As much as I hate those iron bars, by now I've realized they become your only company. At least for me. Nobody in the other cells ever talks to me. Not like I ever talk to them for that matter. Most of them probably want to stab me in the gut.
I'm used to it by now. Maybe that's why I enjoy the solitude.
Although I'm used to the cell, I always look forward to the lunch time. Then I can use my hands. My hands are chained behind my back. The warden fears if I could move my hands I'd kill the guards and break out. Or is it the other way around?
Even though I wouldn't.
I just want my cigarettes.
Luckily, the guards are so oblivious. They don't even know I have them. Doesn't help me though. Can't reach them, so what's the point.
It's almost pitch black, and it must be midnight, but it doesn't matter. There is no midnight, no dawn, no twilight, not in the Ghost Zone. It's just a green abyss. So then, how do I know its midnight? Beats me. I've always just had a sense of time.
How do I pass the time in my boring little cell? Don't know. I've just learned to live with it. I think everyone does after awhile.
Right now, I'm just closing my eyes and leaning against the stone cold wall, waiting for time to pass. I've come to accept that nobody's bailing me out this time. My sister won't, because she doesn't even know. I hope she doesn't find out. She'll kill me if she finds out I got in trouble again. My girlfriend used to bail me out, but now, there is no us. She wants to stab me in the neck, and leave me withering in pain for a million years. Maybe a billion. I forgot how much she had said. Either way, doesn't matter. I think she's stuck here too. Wouldn't be surprised though.
Although my eyes are closed, light enters and immediately there's got to be about a hundred groans filling though out the row of cells. Someone yells about it being too bright, another is cussing out whoever is letting the light in. I just keep my eyes closed and stay quiet.
"Shut the hell up! We're giving you your hour, so stop complaining!"
The cell bars creak open and the prisoners come staggering out slowly. How do I know they're moving slowly? Because they always do. Of course, I'm all the way at the end of the hallway. I'm always last out. So I relax.
After a while, the guard comes and bangs his police stick against the cell. He knows I'm awake, he just likes feeling superior. Everyone knows he's afraid I'm going to kill him one day. Yeah, that makes alot of sense.
"Get up you lazy ass." He snaps.
"Can't retard. I'm handcuffed, remember." I shake my hands behind my back, letting the chains rattle.
That pisses him off every time. By now, I'm watching him as he opens the door and strolls in, obviously annoyed he's the one who got stuck with me. I think the guards take turns, or shove their duties onto each other. They all know I love giving them smart-ass answers.
I can tell he is annoyed, and maybe nervous too, as he removes the handcuffs. Maybe he thought I was going to punch him in the gut then stroll off like it was nothing.
But I don't. Even if I want to.
I'm simply pull my self to my feet and walk down the row, stretching my stiff limbs. Before I reach the door that leads to our hour of freedom, I yank the rubber band out of my hair, letting it fall freely around my shoulders. I don't want to be recognized.
White locks covering my face I walk out of the cold room to the cafeteria. Half of the prisoners are getting their food, the other half are sitting down already.
Idiots...
They're ghosts. What the hell do they need food for?
Either way, I need to blend it. I walk into the line, glad to be small and disappear into the crowd. I don't look at the Lunch Lady as I scan the food. Nothing looks good. Nothing has for over 200 years.
"No appetite sweetie?" She asks, trying to look me in the eye. I don't let her.
I shake my head, before walking away.
She's already yelling at the next person in line. That poor bi-polar woman.
I take a seat all the way in the back. By myself. I'm not interacting with anybody. I reach down to my boots and pull out a cigarette. The warden never knows that's where I hide them. My sister figured it out a hundred years ago.
I stick the filter in my mouth, and light it. I guess that's the one good thing about ghost powers. I don't need a lighter anymore. Plasma works just fine.
