Monsters & Demons
Rated M
Genre: Drama & Adventure
Summary:
When Tori arrived at Hollywood Arts, she knew that things wouldn't be the same. Little did she know that she and her friends would find themselves wound into more than teenage drama. Jade thought all she had to worry about was her status being threatened. Does Trina finally have a true friend? A trio of newcomers shows up, bringing along more than the gang bargained for. Homework and plays don't sound so bad anymore.
A/N:
Just a quick update, this chapter will be relatively the same as the Yerba-based chapters of the previous incarnations. Not a lot is going to change in this chapter aside from some details that would better mesh the events happening. By the next chapter, hopefully, things continue to progress how I hoped with the relationships between Jade and Liam as well as Tori and Travis.
In the previous versions of this story, there was always going to be the endgame of a polyamorous relationship, but this time I won't be doing that. I want to give the two a love interest that conflicts with their usual personas.
With Jade, it's all about her on/off relationship with Beck being monotonous. Meanwhile, Tori clearly faces the woes of being attracted to Travis while he was allegedly pursued by Trina. However, she has no idea of the truth between them which leaves her conflicted about how to approach her own feelings.
Finally, Travis and Liam have their own issues with each other, and while many believe it's to protect Tori and Jade respectively, there's a deeper revelation that is to come in due time. Without spoiling anything, this will come out during the New Orleans arc which I'm definitely considering overhauling as neither of them has their mothers in their lives. Throw in Ahrya's minor role thus far and things are destined to get interesting in due time.
For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll be updating as much as I can.
Chapter 11:
Orange
As far as the eye could see, the color orange overshadowed essentially any other color in the vicinity. This was the reality for Liam and his friends who found themselves trapped within the cold confines of Yerba's prison system. The dingy shade of orange in question was, in fact, the color of their prison jumpsuits. Various emotions adorned the faces of the teens. Irritation was owned by Liam himself as he clutched the fence that separated the males from the female inmates.
Beside him was Andre whose expressions would shift from concern to pure fear, depending on the situation. Robbie stood next to his girlfriend, Ahrya who worried about what would happen. Jade and Beck stood around on their respective ends, not letting the circumstances change their mood. A guilty Tori eyed her side very carefully as she made sure to keep herself out of the crosshairs of the other prisoners.
"Okay, I've had it!" Robbie erupted, startling everyone except Jade, who was surprised, though. "I demand to know why I've been put on the girl's side when I'm clearly a boy!" he stomped over to some of the guards who looked somewhat confused at his statements. "I should be over there with the other men."
Such an outburst left the boys with puzzled looks. Andre face-palmed while Beck & Travis just gawked as if their eyes would fall out at any moment. A squatting Liam could only shake his head, uncertain of what to make of this display.
"Leave it to Robbie to be the only guy in the world who would complain about being stuck on the side full of women." he sighed in resignation.
"Maybe it's more about his pride and dignity?" Andre placed a hand on his buddy's shoulder.
Taking that into consideration, the trio was soon dragged from their thoughts when one of the guards chuckled mischievously and challenged Robbie's claim.
"Prove it!"
To their surprise, it almost looked as if he was going to do just that. His motions were put to a halt when the curly-haired boy finally considered his options. He dropped his head, shuffling back to the girls.
"I'll just stay on the girl's side..." he grumbled to the chorus of laughs.
"...And there goes said dignity..." Beck called out in a low tone.
The boys snickered at the joke when Liam began noticing something: He and Travis were getting along. Sure, their truce was still being held but this was different. They were actually enjoying the other's company; perhaps survival was a perfect alliance builder?
That revelation was a bitter pill to swallow, but the fact of being incarcerated together would do that when your need to survive outweighs your vendetta.
"Good one, Beck!" he wiped a tear from his eye.
Their fun would come to an end when a voice from the distance called out.
"Hey!" The four turned to find themselves practically surrounded by a small group of men, each showing separate reactions to what they were witnessing.
"We're... we're going to die!" Andre immediately began to break down in fear, his fingers clutching at the fence for dear life.
"Don't act scared," Beck whispered.
"I'm not acting!"
Liam and Travis eyed things closely, saying nothing as they sized up the men across from them.
