Well, I managed to type up one of the two chapters I have written out – I'll get the other typed for next week. I like this chapter a lot; why, I'm not totally sure, just something about the dynamic between Val and Alice and how Val gets to know one of the inmates.

For those who've never seen it, Andy Dufresne (mentioned very shortly) is the main character of "The Shawshank Redemption" (my favorite prison movie – and just one of my favorite movies in general). I don't know exactly why I made aforementioned inmate look like him, that's just what I kept picturing. His nickname 'John the Murderer' was actually the name of a character I created and wrote a lot about in middle school, who was bald, wore glasses and liked to hit people with hammers O_o. His backstory was that he hung out with this group of crazy-ass misfits who solved paranormal mysteries, and then murdered people on the side. Appropriately, I once wrote a story for my English class where they were all murdered by Willy Wonka with an axe while he sang 'No More Lonely Nights' (my teacher seemed to like it) – think about it, I based him on that guy, the Warden is a lot like Willy Wonka, and, oddly enough, there is something to do with an axe coming up soon in this story.

Oh yeah, and the rat's name is borrowed from "The Green Mile" – 'cause that's how much I love that movie.

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Chapter Seven: John the Murderer

"He hears all, he sees all, he kills all."

- the motto of the original John the Murderer (I was a weird kid)

"My name is Valerie," Val introduced herself to the group.

"Exactly how did you come to be here?" someone asked, and Val sighed.

"To make a long story short, a total moron ran into me when I was standing by the river drinking and contemplating suicide, we got tangled up, Jailbot brought us in, and now the Warden is making me work for him, lest I end up like one of you."

"Heh, yeah right," said one guy, who looked strangely like a black-haired version of Andy Dufresne.

"What?" she said defensively, "I didn't do anything, unlike the rest of you."

"That's what they all say," he replied.

"… Did you just quote The Shawshank Redemption at me?"

"I'm just saying," he answered.

"Saying what? That you're an idiot?"

He rolled his eyes while the others shared a laugh at his expense. "Whatever, dollface."

"I'd appreciate it if you never called me that again , you ass-faced slimebucket."

He shook his head, visibly irritated. "My name," he said, "Is John Ponse."

"Why are you here?" she questioned idly.

"Murder one."

"Oh, so you're 'John the Murderer'," she said, and he just gave her a dirty look. "Hey, that's how I remember this stuff. Anywho… Anybody have any ideas of how to get out of here? You guys stand a better chance of getting away unnoticed than I do, since the Warden acts like an overprotective parent towards me for some reason."

"So why are we helping you at all if you would just make it harder for us to escape?" John asked, and she shrugged.

"I dunno, I figure that even the rejects of society have at least a shred of decency, sometimes anyhow. Besides, I don't belong here – at all."

"Well, the easiest way to get out of here would be to knock everybody off," someone suggested.

"No duh, but how do you propose doing that? Not to mention, I'm not totally for the killing thing. Try again," Val said, shaking her head.

The group continued to babble, unaware that the whole thing was being recorded by a black rat with an audio device taped to it's back. Satisfied with what it had overheard, the rat scrambled back through a nearby hole and into the wall cavity. It followed the dark and dirty path, under and between pipes that crisscrossed the tight enclosure while cold water dripped down on it.

Meanwhile, Jared was heading back to his office, wiping blood off his suit.

"Why exactly does the Warden want a bunch of seals, anyway? And did Jailbot have to spray me with their blood?" he sighed, opening the door and heading over to his desk, when a certain black rat scampered up onto it.

"Mr. Jingles," he said to the rat, "Did you get something of interest on tape?"

That rat squeaked excitedly, and he took the audio device from it's back and hit play.

A garbled recording began to play. "Any ideas of how… get out of here… getting away unnoticed… make it harder for us to escape… easiest way to get out of here… knock everybody off… So we leave, and take Val with us."

"Uh-oh, I better tell the Warden about this immediately!" Jared said, running off in a hurry.

A moment later, he entered the Warden's office. "Warden, I've got bad news!"

"Jared, you know how I hate bad news. Can't you find some way to make it positive?"

"Uh… In this case, no, I think not."

"Fine, what is it?" he groaned.

"We taped some inmates talking about escaping – and taking Val with them."

"What?" the Warden said in a tone that would have made Satan shudder. "We'd better have a meeting!"

He pressed a button on his desk's control panel, and spoke into a microphone he produced from somewhere. "Alice, Val and Jailbot, please report to my office."

In her quarters, Val looked curiously at the PA speaker near the door and went over to it, pressing the red button. "Do I have to? I'm a little busy here," she said into the mic.

"Valerie, get down here NOW!" the Warden shouted, and she took a deep breath.

"So much for hiding out in here… I'll be lucky if Alice doesn't go Mortal Kombat on me."

She turned to the inmates and clapped her hands together to get their attention. "Okay, men, that's all you have to do for today – I've got to face whatever fate is waiting for me when I leave this room, so you all might as well go do whatever it is you do, and I'll see you again tomorrow… If I'm still alive."

