Börje's Grace

Part I: Halfway Down an Endless Road

 

 

CHAPTER ONE


"This way."

The stuttered, drawn out groans of metal grinding against metal stood out distinct and acute. Amidst numerous unintelligible voices and the constant sounds of human habitation, I was led down the hallways of an American State Prison.

For someone in such a desperate situation I was certain that any observer would notice no signs of distress on my face or step. My hands did not tremble and my eyes remained focused ahead of me although I remained aware, in the back of my mind, of a niggling desire to look into the cells to either side as we walked by.

It would do no good to appear troubled nor would it serve any purpose to give the impression that I was only an initiate both to the prison system of the great state of California as well as the realities of life as an inmate.

I had been about to reply to the guard escorting me when his radio beeped and he motioned for me to stop. From what I could make out of the conversation, there had been some sort of incident in one of the high-security levels of the prison.

While he talked into the radio I took the time to really examine him. There is something to be said for just observing someone in those silent moments when the weight of your eyes barely grazes the surface of their awareness. Whether he felt the touch of my gaze or not I had no doubts that he remained, at all times, almost as conscious of me as I was of him, ready to react at the merest provocation.

His name was Brock, one of the few scraps of information he had revealed to me during the walk from the entry hall where I had been processed. Looking at him now I had come to the conclusion that Brock was a fitting enough name for the man standing before me. He was in his early thirties and much taller than me, though I suppose most men would be. His body was solid and wide, also unlike my own lean build. His large muscles shifted underneath a layer of accumulated fat as well as a dense mat of dark brown body hair that covered his forearms and peaked over the collar of his shirt, stubbornly curling over the blue fabric. Dark brown eyes and hair on fair, lightly tanned skin and a pronounced gut. This man enjoyed his food and did so often and heartily.

A fine male specimen by all accounts and one I would love to have but unfortunately not the type I was interested in just then, due to his occupation if nothing else. He seemed like the righteous, rule-abiding type.

I was about to take better inventory of his modest package but his conversation came to an abrupt end and as as he turned his head towards me noticed my line of sight, clearly directed down towards the crotch of his pants. His face took on a rather endearing look of puzzlement and just as quickly changed again into a small, lopsided smirk, a very handsome gesture on his thin lips, showing through them a set of even, healthy teeth.

"This might not be as bad as you think." This was all he said to me until we got to the cell that would be my home for the next few weeks. Considerably longer than I would like but also certainly less than him and his bosses expected.

"Good luck." He spoke over his shoulder as he walked away, not really looking back at me though I knew that he meant those words. I could have sworn he did not want to see me step through the cell door. Not at all what I would have expected of someone in his line of work.

As I turned towards the cell there were three other faces staring at me with different degrees of curiosity, disinterest and challenge. If any of them thought it odd that the prison administration would go through such trouble for just one person, when there were no scheduled arrivals at this hour, they gave no hint of it.

Two of the men went back to whatever they had been doing before I came in. One of them, a chubby young man with a sparse beard on his chin, hazel eyes and dark blonde hair appeared to be doing tricks with a deck of cards on the lower bed of one of the two bunks in the cell.

Another, black-haired and thin was reading on the bunk on top of the blonde. He looked to be in his early forties though the years had not been kind to him in the least. His face was marked and his thick wiry beard was streaked with gray. His brown eyes, on the other hand, were clear, alert and revealed a certain depth to his character within.

The last man however had already been standing beside me by the time I had finished taking stock of of the other occupants of the small, cramped room. His long legs allowed him to cross the cell with ease. With a smile plastered on his handsome face, he patted me on the back. His hand moved slightly downwards before being taken away.

He was very tall and had bright red hair, light green eyes the color of young lettuce shoots and what was known as a a handlebar moustache that flattered the shape of his jaw and the fleshiness of his full lips.

"Hey, name's Mitch. You can have the bunk under me."

"Thank---" He did not give me a chance to reply and instead took the kit I had been carrying in my arms and set it on the small, hard looking bed.

"Well, it's the only bunk left so you ain't got much choice." His tone made it clear he believed he had told a very funny joke and the spatter of laughs that followed confirmed as much.

"The guy with the cards is Tadpole. He don't like it when you call 'im that though." Sure enough, I noticed the man's eyebrows draw together slightly though he did not give any hint of having heard Mitch's warning. I was hoping Mitch would tell me what Tadpole's name actually was but he had already moved on.

"Smart guy up there is Jim, he don't talk much."

At that, the man I had just learned was called Jim raised his eyes from the page and nodded in my direction before going back to his book.

"So, what's your name kid?"

"Börje."

There was a mocking twist to his smile. "What kind of name is that?"

"It's Swedish."

He was laughing openly and raucously now. "I heard there was lots of fags in Sweden!"

"As many as there are anywhere else in Europe I would think."

"You're a smartass pretty boy ain't you? You talk funny too." I remained silent.

"So, what you in for?" I became aware of a sudden change of atmosphere in the room but decided to answer the question as if I had not noticed.

"Aggravated Assault, resisting arrest and assault on an officer," I said.

"Well I'll be... Pussy's got claws!" He was next to me again, half patting, half rubbing from my middle to lower back.

"What, did you beat up an old lady then kicked a cop in the balls?" More laughing.

"No."

None of them were willing to share the reason they had been jailed so I decided it would probably be better if I kept the details to myself for the time being. It might even be to my advantage, considering the real reason that I was here in the first place.

"Well, we'll be eating soon. After that it's lockdown 'till lights out." With that, he went back to his bunk and did not speak to me again.

I saw him pull out a tattered-looking porn magazine from under the covers, an impressive bulge slowly extended down his thigh, tenting out the scrubs bottoms we were made to wear as uniform.

Finally I had the time to look around the room, it was pretty much what I had expected. The walls were painted in a color that resembled tarnished aluminum. Not quite metallic nor organic. Though of course, the layers of grime would most likely account for the ambivalence. Apart from the two bunks there was not much else in the cell. A toilet in one corner and sink in another with a mirror of polished stainless steel bolted securely to the wall above it. There were three worn toothbrushes and a half-empty tube of toothpaste and not much else in terms of toiletries.

I had had better and worse over the years to the extent that I would have considered a room such as this both heavenly luxury and hellish punishment at one time. I had no doubts that I would manage just fine here for as long as it took for my plans to come to fruition.

With that settled I walked towards the sink and was pleasantly surprised to see that it worked well enough, pouring forth a sedate rope of clean-looking water. I splashed some on my face and took a big gulp. It tasted good enough.

I found my face staring at me from the reflective surface of the metal mirror and for a moment was surprised by the sight of it in contrast with the surrounding cell. Young and masculine with a square, hairless jaw. Clean, even complexion with a Roman nose, full lips and short platinum-blonde hair. A pair of gray-ringed aquamarine eyes finished off what I personally thought was a rather cold appearance. It would serve its purpose here.

Just as that thought trailed off into irrelevant musings a very loud alarm, like the fog-horn on an old steamship, sounded from somewhere above and far enough away that the deafening blast was clearly dulled. As it was the noise was disorienting and bordering on painful.

"Time to eat," said Mitch from his bunk to my right as he put his magazine away and jumped down, adjusting his erect cock to the side as he stretched his arms. Without looking at any of us he strolled out of the cell and towards what I assumed was the prison's cafeteria. The rest of us followed. There were guards outside, directing the flow of inmates like traffic cops.

What followed went more or less how I expected. We were herded towards the lunch line where a couple of other inmates served us then herded off again towards the tables where everyone was voluntarily segregated according to race, ethnicity and less obvious groups within these categories.

There was not a single female to be seen among the throng of chattering bodies. And to think that more than five thousand men just like these were held in this place. Their voices began to claw, hopeless, angry and afraid against the edges of my mind.

I did not know if Mitch expected me to sit with them but it was just as well that I had managed to lose them without even trying to as I would need to appear vulnerable and isolated for my plans to come to fruition; a fragile little boy within a sea of barely contained violence and testosterone.

I sat by myself at the edge of the white section and began eating, my head lowered, gaze firmly planted on my tray. My movements were measured and slow. I would appear, to any observer, as if I wanted to avoid drawing as few of the eyes of the men around me as possible.

With not much else to do but wait, I wondered how likely it would be that I would attract some attention on my very first day here. I figured that a young, obviously fresh and seemingly innocent boy would be of interest to most of the these men.

Sure enough by the time I was halfway through my meal I sensed someone moving towards me, his shadow falling on my hand as he sat right next to me.

"A boy like you should be more careful around here." The warning in his voice bellied his seemingly friendly advice and I rolled my eyes inwardly at his choice of words.

His arm which he had casually thrown over my shoulders slowly traveled down until I felt his hand on my ass. I had purposely sat on the very last row of tables next to the high, barred windows where others would be less likely to notice an exchange such as this.

I played my part, refusing to raise my head or move from my seat. Instead I continued eating though I let myself tremble very slightly under his touch. This had the expected result.

"A pretty punk like you won't live long in this place without some protection, so you better learn fast. Ya hear?" There was an obvious spike of rising irritation in his voice.

When he saw that I failed to react he continued to work his large hand under my ass until I was sitting right on it. His index and middle finger were traveling up and down between my cheeks with building pressure and I was becoming excited by his rough, demanding touch.

"Now see, me and my friends can keep ya safe. We'd love to do that really but you have to help us out too ya know?"

Without giving any hint of what he was trying to do, he slipped his whole hand under the waistband. His fingers were cool and rough against my skin. He teasingly moved them closer and closer to my asshole until he was lightly stroking it as if asking for permission. I could not help but gasp and jump a little as I felt him enter me, not acting a part any longer but consumed by genuine desire.

