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It was the same every day. A highly nutritious pile of slop. It tasted of something somewhere between stale bread and cold oatmeal with a few spoonfuls of salt stirred in. I sighed and started eating.
"Imagine being a lifer. This would be the only meal you would ever eat until the day you died," Taylor said, letting a wobbly spoonful slide back onto his tray.
"What's got you so cheery?" I teased.
“You know me, always looking on the bright side." He smiled widely and stuffed a huge spoonful of the mush into his mouth. "Delicious!" He rubbed his belly and sighed appreciatively. I laughed quietly.
The group sitting on our table stopped eating and glared at us. I felt a blush light my face and stared determinedly at my tray until I was sure they’d turned their attention from us.
Taylor reached across the table and took my hand. I glanced up at him in surprise.
“Don't let this place change you," he said.
“I think it's a bit late for that."
"No. It's making us stronger but it doesn't have to change who we are inside,” he growled fiercely.
I looked into his grey eyes and felt something flutter in my stomach as I failed to break his gaze.
"What's this? Love's young dream?" a gravelly voice cooed from somewhere above me.
I snatched my hand back as though it had been burnt and spun around.
Grey loomed over me, smelling strongly of sweat and looking like a cross between a pig and a boulder in a bad mood. I dropped my spoon with a clatter and shrank away from him. A small crowd of his followers gathered around our end of the table so that the Wardens couldn't see what was going on and my pulse spiked as I wondered what he wanted.
Taylor tried to stand but a huge man appeared between the crush of bodies and gripped his shoulders, pressing him back down into his seat. A cold prickle of fear ran down my spine.
Dolly slinked between the bodies surrounding us and leaned over Taylor's shoulder so that the hair that was remaining on her head trailed down his chest. She reached out and pulled his chin around so that he faced her, her nails digging into his skin.
“What a pretty face," she hissed. Taylor jerked backwards, dislodging her grip but the big guy moved to stop him from standing again.
"What do you want?" I asked in a voice which sounded braver than I felt.
"That's a good question," Grey purred menacingly. He reached out and ran a lock of my hair through his meaty fingers. I stiffened and a surge of adrenalin ran through my body but I didn't move away.
I glanced at Taylor whose jaw was locked tight, his eyes brimming with rage.
“We're just being friendly," Dolly cooed. She grinned and the movement tugged on the scar that dominated the left side of her face, making her eye bug out. She leaned closer to Taylor's face and his lip curled back in disgust.
The crowd of followers surged closer so that the press of bodies totally concealed us from view. Grey tugged at my hair again and I jerked away from him, managing to get to my feet. My legs were pressed against the table as I leaned back to avoid him, the seat I’d vacated the only thing between us.
"Don't touch me," I snarled.
I wished I had some kind of weapon but the only thing to hand was my fork. I snatched it up anyway. A fork to the face had to hurt like a bitch.
The crowd started to murmur excitedly, waiting to see what would happen next. I held Grey's eye with my chin raised and waited too.
He regarded me through narrowed eyes for a moment that stretched on agonisingly. He took a step towards me. I cringed back against the wooden table but there was nowhere for me to go. He took another step so that he was almost touching me, his legs pressed against my seat which was the only barrier keeping him away.
Grey leaned down so that his face was inches from mine and smiled slowly. Each of his yellow teeth came into focus one after another and a waft of rancid breath washed over my face.
“What are you gunna do to stop me?" he growled.
My heart stumbled mid-beat and my pulse was pounding in my ears. My grip tightened on the fork and I was sorely tempted to drive it into his gut but I was pretty sure that wouldn’t end well for me.
"Leave her alone," Taylor demanded fiercely
from behind me.
