I want to thank my editor and my first reviewer. I wanted to post one a day but I couldn't help myself. Enjoy.

(A bit of funny info. When ever I write something for this story I listen to only 2 songs "Getting Away with Murder" and "Duality". Listen to those for the best effect.)

The yells and screams from before returned just as quickly as they had left. The heavy body on top of me vanished and I stumble backwards. Coming to a wall, I sit up and stared into the darkness, trying to find the guy. 'Where is he? Damn it. Where's a light when you need it?' I lay my head back against the wall and close my eyes, sighing, letting myself calm down. The soft steps of boots in the cell cause me to get on my guard again. I listen again but the sound had stopped. I get to my feet shakily, the feeling beginning to return to my legs giving them that painful tingling feeling. The pain in my stomach and side is agonizing as I attempt to follow the wall to the hall.

"If you go out there, they'll kill you."

I stop, feeling him standing behind me. "The guards are gone."

"I don't mean the guards."

I turn towards him and look at him for the first time. The first things I see are his eyes. They reflect the little light there is, making them look like mercury. He's wearing a black tank top with black pants and combat boots, the tank top showing off his muscles well. 'Intimidating. Well, whatever keeps you alive.' "Listen, I'm tired. And that little trick you pulled? Thanks, but now I feel like I need a shower, so I'll need to remember where that is."

He takes a few steps towards me, "I didn't do it for you. I saw a chance at getting you under me and took it."

Forgetting everything that has ever kept me alive, I take a step towards him, (which didn't really do anything considering I'm half his size) pure hate glowing in my eyes. 'Don't do it Arc. It's a mistake to even think it.' "If you ever touch me again," 'Bad Arc! Bad!' "I'll kill you." 'Here we go again.'

His eyes are suddenly very frightening and hard to look at. I withdraw the step I took but he just advances on me. "You think you can take me on?"

I can't let himthink I'm weak or afraid.What do I do, what do I do?'Just don't get in any deeper.' "I've killed more threatening people." 'I said don't!' A flicker of light off metal catches my eye, giving me only a split second to react, jumping back as a shiv slices the air in front of my neck. "Ok, he's trying to kill me time to leave." I bolt from the cell and hurry down the hall.

I stop, realizing that the light has gotten further and further away and that he isn't anywhere near me. I walk cautiously back towards the cell as my eyes adjust to the light, allowing me to see the outlines of people in cells as I pass. I slow down as his cell gets closer and closer. On my left, the only empty cell in this hall. I hear the scraping of metal on rock in the next cell over. His cell. The sound is an odd mix of irritation and comfort. Stepping into the cell, there is a small mattress on the floor against the wall and the smell of death lingers around that same wall. I walk over and pick up one side, dragging it to the other wall, able to hear the guy sharpening his shiv better, and push it into the corner. I sit on the cot, my back against the wall, concentrating on my breathing and trying to close out all the sounds. I inhale the rancid smell of slam and pull my knees against my chest, resting my chin on them. There's a sound, someone coming. The steps move into the cell. 'I don't have time for this shit.' I look up at him and he stops. He is a little bigger than me, his dark brown hair covering the top of his ears and his baby blue eyes scanning over my body. "I'm kinda tired right now, why don't you go away and come back tomorrow or never. Both of those are fine with me."

He takes a few more steps towards me, "Come on girly, don't be mean. I just thought you might need a big guy to show you around you know?"

"I don't need a big guy for anything. Anyways I've been here before, probably longer then you."

"By that little stunt you pulled, I'm guessing you've never been in this side of a slam."

I turn toward him, annoyed. "And why would you think that?"

"You decided that the first guy you would bitch at would be Billy Badass over there." He motions to the next cell over.

"He started it. Fucker shouldn't touch people."

"You don't know him do ya?"

"Nope, don't want to either."

"The way you pissed him off, you might want to watch your back. His name's Riddick, the big bad around here."

"I was the big bad before him."

The guy laughs, "Kid, he was the big bad before you were born." The mattress sags some as he sits and an arm slips around my shoulders.

"What the Fuck!" I shove him backwards and get to my feet.

"Come on girly, behave." He reaches out for me but I dodge him, grabbing his wrist and twist and pull, hearing a snap and a scream. I kick him out of my cell and he walks off whimpering.

I go back to my cot and curl up on my side, eyes wide open. 'Don't give out on me now Arc, you have to stay strong.' I let out a trembling breath and start to shiver.

A voice speaks from the other corner of my cell, "That was a bad mistake kid, breaking his wrist and letting him live."

I jump and sit up, "Just giving him a warning. If he tries anything like that again, he'll be dead."

"If he tries anything like that again then he'll bring his friends. Now everyone is going to want a piece of you."

I shift some, "Does that everyone include you?"

"Yeah, later on. But right now it would be too easy. Proved that back at my cell."

"You didn't cut me."

"Didn't have to. Anyways you already made two mistakes."

"I made two mistakes? Wow, I must have some bad luck huh?"

Riddick steps closer to my cot. "Your first mistake was taking the cell next to mine."

I suppress a yawn. 'That is enough; I'm too tired for this.' "Are you done?"

Riddick smiles and walks to the hall, turning back he makes one last statement, "I wouldn't go to sleep if I were you. What the guy said was true, a girl alone here won't last long without a protector."

Once I hear the sharpening of the shiv in his cell, I curl back into a ball on my cot and fidget with the gold dog tag around my neck until sleep beats me down and takes over.