Trail Mix 27
Author: Casey
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy (NIEE) universe, During NIEE
Challenges: Trail Mix 27 (a cell/prison)
Toppings & Extras: none (*gasp*)
Word Count: 721
Rating: PG
Summary: And so it begins...
Notes: This is the very beginning of NIEE. Concrit especially welcome on this piece, as I’m doing hardcore rewrites, but regular comments are also always great :)
I heard a clang as the cell door opened. “Move back,” the guard in front ordered some unseen person. The guards shoved Jay in and I followed a moment later, stumbling over the uneven floor and flailing my arms frantically to try and stay upright. As I fell, Jay reached out and caught me.
“Got you,” he said, before sparing a glare for the three men as they pulled the door shut again with a very final sounding click. “That wasn’t very nice.”
One of them grinned. “Welcome to prison, stupid,” he said and the trio disappeared out of sight. I listened to them walk off as I straightened and brushed myself off.
“Are you...okay?” a tentative voice asked and I looked up, a bit surprised they had given us cellmates at all. The jail, from what I had seen during our trip to this cell, tucked in the far back corner of the building, did not seem particularly full.
“Yes, we’re just fine, thank...” I trailed off, taking the pair in. The elder of the two could not have been more than nineteen and, at first glance, I had to place her closer to eighteen. The girl still had the look of an innocent about her as she peered at us through mussed red hair. Jay was already checking her out with enough interest I felt the need to elbow him hard in the side. He grunted, but had the decency to look sheepish. Huddled in the girl’s arms was a little boy, maybe ten, who stared up with the same solemn expression.
“What in the name of the gods are you doing in a prison cell?” I asked, unable to help myself.
I felt instantly guilty as the boy blanched and the girl looked away.
“I’m Jay and this is Jez,” Jay said cheerfully to cover the sudden awkward silence. “And you are?”
“I’m Stella. Stella Harper and this is my brother, David,” Stella said, forcing a faint smile.
David eyed us for a moment. “Are you Freedom Fighters?” he asked bluntly.
I glanced out the cell door to make sure the coast was clear before winking at him.
He brightened and opened his mouth to speak before Stella laid a hand on his shoulder. “Not right now, David.” She looked at us, suspicion lurking in her gaze. “They told us they use this cell for those they’re going to hang. Did they tell you that?”
Jay and I exchanged a glance. “No, but that doesn’t really surprise us,” I said before settling myself down in a corner of the cell, shifting until I was able to get comfortable. After a moment of silence, the other three followed suit, Jay to my right and Stella and David across from us. The boy burrowed into his sister’s side and continued to regard us curiously.
“How long have you been here?” Jay asked, ever the conversationalist. He had also probably noted the dark circles under Stella’s eyes and the smudge of dirt across David’s cheek.
“Three days,” she said, now looking more tired than anything. “Three very long days,” she added with a meaningful glance down at her brother.
“Well,” I said, “this could take a while, so why don’t we figure out a way to pass the time?”
“I’d suggest a few, but I know you’d just shut me down,” Jay said, smirking. “Do you have an idea?”
“Have you had lots of adventures?” David asked.
“Yes, lots,” Jay said and I suddenly did have an idea.
“Why don’t I tell you a story?”
He pondered that for a moment. “What is it about?”
“Battles, heroes, villains, and lots of adventures,” I said with a smile.
“You better not be lying.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Okay,” David declared, “you can tell it. But it better be good!”
“David,” Stella said, “Jez is being very nice by offering. You could be a little nice in return.”
He turned at me and favored me with a charming grin. “Please would you tell the story?”
“Since you asked so nicely,” I said. “It begins with Jasmine Lockholme, a duke and an assassin.”
His eyes lit up. “You’re telling us the story of the Freedom Fighters and the Three? Awesome!”
I winked. “Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Jasmine...”
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy (NIEE) universe, During NIEE
Challenges: Trail Mix 27 (a cell/prison)
Toppings & Extras: none (*gasp*)
Word Count: 721
Rating: PG
Summary: And so it begins...
Notes: This is the very beginning of NIEE. Concrit especially welcome on this piece, as I’m doing hardcore rewrites, but regular comments are also always great :)
I heard a clang as the cell door opened. “Move back,” the guard in front ordered some unseen person. The guards shoved Jay in and I followed a moment later, stumbling over the uneven floor and flailing my arms frantically to try and stay upright. As I fell, Jay reached out and caught me.
“Got you,” he said, before sparing a glare for the three men as they pulled the door shut again with a very final sounding click. “That wasn’t very nice.”
One of them grinned. “Welcome to prison, stupid,” he said and the trio disappeared out of sight. I listened to them walk off as I straightened and brushed myself off.
“Are you...okay?” a tentative voice asked and I looked up, a bit surprised they had given us cellmates at all. The jail, from what I had seen during our trip to this cell, tucked in the far back corner of the building, did not seem particularly full.
“Yes, we’re just fine, thank...” I trailed off, taking the pair in. The elder of the two could not have been more than nineteen and, at first glance, I had to place her closer to eighteen. The girl still had the look of an innocent about her as she peered at us through mussed red hair. Jay was already checking her out with enough interest I felt the need to elbow him hard in the side. He grunted, but had the decency to look sheepish. Huddled in the girl’s arms was a little boy, maybe ten, who stared up with the same solemn expression.
“What in the name of the gods are you doing in a prison cell?” I asked, unable to help myself.
I felt instantly guilty as the boy blanched and the girl looked away.
“I’m Jay and this is Jez,” Jay said cheerfully to cover the sudden awkward silence. “And you are?”
“I’m Stella. Stella Harper and this is my brother, David,” Stella said, forcing a faint smile.
David eyed us for a moment. “Are you Freedom Fighters?” he asked bluntly.
I glanced out the cell door to make sure the coast was clear before winking at him.
He brightened and opened his mouth to speak before Stella laid a hand on his shoulder. “Not right now, David.” She looked at us, suspicion lurking in her gaze. “They told us they use this cell for those they’re going to hang. Did they tell you that?”
Jay and I exchanged a glance. “No, but that doesn’t really surprise us,” I said before settling myself down in a corner of the cell, shifting until I was able to get comfortable. After a moment of silence, the other three followed suit, Jay to my right and Stella and David across from us. The boy burrowed into his sister’s side and continued to regard us curiously.
“How long have you been here?” Jay asked, ever the conversationalist. He had also probably noted the dark circles under Stella’s eyes and the smudge of dirt across David’s cheek.
“Three days,” she said, now looking more tired than anything. “Three very long days,” she added with a meaningful glance down at her brother.
“Well,” I said, “this could take a while, so why don’t we figure out a way to pass the time?”
“I’d suggest a few, but I know you’d just shut me down,” Jay said, smirking. “Do you have an idea?”
“Have you had lots of adventures?” David asked.
“Yes, lots,” Jay said and I suddenly did have an idea.
“Why don’t I tell you a story?”
He pondered that for a moment. “What is it about?”
“Battles, heroes, villains, and lots of adventures,” I said with a smile.
“You better not be lying.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Okay,” David declared, “you can tell it. But it better be good!”
“David,” Stella said, “Jez is being very nice by offering. You could be a little nice in return.”
He turned at me and favored me with a charming grin. “Please would you tell the story?”
“Since you asked so nicely,” I said. “It begins with Jasmine Lockholme, a duke and an assassin.”
His eyes lit up. “You’re telling us the story of the Freedom Fighters and the Three? Awesome!”
I winked. “Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Jasmine...”