"What the fuck? Your hole's as wet as a fucking cunt. Some guy fuck you already?" I shook my head side to side.

His fingering quickly turned frantic and erratic, as if his digit were his penis thrusting inside me and he were close to orgasm. With his other hand he reached towards mine and guided it towards his cock which was making a sizable lump against his left thigh.

He guided my hand inside his pants until it came into contact with his hard cock. It was firm and and its skin taut against the shaft. As I expected the man was missing his foreskin, a tradition among these Americans. Their cocks reminded me somewhat of a battering ram.

I encircled the shaft with my hand and released a trickle of sweat which I used as lubrication to slowly jack him off. Twisting my hand in an spiral motion, massaging his cockhead with the very palm of it. Using my thumb in the crease on the lower portion where the head splits.

The smell of his groin assaulted my nose in waves of sweat and pheromones that made the muscles of my asshole throb around his fingers, willing them further inside me. I ground my hips onto his hand and brought his balls gently against one another, stretching the sac as far as it would go and squeezing them with increasing intensity.

I pushed all of myself into the act of bringing him pleasure. As he began to cum I had enough sense to will his mouth to remain closed as well as still his vocal chords and lungs, preventing the keening moans and grunts that would have undoubtedly escaped his lips otherwise, before I too began to orgasm.

When the tremors coursing through our bodies subsided and I pulled my hand from his pants he removed his fingers from inside me, got up and walked away.

I leaned down discretely and licked off what bits of his cum I had managed to save in my cupped palm. It went a long way in replenishing some of the strength I had lost during our exchange but I would still need more very soon.

There had been no time to finish my meal which was unfortunate since I had been enjoying it. Too soon we were being guided to give back the trays and pushed off to our cells.

The realization that not once had I actually seen my would-be rescuer's face colored what had otherwise been a very successful encounter with streaks of amusement and frustration.

Back in our room things felt a bit more relaxed. Tadpole was lying down on his back with his eyes closed though he did let one open when I came in and gave me a tiny smile. Jim nodded to me yet again, an easy-to-miss questioning look on his age-lined face, then cracked his book open without saying anything. Mitch, who had also gotten to the cell before me did not even look at me. His attention was again on his magazine, his free hand groping the mound of his erect cock, like one would one of those toys that supposedly help relieve stress. The fitting comparison made me smile.

I felt drained. The bit of play with the man in the cafeteria had taken more from me than I had expected. In hindsight I had let myself become too involved, lending most of the force of my meager reserves to pleasing the stranger and dangerously sapping them in the process. I would have to rest immediately if I hoped to be strong enough to keep my advantage.

I walked towards the toilet to relieve myself, picking up my toothbrush from the bed on the way. I could feel all three of my cellmates looking at me. On an impulse I moved to the sink, brushed my teeth and washed my hands and face, then pulled off my shirt and pulled down my pants mid-thigh. Wetting my hands I ran them over my chest, shoulders and what bits of my back I could reach, then I ran them over the dried spots of cum on my cock and balls as well as the sticky juices all over my ass.

Feeling as clean as I could hope to get in these conditions I zipped up my clothes and walked towards my bunk, ignoring the three heads turned in my direction. I worked mindlessly dressing my bed and with the last corner tucked under the thin mattress I laid down and slept.

Hours later, after lights-out I was awakened by the sound of Mitch climbing down from his bunk. Just as he seemed to have stopped moving I felt a weight settle across my back and a hand press tightly over my mouth, his other hand quickly found my wrists which he raised over my head. His powerful legs, placed to either side of mine helped to hold me in place. I felt his breath on my ear then his tongue and teeth.

"I know what went on in the cafeteria. He had his fingers up yer ass didn't he, you fucking slut. He made you jack him off too? Did you come with him inside you?" The lust in his barrage of whispered questions was overwhelming. His voice was raspy and low, something between purr and growl and not quite either. I went hard, my cock bent down against the mattress leaving a wet spot on the sheets. I could feel the firmness of his own against the crack of my ass.

He took away the hand pinning my wrists. "Don't fucking move."

I felt him pull down the elastic of my pants all the way to my ankles, locking my legs in place. I licked, as best I could, across the length of his finger. He got the hint and allowed me to open my mouth before plunging his fingers inside. His hand smelled and tasted like ball-sweat and precum, his fingers circled my lips and teased my tongue. I did my best to suck and lick them as I would his cock.

"This will hur---Oh fuck! You're so damned tight, so fucking tight." With little else but those words as warning his cockhead was lodged inside me. With a buck of his hips another couple of inches were pushed in, this time I could not help but cry out.

"You're loving this ain't you? Your pussy is so wet baby, so fucking wet. Come on, take a bit more." Another plunge. Grunts, curses and cries from both of us.

"You need this. I know ya do. Ass like this is made for fucking, it needs a cock in it." One last push and he settled fully on my back. His cock rooted inside me.

"Balls-deep baby. It's all inside you now."

He fucked me like that, his thighs straddling my ass, cock planted firmly in me only pulling out a few inches out before slowly pushing in again. While this went on he had been biting my neck and shoulders, hard enough to leave teeth marks if the pain was any indication. One hand under me, twisting and pulling my nipples. This continued for what felt like hours yet ended much too quickly for my liking.

"I'm gonna cum baby. Open your ass for me baby, yeah that's it. Here it comes! Fuck! Fuck, fuck..."

With a bellowed sound, like a wounded animal, I felt him stiffen against me then slump, his full weight dropping on me. He pulled out of me leaving me feeling empty and exposed. The cool air felt odd against the wet, stretched muscles of my hole for a second before the cheeks of my ass automatically clenched together in response.

I tried to get up but he pushed me back down. Settling on his side next to me I felt fingers at my asshole, collecting the cum that had leaked out and feeding it to me. It tasted salty and had a bitter edge.

It was then that I noticed the unmistakable sounds of masturbation coming from the beds across the cell. It made sense that they would hear but their reaction was unexpected.

Mitch fucked me twice more, content to just lie next to me and work three of his fingers inside me before settling on my back once again and shoving his cock in me to the hilt in one go. These last two times were fast and hard, his hips crashing against me and pushing my own cock against the worn sheets. I came right along with him both times, my hole milking every bit of cum from him until finally he was satisfied.

He climbed to his bunk and passed out for what would be a very long night of rest, I made sure of it. I fell sleep on my stomach just as he left me, not bothering to pull up my pants from around my ankles.

---

The next morning I woke up in the same position, though considerably crustier around my ass and stomach.

Tadpole was sitting on the toilet with Jim close by, apparently having already had his turn. As I stood up, struggling to pull on the flimsy uniform pants I caught them looking at me. Jim simply looked away, Tadpole on the other hand actually blushed, his eyes widening slightly.

With his gaze still on me I moved towards the sink on the opposite wall of him and turned my face towards the mirror there. There was dried cum around my lips and chin. I proceeded to wash my own cum off my stomach and cock, pulling back the foreskin and rubbing my fingers over the bubblegum-pink head.

Washing my ass was trickier, I considered climbing up and sitting on the sink but I was not sure it would be strong enough to hold my weight. Instead I settled for cupping small handfuls of water and washing off like that, bending over slightly to wash around my asshole. Luckily all the cum Mitch had shot inside me during the night had been absorbed by my body or I would have been sitting where Tadpole now was, trying to shit it out.

I turned around as Tadpole was about to wipe his ass and got a really good eyeful of his equipment, he was almost fully hard. I would say it was around five inches long and very thick, no less than two inches in diameter with a small, blunt cockhead and a barely noticeable circumcision scar one fourth of the way down the shaft.

What really drew my attention, beside the thickness of his cock, was the forest of curly dark blond hair all around his crotch, expanding into a dense treasure trail that reached to his bellybutton. That and his balls. They must have been the size of of turkey eggs, big enough that I doubted both would have fit in my hand at once, drawn tight against his body in a hairless, wrinkled sac. I could not tear my focus from him, my mouth had begun to salivate at the thought of exploring his equipment.

"Would you like me to take care of that for you?" I decided I might as well jump in for good so I looked straight at him with the hunger that I felt and licked my lips, making it clear that I wanted it badly.

Jim was watching too, though he jumped up to his bunk and seemed to be doing his best to ignore the situation. Tadpole looked hesitantly towards Mitch, sleeping to my left and suddenly the chilly welcome I had gotten from the two made better sense. Mitch was the alpha here and they had probably been warned to keep their distance in such a situation until he decided what to do with me. In this case it seemed Mitch had already decided I was to be his punk.

Things would have to he handled carefully in order to undermine the existing power structure here.

Of course instead I did the impulsive thing and walked towards Tadpole, dropped to my knees, stuck my nose right under those big balls of his and inhaled deeply. The smell was powerful and heady with the sour tang of old sweat. I ran my nose from his balls to his bush of thick, wiry hair. The smell was milder here, sweeter. I looked up towards him, his stomach partly obscuring my view of his face, and opened my mouth, my tongue stretched out like a shovel. There were beads of sweat on his forehead.

He finally took the hint and brought the tip of his cock against my outstretched tongue, pushing softly against it and rubbing up and down along the length of it. I wrapped my lips around the head and soon enough he had his fingers tangled in my hair, pushing it as far into my mouth as it would go.

I pulled away from his grip and dove on his balls, taking them into my mouth one at a time, pulling them away from his body with my lips. Lick by lick I devoured the sweat on them until they were slick and shiny with spit. I rubbed them on my face, nibbled the sack and traced every ridge with the very tip of my tongue while jacking him off.

