The one part of her day that Sophie loved most was probably when they actually let her go outside. Despite the chill that seemed to currently permeate the air, there was something about the feeling of sun on her skin that just made her feel more human. In a place that constantly seemed to try to beat you down and strip away your humanity at every turn, to shoehorn you into a perfect little package so that they could prescribe medication that rarely actually worked, something that reminded you who you were underneath it all was something that she desperately needed. For her, that meant the sun. This sun was the same one that her sister would see at Primrose, that her mother would see in Miami. Briefly, Sophie wondered if her mother even thought of her anymore; the troubled daughter with a penchant for starting trouble and an overactive imagination. She didn’t send letters, Sophie knew that much from all the times that she had sent them with no response that either her mother wasn’t receiving the letters, or… or that she had received them and had denounced her daughter altogether. Which would mean that Sophie was in here all alone, and the only people who probably still thought about her were her little sister Carissa, and the bastard that she had blinded in a satisfying moment of revenge.

It was a bleak outlook to have on life, but in a place like Monroeville it didn’t exactly feel out of the ordinary, either. After all, the place had a cruel, utilitarian look about it, and when you had been practically guaranteed a life sentence within its walls, well, you didn’t necessarily have a bright and sunny attitude about your future. Still, the fact that she could still get outdoors and feel the relative warmth of the sun on her face was enough to make her feel at least a little better. In some ways, it reminded her of home—the sweltering heat of Miami, Florida was caused by the same sun whose warmth she was trying to soak up now. It was a bit mindblowing to think about, but the more that she thought about it the more nostalgic she began to feel. She missed Miami. The sandy beaches, the crystalline ocean, the people and the perpetual scent of sunscreen that never seemed to fade, even in the off season. Above all, she missed the freedom of her hometown. No matter how much she tried not to think about it, those thoughts crept back in, and it always made her feel the same way.

Sophie blinked back the tears that had pooled in her eyes. She had spent too much of her life being sad already, no matter how much she missed the way her life had been before she had come here. She knew that she couldn’t change anything, and it wouldn’t make her feel better to reminisce about it So she buried the memories, crossed her arms over her chest, and started walking, humming along to an older Amy Winehouse song to herself as she did. However, when she saw another figure, she slowed and stopped humming. He looked familiar, like someone she’d seen around Monroeville but hadn’t actually talked to or interacted with. Not that that was surprising, outside the few people that she talked with regularly, she was considered pretty anti-social. As she took a step forward, meaning to say something so that she didn’t come across as the most creepy girl of all time—an accomplishment in this place—he spoke, and she stopped in her tracks.

His words were enough to make her laugh, and she tilted her head to the side as she watched the realization dawn on his face. She was not an orderly, or a headshrink, but a fellow patient, which she supposed could present its own set of dangers. “Mm. Someone who likes to pounce on your ass, apparently.” Her eyes skated over his form, checking both for obvious signs of danger and just scanning over him. She flicked her eyes back up to his face, a smirk pulling at her lips. “At least they have good taste.” He looked her over, and Sophie was almost surprised to find that the feeling of disgust and discomfort that she so often felt when people looked at her like that was absent. Instead, a feeling of self-satisfaction welled in the pit of her stomach, and she knew that if there were a mirror around, she would be able to see a Cheshire cat grin stretched across her face even as she leaned against a tree very near where he was. “I’d hope not, I’m sure I’m a lot nicer than who you were expecting.”

For a moment, she held his eye contact, before breaking away to look at the steadily setting sun, desperate to feel the last few reaches of sun on her face and somewhat disappointed that the sun was already beginning to set. “I’d figure we have about… ten minutes before they come out and start rounding us up like cattle. Maybe less since I’m pretty sure they’re in a bad mood.” She knew they were, she’d been the one to put them into it by swapping the tags to patients’ rooms around before the morning med rounds. It was a minor-level prank, but there was something satisfying about being able to sit back and watch the chaos unfold as the staff scrambled, trying to figure out what patient order was the right one so that all the right people got the right medication. For someone whose days had fallen into the dullest monotony imaginable, it was immensely amusing. “I’m Sophie, by the way.” She looked back over to him, already waiting to hear the unmistakable fall of mass produced boots that all the orderlies seemed to wear.

