This is basically why Xander doesn't 爱情 anyone anymore...
Love. It's a disease of the mind.
His vision began to get cloudy as tears weld up in his eyes. The brick walls zoomed 由 as he ran down the corridor. Gaurds were watching, Shaking their heads at the younger man's foolishness. Xander completely disregarded them.
Xander was young for a prison gaurd. When he started he had just turned seventeen. However, that look of innocence that most teenagers would have had vanished. His grey eyes were empty now and his skin was a sickly pale color. He looked to be at least thirty, though he was only eighteen.
"Xander!" another young gaurd called after him. He too was running, trying to catch up to his friend. Joshua was his name. He had a rather disarming appearance about him. Being nineteen, Joshua had 更多 experience working as a gaurd and he knew from personal experience that lashing out was strictly prohibited.
Xander waved his friend away, not bothering to turn back to look at him. "Leave me be, Joshua."
"Listen to me," Joshua urged, walking in a quick pace to catch up. "You don't know what you're getting into-"
"Oh? 你 think so?" Xander hissed.
"You're being stuborn again Kriechen-"
Xander stopped walking and whirled around on his heel to face Joshua. His eyes were wide with fury as small tears leaked onto his cheek.
"Does it look like I give a damn?!" he roared. His voice rose as he spoke and Joshua, never being talked to like that 由 any of the gaurds (let alone Xander), was caught highly off guard.
Joshua reached out to put a hand on Xander's shoulder but it was smacked away. "Don't touch me." Xander said, glaring into his 老友记 eyes.
The man threw up his hands in surrender. "Alright. I won't touch you," he 说 quietly. "but please, just give this a thought before 你 go barging in there-"
"Did 你 not hear what Calvin said, Josh?" Xander protested. "If they did take her-"
"Calvin is an 屁股 though! 你 can never believe a word he says."
At that statement, Xander actually laughed. It was light and almost inaudible, but Joshua was glad that he was able to make his friend feel anything other than anger and misery, even for such a short time being.
The younger gaurd took a deep breath. "But what if Calvin 说 was true? I'm not just going to let them get away with this-"
"Well then go barge in there!" Joshua sighed. "But if the warden is in there and he finds out what 你 did..."
"Then the good lord can have his mercy on my soul."
The two men stared at each other for a few moments. Joshua didn't know what to say anymore. His friend was serious...He was actually willing to lose not only his job, but his life because of some woman?
"Look," Joshua finally said, "I'll wait outside the door. If 你 need anything..."
Josh's voice trailed off but Xander knew what he was going to say. "Thanks, Josh," he muttered softly.
Continuing down the hallway, neither of the gaurds spoke a word. Xander's eyes were fixed on a large wooden door at the end of the hall. That was where he would find his answer...
Bursting through the door, the young gaurd glared at the men he found in the room. There was his father, two older men who had been working here for lord knows how long, a woman who however was very strict, all of the younger gaurds respected her, and the warden. Xander's dark eyes were glued on the wardon.
"What are 你 doing here, Mr. Kriechen?" The warden said, his deep voice echoing through the room.
"What did 你 do with her?" he replied in a deeper growl as he advanced towards the round 表 in which everyone was seated around.
"Son," Xander's father 说 sternly. "You need to leave-"
"What did 你 do with her?" Xander yelled, ignoring his fathers request.
"Who are 你 going on about, boy?" The warden was now up on his feet, walking slowly towards the young man.
"Anastasia, the woman I'm supposed to be guarding, that's who!"
The warden smirked. "Oh...Anastasia. She tried to escape did she not?"
Xander's breathing quickened as the warden stood close to him. He knew that 真假公主 did try to escape...Xander knew that the woman tried to escape. He knew because he tried to help her.
'If the warden is in there and he finds out what 你 did'...Josh's words rang in Xander's ears. He felt immediate regret for coming here. If the warden found out that it was this young man who tried to help a prisoner escape, there was no telling what the punishment would be. There have been cases where death was the punishment. Even public whippings were commonly used...
Xander was brought away from his thoughts of fear, when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder.
"I can 显示 你 where she is, boy," the warden said. His breath smelled of smoke and blood. "But then 你 have to come bak here with me."
Knowing that the warden knew everything about the escape plan, the gaurd gave his father a fearful glance. His father stared back at his son with regret and shame in his eyes.
"Alright... I'll come back with you."
The warden smiled, 展示 his grey teeth. "Wonderful."
The warden walked out of the room with the gaurd. Joshua was waiting outside, his expression filled with anxiety.
"Mr. Monet," the warden 说 to Joshua. "Go and wait inside there with the others. Mr. Kriechen and I will be back."
Joshua and Xander stared at each other. A look that 说 'well, it was nice knowing you,'. Josh nodded and followed the wardon's orders and dissappeared behind the door.