Above me his moans intensified, his whole body trembled and I had just enough time to take the head of his cock in my mouth before it was flooded with a torrent of sweet-tasting cum. I held him in my mouth until he softened then gave the very tip a kiss before letting it drop to rest against his balls.

Without rising from my kneeling position on the rough concrete floor I looked up at him. "Thank you, I really needed that," I told him.

"Sure dude, anytime you want it just let me know alright?" His tone was bashful but also self-assured and with a definite edge of left-over lust. "Call me Ted," he said with a shy smile.

"Alright. Will do."

Our conversation was a bit surreal, with him standing in front of the toilet, pants around his ankles and me in front of him on my knees, his spent cock at eye level. The moment was broken when I stood up and headed back towards the sink to wash my face. I could still smell his sweat and precum on myself and was of two minds about washing it off.

As I bent over to splash some water on my forehead I felt Ted playfully push his package against my ass then comically hop forward, pants still around his ankles, until he was standing at my side.

"Um, I need to wash."

"Sure," I said, trying not to laugh. "Let me help."

I cupped some water in my hand and was about to run it over his big nuts when he reached out and grabbed my wrist. "Stop dude, I'll get hard again," he said, seeming embarrassed.

"That's not a problem for me if you don't mind."

His only reply was to bring my hand towards his cock. Sure enough, by the time I had finished washing him off he was hard as a steel beam, a steady stream of precum dribbling down his sac once again. I pulled up his pants, leaving the waistband to catch under his balls, making them appear even bigger.

"Hey Jim, when was the last time you got your cock sucked?" I did not have to speak very loudly to be heard from across the room.

"It's been a while," he replied without taking his eyes from his book. His voice was very deep, his words crisp.

"Well, I wouldn't mind helping you out."

"Haven't you gotten enough cock yet? I thought you wouldn't be able to walk today after Mitch was done with you."

"Well, I'm a growing boy. I need the protein."

"I think Ted there will be more than happy to keep you well fed from the looks of it." His veneer of disinterest was starting to crack, if the hints of a smile and the tent in his pants were any sign.

"The guy could feed an army with balls that size, true." There was laughing from Ted's direction at my words. "But there's nothing wrong with a little dessert. What's wrong old man, can't get it up long enough to help a guy in need?"

I was really pushing it, considering I had only known the guy for less than a day but I suppose the fact that I was begging to let me suck him off meant I had abandoned caution for the sake of something sweeter.

I considered exerting a tiny amount of influence over his body, just enough to tip him over the edge but it appeared that would not be necessary. He jumped from the bed, more agilely than I thought him capable of, already having lowered his pants by the time he got to where I was.

"There's only so many times a horny man can say no to a blowjob, you know," he said while jacking himself off in front of me. He had an uncut cock, with a long foreskin that fully covered the head even at full mast. It looked to be around six inches long and a bit on the thin side but I did not get much of a chance to examine it before he grabbed me by the hair and brought me to Ted's bunk where he sat down, legs spread.

"I like it long and deep so I hope you are as good at this as you think you are but if you choke on it that's OK too." That was the only thing he said before I found myself on all fours between his spread thighs with his cock knocking at the very back of my mouth. I relaxed my throat muscles and just like that my nose was buried in his pubes.

With one hand at the back of my head, keeping my mouth firmly planted around the base of his prick, I felt him lean forward above me. He spread my asscheeks with his thumb and middle finger and started working his index finger slowly in and out of me.

"Jesus, your ass really does get wet like a pussy. Ted, check this out man," said Jim, his thrusts increasing in speed. I felt another set of fingers enter me, then my pants were taken off and my legs spread further apart.

"Move your hand Jim, I wanna fuck him."

The fingers in me disappeared for a moment before they were replaced by Ted's cockhead which popped in without much trouble. The shaft was another matter altogether, it almost left me crying out in pain when he tried to shove it inside me in one single push. I had to quickly relax the muscles of my ass or I was sure I would have ended up bleeding.

Once he had me loose enough he started fucking me with lightning-fast thrusts. His short cock was dislodging itself from inside me completely each time before piercing its way into me again, giving just enough time for the muscles to reflexively contract so he could stretch them again and again around the thickness of his shaft. Neither of us would last much longer at this pace.

Jim was humping my face with long strokes, one hand at the nape of my neck, the other viciously pinching my nipples. He was barely giving me a chance to run my tongue over the head of his cock before plunging it down my throat. He was the first one to cum. Without warning my face was pushed against his sweaty pubic hair, his cock throbbed once, then twice in my mouth.

Only after his grip on me had slackened did I get the chance to pull off enough to taste him. The few tiny drops I managed to catch on my tongue were thick and mild and it sent me over the edge, splashing my load against the dusty floor.

Not long after, as I cleaned off Jim's cock of the last bits of semen and spit under his foreskin and around his hairy balls, Ted went suddenly rigid against me and let out a roar that reverberated from wall to wall inside our cell. His cock left my body as it went limp, I made to stand up.

"What gives, don't I get the same service as him?" said Ted pointing to Jim with his chin. "I might have to complain to the manage---"

"You fucking faggot punk piece of shit! I will fucking beat the shit out of you." I had not ensured that Mitch would sleep sleep long enough apparently.

From my crouched position on the floor near Ted's bunk I moved suddenly, in an inhuman leap, to rest on top of Mitch, pinning him to the bed. The meal of cum I had received from Ted and Jim was already coursing through me, strengthening me in ways I had not been since being taken into custody.

"Listen very carefully," I said, my hand wrapped around his neck. "Thinking that you, and you alone, are entitled to my attentions will only lead to bitter and painful disappointment." In a mocking reversal of our previous roles, I held his wrists tightly in my grasp. "I am not your bitch."

He spat at my face. "Faggot freak, what the fuck are you?

"I'm the guy you fucked last night and if you want to do it again you will behave." I kissed him full on the mouth at that.

Whatever else I had been meaning to say was interrupted by the morning call and the clicking open of our cells.

I jumped off Mitch's bunk to land by the cell door as people began to rush by. I walked out, following the flood of inmates without having a clue where I was supposed to go. It occurred to me I could probably find out, given the new energy flowing through me. I extended my awareness and improvised, making my focus jump from person to person towards our common destination. I could not quite see through their eyes but their movements and a sense of dampness and heat made me realize that I was on my way to the showers.

I did not get much of a chance to explore further since I suddenly felt myself being shaken at the shoulder.

"You spaced out there dude. You ok?" It was Ted.

"I'm alright, thanks."

"So what was that about B? I mean back in the cell with Mitch; you were like Batman or something."

I did not want to get into this here. "It'd take a while to explain and I'm not sure you'd believe me."

"Well, Mitch was pissed as hell. I thought he'd start something with us but then he wouldn't come down from his bunk."

"Lets just say I left him with a little gift. He'll be walking around with the hardon from hell today. He probably didn't want you to know about it so you wouldn't think he was getting off on me roughing him up."

"That's weird man. Can you really do shit like that?"

"Oh yeah, wanna see?" I let a hint of mock-threat bleed through my casual tone.

"Nah, it's ok man. I'm good."

I smiled at his choice of words. "I'll tell you what, once we get to the showers I can demonstrate on some poor bastard."

He started laughing. "Dude, you're bad."

"To the bone baby. To the bone." I said, trying to imitate the way I had heard others here speak. Ted's laughing became louder.

"Need to work on my tough-guy voice, huh?" I asked. I could not help but laugh as well.

"Well, the whole thing with Mitch was pretty baddass."

"I guess. Probably a bit too dramatic for this place though. Besides, that was my pissed off demon voice."

"You serious?" There was fear in his voice.

"No, not really. Though your priest might say otherwise." I reassured him.

We walked in companionable silence the rest of the (short) way.

The changing room was medium-sized and bare. On one side of the door leading to the large shower area was a large plastic laundry bin with clean towels and clothes with another on the opposite side to put in the dirty ones. There were men coming and going in varying degrees of nudity and I had to focus on restraining my hunger. A guard was standing by the door, keeping close watch of what went on in the showers; from time to time he would peek his head further in and tell the those inside to hurry up.

Without any shyness, Ted slipped off his clothes and dumped them into the proper bin then walked through the door, leaving his shoes within sight and positioning himself on the far right of the shower area. I mirrored his actions, sensing a spike of interest among many of the men, then walked under the rush of falling water to stand next to him. The shower room seem to be designed for maximum efficiency, with contiguous jets of water cascading from the ceiling all along the the center of the room, where more men could be allowed in at once and a walking area around the edges near the walls.

I bent down to wash my legs. "Dropped the soap baby? I can help you find it." Some of the other men laughed. I turned around; a dark-skinned man with a shaved head and bulging muscles was leering in my direction, legs spread and hands at his waist. I made a show of looking him up and down then turned towards Ted.

"Check this guy out in a second." I mouthed, making sure his ears would pick up the words.

Exerting my influence on the man's body was simple enough. Once I was happy with the results I caught Ted's attention and pointed discreetly to the man's crotch. His cock was rising before our eyes.

"Told ya I could do it," I said.

I saw Jim come in, though he did not notice our presence.

"Hey, lets stall a bit so we can wait around for Jim OK? I told Ted, nodding towards Jim who was was scrubbing away at his long dark hair.

"Sure. Why?" He asked while reaching down to wash around his balls.

"Well, I want to talk to him too. Might as well do it now."

"I guess. They'll be serving breakfast for half an hour. The cafeteria's probably as good a place as any, apart from rec time outside but that won't be for a while."

"Well I can make sure no one will be able to listen in so it should be no problem to talk while we eat."

