Dance of the Macabre

Chapter 4

"Prisoners, this is your wake up call, get your asses up." I slowly awoke the next morning and Calyx was already up.

"Hey Fox, you missed Butch at the showers this morning." I got up and I slowly came awake.

"Did he miss me?" Calyx laughed and he shrugged.

"I don't know; he did look like someone was going to die. When we are out in the yard, he'll probably come looking for you." I pulled on a shirt and he sat down next to me. "You were rolling around a lot last night; were you having a bad dream?"

"Yes…I died again." I lowered my head and the bars slid back. A guard walked in front of the door and he raised his rifle.

"C'mon you two." We walked out and were escorted to the cafeteria. The door shut behind us and I looked out across the room.

"MCCLOUD!" Butch had spotted me.

"Ok Calyx, give me some backup."

"Yes sir." Butch pushed roughly through the inmates and I saw that the guards just looked on.

I would be getting no other help. He stopped in front of me and Calyx stood by my side.

"McCloud, you made a mockery of me in the showers the other day; I'm going to make your life a living fucking Hell." He whispered and I looked back at him.

"Why are you doing this Butch?"

"Because I hate you and your kind McCloud." He said and I saw him look at Calyx. "You're dead too because you're associated with him." Butch walked back to his table and I breathed a sigh of relief. The attack wasn't going to come.

I walked outside and the bright sunlight registered on my retinas as I sat down on a ledge. The prison yard was alive and I watched the inmates as the kept themselves busy.

I noticed something. Butch was out there and he was surrounded by a group of his toadies; he looked at me across the yard and I knew it was coming. I looked for the guards and they had moved to the other end of the prison yard.

Ok McCloud, keep calm, you'll get through this. I saw Butch and his group make a long line and they walked toward me. The escape rout was close and his gang formed a half circle around me.

"McCloud, it is your time to die." He said as he pointed a claw at me. "Even that panther can't save you." Calyx was back at the cell and I unsheathed my claws.

"Bring it on bitch." He roared and the gang kept us in the half circle ring. I dodged a swipe from his massive paw and he tried to pin me down as he leapt on me. I rolled to the left and he hit the ground.

"Butch, Butch, Butch!" The crowd roared and he rose to his feet.

"Stay still vulpine!" He screamed and I noticed that he was breathing hard; I hadn't even broken a sweat yet. I cracked a smile and he let out a primal roar as he took something from one of his group. He whipped out a long knife and the alarm screamed out a warning. Tear gas flew into the yard and a group of guards began firing live rounds; I felt a smack to my shoulder and I hit the floor as AR33 Assault Rifle fire poured into the gang. They fell and Butch ran like Hell the other way; I watched as the guards raised their guns and Butch fell as round tore him open. The guards rushed up to me and I raised my paws to show them that I wasn't armed. They hauled me up and I screamed as the round dug into my shoulder.

"Get him to the infirmary." I heard someone say. Then, I blacked out.

I awoke sometime later to the feel of soft sheets.

"He's awake." I heard and I opened my eyes; the doctor injected me with a liquid. The medical bay was a large one with other beds in it and I saw that other inmates were in for wounds from the yard too.

"Did Butch make it?" The doctor walked over and he flipped through his clipboard.

"He was killed in the yard, 38 puncture wounds all over his body, yeah he's dead." I sighed and another figure walked up.

"McCloud, can't you stop getting in fights can you?"

"No, Warden." The muscular panther smiled and I was taken off guard.

"Well thanks for getting rid of Butch, McCloud, you really did me a favor there."

"Any time Warden." He walked away and I closed my eyes.

I walked into the shower and I stood underneath the water; I looked around and all the other inmates stared at me. A vulpine walked up to me and we locked eyes.

"I speak for all the inmates here when I say thanks for getting rid of Butch." The inmates turned back and I felt an odd sense of acceptance in Shark Tank.

A female caught my eye and she drew her paw down her form.

Geez, why is it always the lionesses?"