She slowly walked out of the room, purposely trying to walk as slowly as possible, wishing that she didn't have to go to the office. Inevitably, she eventually arrived at the door, swallowed hard, and opened the door so unhurriedly time practically stood still.

She glanced around the room, and her eyes came to rest upon a sight she'd been dreading – Alice. The redhead gave her a brain-melting glare, and Val shivered.

"We're upping security," the Warden announced, "It came to my attention that there's a plot to escape going around. And apparently they want to take Val."

"How do we know that she didn't start it?" Alice looked as though she was just barely controlling the urge to annihilate the girl.

"Val wouldn't do that. Would you, Val?"

"Err… No?" she said shakily, guessing he didn't hear the whole story.

"Exactly. The very idea is preposterous. I don't care what they're planning, they won't take you away!" he gripped her in a tight embrace, and at this point, she really wanted to shoot herself. First off, though, she had to deal with the fact that he was practically asphyxiating her.

"Okay, enough with the hugging!" she coughed. "Can I leave now?"

"Alright," he agreed, "But Auntie Alice will have to escort you back to your quarters. And if anything suspicious happens, you page me right away!"

Val didn't hear the last part – she was too busy staring at Alice in fear, because she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the irony of them ending up alone under the current circumstances.

"Take good care of her, Alice!" the Warden said cheerfully, and she nodded, what appeared to be a faint, almost totally undetectable smile brightening her normally fierce expression, which scared Val more than if she were still glaring at her.

"Oh, I will," Alice replied, and Val started to panic.

"Um, do we have to go alone? Wouldn't it be safer if we had somebody else with us?" she asked, glancing at Alice and wondering if the woman could tell how afraid she really was.

"I can confidently assure you that you will be more than safe with Alice," he replied.

Jared had no problem seeing what Val was trying to do, and feeling bad for her, he spoke up. "Uh, Warden - "

"Not now, Jared."

Or, at least, he tried to.

He shrugged to Val, and she gave a dejected nod. "Okay, I'll be leaving now, I suppose."

She ever so slowly moved towards the exit, peering over at Alice out of the corner of her eye, before allowing her gaze to come to rest on the floor. When the door closed behind them, Val felt Alice's tight grip just above her left elbow, digging her nails into the girl's arm almost as hard as she could. No doubt about it, it hurt like mad, but Val didn't make a sound or look up at her.

The atmosphere was heavy and ominous at present, and Val began to walk slowly with her eyes closed, feeling an overwhelming sense of foreboding.

"A-Alice," she said, trying to collect her thoughts, "Please… before you do something, hear me out…" She didn't reply, so Val nervously continued, "I'm really sorry. Sometimes I don't think before saying things, and it's pretty obvious that I got on your bad side. I'm really, really, seriously sorry… Please don't hurt me… Have mercy."

"Mercy?" she sounded amused, "I don't know the meaning of the word."

"S-s-so what are you going to do?" Val stuttered, looking up at her coworker.

"That's for me to know, and for you to suffer."

"I guess it wouldn't make any difference if I begged?"

Alice stopped and looked at her for a few seconds, though it felt like an hour, and Val stared back at her, not sure what exactly was about to happen. Then she stomped hard on the girl's foot, putting all her weight into it. "No."

Val took a deep breath through clenched teeth, then said calmly, "Ow."

Alice drug her the last few yards to the door, while Val limped, opened the door and shoved her inside. "See you soon," she taunted, and the door slammed shut.

Val shook her head miserably. "I'm never going to get out of here alive."

"What's the matter, dollface?" questioned a familiar voice.

Val looked over to see John Ponse sitting on her chaise lounge, wearing a smug grin.

"What the hell are you still doing here?" she snapped, needing to direct her frustration at someone.

"Seeing what it's like to be you," he replied and she scoffed.

"I've been having quite the opposite experience," she muttered.

She limped over to the wall and leaned up against it, dearly wishing the pain in her foot would stop. She touched the area where Alice had her hand moments earlier, and was greeted by a stinging sensation and the sight of blood smeared on her fingers.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"Alice," she put simply, "And she's saving the worst for last."

"Been there," he said, giving her a suggestive smile, "Why don't you come sit down, take a load off? It'll make you feel better."

"Sit next to you? I'll pass."

"Oh come on, you don't have to worry. Wouldn't it feel nice to get off that foot?"

Val couldn't help but agree, and as much as she wanted to stay away from him, her foot was killing her. "You better not try anything," she warned, "I don't like the fact that you're even here."

She hobbled over and cautiously seated herself, eyeing him distrustfully.

John lay back against the lounge, stretching out comfortably. "Come on, lay down."

"Excuse me? What are you getting at?" she said disgustedly.

"It's nothing personal, if that makes you feel any better. I just haven't been near a woman except Alice in a long time. Just spend a little while with me." He smiled, quietly reciting the words to a song, "Lay down, Sally, restin' in my arms. Don't you think you want someone to talk to? Lay down, Sally. No need to leave so soon. I've been trying all night long just to talk to you."

She thought for a moment, and reluctantly stretched out beside him, not reacting when he moved closer to her, put his right arm behind his head and his left one around her shoulders.

