Mountain Soul PART 5-1 (1/1)

PART 5-1      After a week in the psych ward, Minwoo was eventually brought back to his block. He wasn't sure if he was happy about it, but he for sure appreciated the familiar melody of loud voices and laughter echoing through the corridor. He had missed the noisiness of his cell, and as crazy as it could sound... he rather live among these beasts than in this isolate room with the crazies.As he neared the last door, he noticed the noises from the inmates were dying down, and remembering what time it was, he realized they must be going to the yard. He felt the sudden impulse to go too. He was feeling like he had been locked in this white place forever, and he would kill to feel the sun on his skin and breeze in his hair.He almost snorted at this quite poetic side of him, but instead a smirk settled on his lips as the guard opened the door. It creaked loudly, and after stepping in the block, he heard the guard follow him before clacking the door shut.“You want to go outside ?” Asked the man, and without thinking Minwoo nodded.

He could feel the fresh air even before the door leading to the yard was opened, and he couldn't believe how good it felt. Almost like a corner of freedom, excepted... well, it was prison. But still, he appreciated the moment and felt in a better mood once outside where he could see the blue sky and shinning sun.Never before he would have imagined missing such insignificant thing, but when locked up inside a room most of the time it was things as basic as fresh air that were making your stomach twist in anticipation and heart beat faster. Not a good steak or bottle of alcohol. Just plain, simple natural elements like the wind caressing your skin and the sun rays warming your face.It felt good. He wasn't one to get any real pleasure in such petty things, but at the right moment, it felt reinvigorating -even if he would never say it out loud.      Usually, the looks following him on his way through the yard wouldn't have bother him, but there was a dull feeling of discomfort trying to crawl on him and he had to struggle strongly to keep the confident mask on. He never cared about being the center of attention, but suddenly, all he wanted was to disappear for these people to stop looking at him.He didn't understand such feeling and quickly got annoyed by it.“So you're back.” Smiled Dongwan, and he couldn't help grin once with the three sitting on the bleachers.Dongwan was as always so freaking talkative, but unlike usual Minwoo appreciated the man's voice and liveliness. He had felt in some kind of dull cloud of boredom and loneliness in the psych ward, and it felt good to be back to something more normal.There was a little something bothering him though, and it was how awkward Luis looked sitting with them. He wasn't sure if the reason for such discomfort was due to being attacked by his own cellmate or because of what he certainly knew about him. He didn't want to acknowledge the kid could be now aware of anything, but it was more than probable.Only for that he felt like letting the kid in his world of awkwardness, but it made him uncomfortable too so he forced himself to break the ice after a little moment. Luis seemed taken aback, but he quickly seized this big perch and eventually chatted comfortably with them. Well, when Dongwan was shutting up long enough for them to say something.The man could be annoying, but Minwoo was in a rather good mood and didn't mind his talkativeness. He ended up in a conversation with Andy and Luis anyway while Dongwan kept babbling about he wasn't even sure what. The man of course noticed at some point he was being ignored, but after being assured it wasn't true, he resumed whatever he had to say. Andy, Luis and Minwoo resumed their conversation too after a minute and couldn't help grin everytime Dongwan was checking on them to be sure they were listening to him.It was a stupid but fun game between them, but Minwoo enjoyed it for real.       His return to his cellblock was peaceful, and all this was thanks to the guard's team working the day shift. He knew too well if Martins and the others had been around it would have been a lot more complicated for him, but he was glad for the break. His main worry once knowing he would go back to his cell was what the guards were preparing for him, and not being jumped at as soon as he was back was good in itself.He knew too well his peace would be short liven, but he enjoyed it for the time it lasted.      When night arrived and he lay down in bed he wasn't expecting much from this first night back in his block. He maybe anticipated some bullshits from BK and the guards, but nothing much. But when the lights were turned off and silence fell on the block, he was surprised to get nothing from any of the expected people.BK didn't open his damn mouth, and thinking about it the man was pretty invisible on his first day back to the block. He had somewhat expected the usual from BK, but there was nothing. No teasing smirk. No lecherous looks. No provocative words. Nothing.Minwoo felt his guts tighten at such realization, and for some reason an uncomfortable sensation settled at the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sure what, but he could feel something was wrong, and it could never mean anything good for him.It was maybe why he felt so ticked off by the distance the guards had with him. He was used by now to hear them throw whatever taunt on their mind, he was used to their provocation and bullying, but just like with BK, they left him alone for the night. It felt strange, maybe it was nothing to worry about, but after what he had went through he couldn't help feel wary about such behavior.What could they be preparing for being so nice to him ? What was on their mind ? There was no way they had eventually decided to stop it all, he wouldn't fall for such trick. People