I looked at Percy. She was nervous. Had we gone too far? Was that his limit? When I turned back to him, he signalled with a jerk of his head that he wanted us to continue. 

Fucking disgusting pervert. Percy raised an eyebrow, and snickered. Shook her head. Nope. Not happening. Go find your masturbation aid elsewhere, asshole. Another tongue of flames came close to setting our clothes on fire. We retreated to the back of the cell, and stood there. He still had the range to turn us into toast if he wanted to, but the gesture seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he had fallen into. With a glare, he left. I breathed.

We went back to the slab they called a bed and sat down in silence. Defiance was dangerous, but we’d known that. We hadn’t expected such a strong reaction. I shivered. He could have done so much worse. And he had considered it. 

Sleep was hard to find after that incident. Especially since the story had circulated among our prison mates. There was a steady stream of insults interspersed with admirative comments. But mostly they wished they had seen it. Pigs. Still, it was an occasion to talk to them and find out why they were here, for how long, and what was going to happen to us.

“Who the hell knows how long, girl? Days are all the same. Nights are worse. I think this Hans dude caught the Madness but still has enough brain to act like a human being. Sort of. All of us are here because we refused to join him. And we’re not infected. He didn’t like that, so he locked us up. Said he had to make examples. Send a message or some dumb shit. Feeds us, stares at us, and walks away, like he does to you. Except for the boner.”

Those lovely words came out of the ugliest mouth I’d ever seen. Lips so thin you’d think they didn’t exist. Brown rotten teeth, at least those that weren’t missing. He was in the cell on the other side of the corridor, across from us, and I almost gagged on the stench of his breath. Said his name was Schoon. 

We had at least learned something. “He didn’t tell you exactly what the message was, I suppose”, I asked. He laughed and shook his head. “No, doll, he didn’t.”

“Worth asking”, I said. He chuckled, as did some others. “Don’t get your hopes up, doll. Nothing’s worth shit in here. We’re probably all gonna burn. One day he’ll lose it and step up to that cage with his Helga, and when he leaves all that’ll be left of you is ashes and a stink.”

Very reassuring. But he had a point. Hans couldn’t keep the Madness at bay forever. And when he lost control, we’d all be dead. I was so fucking tired of Hell.

Percy tore me away from the visions of flames and fire that danced at the border of my consciousness. “Love, we gotta get moving.” Her eyes were serious and grave. “Got a plan?” I asked. I tried to keep the sarcasm from my voice but failed. Didn’t really matter. She knew as well as I how low the odds were for an escape. 

“Matter of fact, I do”.