"How? Is that one of your tricks?"

"You'll see."

When we were done, I walked past the man who had teased me earlier, he was now trying to ignore the raging erection rising away from his body. Discretely, I ran my finger over the head of it and smiled in his direction before walking out.

Outside, we picked up clean towels and dried ourselves then searched for the newest-looking scrubs from the pile and dressed. We waited around for Jim to be done but he took longer than I had expected. I could feel the guard's attention begin to shift towards us and had to keep him distracted until our cellmate finally emerged, water dripping from his lean, hairy body. Unlike Ted who was fairly smooth, except for the big patch around his cock, Jim was covered practically from head to toe in black hair, thin in some places and graying in others but still very impressive.

"Hey Jim, are you going to eat?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm heading there now."

"Mind if we join you then?"

"Not really," he said, eyebrows raised slightly. "Mitch will probably be around though."

"I don't think so," said Ted, snickering.

After Jim was done putting on clean clothes we headed to the cafeteria. I kept thinking of ways to bring up the subject of my origins to the guys.

"So are you going to tell us about what went on back in the cell with Mitch, Börje? That wasn't exactly normal," said Jim.

"Yes, I'll tell you both while we eat." I poked his stomach with my index finger. "Good job on the name by the way."

"I'm good with languages." He smiled at me, showing a crooked upper canine.

At the food line they gave us us toast, milk, eggs and an apple. Not bad at all, considering my first memories of food were roots, wild fruits and under-cooked meats. Prison was really not so bad these days.

I sat in a relatively empty spot on one of the long tables in the middle of the room and the others settled around me. Closing my eyes I mentally drew a circle around us and tasked my subconscious, like a program running silently in the background, with preventing anyone coming within its boundaries from hearing what was being spoken inside. I opened my eyes and looked at each of my cellmates in turn.

"Alright, no one sitting around us will be able to hear what we talk about, they can still see you so don't get too excited."

"Sorry but I find that a bit hard to believe," said Jim. "The whole thing with Mitch was a bit weird but we're supposed to believe that you can make it so people won't hear hear what we say?"

"Hey asshole!" I spoke loudly. "What the fuck are you looking at you fucking nigger?" No one turned in our direction.

Ted was looking about the large hall as if expecting someone to jump as us. "Dude, what the fuck? You want someone to beat the shit out of us?"

Jim reached out towards him. "I don't think they can hear us man,"

"I would have done something flashier but I'm still getting back my strength from spending too much time without a proper fix," I told them.

"Like what?" said Ted

"Well, I could take control of both of your bodies right now and make you kiss." To make my point I had them move their hands together and intertwine their fingers. The movements were a bit twitchy but the nerves of their arms complied, reluctantly, under my command.

"Dude! What the fuck!?" Ted's high-pitched screams would have alerted the guards if I had not extended the range of the projected circle around us.

They both drew back their hands as soon as I released my control. I could not help but laugh. "You boys will let a guy suck and ride your cocks but you freak out at holding each others' hand?"

"Oh man, how the hell did you do that?" Asked Jim.

"I'm a god"

He burst out laughing then quickly quieted as he noticed I did not join in. "Wait, you're serious?"

Ted looked at me as if for the first time. "You mean, like Jesus?"

"No, not like Jesus. If the man mentioned in your religious scriptures existed at all he's now long dead and certainly not the son of Yahweh, who as far as I know hasn't walked among us since the destruction of the second temple. Good riddance too, sadistic little warmonger."

"What?"

"Jesus didn't exist and your god is probably dead, Ted."

"That sucks, dude."

"He is an asshole anyway," I said. "We better head back to our cell, I'm getting tired from holding this field."

"That's it? Is that all you are going to tell us?" Asked Jim.

"For now. I need to set Mitch straight as well."

I made my way out of the cafeteria with the guys following closely behind. They did not speak to me on the way nor did they talk to each other. Both had their own doubts about my claims, obviously, which I suppose was sensible enough considering the scope but I knew they would be fully convinced by the end of my stay here.

On a whim I had decided to include them in my plans, even Mitch as thorny as he was could be an asset if I managed to bring him to my side. If my suspicions about his behavior proved to be true there might be a way to reach him. I would need loyal men more than socially conscious, pleasant ones of course but seeing as I would have to live with him for the time being it would be worth to attempt to make him a friend.

Once in our cell Ted and Jim settled to play a game of cards which I did not recognize. They were chattering amiably, sitting cross-legged and barefoot, in a way I was certain had not been the rule before my coming here. Mitch was on lying on his bunk staring at the ceiling, the outline of his hard prick clearly visible.

I jumped and sat on the edge of the bed at his side, legs dangling down.

"What do you want?" He asked. I did not reply, instead I traced my finger down the length of his penis and watched it slowly shrink to its soft state.

"Come on, lets go get you some food."

"Fuck off. Besides, there ain't enough time anyway."

I slipped down to the floor and pointed towards the cell door. "I'll take care of that."

"What, you'll use your voodoo crap on the guards?"

"Yes. Now get down."

He rolled on his side, facing the wall and away from me. "Fuck off."

"Would you like to spend a month like I left you this morning?"

"Fuck! Fine you punk-ass faggot bitch." He dropped to the floor and walked out the cell and down the aisle while I was left to try and catch up. Damned short legs.

"Hold up Mitch! I can't keep you from being harassed if you don't stick close to me."

He slowed down his pace. "So what do you want?"

"I just wanna talk.

"What the fuck do you wanna talk about? You just wanna rub it in."

"Rub what in?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"That I caught you taking cock from those two losers that's what. And you kicked my ass."

"I didn't hurt you."

He ignored me the rest of the way to the cafeteria. On the way two guards attempted to stop us. I simply waved my hand in their direction and they turned away, ignoring us as we walked by. Well, that is what it would have seemed like to Mitch who I could tell was suitably impressed.

"How did you do that?" He asked, curiosity drowning his anger for the moment.

"More than eight thousand years of practice, that's how."

"You're shitting me!"

"Nope, I was born in what is now Skåne, the southernmost region of the Scandinavian peninsula. Thousands of years before the language your Christ would have spoken came into being my people were navigating the waterways between Denmark and Sweden and I was there to shelter them as best I could. I've learned a lot since."

"I get it, I think. So...what are you?" He asked, clearly engrossed.

"Short answer: I am a war god. Long answer: I am a chimerical being born of the focused hopes, fears and desires of a people. By the look on his face I could tell I was not getting through to him. "Did you ever learn in school about the Norse, Greek and Egyptian gods? Guys like Zeus, Odin and Atum."

"Yeah, I think so." He laughed. "Thor's the one with the big hammer."

"Well I am something like them though I assure you can I can do more than than wave a hammer around."

"He could shoot lightning and stuff too."

"OK, that's true. You got me there but I've got my own tricks. I could walk you right out of this place at any time. I doubt Thor could manage that without a lot of noise. He's handsome though; I wonder if he still has the beard"

"You're such a fag!"

I bumped him with my shoulder. "Takes one to know one."

"I ain't queer!"

"I know for a fact that you had you appendix removed when you were younger. I know you are partially color-blind. There's not much about your state you can hide from me Mitch."

He took hold of my shirt and pushed me against the hallway wall. "I am not a fag!"

"I'll take your word for it," I said, knowing I would have to take things slowly. I grabbed his hand, pushed him off me and walked on as if nothing had happened. "Anyway. Lets get you some food."

The cafeteria was empty, except for a handful of inmates cleaning up and the ever-watchful guards. I made sure they would not take notice of us. They would see us but their brains would disregard our presence and actions as both insignificant and routine. A lot more practical than invisibility when it came to opening doors or talking in my opinion.

"Come on, we're gonna have to go into the kitchen. There's nothing left out here," I said.

"You sure?"

I walked through the doors behind the serving counter. "Yeah, hurry up." I set about preparing him a quick meal with what was available, once inside.

He sat on one of the long stainless steel tables, watching me work as people moved around us. "What are you doing?"

"It's called a Spanish omelette, doesn't take very long at all and is quite delicious."

"Oh."

I looked at him over my shoulder. "Come here, you can help me out."

"What do you want me to do? I can't cook."

"No, I need you to chop off these potatoes before they lock up the knives." I showed him how to cut the potatoes before moving off to prepare the egg mix. "That's it, long thin slices."

I turned my back on him to dispose of the egg shells.

"I could stab you right here you know," said Mitch. I sensed his movements and position so I was not surprised to feel the tip of the knife under my ribs.

"Stop playing around or you'll have to go hungry. The kitchen supervisor will come in any minute now to check that nothing's missing as well as take away the dangerous utensils."

"How you know I won't kill you?" He withdrew the knife and went back to the potatoes.

Bowl in hand, I turned to face him, beating the eggs with a spoon. "Well, for once I'm virtually immortal. Apart from it causing a great deal of pain, for a second or so, I've very little to fear from that knife; even if you were to destroy this body it would not kill me. Also, the fact that you are in a open-cell section, housed with non-violent inmates."

He had laid the knife down and was sitting on the table again, his legs swinging back and forth. "So you can't die?"

"Not by any means available to you. Still, don't stab me if you can help it."

I put the cooking oil on the stove and set the temperature then mixed in the eggs and potatoes. "Do you like onions?

"Yeah, sure."

While peeling the onions, the strangeness of the situation crossed my mind. I felt almost domestic, which I suppose wasn't too far off the mark considering my nature. But the mix of setting and company made it interesting, if not exactly new. After so many centuries no emotion remained a mystery to me; technology may advance and societies rise or fall but the realm of human emotion remained as as it had been a thousand years ago and a thousand before that.