You might find it ironic that a ghost is smoking. Especially because to smoke you must breath. I don't care. It's the closest thing I'll ever get to feeling human again. Just the cig between my lips feels good. I can't begin to explain how good it feels to let the smoke escape my lips. It might sound gross to you, but it's the best thing for me.
By now, I'm getting a few stares. It's very unlikely for a ghost to smoke. But after awhile, everyone forgets about the loner smoking in the corner. I like it better that way. I have no problem with them forgetting I'm even here.
Sometimes I wish I wasn't even here. And I don't just mean in jail.
"Stop smoking kid!" Somebody yells.
"What? Afraid you afraid you're going to get lung cancer?" Maybe I am a smart-ass. Do I care? No.
Ok, maybe this way a bad person to be a smart ass with, because now he's storming over here, pissed off. I don't even know him. But I don't care. I don't even care that he's probably coming over to yell at me.
"I don't like your attitude, you smart ass." He snaps.
"And I don't like yours either." I said. "But I'll deal with it for the dreadful hour I'm stuck with you, then be very thankful when they lock us both back up in our cozy little cells."
I thought he was ready to blow up. I don't think he's ever had anybody talk back to him. Especially not some little brat, probably half his size. His face is red, and his expression was a mix of anger and bewilderment.
He grabs me by the color, spitting in anger. He's so bewildered, he doesn't know what to say. He is so infuriated, it is comical. But I don't laugh. I just stare at him indifferently.
"And what are you going to do? Kill me?" I mock.
That really threw him into a fit of anger. He just starts swearing and shaking my collar. By now, everyone was watching. There was a small circle around us. I don't want the attention.
Cigarette still in my mouth, I blow a huge cloud of smoke in his face, and yank his hands off my collar. He staggers backwards, desperately swatting away the smoke.
"Why, you little..." He started, unable to finish his sentence as he came lunging at me. I just roll my eye and step to the side, watching as he runs head-on into the table I had been sitting at. The crowd around us is chanting, and laughing. There was finally excitement in the lonely little prison cafeteria.
Hands in my pockets, I suck on the filter carelessly, watching as the big dope staggers back up on his feet in a daze. He is making a laughing stock of himself. Here he was, a complete giant, and I was nothing more then a kid, making a mockery of him.
I glance around at the crowd and saw a face I'd been hoping to avoid. She was in the back, arms crossed, and obviously not amused. But she couldn't take her eyes away. We lock eyes for a moment, before she turns away in disgust. I turn back to look at my opponent.
He is on his feet again, and lunging after me. Was he ever going to give up? I merely jump to the side and send him running into another table. This was just pathetic.
With all the commotion, the guards were bound to come crawling out.
While distracted, the big oaf took a lung at me, and lands his fist straight in my gut. I fly backwards, dropping my cigarette somewhere where I had previously been standing. But I don't let that stop me. I jump right back up on my feet, and right as he comes running after me, land my foot right in his gut. Fair trade.
He falls straight to the floor, and the crowd turns into a riot. I can't tell who they are cheering for. There is a mixture of 'boo's, laughter, and angry yelling.
That's what finally brought a few guards out. Not enough to stop our brawl. They couldn't even make it past the barrier around us.
I think the oaf was obliviously to the guards. He continues to blindly swing at me, missing every time. Every time, I just step out of the way. I really don't want to fight him. And I sure as hell don't want to get caught in the midst of another brawl. This was probably the fourth fight I had gotten into this month. Of course, none of them were ever my fault.
"The two ass-holes causing the fight! Get your butts to the warden's office right now!"
That was the warden's right-hand man yelling for us. But it went through one ear and out the other. The giant kept lunging after me, so infuriated that he couldn't keep a grip on me. All I could do was dodge him, and hope the warden didn't come down himself.
"Hey! Take a walk you guys!"
Everyone froze up. That was our way of saying, 'The warden's coming you retards!' The crowd disperses and runs back to their seats, trying to make it appear as if nothing had happened. I leave the oaf on the floor as I run back to my table. I push it back up, and sit down on the seat, and turn away from the door.
