Avery/Lil genius

Some people K!ll easily. Some take years. The lights in Cell Block E buzzed too loud,too bright,a jagged hum that drilled straight through Avery’s skull. He sat curled on the thin mattress,knees hugged tight,tail wrapped around his legs like a shield. His ginger-&-black hair fell into his eyes- haunted, green-&-red,ringed with dark circles from too many sleepless nights. His fingers worried at the loose threads of his torn yarn sweater,tugging until they frayed. He hated how much he needed that motion to keep his hands from shaking. Every sound hit him like a pinprick- the clatter of chains, a shout down the hall, the metallic throb of the lights. He hated how his fox ears twitched with each one,hated how every sound cut straight to his bones,like the whole prison was conspiring to keep him raw & awake. Then the lock hissed. He flinched so hard his head hit the wall,a sharp crack that left stars in his vision. His tail puffed out,ears snapping flat against his head. The smell hit next. Iron. Sweat. Blood- fresh enough to sting his nose. His throat ached,hunger rising sharp & cruel in his chest,curling low in his stomach like fire. Then the door clanged open & the guards shoved someone inside. Big.Loud.Breathing hard. Everything Avery wasn’t. The boots hit the floor like gunshots. The cell seemed to shrink with every step the newcomer took,every thud of leather & metal closing the air tighter around him. Avery’s back pressed against the wall until there was nowhere left to go.His claws pricked his palms.His heart beat so fast it hurt,throat bobbing against a voice that wouldn’t come. The stutter broke out before words could form, fangs just threatening to show. “S-stay b-back!” His voice cracked, sweater threads snapping in his grip. The stranger turned their head,sizing him up with a look that felt like teeth sinking in.their shadow fell over him,like a tide. & then they grinned. Slow,wide,like someone who’d just been given a brand-new toy