In the end while not biologically human myself, these very same emotions had been the waters of the womb that had bore me. In a thousand years, if the human race survived that long, they would most likely be able to do everything I could. Would I be human then?

Mitch shook me out of my reverie by coming to stand next to me. "Don't you have to dump those in the bowl? He asked, pointing to the chopped onions.

"Yes. I got a bit distracted there." I sprinkled them into the mix and poured the whole thing into the pan on the stove.

He leaned in over my shoulder, his chest against my back. "That smells good."

When the omelette looked to be about done I poked it with the fork, folded it in two then served it on a tray. I managed to find a bag of apple juice in one of the smaller fridges as well as some fruit, which I also placed on the tray.

"Here, go out and find a spot. I'll join you as soon as I wash this stuff." I pointed towards the dirty utensils.

"You are really gonna wash all that crap?"

"Yes." I raised my hand to his temple and established a link between us. "There, you should be ok sitting outside on your own. I won't be long."

He took his food and walked out, pushing the door closed with his foot as he left. It took me about five minutes to finish the dishes; I placed everything where I had found it and followed Mitch's trail to the cafeteria proper.

He had already eaten most of the omelette and was drinking from a hole in a corner of the juice bag as I approached.

I sat next to him. "Wow, that was fast. I thought I had overdone it using five eggs."

"Man, this is good!"

"Good thing I don't have to kiss you right now." I made a face, meaning to tease him.

"What you talking about?"

"Onion breath."

"You wasn't complaining when I dicked you."

"You didn't kiss me then anyway."

He leaned in closer, making loud kissing noises. "So you do want me to kiss you."

"Hey, be nice or you can forget about me cooking you lunch. I might even sneak out and grab you some beer."

"I'll show you nice!" He grabbed the back of my head and brought his lips against mine; his tongue scraped against them demandingly. I have to admit this took me completely by surprise though I had little time to consider it because a second later Mitch pushed me on top of the table then slid on top of me so could feel his hard prick against mine; he then bent down to catch my mouth again. I wrapped my legs around his thighs and parted my lips slightly, letting him take possession of me. His spit tasted fresh and sweet under the overwhelming onion flavor, his tongue wrapped around mine like a serpent around its prey and I found myself sucking on it with relish.

Abruptly, he pulled away from me and stood up. "We should head back."

"Sure..."

I laughed to myself all the way to our cell.

We found Ted and Jim still engrossed in their game when we got back. Jim was apparently losing badly and was not very happy about it if the constant stream of curses and obscenities coming from his lips were anything to go by. Ted on the other hand just smiled indulgently at his playmate. I felt comfortable enough to tease them:

"So, how's the game coming along guys?" I couldn't help the playful tone that entered my voice.

Jim wasn't amused. "Fuck off," he said not looking up from his cards and throwing a rude gesture my way.

"Hey, keep that finger to yourself. I know very well what you like to do with it." I was having fun.

"Yeah, and you liked it too if I remember."

"Don't mind him B, he's just pissed 'cause I'm kicking his ass," said Ted while stroking the few scraggly hairs on his chin.

"What are you playing for anyway?" Ted and Jim seemed a bit startled to be addressed by Mitch but recovered quickly though neither appeared eager to venture an answer.

Finally Jim, obviously having resigned himself to be the one to speak, was the one to reply. "The winner gets to sleep on his," and at that he pointed at me, "bed."

Mitch didn't like that answer much at all. I did my best to distract him by grabbing his arms and pulling him towards my bunk.

"Aren't you going to finish what you started?" I pulled him down to the bed and tried to engage him in a kiss.

"Kissing guys is kinda queer," he said pulling away from me but not standing up.

"That's not what said earlier. In fact I remember very little talking going on just then."

"Fags are weak, they get beat up and raped in here. I ain't going to be a faggot."

I sighed and rubbed his shoulder. "Do you think I am weak? No man has ever fucked me when I didn't want it and there's not a single man on this whole place that could force me. In fact, I think it's pretty safe to assume that most guys being raped here are not gay at all."

Inwardly I marveled at the twists the minds of some men will take in order to be able to deny the obvious.

Instead of soothing him as I had wanted my words appeared to have had the opposite effect. Under my hand his body was vibrating with pent-up emotion.

"You can walk the fuck out of here any time you want, you ain't got to worry about getting ganged up and raped in the fucking showers. If I turn into a fag what the hell am I going to do when you ain't here to take care of me like I'm your fucking wife?"

"You can always leave with me." He looked at me with hope in his eyes. "Why do you think I am here anyway? I am a war god without an army, no one to serve or care for. It is the purpose for which I was created and what brings me the most happiness even now, thousands of years after my tribe has faded from all memory. You could be one of my generals."

"You mean it?"

"Yes"

With that I sent out my will and felt him relax under my hands. I pulled him towards me, taking the time to smell the skin of his neck and rub the hair of his moustache against my cheek before finally bringing my lips to his and allowing him to tentatively take control of this kiss. I felt his hands exploring my body in a way they had not before, the prospect of freedom and his pent up desires driving him to boldness.
I stripped us, while making sure that we would not be bothered by anyone passing by our cell. Our cellmates were not playing anymore but looking our way; I had little chance however to take more than a quick glance in their direction before I felt Mitch's hand close around my cock.

"Your cock is kinda big for a guy that never uses it," he said while pulling at my foreskin, rolling it between his thumb and index finger. We were lying on our sides now, facing each other.

In reality my penis was only a bit above average at about six inches in length. It felt like a safe bet at the time, not too big or small, so I had kept the same general shape for a few centuries.

"Oh but I do get to use it."

"You ain't fucking me!" There was panic in his voice.

"It's ok, I won't fuck you if you don't want it. I do not take pleasure from hurting my friends." I tried to soothe his worries.

"I can blow you I guess, if you want, I mean it's only fair right?" He offered this like a child eager to make amends or win a parents approval.

"Alright, if you want you can give it a shot tonight."

We lay there side by side for a while, our cocks hard and our legs entwined.

"Soon I will be able to do something about this," I said running my finger around the dark scar that circled his penis.

"What's wrong with my cock? Ain't good enough for ya? He was clearly on the defensive and getting more upset each second.

"I will not have you branded by the mark of crueler gods." The resolution on my voice surprised even me.

"Huh?" Mitch looked as confused as he sounded just then.

"This," I said pointing to the scar "was never a rite of my people and it is not one of mine. If you are to be mine then you will be whole. Besides, you like mine don't you?"

I drew his eyes to my prick as I rolled the skin over the head and back again, letting a drop of precum be caught in the fold of pliant skin and spread over the glossy head.

"I will not twist your body to my will without your consent but it would please me if you at least gave it a shot."

He drew me towards his chest and ran his fingers through my hair. "Alright, I can try it out."

"Good," I said and promptly fell into sleep.


---

I was a stone. I wonder what humans would think if they could remember the moment of their birth; claustrophobia would probably be a much more common problem I imagine. I could not see or hear but I could feel the vibrations on the ground from what I would later learn were humans moving next to me. I felt rain or something like it splash my surface, once, twice and then a third time.

This existence slowly sharpened into the clarity of complete self-awareness over a period of time that could have been weeks or decades. In reality it would take generations of such treatment before I was finally able to understand but to my younger self the concept of time itself was nebulous.

-

Sixty-three men in full battle regalia are standing over me, their hard cocks jutting out from their taut bodies and their hair matted with blood-red clay that had been died with crushed berries and minerals. Their faces are set with determination as one by one they walk up to me and masturbate to completion over the dull expanse of the stone that is both my home and my prison.

They move to meet the group of warriors approaching our camp and I follow, empowered by their offerings I can finally tear myself from the rock that binds me.

Eager to be of use, the shadow that is my consciousness enters their body, invigorating their limbs and soothing their minds.

Exhausted and bloody fifty-two victorious warriors return to find their wives awaiting anxiously with bowls of water and herbs to clean and bind their wounds. I mourn the loss of eleven of my men and promise to do better as I allow myself to be pulled back into the cold embrace of the stone, all my power used during the battle I cannot yet survive outside its boundaries.

-

I am in full control, I am free! The young, powerful body that I currently inhabit flexes under my command. It silently screams of power and strength with every movement. I can feel the unconscious mind of this shaman whose body I use as my own drifting under my mine, trying to claw its way to the surface. But I cannot allow it, my men are depending on me so I must remain in control just a bit longer. Already the tide of battle has turned in our favor.

Their god is young and inexperienced, we will find its resting place and we will destroy it. The sadness at having to kill one of my own is dwarfed by the drive to protect my men, like the sun itself dwarves the flames of our cooking fires.

I send out my will over the battlefield, commanding the blood to stop flowing and urging the body to fight off the taint of infection. I do my best to draw the attention of the enemy and push my resolve outwards, ensnaring their hearts with cloying fear like mists rolling down a mountain. The same power that allows me to tend to my men is turned against them.

This fight is at its end.

-

I am running through a forest, my men at my side. I can smell the precum leaking from their rampant cocks. I come to a stop suddenly in the middle of a clearing and...

---

I wake up, the memory of the dream already fading into my subconscious but never too far away that I would not be able to recall every detail if I wished. I Had been dreaming of my early past, my origins.

Most war deities are wrathful, cruel beings filled with an insatiable lust for blood and suffering. Created out of either pain and desperation or anger, greed and the simple but powerful drive to conquer and subjugate.

I was unique, even among a select group. My people were peculiarly peaceful compared to most other tribes of the age. Circumstances allowed them to develop unopposed to a position of strength. Where they would have easily been exterminated when coming into contact with a more aggressive force, instead they absorbed smaller communities into their own and over time grew to the point where they could afford to live in peace.

