Chapter 8: Crafty Cat
After Malakye joined up with Derek and Levi in their posse, the trio was as tight as the Three Musketeers. Malakye started working out and lifting weights with Levi, and the merman even taught the kid some fighting and self-defense moves. When Malakye had asked Levi where he’d learned how to fight, Levi had been unable to answer. Somehow…fighting was just in his blood.
Levi had gained the respect of his fellow prisoners and there were no longer any rapes. The prisoners knew they’d have to deal with Levi’s wrath if they tried anything fishy, and none of them wanted to get slammed through a shower wall. Literally. Even the prison guards had to cut back on their usual abuse of the prisoners with Levi around.
Derek taught Malakye how to cover his silver skin using white makeup, and how to look like a ‘Goth’ so that to the humans he wouldn’t appear to be as suspicious as he did when wrapped in white bandages like a mummy. Or worse the Invisible Man. He also taught Malakye how to play the harmonica for the hell of it.
One day at the state prison, during lunch in the cafeteria, Levi, Derek and Malakye were seated together eating. At this point they practically ran the prison and their fellow inmates made sure that the trio had their favorite foods during lunch. Levi was eating raw fish, and Derek a bloody, extra rare steak.
Malakye looked a little green as he watched his two friends eat, even though his face was covered in white makeup. “You guys…are disgusting.” Malakye was a vegetarian and had a large salad in front of him with cherry tomatoes on it.
Derek shook his head at the salad. “Dude, salads are for girls. How do you expect to put on any muscle if you don’t have the protein in your diet for it?”
Malakye frowned. “I get protein. Leafy greens, winter squash, beans and legumes are considered to be an excellent source of protein. Also green beans, black-eyed peas, lima beans, baked beans-”
Derek snorted and interrupted the list. “Beans, beans, beans. I’m glad I’m not rooming with you, buddy.”
Levi chuckled.
Malakye flushed. “I don’t…” He couldn’t say the word ‘fart’ out loud.
A few tables away from the trio sat G, the big, almost seven-foot-tall man who’d lied and said he’d beaten up Baldo and his goons. G was alone until a couple of Baldo’s ex-goons sat down at the table with him and began to harass him.
“Hey G, why did you stand up for Levi, huh? Do you want to run your hands through his lovely, long, blue hair?” One of the prisoners mocked.
A vein in G’s temple began to throb. Hot anger pulsed through his veins and red began to cloud his vision as the thug continued to spout perverted nonsense.
“Or do you want to hold him down and fist his hair?” Another prisoner suggested.
G clenched his hands on the table as he tried to get a rein on his anger. I can’t get angry. I must stay in control. Can’t get angry. Must control my emotions…or else…they’ll consume me. G chanted in his mind over and over.
“I bet you could take him…I wonder which of you guys is stronger? What’s wrong, cat got your tongue, G? Or you think you’re better than us? Huh? You giant freak.” The man poked G in his arm to get his attention.
Freak.
“Rawrrr!” The reins on G’s anger snapped, he let out a roar, and swiped his hand across the table sending three trays of food crashing to the floor with a loud clatter. G stood up from the table and grabbed the first guy who’d been messing with him by the collar of his orange jumpsuit, lifted him up one-handed, and tossed him across the cafeteria. The prisoner landed on one of the cafeteria tables with such force that he broke it in half. Prisoners cried out in surprise and scattered, and more trays of food clattered to the floor in their wake.
G picked up the remaining thug and tossed him next. “Incoming.” Derek warned as he stood up and backed away from their table. Levi did the same.
Malakye ignored Derek’s warning, however, and got a thug topping in his salad for his trouble. Malakye frowned at the salad-covered thug and shook his head in disgust. “Can’t a man eat in peace around here?”
“Food fight!” Someone yelled at the top of their lungs and all of the prisoners began to start flinging food and punches and kicks at each other. This was no high school food fight, and blood began to spew through the air.
“Now, who said that?” Malakye demanded looking around with a stern look on his face.
The inmates used the distraction to attack G en masse - all ganging up on the guy. G let out a roar as he batted them away with his ham fists. The guards had shown up at the cafeteria at this point and were trying their best to put a stop to the fighting.
