"I swear, Nym was right there!" I pointed off towards the cell a few blocks down. Orion pinched his mouth doubtfully.

"I doubt she has a cell near us, I'm sure we would have seen her earlier if she had." Orion takes a deep breath in, "She probably just got to your head."

"It's not my imagination" I seethed.

"She just got into your head after the whole fight."

"Oh please," I snarled shoving off the wall, I could practically feel Nyms eyes on me through the wall.

"Whatever. Say she was really there. She probably just slunk back further into the cell where you couldn't see her, also she can't harm us in there."

"She could be watching us though! I don't understand why you aren't more spooked out by this." I flip my long black hair over my shoulder and sit on the bottom bunk bed. It wasn't much of a bunk bed. More like a slab of metal with the skinniest sad-looking mattress on top.

"I told you. I saw her." I felt defeated. Everything Orion said made sense but I swear to god I saw Nym. No amount of fear could do that, not that I was truly scared of her of course.

"Okay, I believe you," Orion said bluntly, clearly tired with the conversation. We sigh and look at each other. I knew he didn't believe me though.

I snarled quietly and scooted back further into the bunk, the silence taking over the cell. Orion fiddled with the same small rock he always had. I started to open my mouth but I was cut off by the ear rinning buzz of the speakers.

"Due to the outbreaks and fights during yard hours, all prisoners will be denied dinner for the night." The buzz sounded again and I couldn't help but flinch at the noise.

"Couldn't they make that thing a little quieter?" Orion groaned chucking his rock up at the speakers. I just nodded, still angry at him from our argument earlier.

An awkward silence filled the cell, and I could tell Orion was thinking of a way to make it less tense.

"When I was younger I used to dream of what it would be like to live a normal life." Orion tilted his head, "of course I don't know too much of life outside of here. So a lot of it I made up, golden paved streets and shit like that."

I snorted, "well let me tell you. There are no golden streets out there." I sat up more and looked over at Orion, "one day I will get out there again." It was a promise, a weak one, but a promise nevertheless.

"If you do, you better bring me with you." Orion tilted his head, sending strands of his black hair over his forehead. 

"Well if we plan on doing this, I doubt sitting in here flicking rocks will help," I said a coy smile spreading across my lips.

"You got a point." He tossed the rock into the air and caught it, "but the rock is coming. So I wouldn't insult it if I were you."

"I always have a point," I raise an eyebrow at him. Orion watched me carefully, his expression guarded.

"If we plan to do this, you will have to start training that power of yours." Orion crossed his arms, and I couldn't help the twinge of anger that went through me. "Good thing I'm here." He smirked now, and I wanted to swat it off his face.

"I could train just as well with or without your help."

Orion grunted at my response, clearly not believing me. I snarl and hear a tearing noise. I looked down and glowered noticing that I had grown claws and punctured five deep holes into my mattress.

"You might want to work on control first then," Orion walked over and patted my shoulder. Then he pulled himself up to the top bunk, his biceps flexing as he did. I averted my eyes, I was already being mocked by him enough. Plus I didn't want to add to his ego by checking him out. 

"Asshole," I muttered leaning back on my mattress.

"I heard that," he cooed from above me. I kicked my foot up and into the bottom of his bunk, rattling it. Orion snarled from above but quieted down.

"Honesty is the best policy," I said trying to sound as sweet as I could. Orion chuckled above, and the bunk bed rumbled.

"Then you should own up to looking at my biceps for a second," He retorted. My cheeks flared red, and I sent another bruising kick into his mattress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Published: April 28, 2020, 3:00 PM

Words: 788