The door slams as the warden throws it open. He stomps through the cafeteria and stops at the oaf, sprawled out on the floor. Everyone watches him nervously, even myself. But I only watch from the corner of my eyes. He stares at the ghost on the floor, before turning and looking at something a few feet away on the ground. He walks over, picks it up and examines it. It's my cigarette.
"Secret! Get your ass over here!" He yells, throwing the filter on the floor.
Damn! Why did I have to be the only ghost that smoked.
"I didn't do anything Walker..." I say indifferently, turning my head in his direction.
"You're the only ghost in the entire Ghost Zone that smokes!" The warden retorts. "I think I know when you get in trouble. You're no litter-bug. There's a reason your cigs on the floor, as well as that big ape." He says, pointing to the ghost staggering up to his feet. "You're coming with me kid."
Annoyed, I got up from my seat and follow the warden, receiving glares and 'fingers' as I follow him. The only one who wasn't showing any sign of hatred, was hiding in the corner, pretending she didn't even know me.
For once, he didn't have his minions handcuff me, and just let me follow him. I think by now he's not afraid of me. I'm just a kid. I'm not going to pull a knife out of nowhere and stab him then run. I think he enjoys it when I'm in prison. I always give him something to do.
"Your hair's down again." He says.
"So?" I ask. Why did he care if I left my hair down?
He doesn't say anything else for the rest of the way to his office.
We walk through the big double doors into his little office, empty except for his desk. That was almost empty as well. He sits at his chair and places his white boots on his desk, and lets me walk around.
"This is the fourth fight you've gotten into this month." He says.
"Your point?" I ask, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. This was just like it always was. He doesn't really care, and neither do I. I'm pretty sure he hates me, he's just sick of me by now. He probably wishes I would just disappear.
"I'm sick of it. You always have to cause a clamor!"
"For the last time, I never start it."
He's boiling now. Never knew why, but my indifference always seems to piss him off. He's glaring at me, trying to decide what to do with me.
"Just keeping me here longer what make it easier. I'll just keep getting into fights, long enough until you get so sick of me, you'll throw me out or send me somewhere else. It might just be easier if you do that." I say, not even looking at him as I spoke. I want him to see how much I really don't care.
"I wish I could just throw you out kid. But I can't." He says, taking his feet off from atop the desk. He gets up and walks over to me. I just give him a blank stare as he grabs my collar. What is it with them and my collar?
"Your attitude is going to stop, now. If you get into another fight, or give someone a smart-ass comment again, you will face the consequences."
"Oh, so you're saying that just sitting in a prison cell for hours at time not able to do anything isn't a consequence?" Ok, yes, he did just threaten me. Woops. I'm a smart-ass, I know.
What took me by surprise was this; he threw me against the wall, and I land hard on my back with a grunt. Now he was standing over me, a smug look on his face.
"What did I say about those smart-ass comments?" He asks.
Now I just want to mess with him. It'll be worth it.
"Don't know."
He kicks me in the gut, then pulls me up to my feet, and starts dragging me out. "I'm sick of your damn attitude. We're going to straighten this out, once and for all."
I don't know what that means, but I don't care. I glance down into the cafeteria, and see her looking right back at me. I turn away, not wanting to lock eyes, but I can already hear her heavy boots against the medal floor. She must be crazy if she is following. I don't even know where we are going.
Walker turns a corner, his tight grip on my arm as strong as ever. I sneak a glance over my shoulder and see Ember is still following. I mouth for her to leave, but she keeps following. Why does she have to be so stubborn?
A small door slowly comes into reach to the right, and within a minute, we've reached the door.
"You'll stay here, punk." Walker says, shoving me into the poorly lit room. He slams the door closed, then leaves. I only know because I can hear him walking away. The room is almost pitch black, and way too small. At least I have my hands. I reach into my boot and pull out a cigarette. I stick it in my mouth, and am about to light it.