Sophie had a pretty typical life before she had gone to Primrose Academy. She had loving parents, a sister who was practically joined at her hip, she had friends, she had voice lessons, she had a future that didn’t involve padded rooms and medication that she didn’t even need. Everything seemed so bright, she was even going to be getting an education in both ehr abilities and actual school work at a place that was considered one of the most elite institutions in the country. With that, she would be able to do anything she wanted, and the resources at her fingertips were limitless. At the time, she had been ready and willing to do whatever she could with them, but she hadn’t been anticipating getting on the wrong side of someone who had the power to lock her away through the power of his father. If she ever did get out, one thing was for sure: she would have a lot to catch up on. She missed education. Actual, formal, education that involved research and work in an environment that she could do both of those things in without being watched too much like a hawk. Honestly, she missed everything about the life she used to have. It wasn’t fair, the way that her life had turned out, and if there was one person who knew that, it was her.

She had, however, found a way to fit in here. Despite her somewhat anti-social behavior, Sophie had long since carved out her own little niche in Monroeville’s own little society, and she had found a way to thrive in spite of the people who put her in here to break her. Of course, once the realization that she was never going to get out of here had sunk in, well, she had stopped caring about being the model little prisoner and started giving orderlies and psychiatrists utter hell, because quite frankly, what did she have to lose? Her life? What kind of future did she have anyways? So far, they had just made her suffer through solitary; a few days in a dark hole of a room that smelled too much like bleach and cut her off from the rest of the hospital. To be honest, sometimes she mouthed off and went there when the world got to be too much for her, or when she needed to sort out her own head before facing any of her friends. She knew that the intent wasn’t for it to be more peaceful than the rest of the hospital, but she had never really seen the punishment side of solitary confinement. Not that she remembered, anyways.

Sophie watched as the man before her looked her over, her green eyes traveled over his features as well. The dark green eyes that seemed to have an inherent sparkle of mischief that this place hadn’t robbed yet, the dark and shaggy hair, the jawline that could cut glass. There was no denying that he was attractive, and had she not cared about seeming weird or unnatural, she would happily keep looking him over. As it was, they were currently sitting outside of a mental hospital, and she had been spotted, so there was really no avoiding conversation.

“Gotta say, you’re not so bad yourself.” Sophie looked down at his hand for a moment, wondering what kind of power he had. In a place like this, you learned to be careful about whose hand you took and what it might mean. Still, Mason didn’t seem the type, and she slide her hand into his, flicking her eyes to look back up at him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mason.” A pleasantry left over from her childhood, but this time it was one that she actually meant. There weren’t many people that she could say it was a pleasure to meet in Monroeville, but truth be told? It seemed like Mason was at least one of the relatively normal ones. Not everybody here had that same little quality.

“Weeeell,” Sophie looked back towards the building, as if keeping an eye out for familiar uniforms and utilitarian boots clomping their way through the slight undergrowth. “I don’t know about tonight, but this morning I heard someone switched around all the name tags to the rooms right before med distribution.” She gave him a sweet little smile, blinking, and generally appeared to be the picture of innocence. Which, of course, meant that she was not at all innocent in any way. Granted, the fact that he had a devilish little grin of his own was enough to pique her curiosity, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he liked raising hell as much as she did.

His next question was enough to make her pause for a moment, and she tucked her bottom lip in, rolling it between her teeth as she thought of how exactly to answer. “You… might want to be careful who you ask that question, sweetheart,” was ultimately what she offered up, before continuing on. “You might not want to hear the answer. I’ve heard some brutal shit that way.” Any traces of deliberation were gone, and she lifted her shoulders up in a careless shrug. “I blinded a guy when I was fifteen,” flashes of her waking up, laying on the floor of his bedroom, a trail of dried blood trailing from her nostril as she listened to him scream, filled her head. “I’ve been locked up in here ever since… it’ll be four years in two days, actually.” Reaching up, she crossed her arms over her chest, leaning a bit more fully against the tree. “What about you, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome? What’d you do to lose your freedom?”