Xander's eyes were black and filled with anger as this older man clamped onto his arm as they walked. "If she's dead, I swear..."
"What," the warden chuckled. "You'll kill me, boy? Well here I stand."
Xander felt his blood pressure rising and he wanted to break away and storm off, but he would surely be punished harshly for disrespect...He was going to get punished anyway, but still.
They walked along until they came to a room which was strictly made for biopsies for priosoners who had died from an unexpected cause.
"You have five minutes."
Xander didn't get a chance to ask anything, as he was pushed into the room. The warden immediately shut the door and locked it behind him.
When Xander slowly turned around, he immediately felt sick at what he saw. A thin, pale woman was laying on the table, her arms limp at her sides. Her blonde hair flowed over the back of the 表 and her eyes were closed. Xander's jaw clenched as he walked closer to the table. It was her...
"Anastasia..."
He shook his head slowly as he traced his fingers over her face. Her cheeks were still slightly colored, and her lips were still warm.
"Those bastards just did this, didnt they?" he growled. Anger built up inside him as his eyes glanced over the rest of her body. Her old prison uniform was covered in blood around her chest . When the warden found out of her attempt to escape, he obviously had her shot dead. Xander imagined the her being blindfolded and thrown to stand against a wall, not knowing when that pang would ring out, followed 由 a bullet which would take her life.
The sight of her, just thrown in here immediately after death, her wound not even cleaned, was what caused the tears to finally flow. He ran his hands through his hair in distress as his body trembled vigorously.
"I...I'm so..so sorry," he choked out. "I'm sorry..sorry,sorry sorry.."
The young man pushed the lady's hair away from her face and took her arms, folding them across her chest. His 心 sank completely, like he would never experience happiness again. He continued to apologize for not being able to save her. To protect her...Worst of all, her escape was his idea. The idea was of pure innocence. She was a being of magic, just like he was. Xander felt that she didnt belong in here...he never considered the possibility of her death though.
He felt empty and weak. His surroundings began to spin. Xander put his hands on the edge of the 表 and leaned over it.
"What have I done...?"
At that moment, the door creaked open. "You made a sad attempt to help a useless woman escape," came the warden's low voice. "Mr. Kriechen, no one has escaped from my prison in thirty-seven years. And i will do anything to keep it that way. Even if that means an early grave-"
"You deserve an early grave, 你 son of a bitch!" Xander screamed angrily. He lunged 前锋, 期待 towards the warden, all of his anger and frustration finally being released. He didn't even care about the results of his actions now...
The warden stood completely still as the young man charged for him. He simply stretched out a firm hand just as Xander approached him. The warden's hand wrapped around the gaurds throat tightly.
"You're going to regret that, son," he said.
Xander choked and gasped for breath as he was taken back to the room where everyone else had been waiting. The warden did not release his grip on the boys neck.
Everyone in the room turned their attention towards the door as it flew open, the warden and the young prison gaurd stepping inside. Xander was released and immediately thrown to the floor. He breathed in heavilly and tried to get to his feet. He was to weak. He felt everyone's eyes on him as he felt his 衬衫 being ripped off his back.
"What are 你 doing?" Joshua yelled.
"Keep talking boy, and you'll be next. And I mean that." the warden replied harshly.
Before it even happened, Xander knew his punishmet was going to be brutal. And as he tried to 移动 again, he felt it.
The first lash was the worst. The sensation of thick heavy leather coming crashing down on his skin...He cried out in agony. 由 the fourth 或者 fifth lash of the whip, he felt the blood oozing all over his bare skin. The blood was warm and thick, and Xander knew that the cuts were especially deep. He choked out silent sobs each time the whip made contact on his spine. As the pain became unvearable, he sobbed louder, begging for the warden to stop. Begging to just be killed. But the warden only laughed and continued....
A few hours later, after veing carried back to his bunk, Joshua bandaged up Xander's back.
"These are nasty-"
"Shut the hell up, Josh."
"Hey, 你 cant say i didnt warn you..."
Twenty lashes...That's how many the warden inflicted. It would have been 更多 if the woman in the room hadnt have scolded him to stop.
"He's just a boy!" she had said.
Xander had to lay on his stomach that night. The flesh on his back was too sensitive... Even the bandages were excruciating.
"Why did 你 do it?" Josh had asked right before they went to sleep. "Why did 你 help her?"
Xander didn't know exactly why. "I wanted her to be free i guess..."
"Did 你 爱情 her?"
"What?"
"Did 你 爱情 her, Kriechen?"
Xander thought for a moment. He did 爱情 her... "Yeah...But 你 want to know what 爱情 is Joshua?"
"What is love?" Joshua questioned in a sarcastic tone.