From the group, a rather tall man with a large scar that went from the bridge of his nose to the edge of his jawline stepped forward. Each of the boys eyed his movements for one reason or another.
"What's up, fellas?" Beck put on a nervous smile.
"You!" he pointed him out. "How do you get your hair so... fluffy?"
"Um... well?"
"HOW?!" he yelled.
Still freaking out, Andre grabbed his best friend by the collar. "Tell them what they want to know!" his eyes pleading with the fluffy-haired boy.
"Well, it all starts with a quality shampoo and conditioner."
At that moment, the boys began to calm down as the men began nodding among themselves.
One had pulled out a small notebook and began writing down the tips being given to them. As Beck continued giving tips on hair care, Travis spared a glance at the girls. Despite risking their safety, they were more concerned with the well-being of Tori and the others. His thoughts may have been picked up on as he notices Tori mirroring his action.
How are you holding up?
Decent... Could be better though.
Could be worse too.
True. I Hope Andre doesn't have a heart attack.
He'll live. We all will.
And, are you okay?
Travis bowed his head with a grin. Ever since that night, the two would steadily become closer, culminating in them growing protective over the other. They managed to keep things under wraps from the others but, given the situation, they both wondered how long the secret could be kept.
Their silent conversation continued until the disturbing sounds of the guards signaling that yard time was over broke their gazes. Every inmate shuffled back into the cold and dark building through their respective sides. As the teens pressed on, they all nodded in support of one another, all except for the giggling and bouncing Cat.
Surprisingly, she was excited about joining a prison gang or something.
Soon the night came and all the men and women were huddled into their respective cells for the night. On the men's side, Andre, Beck, and Liam were fortunate to have been locked up together, the latter of which was lost in his own world. On the women's side, Tori and Jade were paired together leaving Robbie, Ahrya, and Cat to share a cell. While the Goth was trying to get some sleep, she found her attempts impossible due to her cell mate's insistent pacing.
"What is your problem, Vega?" she hissed. "In case you didn't notice, I'm trying to get some shut-eye before our gross breakfast." Upon closer inspection, Jade could hear the faint sounds of muttering. "What is wrong with you?"
This was enough to force Tori to stop in her tracks.
"What?" her voice was so low, that even Jade had a difficult time hearing them.
Crossing her arms, the blue-eyed girl tightened her lips. "I asked what was the matter with you? You've been more quiet than usual and here you are, apparently having a panic attack." Her glare seemed to make the girl cringe. Jade took notice of this reaction and tried a more sympathetic approach. "Listen, this whole ordeal's been hard on all of us. However, this doesn't change the fact that there's something you're not being honest about."
The grimace on her face was proof of Jade's observation. "Is it that noticeable?"
"It could only be more obvious if there were a neon sign over your head that read 'I have a problem'." she allowed her lips to rest in a grin.
"Okay, I'm just..." Tori huffed. "I'm feeling..."
"Guilty?"
"Thank you, Dr. West, for your brilliant observation." she slouched against the cold and damp concrete. Pulling her gaze up, she noticed Jade eyeing her still, causing her to feel even more uncomfortable than normal.
"You're hiding something else, Vega..."
Brown orbs grew to the size of golf balls thus proving the Goth's words to be true; a reality that brought the ghost of a smirk onto Jade's lips.
"I don't know what..."
"Save it, Tori. Liam already told me that you and Travis have been getting close since your sister bailed. That stupid dance of yours was probably when you two finally admitted it wasn't it?"
"N-no...!" she called out rather loudly; a chorus of 'shhh' and 'shut ups' echoed down the depressing corridor. "I'm worried about everyone..."
Had it not been for the hesitation in her voice at first, her excuse might've been enough to convince Jade of her resolve.
"Face it, you're not fooling anyone. Even Cat can tell you've got the hots for him. Just confess your undying love for the lug and get it over with."
Tori averted her eyes to anything that could pull her away from Jade's revealing gaze. She settled on a dark corner untouched by the moon's rays.
"I... I can't."
"And why not?" Jade raised an unconvinced brow.
"It's just... He had a thing for my sister and you remember how he freaked out after she disappeared. How could I ever pursue a guy that my sister desired? It just feels so... wrong."