Sophie didn’t belong here and she knew it. Sure, she had blinded a guy, but the memory of everything that had come before that was so ingrained in her mind that it was like it was etched into her eyelids. She would never forget it, and she would never apologize for doing whatever it took to keep herself safe, even if it meant hurting someone else. Which, she supposed, was part of the reason that she was still stuck here. She refused to proclaim her guilt, which meant that she couldn’t walk out of the utilitarian doors that protected the rest of the world from the supposedly dangerous and criminal patients. For her, it was a pride thing. She had ended up in this place because people called her a liar, and she was not about to prove them right, especially since there was no guarantee of her being released after that fact.

So instead, she made the most of her time. She let herself get to know a few other people. She read the books in the library, any that she could get her hands on before a nosy orderly came and kicked her out. Sure, she hadn’t made a lot of close friendships in her time, but she supposed that was due in part to the fact that she was… more than a little standoffish. Making friends wasn’t her forte, and she didn’t really care that it wasn’t. After all, trying to make friends and fit in was part of what had gotten her into this mess, and the last thing that she wanted was another one. Or worse, getting shipped out somewhere else, somewhere where she couldn’t see her little sister. Somewhere where she was at the bottom of the food chain with a much wider, and much more dangerous, population. She didn’t even know if a place like that existed, but she wasn’t going to take her chances, either.

Sophie watched, her head tilted slightly to the side as Mason’s eyes flashed from their own deep green color to one that matched hers. It was strange, seeing her eyes in someone else’s face; it wasn’t even something that had happened with her sister. Hearing her name on his lips sent that smirk a little wider, and she held onto his hand probably a little longer than necessary, already relishing the feeling of that touch. It was something that she had neglected for so long, and it was something that she hadn’t anticipated enjoying at all.

“Hmm, does that mean you’re going to worship me?” The innuendo was accompanied by a wink, and she could already feel herself slipping into… somewhat dangerous territory. He was fun to flirt with, and she hadn’t been utterly repelled by touching him, but the second that he was in charge, that his hands touched her waist or, god forbid, anywhere else, would their interaction take a turn for the worse? There was so much that she didn’t know about the situation, so much that she couldn’t tell, and it was the unknown factor of it that always scared her. She knew nothing about this boy, nothing that spoke to his character or what kind of person he was, and she had no idea if he was anything like… him.

“Fair enough. I’ve met people who have done some pretty awful things in here, but they were either well deserved or… accidental.” In her eyes, that made things a little better. Their abilities could be dangerous in their own right, especially if they were the only gifted people in their family, and that was something that had consequences and slip ups sometimes. “Yeah. He definitely did.” A hint of bitterness, the only hangover from the rage and the terror that she had felt when she was trying to get him off of her, crept into her voice, but she shook it off, keeping the soft smile on her face. He hadn’t done anything to show her that he was a bad person yet, he didn’t need to see that side of her. She felt the pressure in her hand, and when she glanced down, she turned a bit pink when she realized that her hand was in his again, and she returned the gesture, already feeling a warmth spreading through her that was entirely unlike anything else she had experienced in this… place.

“Four years too long if you ask me.” She laughed, noting that he had been here for about half the time he had. Again, her curiosity was piqued, and she wondered what he had done to land himself in here. He was a skinwalker, that much was clear, but she had met plenty of those in her time, and not all of them had ended up locked within the ancient looking gates that kept them safely away from the normal part of the world. “Shit, for real?” She arched her eyebrows, looking him over again. He didn’t seem the type to rob a bank, but appearances could be deceiving. “What a way to go. Did they tell you how long you’re in here for?”

