Guards chitchat

A small room. One straight staircase leading upwards. Three hallways, one in each wall, two of hallways were large, approximately eight by nine feet, the one in the wall directly across from the stair case, and the one to the right. The last one being a bit smaller. A table sat near the entry way to the stairs with three chairs around it.

The two larger hallways lead to the prison, where as the smaller one lead to a supplies room for the guards.

Two guards currently sat at the table playing cards. They wore beige uniforms and both had brown hair. One was slightly shorter with a softer face while the other being taller with a larger bone structure and rougher face.

"Man this is boring." The shorter one said. He sighed and laid his head on the table.

"It's not that bad, it pays well and it is not that dangerous." The bigger one said as he arranged his cards.

The smaller one continued to lay there. "What about every month when one prisoner will try to escape." He pointed out, without getting up. "Either from being new and not knowing the rules or just because they're plain crazy. Watisname got hurt pretty bad just a few days ago when the last one happened, he won't be back for weeks."

"Just follow protocol, you'll be fine." The other man said as he still continued to play with the cards in his hand. "I've been doing this job for years and besides nobody above Chunin is in here. It is only a place for nobodies to be stored. It's more humane than killing them, but they're worthless just the same, they are not even worth trading for our guys caught over there."

Protocol wasn't much, there was a key pad by the door to send short messages like, code 1, code 2 etc, in case a guard took too long on patrol they could call for help without leaving their post. Lining the walls of the hallways were steel boxes with large buttons, the whole thing was painted grey. These were panic buttons, if anything goes wrong the guards hit the button immediately and just stall until more guards came and backed them up and just overpower them with numbers with no risk on their side. This was the real prison, even if you got out of your cell there was only one way out and one way in, the entire prison being underground and twenty to thirty guards in the way between you and freedom, not that that was all more could always be called in from the villages main force if necessary.

"That's not true." the smaller guard got up with a touch of excitement in his voice. "Didn't you hear the rumour."

The larger guard looked at him and put his cards down.

"I heard the last one that got brought in was caught by the Raikage himself. They say she tried an assassination attempt."

"What would they gain from killing the Raikage, that would start a war. It was probably just a show of strength." The larger one replied. The cards forgotten as he looked at the smaller one. "Unlike you I pay attention to the important rumours. They say the Hokage died in the last Chunin exam. The recent attempts on the Raikage's life are probably just to prove they are still strong enough for war, to keep the other countries at bay."

"But that still doesn't explain why she's in here, I thought we didn't get dangerous ones." The first one said.

The other guard took on a slightly different tone. "Maybe she isn't all that dangerous, after all she just looks about fourteen, or even younger."

There was silent pause that, though in reality was rather short, the topic made it seem rather long.

"Or maybe she just isn't dangerous any more. How would you feel if your country sent you to die like that. That's why you should be thankful for a job like this." The larger man continued to speak, his voice soft and low. "She could have had talent and been on the way to making something of her life, but instead she got sent on a suicide mission. . . you know I don't think she has moved since they brought her in. Every time I see her she is in the same spot and it's a couple days."

The atmosphere was heavy as the two men sat in silence.

"But she's an enemy, why are we talking about her like this" The smaller one said. He had a lighter tone to his voice and started to smile. Sitting up straight and breaking the dark mood that had formed.

The larger one started to speak again his voice steady, not changing from earlier. "When you face a worthy opponent on the battlefield, for long enough, there is no enemy. There is just you, and him."

"It's about time for our rounds." the larger of the two men said as he stood up, he was also the taller of the two.

Two more guards walked down the stairs at that time, and the other guard stood up from the table. The taller guard nodded at the two new arrivals and the smaller one waved.

There was a slapping sound heard down the hallway directly across from the stairs.

"What was that?" The smaller guard asked.

"Let's go check it out." Replied his partner.

The two guards walked down the hallway for a ways but found nothing. They walked back up to the other guards so they knew nothing was wrong.

"It was probably just one of the prisoners." The larger one said.

They still needed to do the last of their rounds before they could end their shifts. So they started walking down the hallway that was to the right of the stairs.

As they walk they both started to favour the right of the hallway until they passed the cell that held the internally conflicted boy on the left, his eyes staring through them as if they didn't exist, as they passed.

The smaller one lead over and talked softly into his partners ear. "You know the guy who went mad and tried to break out was from around here. Do you think it was that boy that drove him to it?"

"We're not exactly a hotel here." His partner spoke. Reminding him that this was a prison. "But yeah, I think he was probably the reason for it."

They came to a fork where the hallway turned left and continued straight. This place being built before the last war in a hurry to hold an influx of prisoners, was not the best in design. The path Straight lead to a dead end, the path to the left lead to the other hallway which in turn lead back to the entrance making a circle. Passed the split there was only one cell anyway.

The guards checked on the last one, who was laying on the cot turned away from them, then turned around and took the left turn. Just as their backs disappeared into the dark he turned around with a large animal like grin on his face.

Finally they came to the newest arrival. Neither talked as they walked up stopped and stared at her.

She still had not moved, her hair fell down the side face. Her hollow gaze landed at their feet. She remained almost perfectly still except for her quiet breathing. She was one of the worst cases of depression in the prison.

Even the other prisoners could tell. She didn't talk when the guards weren't around like some of the other prisoners did, even the most stoic of them talked eventually, but she never acted as if she heard. Between not moving, talking and the fact she hadn't eaten in two days meant she was likely going to die. She would be the first to die of her own volition in two years. If suicide by prison guard didn't count.

After staring at her for longer than they had bothered to for any of the other prisoners they turn and continued on

Once they got back the two guards were sitting at the small table, playing with the cards they had left behind.

One of the guards noticed them and spoke. "After you guys left we heard that noise again, did you see anything?"

"no, it must just be one of the prisoners." The taller guards replied. He then walked into the supply room and one of the guards from the table followed him. He picked the prison key up out of a nondescript box and tossed it to the other, who then caught it a placed it back in the box before both guards left. This ritual had started when the prison was first built with the guard on duty passing the key to the next in a specific way when his shift was up to make sure that one of the prisoners did not escaped and disguised themselves as a guard and just walk out. Though as new technology was installed there was no longer a reason for the guards to carry the key, but the habit was kept for the same reason it was started, and the larger guard had always said to anyone who thought it was pointless that anything that could keep you alive longer was worth it. Though in reality any object would work, to keep using the key was kind of stupid.

The other guard took his seat at the table. He and his partner left with his partner saying goodbye to the one he was talking to. And finally they went up the stairs and left.

"Did you hear that?" One of the new guards said it was quieter this time and couldn't tell where it came from.

"It's probably nothing." the other replied.


Hooray for pronouns, I almost started capitalizing Large for the guards name.

Now the stage is pretty much set but I think I still have a little more to do in the next chapter, or maybe the entire next chapter but it will probably be shorter.

And special thanks to my one reviewer... Thank You

I appreciate advice and tips on story, don't worry if it sounds dumb or obvious there is always a chance I missed it (after all I am the one who wrote the above story). do you guys think I should break the bleak atmosphere or not? I also would like to know if this should be drama instead of adventure, as you can see how it has been going so far.

Have a nice day.