like this weren't changing just like that. They needed a reason to stop, and Minwoo couldn't see any.Therefore, he barely managed to sleep on this first night back in the block and kept thinking about the people making his life a living hell up to this point. **       The rest of the week was the same. Every days passing made him more wary and anxious, and he couldn't stand not knowing what was awaiting him. Because he knew... he knew these assholes were preparing something, he just didn't know what yet, and it felt maddening.The weirder was how BK stayed away from him. The bastard had barely gave him a look since he was back and it ticked him off. The guy had been on his ass at every fucking opportunity before the psych ward and he couldn't understand how such kind of guy could lose interest so easily. There had to be something, and he was dying to know what.On their side, Andy, Dongwan and Luis didn't seem to have noticed anything over the time he was gone that could explain such change. Dongwan started worrying a bit too much about him then and he beat himself up mentally for even involving the man in the first place. He should have expected this reaction considering Dongwan was worst than his mother, but it had slipped out of his mind at the time and now he was regretting it.

Now Dongwan had as life goal to annoy the hell outta him, he felt more stressed by the other man than everything else he was worried about. It was unbelievable and after two days of this perpetual suffocating concern from his friend, he judged a shower would do him only good. It was often the only thing calming him down somewhat, and with Dongwan's constant concern he definitely needed one.Considering the annoying man was on the ground floor and him the second, he didn't have him on his back for he hoped a relaxing moment. He suddenly fancied for real this schedule they had for the showers.      Usually, Luis was coming with him, but the kid was sick and just dozing off in bed since the previous evening. It was nothing to worry about -yet, and Minwoo could just make it easier on his cellmate by handing him tissues when he didn't have anymore. He was not good at taking care of others, but he guessed it was the least he could do.No Dongwan at the showers meant no BK either, and he was glad for that.The warm water felt good on his body and soothed his tensed muscles. He didn't like to shower with others ever since Heck had tortured him, and if at first the insisting looks on his scars were annoying and stressful, he eventually managed to disregard them to just focus on his moment.Intimacy wasn't a luxury you could wish for in such place, and they all had to deal with it one way or another.Some were avoiding showers like pest, others felt like fish in water surrounded by dozen of other naked men, while people like Minwoo just had to get used to it and learn to ignore the looks and discomfort of the moment.After some time anyway everyone was more concerned about his own person than others, and Minwoo had sincerely felt the change after a couple weeks, even if his tendency to get into many troubles was making it hard for him to pass unnoticed. People all had this habit to get bored and used to their surroundings, either said surroundings were as imposing as an elephant in a room or as invisible as the nerd sitting in the back of the classroom.Minwoo sometimes wished he was more of the nerd kind than elephant one, but it wasn't like he had a say in the matter, so he had to live and deal with it. Like everything else in his life. **       He just wanted some alone time away from any kind of attention. Under the stairs was often the best place for that, and the cigarette between his lips was amazingly reposing. The block was buzzing with inmates. It was a free time like any others, with men wandering around, doing their little business and watching their surroundings -as if they were always expecting for the worst to happen.Minwoo was like that too. But this alone time he allowed himself with his smoke and his smoke only distracted him a bit from his usual focus he had on any noises coming too close to him.It was a shock to him then when Lens appeared on his way, blocking his path and staring straight at him.Fuck ! He had completely forgotten about the guy because of all the other shit he had to worry about, and finding himself all of a sudden alone with the crazy bastard made his heart beat faster and his breath slow down.He wasn't afraid of a fight, hell, he could take Lens whenever he wanted... but there was still this fear of confinement, and he didn't want to risk it for this guy. They had settled it long ago, on this night everything had went to hell. Minwoo had been over it for a while now, but what about Lens ?He worried the man would be out for payback, and it felt concerning when the only thing he couldn't risk was confinement. How the hell was he supposed to defend himself if he couldn't fight back ? The answer was he didn't know which made his chest wind with anxiety.“I'll like to...” Began the tattooed man, and even if tensed, Minwoo felt taken aback by the lack of aggressivity emanating from Lens.He got a bit curious about what he would have to say, but before his former cellmate could say or do anything, Dongwan and Luis appeared from nowhere, smiled big at him and got him away from the potentially threatening situation.He was glad for that, but he felt a bit upset at the same time. He was feeling like Lens wanted to tell him something -what he didn't know and it was why he felt annoyed to be bothered at such moment. On another hand though, he was glad to have such friend watching over him like that. It had been six months ago he would have had to face on his own the tattooed man and figured what to do -but then, it had been six months ago he wouldn't have worry about it and just braced himself for the probable fight.

