(Jake)

My name's Jake, Jake O'Hennal; I'm 16, 5'5", with short black hair and grayish-black eyes. 

Right now, I'm sitting in my cell, sorry, my room, tossing a baseball against the far wall. I'm in trouble again after starting a fight with the other boys when they were picking on some of the younger kids during lunch. Unfortunately, the guards, sorry, chaperones, didn't see it, or didn't care. So here I am, sitting alone with my thoughts, and my ball.
  

I catch the ball and let out a sigh, hands dropping to my sides. "This place is stupid! Why am I even here? I didn't do anything wrong," I mutter to myself.

Suddenly the door opens and one of the head 'chaperones,' Austin, walks in.

"You learn your lesson yet, kid?" He asks in a sharp but flat tone.

"What, that you don't care that those guys were bullying the younger kids?" I retort, glaring coldly at him.

"It's not that we don't care; they just need to learn that adults won't always be around to save them. Hence why you're stuck in here. You stepped into something that was none of your business, that and you did so in a violent manner, so you were punished." Austin said simply, "well, I see you haven't learned your lesson then. We shall come back in an hour and ask again," He walked out, closing the door and locking it behind him.

"My answer will still be the same, no matter how many times you ask it," I shout, knowing no one will answer me.

I slump back against the wall and resume throwing my ball at the wall.

(time skip)

  I'm not sure when I fell asleep, but it's dark when I wake up to a weird sound coming from within my cell. I sit up and look around the room for what might have woken me up but see nothing, so I go to pick up my ball from beside me, but it's not there! I shrug it off and stand up move to look for it.

I find it on the other side of the room, in a puddle that's underneath an ever leaky pipe that's in the corner of the room. I pick it up, walk back over to my bed, and sit down, proceeding to throw it at the wall.

After a few minutes of this, I start to get irritated again. "Ugh, I'm going insane in here! I need to get out of here, somehow!" I mutter to myself.

I catch the ball after the last throw and look around the room at the only two possible escape routes. The small window near the top of the room, and the door. Both options are nearly impossible. I've tried pushing on the door, but it never budges, and the window is too high up and way too small for me to fit through. 

Releasing a frustrated sigh as I stand up and move over to lay down on the bed and think, something nowhere near out of the ordinary for someone in isolation.

I'm deep in thought for quite a while, and I'm so out of it that I don't notice the blue ball of light that floats in through the window till it's right in front of my face. It starts to speak;

"Jake," it's small voice says.

I jump back with the sudden invasion of personal space but immediately relax, recognizing the voice and blue glow anywhere. "Hey, buddy, startled me there for a second!"

"Jake, what has you troubled?" The small blue fairy asks, floating over to my side.

"What doesn't have me troubled these days!" I retort, glaring up at the ceiling like it was going to open up and release me from this prison. "First, my parents send me to this crazy place to 'straighten me out.' Then these people 'looking after us' are heartless and inhumane, keeping us in cells and torturing us for 'acting out'! I can't believe my parents sent me here!" I state angrily but keeping my voice down for his sake. 

"So what's happening outside, Raynin?" I ask, finally looking up.

"Well, you can see the stars tonight, it's warm with a cool breeze. Your parents are doing ok, so are your friends, though you'll have a lot to catch up on when you're back in school. Unless you want me to bring it to you?" He offered, moving to sit beside my ear.

I raise the hand with my ball and stare at it in anger, "As much as I wish you would do that, so I  have something to do here, it wouldn't be safe. My normal cell is checked constantly, and I'm checked on every hour while I'm in here." I say, starting to throw my ball up in the air and catching it.

  We sit silently for a moment, the only noise coming from the ball hitting my hand. Neither of us is willing to break the silence. After a few minutes, there's the clicking sound of the door being unlocked. I sit up quickly, and Raynin quickly flies over to hide behind my back! I put the single sheet I have over me, so who ever it is can't see his glow, just as the door opens.

It's Austin. He walks into the room, followed by two goons. "Well, brat, you still sticking to your opinion?" He asks. 

'something's different this time,'  I mentally reach out to Raynin, ' Say hidden, something feels off! '

A moment later, I feel him climb up the back of my shirt. 'Not what I meant, but anyways" I think to myself as I remain silent.

"Your lose then. Boys, take him!" He orders the two men behind him.

They walk over and grab me by the arms. I don't resist, just get up and walk where ever they're taking me. I can feel Raynin struggling to keep hold and pray that he can last a bit longer. Soon the men release my arms, and after rolling my shoulders a bit, I stretch my hands behind me like I'm stretching to give Raynin a foot up. Once he's got his grip, I look to where we were, and I feel all the blood drain from my face. 

The Showers! 

Now that may not sound like much to you, but you don't know what they do in there! Austin opens the door, and the two goons push me in, he steps into the doorway and smirks at me.

"You know the routine, Brat! You got 1 minute, then we'll be back in to start, whether you're done or not," he says, then closes the door.

I immediately start to undress. Raynin flies out of my shirt and is watching confused as I quickly strip off my clothing.

"Jake, what's going on? What are they going to do you? And why are you in such a rush to get your clothes off?" He asks, flitting around my head.

"No time to explain, I need you to go back to the cell you found me in. If I'm not there in a couple of hours, go to my normal cell and wait! I should be there by morning. If I'm not, go back to the other cell!" I say quickly, only looking up at him once I'm done undressing with my clothes put way off to the side.

"But what about you? Will you be alright? What are they going to do to you?" He asks even more confused and concerned than before!

"I'll be fine, I promise I'll explain later, but you must go now before they come back!" I tell him, looking straight into his pale blue eyes.

"But I-"

"Go, Raynin! I promise you'll see me later, but you must go!" I scoop him in my hand and press him against my neck, giving him a quick hug before quickly walking to the window and setting him on the ledge, "I'll see you later bud, just do what I told you to."

He hesitated a moment before nodding and flying off, just as the door opened.

"Last chance to get out of this," Austin offers.

For a second, I stay silent. "Go. To. Hell!" I spit out! And with those three words, I'm in for a long few hours.

To be Continued...

Squirt Out☯️