teasing me.

After hearing such a commotion, the blob guards hurriedly bounced by the cells.

"Stop with the ruckus!" They yelled in unison. They soon noticed that the person who was causing the trouble was Blackwood.

Blackwood was lying around again with a piece of hay in his mouth.

They slowly bounced backwards and their confidence was dwindling.

He stared at them. "Do you have a problem with me laughing?"

They gulped, "No."

Scarlet was amazed at how the blob guards folded immediately when talking to Blackwood.

I wonder why they are so scared of him. Is it really true..he is that scary?

"Well then go on, go away." Blackwood waved his hand back and forth to shoo them.

The blob guards did not budge, trying to show they were not scared even though inside they were shaking.

“Well? I will give you till the count of three, 1-2…”

The blob guards bounced back into their areas fearful for their lives. They peeked out of their guard shacks, shaking.

He wiped his tears of joy. "You're an interesting girl that's for sure."

He stuck out his hand through the bars.
"Why don't we be friends." He motioned his hand for a handshake.

Scarlet nodded nervously.

"What are you in here for?" She asked.

He perked his head up.
"Apparently I killed somebody, but it's much more than that. I was framed…"

He lowered his gaze and turned his back to bicker with the bird again.

“I told you, I need some space away from you… you bird!”

Caw Caw Caw Caw

Scarlet found his interactions with the bird to be humorous.

Framed? By whom and why?

Tink Tink

The bell was signaling for mealtime.

Blackwood sat upwards immediately when he heard the bell ring. He licked his lips and moved his hands against each other, anticipating a gourmet meal.

The plate of thick slop slid under her cell. It was brown soft chunks of mystery meat with some gray liquid gravy with black specks. For dessert, there was a rotten fruit with a small wiggling worm. Scarlet gagged and almost puked at the sight of her food. She did not eat from our plate and left it where it was.

Blackwood pulled in the plate without any hesitation and started to devour the slop. He used his hands to scoop the rest into his mouth. He showed off the food to the black bird outside the window.

“This is what I get, you got nothing.” He stabbed his fork into the meat chunks and taunted the bird with it.

“Yes, all of this is mine!” He stood up and moved the fork with the meat in front of the window.

He noticed the look of disgust on her face.

"You probably should eat something. This is all they will serve you." He said encouragingly.

Scarlet thought to herself.

I want to escape from here.. I need to see Theo. I don’t want to eat this!

“See who?” Blackwood inquired curiously.

Scarlet was confused, she did not say anything. How did he hear her speak?

She thought to herself.

Is he reading my mind?

He smiled, “Well.. am I?” He bit into the rotten apple, it was smushy. He pulled out two wiggling worms out from his.

“After these many years, you’d think I would be used to this now.” He pretended to enjoy it.

He peered over to look at her untouched plate.

“Well.. are you going to eat that?” It appeared he was still hungry.

Scarlet slid her plate underneath her cell toward Blackwood’s.

Blackwood smiled graciously, “Thank you.”