"Tori, you have to be honest with yourself. It seems that the only thing stopping you from even crossing the proverbial line is you. Screw your sister. If she truly wanted Travis, then she wouldn't have left. I'm not discounting your familial love, but for once, just stop thinking about Trina and go for it."
"But..."
"Preferably, after we get out of this hell-hole."
Nodding, Tori finally let a light smile settle on her face, the first real smile she'd had since being locked behind the bars of Yerba's 'highest quality' prison.
"Thank you, Jade. I do like him a lot and Trina's decision was her own doing." she wiped the salty crystals trailing down her cheek. She was about to say something heartfelt when her face scrunched up in both confusion and shock. "Jade?"
"Hmmm?" she pulled herself up onto the top bunk.
"Not that I'm not grateful but," she scratched the back of her head. "Why are you being so nice about all of this?"
So you don't get any ideas about stealing Liam from me!
That's what Jade truly felt inside, but she'd settle on heading to her bunk with a knowing gleam in her eye.
"I have my reasons, Vega."
The next day, Tori stood in the yard with a worried expression. To her expression, the men weren't outside at the usual time and that was cause for alarm for her and the others.
"Where are they?"
"Lockdown." one of the other inmates, a tall and husky woman with a slash along her neck announced to the goth.
Jade wasn't surprised to see her rival turn around with a look of uncertainty.
"Why are the guys on lockdown?" her voice letting out the panic she had hoped to hide.
"Something about a big fight in the mess hall." she spat out a massive loogy before continuing. "From what I hear, one of your friends was involved in a fight with one of the guards for some reason. Some of the other fellas got involved but it was that guy who was taken. Him and another guy, that is."
"What are they going to do to him?!" she no longer cared about her distress being heard as she clutched the scarred woman's jumpsuit. "Please tell me."
The woman's face never shifted, but it seemed that her heart was swayed when she shook her head and sighed in resignation.
"Look, if I had to guess, they've probably been tossed in 'The Hole'."
"What's 'The Hole'?" Jade's voice rang in both women's ears, a look of agitation evident in her eyes.
Once the woman managed to pry Tori's grip from her uniform, she turned to the stone-faced girl.
"The Hole is located at the farthest end of the prison, south of where we're standing now. It's a place where only the roughest men and women are sent; murderers, rapists, and those who are considered to be too... "spirited". Designed to break even the strongest in mind, only a minimal amount of light is shined inside. The rooms are much smaller than the traditional cells and sometimes, the rooms may already have someone inside, male or female. Since he's had no other offense in here, he'll probably be tossed either in the solitary unit or the Maggot's Nest."
The normally olive tone on Tori's face swiftly shifted to a near pale white, something Jade didn't miss. She signaled Robbie and Ahrya to come over and take her somewhere away but stayed herself.
"Tell me about this maggot's nest." her eyes showed little room for debate.
"Fine. You're not going to like the answer though."
"Try me."
"The maggot's nest is one large cell filled with male and female prisoners. Its purpose was to lower the population here so that they can bring in more people without having to spend more money on things like food and water. Very few who enter there ever leave. If they do survive their time there, they're never the same... keep that in mind."
With that said, Jade watched her informant begin to walk away only to stop abruptly.
"Can you describe the boys who were taken?"
"Is he your boyfriend or something?"
Jade tensed at the mention of that. She was so caught up with Liam being the one they were speaking of that she'd forgotten about her actual boyfriend, Beck. The woman simply chuckled at her hesitation before setting her sights on a nearby card table.
The raven-haired girl turned in the opposite direction, eyeing the door where the men would normally go through to enter the yard.
"There's no guarantee that it was him..." she chanted to herself.
The sounds of a buzzer caught her attention and soon she would see those very doors open.
Her heart was like a pinball machine. Every breath seemed harder than the last while various men made their entrance. She found herself kneeling next to Tori who also had her brown orbs fixated on that spot. Each of them silently beseeched a higher power that the ones taken were someone entirely different.
It couldn't be them...! Jade's brain begged.
Everyone including an unusually quiet Cat held their breath. When a woeful Beck stepped into view, followed by a dejected Andre, all the wishes were shattered as more unknown men filled the yard, leaving no doubt about what had happened. Reality had struck...