So I arose from their unique approach towards war which remains rare even now. The kneeling humanoid shape that was supposed to represent me, carved out of common gray stone, received hundreds of offerings of the freshly-spilt semen of warriors readying themselves for battle. Instead of an aggressor, an avenger, they asked for a protector and a healer and so I became.

Over time my powers grew, my people thrived and expanded, suffered and immigrated, their language evolved and their customs changed but through it all I was there. In and out of favor, I shared their devotion with others like me but I was never forgotten.

In the end I was not able to keep them from passing into history, where I will too someday follow, but I would like to think that I did my best with the tools I had at the time.

I had not been sleeping very long because Ted and Jim were just now standing up from the lower bunk on which they had been playing, game apparently finished.

"So, who won?" I tried to meet their eyes from my somewhat awkward position within Mitch's arms by turning my neck.

Jim did not speak out loud, instead he just pointed at Ted with a sour expression on his face.

"I did, two out of three too!" The pride in Ted's voice and the boyish smile on his lips gave the impression of bumbling innocence. I wondered how much of that was merely a deceptive illusion, he seemed like a sweet enough kid.

Jim just looked restless at that moment, he was pacing back and forth until his exasperation looked to have gotten the best of him. Pointing at the snoring form of Mitch, but looking at me he said, "You better wake him, it's almost time until they start letting us out into the yard."

"How much time do you think we have 'till then," I asked.

"'About an hour and a half," said Ted while putting away his deck of cards.

I began undressing. "That's quite a while. I it leaves us just enough time."

Jim understood immediately and frowned. "I don't think I can keep up with this, I'm not eighteen anymore you know."

"Oh that won't be a problem," I said while walking towards Mitch and bending over to wake him. I was aware of the trail of clear lubricant dripping from my asshole to gather at the nadir of my ballsack and purposely made sure that both Jim and Ted got a good eyeful. "You will find that just being around me has certain effects on males, one of them which you have just learned about first-hand if that erection's anything to go by. My presence will refresh and strengthen you."

I shook Mitch's shoulder gently but he just murmured in his sleep and turned over, face towards the wall. Before I got too distracted by the curve of his ass and the curly red hairs that peered between his cheeks I sent a tiny shock of my power through his body, abruptly dragging him to the waking world.

"Huh. What?" His green eyes snapped open, still heavy-lidded with sleep.

"Go on, get up. Rec time will be starting soon and I want to get out there as early as I can. Besides, I need the mattress."

"What the fuck for?" His confusion no doubt exacerbated by the sudden awakening he nonetheless stood off the bed and stretched, his hard prick bobbing unashamedly.

"OK guys help me lay some of these," I gestured towards the mattresses "on the floor. Three should do."

Ted and Jim complied immediately and began to drag them off our bunks while Mitch just stood there, still not quite getting what was going on.

While we worked getting things arranged on the floor both of them didn't miss an opportunity to touch me in some way, slipping their fingers into me or pinching my nipples and by the time we had covered the floor to satisfaction we were all naked and hard.

I lay down on my back, knees bent and waited to see who would react. Surprisingly it was Ted who scrambled down first, knelt between my spread legs and wrapped them around his waist. I knew by now what to expect from him and relaxed in time to feel his incredibly thick dick surge inside me in one quick stab of his hips. "Ow, shit!"

Another powerful thrust. "Yeah, take my fat cock dude!"

I looked at Mitch next and grabbed my hard cock, spreading the drop of precum at the tip all over the head and jacking myself off slowly. "You said you were going to suck this..."

He looked skeptical and I would have done more to reassure him if at that very moment a particular violent trust from Ted had not sent my eyes rolling back in pleasure and pain.

"It's ok dude, I swing both ways you know? Well, I prefer girls but I take what I can get." As if to make a point Ted knocked away my hand which had been wrapped tightly around my cock and began jacking me off himself, making sure that Mitch would be able to see.

I rolled my hips on Ted's lap, his cock firmly planted inside me and humped his hand. Mitch finally got the courage and knelt to my side, taking over from Ted before dipping his head and giving the tip of my cock a tentative lick. He didn't find it objectionable because just as soon he had his lips around around the entire head, working his tongue inside my foreskin and poking at the piss slit before falling into a regular cycle of teasing followed by enthusiastic, if somewhat inexperienced, sucking.

Jim had stood to the side playing with his cock while watching us, unsure where he fit into the equation until I called him over. "Hey Jim, get over here."

He probably thought I was going to give him head, instead I had him kneel over my face, straddling my head. His ass was incredibly hairy, a thick mat of wiry black and gray hair around his hole that spread out over his cheeks, lower back and thighs growing thinner along the way.

I flattened my tongue and gave his crack one long lick, from perineum to tailbone making sure to press lightly against his hole. "Oh fuck!" He cried out. His taste was very musky, sweat-salt and the bitter-sweet animal flavor of clean, furred ass. I pulled at his balls and felt his sphincter contract then loosen, a second pull and I took the chance and plunge my tongue into him. His squeals of pleasure drowning all other sounds in our cell.

"That's it, suck his fucking cock!" That was Ted's voice. I couldn't see what was going on but a second later I felt the head of my cock suddenly slip into Mitch's throat and the constricting, intermittent pressure of his gagging around it. I adjusted my senses and was able to see that Ted had actually pushed Mitch's head onto my cock. Mitch's eyes were watering but Ted would not let him push off and just as he seemed to have found enough purchase to pull himself off me Ted pushed him back down; his nose was suddenly nestled against my pubes, his face turning red.

Mitch's mouth around my cock, the constant grinding of Ted's thick prick inside me, the taste of Jim's ass around my tongue and I was coming. I was coming right down Mitch's throat who was able to pull off my cock in time to catch the last spurt of it on his tongue.

Ted let out a sudden, loud grunt and buried himself inside me, holding down my hips against his groin. The power of his cum began surging into me immediately, expanding my reserves and with that the scope of my abilities.

Jim was the next one to pop, he had been jacking himself off while I ate his ass so I was expecting it when he leaned over and began fucking my face. After just a few thrusts of his cock my mouth was flooded with his cum; a sizeable load some of which ran past my lips before I had a chance to swallow.

Both Jim and Ted rolled over to rest on their backs, their spent cocks dripping with juices and glistening under the erratic lighting inside our cell. I was left with Mitch who was still rock hard despite the bit of abuse that Ted had subjected him to, his lips did look a bit swollen however.

"Come here," I called to him. He slid up along my body until we were face to face and licked off the remnants of Jim's cum on my chin. If he minded the taste at all he did not give any sign, instead he bent his neck again and caught my lips in his, pushing his tongue into my mouth while cupping the back of my head.

I flipped us over so I was lying on his chest and traced the curve of his jaw with my tongue then worked my way down his body; collarbone, his prominent Adam's apple, the space between his pectorals where his rusty chest hair convened and teasingly bit into both of his large, fleshy nipples. Once face to face with his hard cock I took the time to admire it; it was curved and well proportioned with a large bell-shaped head. The jagged red scar around the circumference of it brought to mind too many unpleasant memories of blood rites and sacrifices made in the name of my kin. I took him in my mouth and and in just a few seconds brought him to orgasm.

As I was licking the last of the cum that had dribbled down Mitch's cock onto his furry scrotum Jim gestured towards the hallway outside our cell where only a few stragglers were walking around. "I think we took too long," he said, head propped up on his palm. "So much for your grand entrance."

"Oh well, nothing we can do about it now; I'd say that was worth a small delay. Is anyone up for a shower?" I asked this while picking up our clothes and shoes from the floor. "Here." I handed each one of them a bundle and walked out the door.

Mitch grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. "You can't go out like that!"

"Why not?"

"Everyone will see you!"

"So what, let them look. The guards won't."

"I'm not going out there like this!"

"Fine, you can stay here then. If you put on your clothes now they'll get all wet and sticky. Might as well not shower at all. I have no clue where the laundry room is, do you?"

"Yeah, I know where it is."

"Well I don't feel like walking all over the place just to get a change of clothes. We're late already, I want to get into the rec area before everyone's left." I freed myself from his grasp and continued walking towards the shower room.

The other two were keeping pace next to me; Ted was blushing and holding his clothes in front of his crotch. I didn't see what the big deal was really, what with communal showers and all. It might have been the location, I doubt the smattering of whistles and catcalls as we passed through the few occupied cells helped much.

I didn't get much chance to let my mind wander as halfway to the showers Mitch finally caught up with us, looking angry. I could just picture the flashes of lightning flashing from his green eyes, like Zeus that time I fucked one of his older boys.

"Decided to come after ell eh?" I couldn't help but tease him.

"Fuck you!" He smacked my head and I almost lost my balance.

"Ouch! Besides, we've already done that. Maybe I can fuck you next time."

"No way."

"Alright, I'll climb up to your bed tonight and you can do bad things to me."

Ted wasn't very happy about that. "But I won the game! Besides, he got to fuck you last night."

"How about I make it up to you Ted? What kind of food do you like?"

"Pizza I guess. Why?"

"Oh, you'll see."

We did not take very long at all in the showers. I had fun washing the boys down and scrubbing their backs with my nails. By the time we managed to get dry enough to put on our clothes we all had stiff pricks again.

We stopped by the cafeteria and grabbed some lunch, our stay was uneventful though I did notice who I thought was the man that had offered his protection yesterday. He was looking at me while I sat with the guys, his blonde hair was trimmed short and his eyes were steel-blue. There were tattoos all over his face. He did not approach us and I was content to ignore him just then.

