For a second, when I awoke in the morning, I forgot where I was. I laid there, wondering, but that all changed when the gaurd spoke. "Hey, buddy! Get up! You got a new cell mate!"
"Uggghhhh!" I moaned and sighed.
The door swung open. The metal bars crashed agianst the wall. Then it bashed shut.
"Uhh...hello? My-my name is Mark Cohen and you are?"
I shut my eyes tight. The last thing I wanted to do was start a conversation. It's better being lost in my own thoughts, than talking to some random guy.
I could her him sigh. "Okay...we can talk later then...sir."
I chuckled. "Sir? Why did you call me sir? We are on the same social status guy, we don't call each other sir."
"I'm sorry. My name is Mark."
After uncovering myself from the blanket, I sat up to see a skrawny man with light skin. His hair was so blonde it was almost white and he wore black rimmed glasses. "Yeah, I heard you the first time. I'm Roger...Davis."
"Hello. So...What did you do to get in here?" He sat up on the top bunk fiddling with his sheets.
Tightening my eyes, I wished he hadn't brought that up. I was silent.
"Well...you wanna know what I did?"
"You know what man?" I said raising my voice. "I really don't give a shit what you did to get in here and I deffinetly don't want to hear you brag about it."
He looked away from me quick. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you or anything. Just tryin' to start conversation, that's all."
"You ever been here before?" I questioned.
"No."
"Well, breakfast starts in about ten minutes. Come with me and I'll show you where to go."
We both got ready and headed down. "Just follow me. Don't look at 'em. All they are going to do is say shit about you so just ignore it and follow me."
"So how long have you been here?" He asked following behind me avoiding glances from every person that went by, listening to my advice.
"Well, so far, not too long. Acually just got here, but that doesn't mean I don't know what's going on. I learn fast and you better too if you don't wanna end up as somebody's bitch. Just listen to what I say and follow what I do." My warnings must have really tooken an effect on him because his breathes became faster and I could hear his foot steps get closer to me as not to wander too far behind.
When we reached the cafeteria there was already basically all the men down there. "Damn," I said. "We should've gotten down here sooner. Okay, let's get to the end of the line." He didn't move until I did and we walked tward the end.
A white overweight man full of tattoos stared at Mark with a grin that showed his yellow teeth. I guess Mark noticed because he starred at his feet. "Don't make it so obvious you've never been here. They like to go after the ones that don't know the rules."
"And what are the rules?" He asked as we waited in line for our food.
"Well," I began. "Just follow what I do and stop looking so damn sad and scared. Your in here and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Get over it." I paused and waited for him to say something. He didn't. It seems as if what I said made him even more depressed. "How long you in here for anyways? Can't be too damn long. You look young."
"24," he said.
"What?"
"I'm 24 years old," he said agian.
But before I could reply, we reached our food. As we slid down the line we got an apple, eggs, and some sort of gound up shit. It looked discusting. I guess Mark was thinking the same thing because he just stared at it. "What is it?" he asked me.
I had to laugh. "Well, I really don't know. But get used to wondering 'cause every meal has a special suprise like this."
When we got done in the line, I looked around for somewhere to sit. I peered at an empty table and rushed over to it before anyone else could. Mark rushed behind me.
We didn't speak much as we ate. Mark looked nervous as he noticed the fat man still staring. I wanted to try and make him feel safe, but the truth is, I can't make someone else safe if I can't make myself safe. I mean, this place scares the shit out of me. The mornings are filled with the sounds of men beating each over food, cigarettes, and even simpler things, while the night is filled with the distant sounds of men being gang raped. Theres not one moment I feel safe and unworried.
"Roger?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm scared."