Liam and Travis were being held in the maggot's nest.
"No..." Tori trembled.
Andre and Beck did their best to fill the others in on what had happened. From their grotesque breakfast to the fight with some of the guards who mentioned something about breaking in the girls. Jade couldn't help but blush at the chivalrous act of the boys. While the duo was also involved, it was Liam and Travis who were deemed the ring leaders and thus punished as such.
Eventually, Sikowitz arrived, dressed as one of the guards, much to the student's shock and awe.
"So when are you negative Nancy's going to focus on the task at hand?" a familiar voice startled the girls. They each looked around but found nobody to match the voice. That is until they noticed a guard with a well-known head of hair.
"Sikowitz?" Jade asked in disbelief.
He lifted his shades, winking at them before resuming his role.
"What are you doing here? How did you get inside of the prison?" Tori asked with more interest in the latter question.
"In no particular order, I got this from a local gift shop outside of the hotel. To answer your first question, I'm here to bust you all out."
While the two were happy and confused at the answers, the feeling soon faded much to their teacher's disdain. "What seems to be the problem?" he inquired in a hushed tone of voice.
"We're missing Liam," Jade noted, biting the inside of her jaw.
"And Travis is with him," Tori added.
Rubbing his chin, Sikowitz took note of the information given to him. "I see. That is a conundrum if ever I heard one." He continued to pace some distance back and forth so that he didn't draw any attention to himself. "I'll have to modify the plan but we may be able to still make things work without too many changes."
"What did you have in mind?" Jade crossed her arms, determined to do whatever it took to get out of this hell hole.
"I'll have to get some more intel about this place before we proceed but just know that the plan won't go down unless we all can get out together. I'll need you two to get as much information as you can and we'll rendezvous back here in a few more days."
Both nodded before resuming their talk.
"What are you thinking, Tori?"
Though she said nothing, Jade could tell that the girl was thinking the worst, a notion that she wouldn't allow her (sometimes) friend to plunge herself into that abyss. Cat, Ahrya, and Robbie surrounded the Latina with encouraging words as the buzzer signaled that it was time to return to their cells. With the gang forced to comply, there was nothing more to be done, and yet, a pair of eyes noticed Beck, more specifically, an aura of rejection that radiated from him as his short-term outdoors came to an end.
Interesting...
A week passed and it was more of the same as there was no sign of Liam or Travis. Andre & Beck had no further news to provide, making the situation bleaker with each passing hour.
Sikowitz came by as often as he could without drawing suspicion from the other guards to check up on the progress of his students. Over the long period, it was growing more likely that the worse could have happened. Even then, the group refused to openly entertain the idea of either of them dying.
There was no word on any transfers of prisoners lately as another scorching day passed by. Tori and Jade sat in their usual spot, away from everyone else as usual. Neither said much to the other, just their typical silence and the occasional exchange of looks.
Going through the motions, their mental solitude was shattered when the sounds of various voices, no doubt the Yerba guards, and the sound of a rattling fence filled their ears. Jade, though not without a moment of hesitation, stood from her spot behind the bleacher to see what was going on. Tori instead chose to remain where she was, content with staring at the random patches of grass that managed to survive the heat.
"Tori!" the Goth's voice piped up. "Come quick!"
Hearing how frantic the girl's tone suggested, she groaned but obliged to follow her back to the main area of the yard.
"Jade, what is so important that-" she looked up, defeat in her eyes slowly fading.
Her jaw dropped as her heart pounded against her ribs at the visual before her. Her mind was blank at the figure that lay slumped against the fence. It was just like her nightmare only... the guards were leaving? Soon, they returned with another figure, tossing his form onto the searing sand without care.
"Travis?" she started for him only to have Jade grab her arm.
Tori wanted nothing more than to pull away from the iron grip her friend had on her.
It was in fact the pair; they had survived their punishment if only barely. Under the sunlight, the two could make out just how damaged the boys were as a lone soldier stepped onto the yard. Jade could see the many cuts and bruises, wounds that were burned shut adorning his torso. Meanwhile, Tori felt herself about to retch when the scent of burnt flesh caught her nose, courtesy of Travis.