We made it out into the yard much later that I would have wanted. It was bright outside and hotter than I liked, I wondered who had had the clever idea to schedule rec. time so early in the afternoon.

Like in the cafeteria the crowd was mixed with lower and higher security prisoners thrown together into the fenced area. There were guards all around the perimeter and doing rounds among the men. I wondered it was some kind of sick game they were playing by putting all of us in the same place or just the general lack of space in an overcrowded prison system.

Some guys were working out with weight sets, playing board or card games or just lounging about in the few spots of shade by the building wall.

"You know what guys, since we are out here we might as well begin your training." I turned towards them, gauging their reactions.

"What training?" said Jim.

"You know, where you become the agents of my will in this world. Think of yourselves as the first of my disciples. Oh and don't even think about pulling off a Judas, I'll turn you into females and sell you in the black market to some European whorehouse. The whole turning the other cheek thing---not my style."

"But how does it work?" Jim again.

Well it's fairly quick and painless, at least this portion of the overall process. I will begin acclimating your body to the changes it will go through in the days ahead. The key to an optimum outcome is a certain lack of impulse control, which is part of the reason why I am doing my recruiting in a prison as opposed to a monastery. You will need to be able to quickly adjust to situations based on instinct as opposed to reasoning."

"So what do we gotta do? And what's this about changes B?" Ted's tone was more curious than reluctant.

"Well, Mitch's already agreed to leave with me when I'm ready to walk out of this place. First thing you gotta do is decide if you want to tag along. If you don't you'll have to sit this whole thing out. So..."

"I'm in!" There was a huge grin on Ted's face that made him seem much younger. "I'm in here for "cybercrime", he marked the air with his fingers. "They keep tabs on us even after we get out you know. If the Feds knew half of what I can do they'd make me disappear faster than you can say "But this is America!" and there's still the chance that they'll figure out some of the other stupid shit I've done. I'm definitely in, just tell me what to do boss."

I turned towards Jim. "What about you?"

He was weighing his options, that much was apparent but finally he said, "will we be fugitives?"

"Well, you'll be wanted men but there will be very little running around trying to avoid the law and such. I have the means to make it so that you will have nothing to fear from the authorities again."

"And what will you want from us in return?"

"Well apart from your cum, a group of trusted agents with which to achieve my goals. I will not put you in the way of danger for frivolous reasons, be assured. Unlike most others of my kind I work better as part of a unit even and like them I also depend on the offerings of humans."

"Fair enough, you can count me in."

"Ok, now that's settled we should move over there." I pointed towards the center of the unroofed area where there were no clusters of inmates. It would give us enough space to move around as well as allow all the other men to watch if they wanted.

I led them in a fairly standard routine of warm-up exercises and stretches, slowly spreading my awareness and influence over their bodies. I directed their muscles to relax and set the foundation of the modifications that would allow them to slowly consume body fat in order to strengthen themselves over the course of a few days. The tendons and ligaments would become more pliable and the bones both stronger and easier for the body to repair. The biggest changes would occur in their brains.

"Alright, just follow my lead. Try to keep me from hitting you and retaliate if you can."

They formed a triangle around me and slowly circled waiting for a moment to strike.

"I feel stupid B," said Ted from behind me. I turned around and swiped my leg under him, dropping him on his butt.

Mitch, probably thinking I would be distracted charged in with the intent to drop me to the floor and use his bulk against me. I bent down and threw him over my back yet instead of landing face first he used his momentum and propelled himself to his feet again, the first sign that his body had begun the process of adjusting to my specifications.

Jim on the other hand approached me face to face. I could tell he had had some martial arts training by the economy of his movements and the defensive stance with which he faced me. He threw a punch at my face which I avoided and countered with an uppercut. He bent backwards to avoid it then hit me on the stomach with a vicious kick when I attempted to push him on his back.

"Excellent. Come on guys, join in." I did not take my eyes off Mitch.

Our sparring became increasingly more involved as my modifications to their sensory systems and reflexes took hold. They were able to predict with increasing accuracy the trajectory of my movements and steadily switched from a defensive to an offensive position. I was still fighting them off easily but the fact that they could keep up at all was a good sign. I was not burdened with most of the frailties of a human body for all that my appearance showed otherwise.

When we were done the guards were looking at us worryingly, the other inmates were all hushed and staring intently in our direction while whispering among themselves. I was aware they had been watching which had been my intent all along. With three steady sources of power to feed this body I would be able to do away with the helpless, submissive persona I had taken in the cafeteria yesterday. Instead I would show these men what they could gain by joining me.

"Come on guys, lets head inside. You're feeling great now but once the adrenaline wears off you're going to be sore as hell." I gestured towards the door.

"Can't you just like turn the pain off or something?" said Mitch.

"Yes, I can. I will, but a lot's going on in inside your bodies right now. It'll be better if you take it easy for the rest of the day."

"OK B, you're the boss dude," said Ted.

"You guys head on in, I'm gonna go make some friends and make sure we get some dinner while at it." I saw them to the door then walked towards the area where the black guys kept to themselves. I sent my mind outwards and quickly identified his unique genetic footprint; the guy from the showers was sitting in a corner talking to two of his friends while occasionally glancing my way. His eyes widened slightly when I began moving his way.

"Hello, we've met before if you remember? I am Börje."

"Yeah, I remember you. I'm Deron, what you want?" He was quite striking up close; his skin was the color of Honduran mahogany and slightly aged bronze, his eyes were amber ringed by a thin sliver of black. The sheen of sweat over his bare chest and shoulders and the broad features that marked his African heritage made him look like a resting puma.

"I need a favor."

"Why you think I'm gonna help you?"

"It's in your best interest to do so really." I spoke this as it were an obvious fact.

"Like what?" He seemed intrigued but I knew I would still need to convince him.

"Well, you do this for me and I'll bring you aboard. It's nothing big, what I want you to do. I promise, it'll be worth it."

"So what do I gotta to do?" he said, still reluctant.

I spread my arms in front of me, pointing to the two guys that were sitting on either side of Deron. "Are these your friends?"

He nodded. "Yeah, these are my boys."

His friends could not have looked more different, though they both had strikingly dark skin that seemed to absorb the light in places and reflect it in others. The man to his left was very tall, over six and a half feet at least; he was also slightly overweight with a definite hint of hardness beneath the bulk that made him seem even more imposing. Like Deron his head was shaved and his surprisingly gray eyes were trained on me. The other boy, for he could not have been more than twenty years old, was only slightly taller than I, thin with fine features and long braided hair.

"I'm gonna be taking care of my guys for the rest of the day so I need someone to bring us some food when they start serving dinner later. That's where you three come in."

Deron did not like the idea. "How the hell do we do that? Just go to the counter, grab a tray and start putting shit on it?"

"Yes, that's exactly what you'll be doing."

"The guards would freak man."

"Oh I don't think so. We have an understanding. In fact, they will act as if they don't see you." Conveniently just as I finished the sentence a guard walked behind me, doing the rounds through this part the yard. I grabbed him by the shoulders and he stood there stupidly as if trying to figure out what had bumped into him.

"Hey asshole, what the fuck are you doing? I thought I told you fuckers to stay clear so I could talk to my friend here. Go on, get lost."

Personally I thought it was a rather comical scene, the short blonde kid shouting up at the burly guard but the guys around were not amused for quite the same reason. They were expecting me to get my face smashed against the rough concrete floor and were all the more surprised when the guard seemingly lowered his head and skulked away. Well played on my part and all it took was making sure the image, and sound, of me standing there would get a little muddled on the way to his brain.

I was grinning when I turned back to the three. "See what I mean? It won't be any trouble getting that food."

"Alright you crazy bastard, I'll do it. But I want to know what you got goin' on." Deron shook his head as if he could not believe he was agreeing to this.

I established a link that would allow them to procure the food and bring it to us without being disturbed. "Ok guys, only you three can get in there without pissing off the guards so keep that in mind if you feel like sending someone else."

I waved at then and made my way into the building. As I got near our cell I felt four people inside where there should have been three and heard Brock's voice, rising steadily and growing increasingly more frustrated:

"I asked you a freaking question! It's a simple question too so I know something's up when you can't even lie to me properly."

I quickened my pace, bursting into a run and was soon face to face with an angry guard. "What's going on here?"

Jim, Mitch and Ted snapped their eyes to me as soon as I came through the threshold of the cell. I could tell they were scared. Trust my luck to attract the attention of the one decent guard in this shithole. I projected reassurance in their direction as best as I could and saw them visibly relax. It would have been easier to communicate with them through a permanent bond, I made note of it and turned once again to face our visitor.

"Brock, why were you shouting at them?"

"I asked 'bout the mattresses. Do you know why they are on the floor like that?"

"Yes, we put them there so we could fuck without hurting ourselves on the cement floor."

He blushed. "That's against the rules! You're not supposed to have sex with each other."

I rolled my eyes. "Like anyone cares about the rules. Most of these guys are fucking each other and many of the ones that aren't wish they could be. Some of the time is not even remotely consensual. Are you doing anything about that?

"I try. A lot of the others don't give a fuck though, including the administration. As long as it isn't obvious they simply ignore it and sometimes they ignore even if it is obvious." I had obviously struck a nerve.

I waved a hand at the floor. "So what are you gonna do about this? I really like the sex."

He blushed again. "I said this wouldn't be so bad for you. You know what, just forget it. I wasn't even here today."

"Hey Brock, before you go: does the warden know how bad your back is." I poked his side and sure enough I felt the the edge of a brace.

He jumped away as if my touch had burned then winced. "No! How the fuck do you know that?"

