John stared down at his plate. The food wasn't great, but he was hungry after being worked hard all day, his first day in prison.
He'd arrived the day before, but that was mostly showing him his cell, explaining the rules, things like that. By the time everything was sorted it was lights out. He'd been woken this morning early, taken to breakfast, then shown where he'd be working in the laundry.
"Only 3 years of this" he thought. He'd gotten into a fight at the bar and badly injured the other guy. He hadn't started it, but he made sure he was going to finish it, and in doing so he went quite a bit beyond self defense and wound up here.
He looked up as someone sat across from him at the table. It was his cellmate. John guessed he was about ten years older than him. They hadn't spoken last night, and John had kept to himself all day, so he didn't even know the guy's name. "You're taking up me other bed, ain't ya?" the guy asked.
"Uh, yeah." Not wanting to make hostilities already, he added "but I didn't know which to take, so I just jumped in one. Sorry."
"It's all right, you picked the empty one. Henry's my name" and he held out his hand. John replied with his own name and shook it, and promptly had his hand crushed. The man had surprising grip strength.
Seeing him wince, Henry quickly relaxed his grip and looked apologetic. "Fuck, sorry about that, friend. You get used to squeezing hard in here, guess I forgot my own strength. Anyway, I'll be off, just wanted to meet ya. I'll see you later anyways when it's home time. We'll be getting to know each other pretty fucking well, so no point rushing it ay?" And he left.
'He seemed alright' John thought. He finished his dinner then went to his cell. He was tired and just wanted to relax a little.
By the time Henry came in, John was nearly asleep. Not wanting to lose the headway he had made towards passing out, he pretended to be already sleeping so Henry wouldn't talk. It worked, and soon John was out cold.
The next day after lunch, everyone was outside relaxing and doing whatever they were allowed to enjoy themselves. John was sitting down bored shitless when Henry came up to him. "Ay man, didn't get to talk last night cos you were already sleepin, didn't wanna wake ya."
"Oh, thanks for that. Yeah, I was really tired after yesterday. Haven't been worked like that for a long time"
"Yeah, it'll be shit the first few days of it, but you'll get used to it fast, everyone does."
They talked for a while, getting to know each other. Henry had been inside for 12 years, but John didn't want to ask what he'd done. Because Henry hadn't asked John, he didn't know if you asked people that question. They'd been talking for an hour or so, when a guard called a 5 minute warning.
Henry stood up to leave, then turned back and said "remember how I said we'll be getting to know each other better?
"Yeah?" John replied.
"Well, tonight will be it."
"Tonight will be what?" John asked, no idea what Henry meant. Was he gonna introduce him to a prison gang or something?
"Well tonight I'm gonna stick my cock up your arse." he said with a grin.
John froze. He opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. How do you reply when someone tells you they're going to rape you in a few hours? "Haha, I can see you weren't expecting that. You seem like a decent enough fella, so I'll make you a deal. You got 4 choices here. Choice number 1: you tell the guards. Not really much they can do apart from put you in solitary for protection, but they probably won't cos it's a hassle and they got no proof. You do that, I'll beat the shit out of you then rape you. Option 2: you tell me to get fucked. Do that and I'll rape you. Option 3: I give you my steak from tonight's dinner, and you let me do it. I'll try not to hurt you, and I'll wear a condom as well. Final option, you take my steak and then change your mind about letting me. That'll get you bashed and raped. My advice? Take option 3. You won't get bashed, it won't hurt as much, and I'll wear a rubber so you won't get me cumming in your arse. Best decide by dinner." He gave John a nod and left.
John sat in stunned silence. He didn't know how to process this information. He didn't want to move because it would mean he would have to face what was coming, but the guards called everyone in, so he was forced to stand and walk inside. He tried to think about what to do. Telling the guards would keep him safe for a while he though, but when they sent him back to the main prison population he'd be paying for it. He could try to fight Henry off, but he was far stronger than John, and guessing by the fact that he'd been here for over a decade, he likely knew how to fight. John knew how to fight too, but prison rules was a different sport entirely. Then he remembered option 3: let Henry do it, and get an extra steak at dinner. He even said he wouldn't be as aggressive and he'd wear a condom. That was his best option, he realised sadly. He was going to get raped either way, he may as well take the 'best' option. But the idea of willingly letting a man fuck him made him want to vomit. He didn't know what to do.
Before he realised it, he was in line for dinner. He'd been thinking the entire time and hadn't even noticed he was walking here. He took his food and walked to the far back of the room and sat down. He wasn't even sure if he'd be able to eat, but if he didn't eat now he wouldn't be eating until breakfast, so he went to take a bite when Henry sat opposite him.
John looked at him with fear and revulsion. Henry said nothing, but stabbed his steak with his fork and held it out to John.
John knew this was the moment of truth, but he didn't want to take it, because that would mean he was accepting his fate.
"Offer's only gonna be in the air for so long John" said Henry.
John's muscles wouldn't let him move his arm, but he gave a small quick nod. Henry saw it and dropped the steak on John's plate. "Good lad. I'll see you tonight".