He had several splotches of singed flesh that would require medical attention if they were to heal properly.
Such treatment would only come in the form of the man pouring two bottles, spilling a clear liquid onto the weakened boys. Once it hit their bodies, an unholy growl broke out as they fought to resist the stinging fluid's effects.
"Oh! There's still spirit in these pups!" the man boasted, savoring the shivering forms of his victims. "I hope to see you both again if you ever break the rules."
Only once all of the men had left and the doors shut to the men's side of the prison was Tori allowed to rush over to the boys. Jade was not too far behind her, still shocked at what had transpired.
Had she not seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed any who thought it good to tell her. Soon, Travis and Liam would find themselves surrounded by friends but it would take some time for them to snap out of the rebellious stupor they were currently in. There were visible signs of dehydration as they smacked their lips, desperate for water.
Jade could only watch helplessly at the two.
What horrors had they faced in that place? How did they survive such atrocities? Would they survive the coming days?
"Liam?"
Her soft tone seemed to soothe him as he flashed a weak stare at her, almost peering through her. She didn't care that she sounded this way; This was her childhood friend who just endured serious agony. Likewise, Tori did the same for Travis who gingerly gave her a thumbs up to ensure that she was content.
After a few more moments of silence, they began to stir, dragging themselves to their feet by the chain links.
"Are you two going to be alright?"
Earth and nature spared a look before muttering their agreement with Tori's apprehension.
"Good..." Ahrya was the one to chime in this time. "Sikowitz has been keeping tabs on things and he has a plan to get us out of here. But, he doesn't want to act until you two are able to move well enough."
"That... makes sense," Travis wheezed before taking a sharp inhale.
"For now, you two need to rest while we set the plan in motion."
It would take a few more days of terrible food before Liam and Travis would regain even half of their strength, but neither were willing to stay any longer than they needed to. Once they were able to speak clearly without having to stop for air, both expressed their determination to gain their freedom and leave Yerba behind.
As they ate their food, Andre scoped out the area to ensure nobody was listening in, particularly any of the guards.
"Alright, so what's this plan Sikowitz has?" Liam whispered midway into biting his cow liver sandwich that he made out of some day old stale bread.
Beck, who was struggling to keep his own food down, placed his spoon into the gray lump that he thought was supposed to be oatmeal.
"Yuck." he groaned as his stomach growled. "Apparently, Tori is supposed to talk to the Chancellor about conducting a special performance to make up for what happened to his eye and pet octopus."
The others shuddered as images of the poor cephalopod being shocked to death thanks to Robbie flashed in their minds. After a few moments passed, they resumed their breakfast discussion.
"So, how does that work towards escaping?" Travis grumbled in between sips of the filmy water, astonishing everyone minus Liam who mirrored him.
Andre decided to speak up, after another quick check.
"We'll be doing the performance in the yard with some of the other prisoners." This caused Liam to raise a questionable eyebrow at the brown skin boy. "Relax, we got enough who were willing to help us out with this. After we finish the song, we'll mix in with the others and sneak out through the entryway of the men's side of the prison. Sikowitz will be waiting for us in a truck that'll take us to the airport."
Contemplating everything he was just told, Liam analyzed each detail of the plan.
It sounds like a good idea," he noted before taking another bite of the sandwich, much to the disgruntled boy's disdain. "But what about the guards that are stationed inside the halls?"
Beck and Andre looked blankly at one another, irritating Travis.
"Okay, from what I know, there are three corridors once you get to the far end of the building. One of them leads down the way we came in and one is most certainly the exit to this hell hole."
Before Liam could finish, he noticed Travis cutting his eyes to the left, noticing a small group of skinny men watching them with unsettling grins on their faces. Glaring at them, the foursome quickly veered their attention elsewhere.
"We'll have to be careful but the third hall leads to the Maggot's Nest." The two stared in wide-eyed terror as an unconcerned Liam simply finished his meal. "We'd rather not drag you guys there... We definitely can't head down the way we came in unless you want to get grabbed by the men stationed there. So, we'll have to pay extra attention to details on our way back to the cells. Sound good?"
Nodding, they all decided to direct the conversation towards a more pleasant path as they did their best to ingest the horrid food.