"It's a disease of the mind...That's all it is..."
Love. It's a disease of the mind.
His vision began to get cloudy as tears weld up in his eyes. The brick walls zoomed 由 as he ran down the corridor. Gaurds were watching, Shaking their heads at the younger man's foolishness. Xander completely disregarded them.
Xander was young for a prison gaurd. When he started he had just turned seventeen. However, that look of innocence that most teenagers would have had vanished. His grey eyes were empty now and his skin was a sickly pale color. He looked to be at least thirty, though he was only eighteen.
"Xander!" another young gaurd called after him. He too was running, trying to catch up to his friend. Joshua was his name. He had a rather disarming appearance about him. Being nineteen, Joshua had 更多 experience working as a gaurd and he knew from personal experience that lashing out was strictly prohibited.
Xander waved his friend away, not bothering to turn back to look at him. "Leave me be, Joshua."
"Listen to me," Joshua urged, walking in a quick pace to catch up. "You don't know what you're getting into-"
"Oh? 你 think so?" Xander hissed.
"You're being stuborn again Kriechen-"
Xander stopped walking and whirled around on his heel to face Joshua. His eyes were wide with fury as small tears leaked onto his cheek.
"Does it look like I give a damn?!" he roared. His voice rose as he spoke and Joshua, never being talked to like that 由 any of the gaurds (let alone Xander), was caught highly off guard.
Joshua reached out to put a hand on Xander's shoulder but it was smacked away. "Don't touch me." Xander said, glaring into his 老友记 eyes.
The man threw up his hands in surrender. "Alright. I won't touch you," he 说 quietly. "but please, just give this a thought before 你 go barging in there-"
"Did 你 not hear what Calvin said, Josh?" Xander protested. "If they did take her-"
"Calvin is an 屁股 though! 你 can never believe a word he says."
At that statement, Xander actually laughed. It was light and almost inaudible, but Joshua was glad that he was able to make his friend feel anything other than anger and misery, even for such a short time being.
The younger gaurd took a deep breath. "But what if Calvin 说 was true? I'm not just going to let them get away with this-"
"Well then go barge in there!" Joshua sighed. "But if the warden is in there and he finds out what 你 did..."
"Then the good lord can have his mercy on my soul."
The two men stared at each other for a few moments. Joshua didn't know what to say anymore. His friend was serious...He was actually willing to lose not only his job, but his life because of some woman?
"Look," Joshua finally said, "I'll wait outside the door. If 你 need anything..."
Josh's voice trailed off but Xander knew what he was going to say. "Thanks, Josh," he muttered softly.
Continuing down the hallway, neither of the gaurds spoke a word. Xander's eyes were fixed on a large wooden door at the end of the hall. That was where he would find his answer...
Bursting through the door, the young gaurd glared at the men he found in the room. There was his father, two older men who had been working here for lord knows how long, a woman who however was very strict, all of the younger gaurds respected her, and the warden. Xander's dark eyes were glued on the wardon.
"What are 你 doing here, Mr. Kriechen?" The warden said, his deep voice echoing through the room.
"What did 你 do with her?" he replied in a deeper growl as he advanced towards the round 表 in which everyone was seated around.
"Son," Xander's father 说 sternly. "You need to leave-"
"What did 你 do with her?" Xander yelled, ignoring his fathers request.
"Who are 你 going on about, boy?" The warden was now up on his feet, walking slowly towards the young man.
"Anastasia, the woman I'm supposed to be guarding, that's who!"
The warden smirked. "Oh...Anastasia. She tried to escape did she not?"
Xander's breathing quickened as the warden stood close to him. He knew that 真假公主 did try to escape...Xander knew that the woman tried to escape. He knew because he tried to help her.
'If the warden is in there and he finds out what 你 did'...Josh's words rang in Xander's ears. He felt immediate regret for coming here. If the warden found out that it was this young man who tried to help a prisoner escape, there was no telling what the punishment would be. There have been cases where death was the punishment. Even public whippings were commonly used...
Xander was brought away from his thoughts of fear, when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder.
"I can 显示 你 where she is, boy," the warden said. His breath smelled of smoke and blood. "But then 你 have to come bak here with me."
Knowing that the warden knew everything about the escape plan, the gaurd gave his father a fearful glance. His father stared back at his son with regret and shame in his eyes.
"Alright... I'll come back with you."
The warden smiled, 展示 his grey teeth. "Wonderful."
The warden walked out of the room with the gaurd. Joshua was waiting outside, his expression filled with anxiety.
"Mr. Monet," the warden 说 to Joshua. "Go and wait inside there with the others. Mr. Kriechen and I will be back."
Joshua and Xander stared at each other. A look that 说 'well, it was nice knowing you,'. Josh nodded and followed the wardon's orders and dissappeared behind the door.