Sophie was conscious of the sun slowly slipping towards the horizon line, and just once she wished that she had time manipulation. That way, she might be able to pause the moment that the two of them were spending together, elongate it… make it last just a little longer so she could dwell here. In this moment, it was like Monroeville didn’t exist. It was like the world had narrowed to the two of them, and everything was so simple, so natural. She hated the expression, because she had always thought that it was cliche and overdone, but it really was as easy as breathing, which was not something that she had expected. From the moment of The Incident, she hadn’t trusted someone this easily, and she wasn’t sure if it was because of who she was talking to or because she was desperate to stay outside as long as possible, but she found herself trusting this man in front of her. No, Mason. Already the name was attached to feelings of warmth and comfort, and they had only known each other for a few minutes. Not that she was all that surprised, comfort and attachment came quick in Monroeville; it had to. You had to find your people in a place like this, or you would drown alone. For a long time, Sophie had done just that… but she was getting better. Maybe.

Mason’s words were anything but innocent, but the innuendo didn’t scare her. If there was one thing that this place had taught her, it was that most of the guys in here were all talk, and even if they weren’t, it wasn’t something she should be afraid of so long as all parties involved wanted the same thing. She was still working on that part, and it was harder for her than she made it seem, but talking like this wasn’t making her skin crawl, so she took it as a good sign. That was largely the reason that she took a step closer, tiling her head to the side. “That a promise?” She could feel the tension tightening between them, coming ever closer to snapping completely the longer that they stood there together. Still, she made no move to step back. She liked this feeling. She wanted this feeling. His fingers laced with hers, and that signature smirk of hers widened enough to look like a proper smile. Something in her soared, making her feel light and sweet, almost like nothing bad could ever happen to her again.

Almost.

The reality of where they were kicked in again. “Well-deserved, definitely.” A bitter taste settled in her mouth as the memory of what had happened to her came alive. Sophie rubbed the hand that Mason wasn’t holding over her arm, as if catching the chill in the air for the first time since coming outside. He spoke again, and she couldn’t help but shoot him a small, sad smile, wondering if he’d still believe that if he’d been around at the time. If he’d heard the things that people had said about her. Obsessive. Dangerous. Crazy. Deranged. The accusations had turned her own parents against her, what would they do to a boy she had just met? “The only people who seem to believe that are locked up in here with me.” She couldn’t even be sure if she had said the words out loud or not, she was too wrapped up in her own memories.

Sophie shook her head, snapping herself out of it, her smirk sliding back into place as she wiped all traces of the sadness off her face. What was wrong with her? She was standing there, holding hands with a cute boy who was—as far as she could tell—flirting with her, and she was too wrapped up in her own head to even enjoy it. His chuckle, however, brought hers out, and the normalcy was somewhat restored. “You’re right there. Thought I was going to lose it my first day in here.” However, finding out that he was also a liver made the whole thing feel a little more somber, if hopeful on some level. As terrible as she knew that it sounded, if they were both in for life, then at least they might have company in each other. “I’m sorry, that’s shit.” She stated simply, knowing perfectly well that would probably offer no comfort whatsoever. She had never been good at this part, at comforting other people. But she did gently squeeze his hand, as if reminding him that she was there, that she would be with him and help as much as she could.

“Me? Well,” she bit down on her lip, trying to think of how exactly to phrase what she was about to say. “The guy I blinded? He has a really rich dad, rich enough to pay off one of his friends to say he saw everything, and to say I was the attacker instead of the victim.” She swallowed hard, all the memories bubbling back to the surface. “It wasn’t hard to run a smear campaign after that. Most of the people who know about the whole thing thing I’m as dangerous as a rabid dog now. Parents included.” With a sigh, Sophie’s shoulders fell as her head tilted forward. No matter how strong she tried to be, this place had beaten her down, and occasionally she felt the hopelessness wash over her again. “Unless something really drastic happens, I’ll be stuck in here for the rest of my life. While the assholes responsible thrive out there.” For a moment, she said nothing at all, and then she heard the crunch of dead foliage under boots. “Looks like our taste of freedom might be over, sweetheart.” Despite the honest and somber nature of the moment just behind them, that mischievous smirk was still on her face. “Are we going to go quietly, or are we going to make it interesting?”