"You idiot! Don't!"
I look up to the door, and see there is a small hole. I can see her green eyes glaring at me through the hole.
"I'm smoke if I want to smoke." I say, going to light it again.
"Not that dipstick! You use your powers and you'll be zapped. It's an electric room. When ghost powers are used, it zaps you." She snaps. "And if you don't believe me, then go ahead and try. I'm not lying."
I believe her. She might hate me, but she wouldn't lie. I don't think she really hates me that much. She's obviously still looking out for me. At least a little.
"Why do you even care? I thought you hate me." I just need to make sure.
"I do, but I'm going to be the one to stab you in the neck. That's my job, so I have to make sure Walker doesn't kill you before I do." She hisses, as she pulls at the door.
A little chuckle escapes from my lips, and she knows it. But she pretends to ignore it. She's swearing as she futz around with the lock. She's frustrated, because nothing is working.
"Just forget it, and get out of here before the guards catch you." I hiss.
"Almost got it, so shut the hell up."
There's a loud thud, and then nothing happens. Whatever she tried didn't work.
"Just go before the guards come!"
"Fine!" She snaps, then runs off.
I'm left alone in the room, trying to figure out how to light the cigarette without shocking myself. This is torture.
A few hours has passed, and I had to try. I did shock myself, but at least I was able to light the cigarette. Now I'm sitting in the cell, puffing on the filter, eyes closed, when she slams her fist against the door.
"Idiot, you used your powers didn't you."
"It was worth it." I say. "And how'd you get out? Aren't you supposed to be in your cell by now?"
"It's been a day retard."
"And I'm supposed to know that? It feels like it hasn't been that long."
She's rolling her eyes. "Sometimes I just don't understand you..." She says mostly to herself, but loud enough for me to hear.
"I've rallied up the rest of the prisoners. With Skulker's help." She's dating Skulker now. I think just because she knows I hate his guts. But she lets the fact that Skulker is helping sink in, before continuing. "So as soon as I open the door, you better move your little ass and get the hell out of here."
"Alright."
"And if you tell anybody, I helped you, I'll make sure you writher in pain for a million years."
"Yes, ma'am."
The door is thrown open, and she has her arms crossed. She's out of her prison garb, and back into her crazy style. She has my clothes tucked under her arm, and for a second, I think she's going to hold them ransom. But she throws them at me, and then runs off.
I don't have time to put them on, so I just hang onto them as I run after her. I can hear a riot starting over in the court yard. And it is loud. She knows how to rally about anybody, so I'm not surprised.
We run through the halls, turning almost every corner through the labyrinth known as a prison. Finally we reach the double doors. We don't slow down. Ember kicks at the doors and send them flying open.
Outside, it's a mess. There must be a thousand ghosts, fighting with the guards. Walker is nowhere to be seen. I think we're winning. Ember and I run through the mass of ghosts over to the entrance of the prison. The doors locked, but that is no big deal. Ember and I have done this before.
With a few blasts of the plasma, the door is sent flying open.
"Come on! Everyone out!" We yell, almost in unison. Just like old times.
All the ghosts start running out the prison door, leaving the guards either unconscious, or bound up. Nobody's waiting for the warden come. We're getting out of here as soon as possible.
Ember leads the ghosts out, while I wait in the back, making sure everyone gets out. Sure, I hate a good majority of them, and almost all of them hate me, but when we're in prison together, nobody cares. We always work together. Skulker, Technus, Desiree, and a thousand other ghosts are swarming out. Even the Box Ghost somehow got in jail.
"Come on! Hurry up!" I yell as the last few ghosts are escaping.
And then, they're all gone. Except for one.
Ember's waiting for me.
I mouth thank you, and she gives a weak smile, then fly's off, catching up with her boyfriend.
I go off in my own direction, lighting a cigarette as I fly.