However, the fighting became centered on G. G’s eyes flashed red and orange fur began to sprout on his face, his canines lengthened into fangs, and his nails turned into claws. Aw crap…I’m about to shift. G thought in horror, but he couldn’t stop the wave of anger that had washed away his reason and that had all but consumed him. He lifted up one of the long cafeteria tables, held it above his head for a moment, and sent it flying into a group of prisoners and guards, sending them all crashing to the floor.
The pissed off guards stood up, dusted themselves off, and whipped out their electrical batons and approached G with menacing intent.
Levi had been keeping tabs on the crap that was going down. He’d also been keeping a short leash on his own anger when he’d eavesdropped on some of the comments those prisoners had been making about him. Levi hadn’t understood half of the nasty things the prisoners had been saying, but he guessed by G’s reaction that they’d been incredibly insulting.
Levi would have acted against the thugs too, but G had beaten him to it again. Levi knew that the guards’ attack would only escalate G’s anger and probably finish the transformation he seemed to be making. I guess G is some kind of nonhuman too. And us nonhumans need to stick together.
Taking matters into his own hands, Levi charged towards G, shoving prisoners out of his way and sending them flying like a bulldozer. “I’ll handle this. Stay back!” Levi shouted at the guards in a commanding voice. The guards obeyed and moved back. Levi charged G and rammed into him - body-slamming G to the floor. G was knocked onto his back and Levi straddled him. “Hey, G, chill man.” Levi demanded as he punched G hard across the face.
G snarled in Levi’s face and punched Levi back. Levi took the punch, and appeared to be unfazed by it as he glared down at G. “I said chill. I am not your enemy.”
G blinked up at Levi, panting for breath, his enormous chest heaving, and the red slowly began to leave his eyes. The fur disappeared from his face, and his teeth and nails returned to normal. G was cowed by Levi’s powerful presence and overwhelming strength.
“You good? Can I let you up?” Levi asked.
G nodded. “Yeah.” His voice was as rough as sandpaper.
Levi got off of G and offered him a hand up. G took Levi’s hand and allowed the other man to help him up. “Thanks, man.”
“Just returning the favor.” Levi said and then leaned forward to whisper in G’s ear. “Us nonhumans need to stick together.”
G’s eyes widened like saucers at Levi’s admittance. The guards surrounded G and the giant put his hands up in surrender. “Solitary confinement for you, G!” One of the guards barked.
G sighed, his broad shoulders slumped, and he hung his head in a dejected manner. What’s new? The guards grabbed G’s arms and began to drag him away.
“Wait.” Levi called out and the guards stopped. He picked up a blunt dinner knife and held up his long blue hair. With one clean slice he chopped off his gorgeous locks of sky-blue hair and tossed them to the floor. He then turned to glare at the prisoner who’d said something about G wanting to run his hands through Levi’s hair. “No one is going to be running their hands through my lovely long hair, you perverts.” He turned back to the guards and nodded at them. “Carry on.”
G was smirking as he was dragged out of the cafeteria.
What a cool guy.
Derek rushed up to Levi after all the commotion had passed and looked at Levi’s hacked off hair. “Dude, why did you do that?”
Levi just shrugged in a nonchalant manner. He could care less about his appearance.
Derek frowned and shook his head. “Don’t worry…I’ll fix your hair once we get back to our cell.”
“Whatever.”
***
When G was finally released from solitary confinement seven days later, he was taken back to his cell where he discovered that he had a new cellmate for the first time ever. G frowned. The guards probably thought that it would be useful to have someone watching him. They’d literally thrown the poor guy to the Big Bad Wolf. But the guy didn’t appear to be too concerned. Perhaps he hadn’t heard of G’s reputation yet? G’s new cellmate was stretched out on the lower bunk reading a Playboy magazine and G couldn’t help but wonder how the man had managed to get that thing inside the prison.
“Get in there, G.” The guard shoved G into the cell impatiently, and quickly shut and locked the cell door behind him. “And play nice with your new cellmate…or else.” The man chuckled darkly as he strolled away.
G’s cellmate lowered his Playboy to reveal silky, short red hair, and fierce golden eyes that resembled his own. The redhead sat up and grinned at G. “Hey there, I’m Ambrose Rune. It’s nice to meet you.” He held out his hand in a friendly manner for G to take.
G blinked at him for a moment and then stared down at the offered hand. A look of disbelief formed on his face. “You’re kidding, right?”