"Doesn't that feel nice?" he asked.

"If you say so," she said, and he chuckled.

"The warmth of a woman makes all the troubles of the world melt away."

"You sound like you're either trying to be romantic or describing a hooker."

"Not at all," he said in a soft tone that made her feel sleepy. It feels good to be so close to another person – that's not a guy, for once. Feeling any better?"

"I guess," she said, looking at the ceiling, "Though you still weird me out."

He laughed. "All that matters now is that we're keeping each other company."

She felt him make a move to cop a feel, and said, in a monotone, "Touch me, and I will chop your dick off."

He chuckled. "Sorry, testosterone's going to my head."

"So…" she started carefully after a moment of silence, "You're really in here for murder, huh? Who did you kill?"

"My wife. She wouldn't stop nagging me all the time."

"Are you serious?"

"Nah, she was also a complete slut. Literally. She became a streetwalker."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. The bitch had to go." He laughed.

She drew a breath uncomfortably, and changed the subject. "You surprisingly seem like a nice guy, considering you're in this hellhole."

"Well…" he said thoughtfully, "Sometimes we make mistakes, and they catch up with us. I probably deserve to be here."

"No," she replied solemnly, "Nobody deserves to be here." Their eyes met temporarily.

"You sure don't," he said, bringing her closer so that her head rested against his chest.

"So you believe me now," she smiled slightly.

"Who wouldn't believe a sweet thing like you?" He rubbed her shoulder comfortingly and she sighed.

"You know, she said quietly, her tone taking on a hint of concern, "If Jailbot finds us together, he'll probably hurt you."

"Eh, small price to pay to be with a real woman after so long."

There was a long creak of a door opening slowly behind them, and they both looked up to see none other than the Warden emerge from the closet.

"What the hell?" How did he get in there?" Val said, standing up.

"There's a good joke here about him being gay," John laughed to Val, then changing his tone when he saw the look he got from him, "But I'm not saying it."

"What do you think you're doing?" he snapped at the inmate, who seemed slightly confused.

"I didn't do anything."

"You were touching her!"

"So?"

"You were touching her, and I know what that leads to! She shouldn't be doing that!"

"What do you care? You're not her father," John said calmly.

"Exactly," Val agreed.

"You treat her more like a kid than a coworker, and for someone who calls himself her uncle, you treat her more like a prisoner than anything else."

"You," the Warden said in a dangerous tone, "Have no right to talk. Val was about to take her own life when she came here. I gave her a new home, people she'd be able to rely on, and a purpose. I took her under my wing, and have given her the opportunity to be a part of something truly meaningful - "

"What a crock," Val murmured.

"I gave her a new life!" the Warden finished, and John scoffed.

"By taking away her freedom? Making her one of your slaves?"

"Don't you judge me," he retorted, "Who do you think you are? What could you possibly offer Val?"

"Understanding," John said. "She didn't ask to be drug here and imprisoned by a complete lunatic with no standards of ethics."

The Warden laughed. "This is rich."

"He has a point," Val shrugged.

"Val, please, I'm trying to tell this pervert off," he said to her, turning his attention back to John, "You mongrel, you had better leave Val alone! She's way above you station!"

"Really?" John glared at him, "What's wrong with me? Aren't all men created equal?"

"Monster!" he shouted accusingly, "Stay away from her or I'll take action!"

"Oh, like what?" he challenged, and the Warden smiled evilly.

"JAILBOT!"

Jailbot was there immediately, eager to be of assistance.

"Jailbot, take this ruffian away and teach him a lesson." He snapped his fingers and Jailbot drug John off, a very sinister expression displayed on his screen.

"I tried to warn him," Val said unenthusiastically.

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Considering what Alice could have done to Val at that moment, she's quite lucky to have gotten off with so little injury. Their interactions progressively get more tense from this point – I honestly have no idea what will eventually happen, but it'll be interesting to watch it play out. Lol, the Warden hanging out in the closet was actually based on a dream I had years ago where this guy was talking to me from in the closet and I slammed the door in his face – I think I'd originally had a weirder idea for him, but then I used the closet. I even did an illustration of it to give myself a laugh.

John Ponse… What a weird character… I was pretty sure when I started this that there weren't going to be any OC inmates other than Val ex-boyfriend (who eventually plays a major role in a brief plot arc later on), but somehow I ended up with John. And considering why he's there, I'm actually very fond of him. I tend to create extra OCs for the purpose of being tortured throughout the story and then kill them off, but John's different – not only is he based on a character from my early teen years that is near and dear to my heart, but his personality is becoming addictive. I like that, despite what he's done, he's got this sort of unapologetic, smooth-talking, sappy thing going on… And he can be pretty sappy. In the next two chapters, you sort of see a little bit of that in the way he pals around with Val. It's just, honestly, very… cute. And this type of cute stuff usually makes me want to hurl lol.

Anywho, hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll have more next week, so, in the meantime, just chill and maybe leave me a review to let me know what you thought (I usually end my stories' chapters with a sentiment like that, but I haven't done it yet in this, for some reason)!