Xander's eyes were black and filled with anger as this older man clamped onto his arm as they walked. "If she's dead, I swear..."
"What," the warden chuckled. "You'll kill me, boy? Well here I stand."
Xander felt his blood pressure rising and he wanted to break away and storm off, but he would surely be punished harshly for disrespect...He was going to get punished anyway, but still.
They walked along until they came to a room which was strictly made for biopsies for priosoners who had died from an unexpected cause.
"You have five minutes."
Xander didn't get a chance to ask anything, as he was pushed into the room. The warden immediately shut the door and locked it behind him.
When Xander slowly turned around, he immediately felt sick at what he saw. A thin, pale woman was laying on the table, her arms limp at her sides. Her blonde hair flowed over the back of the 表 and her eyes were closed. Xander's jaw clenched as he walked closer to the table. It was her...
"Anastasia..."
He shook his head slowly as he traced his fingers over her face. Her cheeks were still slightly colored, and her lips were still warm.
"Those bastards just did this, didnt they?" he growled. Anger built up inside him as his eyes glanced over the rest of her body. Her old prison uniform was covered in blood around her chest . When the warden found out of her attempt to escape, he obviously had her shot dead. Xander imagined the her being blindfolded and thrown to stand against a wall, not knowing when that pang would ring out, followed 由 a bullet which would take her life.
The sight of her, just thrown in here immediately after death, her wound not even cleaned, was what caused the tears to finally flow. He ran his hands through his hair in distress as his body trembled vigorously.
"I...I'm so..so sorry," he choked out. "I'm sorry..sorry,sorry sorry.."
The young man pushed the lady's hair away from her face and took her arms, folding them across her chest. His 心 sank completely, like he would never experience happiness again. He continued to apologize for not being able to save her. To protect her...Worst of all, her escape was his idea. The idea was of pure innocence. She was a being of magic, just like he was. Xander felt that she didnt belong in here...he never considered the possibility of her death though.
He felt empty and weak. His surroundings began to spin. Xander put his hands on the edge of the 表 and leaned over it.
"What have I done...?"
At that moment, the door creaked open. "You made a sad attempt to help a useless woman escape," came the warden's low voice. "Mr. Kriechen, no one has escaped from my prison in thirty-seven years. And i will do anything to keep it that way. Even if that means an early grave-"
"You deserve an early grave, 你 son of a bitch!" Xander screamed angrily. He lunged 前锋, 期待 towards the warden, all of his anger and frustration finally being released. He didn't even care about the results of his actions now...
The warden stood completely still as the young man charged for him. He simply stretched out a firm hand just as Xander approached him. The warden's hand wrapped around the gaurds throat tightly.
"You're going to regret that, son," he said.
Xander choked and gasped for breath as he was taken back to the room where everyone else had been waiting. The warden did not release his grip on the boys neck.
Everyone in the room turned their attention towards the door as it flew open, the warden and the young prison gaurd stepping inside. Xander was released and immediately thrown to the floor. He breathed in heavilly and tried to get to his feet. He was to weak. He felt everyone's eyes on him as he felt his 衬衫 being ripped off his back.
"What are 你 doing?" Joshua yelled.
"Keep talking boy, and you'll be next. And I mean that." the warden replied harshly.
Before it even happened, Xander knew his punishmet was going to be brutal. And as he tried to 移动 again, he felt it.
The first lash was the worst. The sensation of thick heavy leather coming crashing down on his skin...He cried out in agony. 由 the fourth 或者 fifth lash of the whip, he felt the blood oozing all over his bare skin. The blood was warm and thick, and Xander knew that the cuts were especially deep. He choked out silent sobs each time the whip made contact on his spine. As the pain became unvearable, he sobbed louder, begging for the warden to stop. Begging to just be killed. But the warden only laughed and continued....
A few hours later, after veing carried back to his bunk, Joshua bandaged up Xander's back.
"These are nasty-"
"Shut the hell up, Josh."
"Hey, 你 cant say i didnt warn you..."
Twenty lashes...That's how many the warden inflicted. It would have been 更多 if the woman in the room hadnt have scolded him to stop.
"He's just a boy!" she had said.
Xander had to lay on his stomach that night. The flesh on his back was too sensitive... Even the bandages were excruciating.
"Why did 你 do it?" Josh had asked right before they went to sleep. "Why did 你 help her?"
Xander didn't know exactly why. "I wanted her to be free i guess..."
"Did 你 爱情 her?"
"What?"
"Did 你 爱情 her, Kriechen?"
Xander thought for a moment. He did 爱情 her... "Yeah...But 你 want to know what 爱情 is Joshua?"
"What is love?" Joshua questioned in a sarcastic tone.
"It's a disease of the mind...That's all it is..."