**       The week following his comeback to his cellblock was the one Martins' team would take over the day shift. It stressed him, but he forced himself to not think too much about it and just see what would happen. He didn't like to have to wait for troubles, but it was a fact he had no control over.He was expecting nothing and everything at the same time on this Monday morning. As everyday, they woke up to the (annoying) sound of the alarm and stirred in bed before getting up. There was the usual melody of groans and mumbles echoing around, and stretching sleepily, Minwoo barely had time to get his tank top on that the cell's door opened.Luis sent him a confused look, but then there was Martins and Johnson standing there with hidden smirks on their lips. It worried him, but he didn't show it and just stared back at the guards outside the cell.“What's going on ?” Asked Luis, and Minwoo was glad for once the kid was always speaking his mind so easily.Martins grinned, “Cell transfer.”“Huh ?” Luis and Minwoo looked as surprised and confused as each other, then Minwoo felt his stomach twist.“Why ?” Answered the kid as Minwoo stood at the feet of the bunk beds.He was trying to figure what were preparing the twos, but he couldn't really think about anything and it scared him. He knew too well this guts feeling and he had no doubt shit was about to fall on him. The only problem was he didn't know in which form.“4809, get your stuffs, you're transferred on the third floor.”Third floor ? Why did it sound so worrying ?He needed a moment to think it through, then he remembered -BK was on the third floor.No. It couldn't be possible. They couldn't do that, could they ? They wouldn't risk it though. He could kill the guy, they knew that. Could they even transfer him so easily with the other bastard ? He didn't want to believe it, and Martins didn't have much patience as he barked at him to move it and get his stuffs.Luis seemed to want to do or say something -but what ? The kid could not do anything and they both knew it. So he just stood at the wall while Minwoo gathered his stuffs and stepped out of the cell.He was afraid. He was more than afraid, but he didn't want to admit it.On the way to the third floor, he tried to convince himself he was just getting ideas and they would throw him in whatever other cell that wasn't BK's, but the more they were walking the less he could deny where he would end. And it made him sick in his stomach.      BK and his cellmate were apparently already aware of such transfer, because the guy he would take the place of already had his stuffs packed and ready. He suddenly realized it was all planned, and he wasn't sure how to feel about it. Scared, yes. Sick, certainly. Fucked, completely.It was like the walls of a trap were closing on him, like a well thought plan was getting into action and he had no way to get out of this mess.His mind went wild, but he forced it under control until he was in BK's cell with the door clacking shut behind him and the bastard standing across from him with a shit eating face grin he wanted to punch.He was done, and what was terrifying him more was which way he would be fucked.This time, there was no avoiding it, and it would either be this bastard that happened to be his new cellmate or these assholes waiting to have him in confinement.Never in his life he had felt that screwed, even when he was being used by Miles, and it drove him close to insanity. Yes, I'm shamelessly throwing him in the lion's den, and you know what ? It's fun xDI love to build up situations though (if you haven't noticed by now xD) so the shit would maybe not hit the fan right away... or it will ? I don't know myself so let's see next chapter.