The House of Fire and Bones

Untimely event

   The inmate was growing impatient. In fact he was so annoyed by the unusually dreadful hours, that he considered missing the days he wasn't in intense segregation. He even considered the thought of doing something that would result in him being thrown into the pit. Time had became a distant memory to Axel. Before, he had mastered counting the time in his head, so there was never a need for a clock. But now he found himself asking for the time as often as he wanted to eat.

   "Mr. Piiiig," he called out, "I wonder what time it is. Care to share?"

  "That's the 5th time... and for the last time it's Priester," Priester recited.

  "Oh, that's my fault, Preston. But I need an answer."
 
  "Priester."

   "Parker."

   "Priester."

   "Pelton."

   "That's not even close." He sighed harshly, already tired of the day, "It's 5:30," he paused. "Why is it so important to you?"

   "I needed to restart my internal clock. I'm counting the days of your retirement, old pig." Axel nodded, satisfied with his answer, surely that would push his buttons even further. But, Priester stayed silent. Axel leaned further into his seat, then hunched over. "Elijah, Elijah, Elijah... So it's just you here. Do you have any children?" He questioned. He was very genuine when it came to children despite what others thought. Children were like an annoying soft spot for him. He loved them to death, and he hated the fact he did. Like a one-sided love hate relationship.

   "Don't call me that. Not many people can work a night shift so yes. I have 3 daughters, but if you so dare lay a finger on them, you'll die immediately." Priester decided to share. He glanced through the glass to see Axle shrugging his shoulders.

   "What's that look for, inmate?"

   "Oh, hm, well... I thought your brain shriveled up through all the gel you put on your head..." Axle sighed dramatically.

   "Why you-!"

   "You know... my hands are tied. I'm in prison. I was just asking and you got all heated for it, Elijah."
   "Watch your damn mouth, scum."

   Axel paused, "that's a new one," was all he could say out loud, for his mind was cussing him out for all eternity. And so minutes passed. Minutes turned into hours. Axel felt like he  would keel over and die from boredom. 

   But, he took this time to think to himself. Something he surprisingly did little of. Thinking was sort of a waste of time, unless there was something that really had his mind in a knot.

   'Rose... the last time you came was what... yesterday?' Axel asked himself, 'as much as I never want to see you in my pod again, and hate everything about you...' he paused. Did he really want to admit this to himself? Would it be a lie if he didn't or would it be suppression? 'I'm growing impatient... I want to kill you even more as time goes on,' He continued, bouncing he foot onto the cold floor, creating a heavy tap to echo in the cell. "Just what are you..?" He said aloud before stopping mid-sentence. What was that sound? It sounded like ticking. A very faint ticking as if a clock was just behind him, yet there was no clock. At least not in the room. It couldn't come from outside because such a small sound wouldn't diffract under the door, which was in front of him.

   Tilting his head to the left, Axel halted his foot with concern. The ticking was now more clear.

   Quickly, he pondered possibilities and outcomes to this scenario, but he could think much with the clock-like sound. "My hands are tied," he told himself, sighing heavily as he looked at his crossed arms, and soon his legs. "But I can run," he stopped there. He stopped to only focus on listening. But Axel still wasn't sure.

   It couldn't be real.

   "Hey. Feeding ti-"

   "Shh." Axel quickly shushed him once again interrupting him. He perked up in his chair, poking his red ear towards the wall behind him. It was still faint but it was clear to him in such a quiet stuffy room. "You hear that?" He asked, needing to confirm it wasn't a hallucination from lack of food. But the more he listened the more it felt real. It felt like it was just on the other side of the wall.
   Just on the other side.

   Axel swallowed, a wave of anxiety flushing his system, "Are you sure you don't hear-?!"

   BAANG

   An enormous explosion demolished the wall behind him, sending debris and the wall flying towards Axel.

For a second, a piece hit him on the back of his head, causing him to blackout and his head to slump into his lap. But when he gained consciousness again, everything felt the realest it's ever been in years. His ears rang longingly and his eyes stung from the dust floating in the air, and for what felt like forever, all he could do was sit there.

But then, Axel smiled. He smiled a little wider and his teeth shone brightly. But it was a slow one and his lips were trembling.

A loud banging in front of Axel caught his attention.

Priester stood motionless and mortified on the other side of the secured metal door. He looked aloof, dumbfounded. But then his expression churned into what looked like betrayal and rage? Axel was sure. Priester rose a fist, banging with all his might on the glass as if he were trying to break it, almost immediately turning around for help.

Axel stared in a daze. He felt his body was trying to say or at least mouth something, but no sound was coming out. His ears were beginning to stop ringing. The sound of debris being stepped on was now clear behind him. But, before Axel could turn around, it happened.

A hand clasped over his mouth. A woman's hand. It was long and slender; the smell of freshly painted red nail polish radiating off it. He glanced down at the floor to peek at their shoes.
Brightly shone red heels stood on his left.

"Hello, Axel. I told you to sit tight didn't I? I'm happy you did," The psychiatrist purred into his left ear, tying in a small laugh. She then removed her hand.

"Rose..." he managed to mutter. This was so surreal. "Harps... they're plucking in my mind right this moment." He choked out.
"Hm. What a strange thing to say."

   A sudden sharp pain course throughout Axel's neck before his eyes shut and his body hunched.