Ambrose chuckled and lowered his hand. “You’re as unfriendly as they say you are. You gotta name, big guy?”
“G.”
“G…that’s it?” Ambrose looked G over with a critical eye. “I think I’m going to call you…Garfield from now on.” He nodded to himself, and looked pleased with his decision.
What the hell? “Garfield…?” More than five hundred years ago, G had just opened his eyes and found himself in what was now Scotland surrounded by a clan of fellow shifters. He had no memory of his past or explanation for how he came to be there. But neither did any of the other shifters. G had only been able to remember the first initial of his name and had henceforth been known simply as ‘G’.
Centuries later, G and several members of his clan were captured by a fanatical priest who had the ability to force G and his fellow shifters to remain trapped in their animal forms through the means of collars that had magical runes engraved on them. Trapped in his animal form, which was that of a large tiger-like creature, G had been forced to fight against human warrior-priests in battles to the death for the sport and entertainment of other humans who bet on the fights. Sometimes the fights were a sort of initiation into The Order or a test of a warrior-priest’s skills.
During one of these fights a skilled swordsman accidentally cut off G’s collar, and G finally managed to escape the arena, vowing to return to free his fellow shifters. This battle had occurred during the 21st Century. G had known little of the modern world, however, and hadn’t known how to deal with it. The sights had been overwhelming - the cars, the artificial lights, and the amount of people walking around on the sidewalks. G had attacked the cars out of fear and thrown them through the air. The cops had arrived shortly thereafter, and had subdued him quickly. G was lucky they hadn’t shot him full of holes.
Garfield decided that he was curious about the man in front of him now. He didn’t feel human. His Instinct was telling him that the redhead wasn’t human. “Are you…a fellow shifter?”
A slow, sly smile spread across Ambrose’s face. “What gave me away?”
“Your eyes…they’re just like the eyes of those in my clan.”
“Your clan?”
Garfield nodded. “My clan is in Scotland…well, a few clan members were brought here to this land against their will. I’ve vowed to return to them as soon as I have a better understanding of this world and how I can save them. I can’t get my butt thrown in here again.”
“Now, that I can help you with…understanding this strange, modern world, I mean.” Ambrose offered.
Garfield’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What do you want in return? Just so you know I don’t swing that way.”
Ambrose burst out laughing. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m only interested in the ladies. Let’s just say…you’ll owe me.”
Garfield nodded. “Fine.”
“Anyways, have you seen a huge guy with long, blue hair, dark blue eyes, and a nasty attitude?”
Garfield’s eyes widened but he tried to shrug casually. “Maybe.”
“Good because he’s my friend. I was worried about him when I found out he got arrested…so I got myself arrested in order to get in here.” Ambrose smirked, and was looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
“You came in here on purpose?” G gawked at the man in disbelief.
“Yep…I picked a fight with a couple of cops. Kicked their butts and then turned myself in at the police station. It was spectacular. I know you wish you could have been there. So…is he alright?” A concerned expression came over Ambrose’s face.
Garfield grinned, showing his sharp canines. “He’s more than alright…he practically runs the place now. He put a stop to the rapes and he’s gained the respect of the prisoners here. Even the guards are behaving themselves. No one messes with him, or does anything that they know will piss him off. He hangs out with a tattooed guy named Derek and a Goth kid named Malakye.”
Ambrose was floored by this sudden turn of events. “Huh, maybe I didn’t need to get myself arrested after all. So he’s really okay? He hasn’t dried up…like a husk or anything strange like that?” I thought mermen would die if they were outside of the water for too long, but I suppose that particular myth was untrue.
“Dried up? No…” Garfield was giving Ambrose a look as if to say ‘Are you crazy, dude?’.
Ambrose coughed into his hand. “Well, I’m just glad he’s okay. He owes me one too, you see. Ugh, I need to get us the hell out of here. This can’t be good for my hair.” He fingered a lock of his silky, crimson hair with a pout on his face. “And the ladies at Ruby Skye are probably missing me already.”
“You mean…escape?”
Ambrose nodded. “Possibly. I’ll talk to Levi about it when I see him during our recreational period.”
“If you guys decide to make a break for it…take me with you.” Garfield requested with a fierce look on his face.
Ambrose looked surprised but then nodded. “Sure thing, man.”