There was a lot that Sophie didn’t like about Monroeville. Of course there was the obvious; the fact that they were all literally forced to be there, and that those ugly, wrought-iron gates were hell-bent on making sure that they stayed right where they were. However, one of the other problems that she had with the place was that everybody was really close with one another, proximity wise. Sure, she had her own room, but at any given time there were a lot of people that she could come into physical contact with on a regular basis, and that? That was not something that she did well with. She just had some… issues with the actual act of physically touching other people, something that had very deep roots in her psyche, linked to the very event that had landed her in here four years ago. It was strange how the very thing that made her want to shy away from anybody touching or loving her ever again had been the catalyst for her getting thrown into the very place where she expected that to never ever happen.

And yet, there was the soft pressure of Mason’s hand in hers that was making her feel light, and the lips that so frequently twisted themselves into a sneer or a smirk were stretched into a smile that she hadn’t felt herself wearing in a very, very long time. He was handsome, he was sweet, and she knew in that moment that they were headed towards something greater. At least, she hoped they were, because she wasn’t entirely sure that she could handle it well if they weren’t. “They are, I know that just as well as anybody.” Her smile faded slightly, looking wistful. She wished that things were different, that she was back at Primrose, hanging out with Lyric and her cousin Naomi, that a pudding cup was something that she ate at lunch without a second thought before tossing it in the trash and never thinking about it again. Instead, they were a rare treat, a bright spot in the neverending parade of monotonous days. At the same time, if she were living that life, a life where she hadn’t been wrongly accused of attacking her attacker and locked up in a literal insane asylum, then she wouldn’t have met Mason. In fact, she would probably be dating some fucked up trust fund baby who had way too many girls on the line and loved making her feel like shit. So maybe that life wasn’t what she had been cut out for, after all.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re a threat to anything.” Sophie trailed her thumb lightly over the side of his hand, not knowing if she was providing comfort or making a mockery of his reality. She wished that she was surprised that his parents had changed their ways following their son’s arrest, but she had experienced the way that parents could be from her own situation, and she knew that they liked the status quo. And now? They were content to pretend their daughter didn’t exist. They didn’t visit, they didn’t write, and as far as she knew, they didn’t ask Penny how she was doing. Her friend’s parents had asked after her more than her own parents did, and that stung more than anything else.

Mason’s arms wrapped around her, and for a moment, Sophie froze. She wasn’t… quite sure how to respond. When was the last time that someone had hugged her that wasn’t her sister? She couldn’t really remember, but it had been a good, long time. She reached forward, wrapping her arms around his waist and sinking into the embrace that she hadn’t known that she had even wanted. It felt good to be comforted, to be cared about by someone who didn’t want to know her because she was beneficial to him. In that moment, despite every other circumstance she had with any man ever, Sophie knew that she trusted Mason with her life, and she hoped that he trusted her too. A smile crept to her lips as he spoke, and she chuckled, her shoulders shaking as she relaxed against him. “If you’re here with me, it definitely won’t be all that bad.” It would still suck, she would still be locked up, but at least she would have Mason in her life to make her smile… and to pull pranks with her, which was an essential part of all of it.

She wanted to speak, to give him some kind of remark to the effect of “I knew I liked you for a reason”, but the second that his lips touched her cheek, her mind went blank. Immediately, she flushed, her lips parting as she looked up at him. It was such a simple gesture, but it had rocked her, and she brought a hand up to her cheek, brushing her fingers over where his lips had touched as if she could press the memory of them into her skin. The final word sank in, and she grinned. “See you in solitary, sweetheart.” She winked at him and turned, running away from the sound of boots on dying foliage, but also away from Mason. She knew without a doubt that she was slower, the easier target, and the one they would want to round up after all the hell she had caused, both today and in the last four years she had spent here. There was no need to drag Mason down with her. But as she ran, she felt more light and free than any day that she had spent outside the gates, and it was that feeling that she chased as she wound her way around the grounds of Monroeville Hospital.