"He prob'ly knows more than that," said Mitch who along with the other two had been watching our exchange with trepidation. Brock ignored him.

"Would you believe me if I told you I can do something about the pain?" I tried to project my voice in a soothing tone.

"Like what?"

"I'd have to show you really but these guys will tell you I'm good with my word." A chorus of assent rose from behind us to corroborate my claim.

"Fine, you better not be lying. If you do anything stupid you'll be sorry. What do I do?"

"Just take off your shirt and let me have a look." I was not surprised that he acquiesced so quickly and without protest, from what I could see the pain was acute and incessant. "Why haven't you been to a hospital anyway?"

"Don't like doctors."

Brock passed me his shirt so that I could hold it while he removed the brace; I brought it to my face and inhaled the intoxicating masculine smell. He pretended not to notice but the deliberate way with which he struggled with the clasps while looking away and the slight reddening of his cheeks said enough. I found his bashfulness exciting.

I did not miss the small hiss of pain as he threw the brace on top of one of the mattresses still laid out on the floor. Without it under his shirt his stomach was even more pronounced, a large, round gut that rose and fell with each breath. I thought it made an interesting contrast with the rest of his heavily muscled upper body and had the sudden urge to rub my hands over it.

The dark brown hair on his body was as thick as Jim's in some places yet sparse to nonexistent in others; there was a dense rug on his chest that reached his neck and thinned over his stomach before thickening just as it disappeared under his belt.

"Now what?" he said, legs spread and hands at his waist as if in challenge.

I moved behind him. Unlike Jim the broad expanse of his back was smooth and unmarked save for a few scattered birthmarks.

"Just stay still. I will numb the area so that I can repair the damage, if you have ever been under local anesthesia then you should know what to expect. You have a ruptured disk which should be easy enough to fix but it will not be pleasant." I poured my influence into his nervous system and knew instantly when they pain stopped, Brock's reaction as telling as my own sensory feedback.

"Oh man, that's nice. What are you doing back there? This is so damn weird."

"I told you, I made it so you won't feel any pain for what I'm about to do next."

"Do what? I thought this was it," he said clearly concerned.

"This." I pressed my left palm over his spine. In a matter of seconds my hand split open and a small portion of the biomass stored within my body penetrated the skin of his back.

"Fuck! What the fuck was that?!" He jumped away from me, reaching to his lower back to feel the small incision where the fragment of that which makes up most of the internal structure of my body pierced its way into him.

"Stop moving and let me work. I didn't stab you, you'll be fine but you have to let me finish."

"I can't believe I'm letting you do this." He stood still all the same.

"What can I say, I'm the trustworthy type."

As I worked to heal him the part of me now wrapped around his spine served as both tool and building material for the procedure, splitting, reshaping and mending cartilage as needed while also morphing into the necessary tissues.

The procedure did not take more than five minutes but Brock was visibly anxious by the time I sealed the small opening over his spine and returned full sensation to the area. He reached behind himself again and ran his fingers over the curve of his back.

"What's going going on, there was a hole back there. I felt something moving inside me."

"It's healed now. I need you to bend forward and down as far as you can so I can make sure that you have full range of movement."

"Oh man, it doesn't hurt at all. It feels normal," he said attempting to touch his toes.

Jim, who was standing by Brock's side moved closer and poked at his stomach with a finger. "You know, that'd probably be easier if you got rid of watermelon strapped to your stomach. How long has it been since you were able to look down and see your own cock?" He laughed.

"Fuck you. I can still get your ass in trouble you fucker," said Brock straightening up while and sucking in his stomach.

"Don't listen to him Brock, I like your tummy." I patted it for emphasis, he blushed. "There two more things you need to do; I want you to arch your spine while pushing your torso forward, yes like that, now stand straight, arms spread out from your body and bend to either side as if you wanted to touch the floor."

"Like this?"

"Yes, just like that---it looks good. Apart from some minor problems you are a fit young man, strong as a bull. If you drop by in a couple of days I can leave you in perfect health."

"I don't wanna know what you did, but thanks. I really appreciate it." He picked up the bracer from the mattress and extended his right hand in my direction, wanting his shirt.

"There is the matter of payment to address before you go, my services are not free," I told him, ignoring his outstretched hand.

"You didn't say nothin' 'bout payment! What do you want anyway? I can give you some cash but I'm not smuggling drugs or helping you get someone hurt. No way."

I smiled at him, allowing him to have a glance at the maelstrom of desire that churned beneath the carefully molded shell of my flesh. "Nothing like that, I just want your underwear."

"My underwear. You want my underwear. For a second there I thought you were going to steal my soul but no, you want my fucking underwear."

"Yup."

"You are a freak you know that? I guess I can bring you some---err you want them washed?" His face was growing redder, as if he were imaging the increasingly depraved things I would do with his undergarments.

"You misunderstand me Brock, I want the pair you are wearing right now." I grinned.

"No."

"It would have required surgery eventually you know."

"Fuck. Fine." He walked further into our cell to stand face to the wall opposite of the entrance and began undressing. His shoes were the first to come off then his uniform trousers.

His butt looked lovely in the plain white briefs and even better out of them. The cheeks were large and hairless, a furry line coming down from a patch that ran from hip to hip just above the crack of his ass and into it made for a novel sort of treasure trail. His thighs were hairless, his calves not. Over and over this pattern was repeated over the surface of his body, hairy forearms, smooth upper arms and so on.

He dressed again without saying a word then handed me the slightly moistened briefs. I put them to my nose and took in the scent. Urine, sweat, and the unmistakable mammal musk of a male at his prime.

"Do you have to do that?" His expression was something between a grimace and guppy-like astonishment.

"No, but I really want to."

You could have waited until I left." Raised eyebrows. For a big macho man prison guard his face was startlingly expressive.

"You should be flattered."

"Believe me there aren't many people lining up to smell my dirty underwear but it's still kind of weird. I'm a nice Christian boy you know."

"Yes, I know. Very nice."

He laughed. "Whatever, I've got to get going. Oh, you might want to tone it down with the other inmates, the guards too. Most of them would not be cool about this stuff."

"Do you mean the way I made you better or the fact that I asked for your shorts afterwards?"

"Both really."

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

"If you say so." He left, nodding at the other guys on the way out.

I moved to pick up the mattresses strewn about the floor. "Alright guys, lets get this sorted. Are any of you in pain? Ted, I can see it's starting to get uncomfortable for you, it's because you've got the most body fat in relation to total body mass."

"Yeah, I'm starting to ache all over. You didn't tell us about this B, what are you doing to us?" said Ted.

"Right now nothing big's going on. You are becoming stronger, more flexible and small problems like fracture points on bones you might have broken in the past are beginning to be repaired. You are going to be really hungry tomorrow, your body needs raw materials with which to build as well as the energy to keep up the process. It will not generally make use of your fat reserves unless it has to."

"Sweet, does that mean we'll be kicking ass?"

"Yes Ted, there will be a lot of that."

Before Ted had the chance to reply Mitch moved in front of me. "Why did you ask that pig for his tighty-whities?"

"Brock's a special case. I want him on my side but I can't come on too strongly with him."

"Why the hell not?"

"He's a decent guy, pretty conventional and loves the rules. There's also a lot of anger in him as well, I need to know that he is open to what I need from him first before I explain things. Unlike you three he has a life outside of this place too."

"You saying I ain't decent?"

"Well, you are in here for..."

"Drugs"

"Not the rule-abiding type then."

"Whatever"

"I think you are just fine. All of you are, I was very lucky to be assigned to your cell."

"Don't you forget it," said Jim loudly, putting the last of the mattresses back in its place.

"Alright, all of you strip and get in bed. It's going to get really hot, really quick for you guys. Besides, if I'm gonna be stuck in here watching over you I want a good view."

"Yes sir!" said Jim, laughing.

I watched them undress and lie down, beads of sweat already gathering on their skin. Offhandedly I set up the complex specialized link that would allow me to monitor their bodies as they went through this change as well as keep the pain under control.

My mind was somewhere else however. In many ways this place was a world all on its own with different rules than the one outside its walls. In just a day I had been lulled into not thinking about the reason I was here; for all that the outside was hostile to my nature I would have to leave soon. Trouble was coming, I would be right at the heart of it all through no choice of mine and I was completely out of the loop. Until now I had also been practically defenseless.

My forces were already coming together better than I could have hoped but it had been centuries since I had done anything but subsist on the meager offerings of random strangers. I had almost forgotten how it felt to have the power of my own men lashing against the edges of my being, eager to be of use.

Lying on my bed, watching Jim toss around I marveled at the circumstances that made a prison the ideal system to find a group of loyal associates. Circumstances that had made my sacraments into something hideous and obscene in the eyes of so many of the world's population, all on the word of a youngling dead god.

I spent the rest of the day tending to the guys, making conversation to distract them from the disorienting and disconcerting changes happening inside them and keeping them hydrated by having them drink from my cupped hands. I made a note to look for a cup in the kitchens. I was surprised about how easily they were taking all of this but I supposed that they were used to rolling with the punches.

Deron and his friends came by in the evening to bring us food, I did not make much conversation and they did not ask about the fact that my cellmates were lying in bed, naked and sweaty. I reinforced the link that allowed them to perform the task I asked of them and they left, having agreed to bring us breakfast the next day.

The rest of the day flew by, blurring together because of the monotony, still as I was getting ready for lights out I realized that it had been a productive one. I had quite a lot to do yet but could not help but be satisfied with my progress.

I made sure the guys were comfortable, waited for them to fall sleep finally laid my head down---and dreamed.