Secrecy (Hosie)

Part 44: Guilt

About an hour later, Josie lies beside a sleeping Lizzie in the guest room of the Mikaelson Manor.

She hasn't had such luck in slipping into the peaceful abyss. Instead, she's wide awake, mind running like a freight train, staring up at a dark ceiling.

And she hates the fact that the one person who helps her relax is also the one person who she shouldn't want to be near right now, but she does. She wants the comfort and security that only comes with Hope's presence, her voice, her touch.

When several minutes go by, tossing and turning yet still finding no comfort, she groans softly and gets up from the bed. She exits the room and walks a little ways down the hall, seeing Hope's bedroom door is wide open, and a small light shines within. Hope must also be awake.

Josie gets close enough to the opened door to see Hope sitting up in bed, back leaning against the headboard and a book in her hands.
A collection of Shakespearean plays to be more specific.

Hope reads though Act 3 of Hamlet, trying to clear her own mind.

She reads over Hamlet's words to Ophelia:

"God has given you one face,
and you make yourself another."

A constant battle exists between these two halves of identity—who we truly are and who we pretend to be. And that battle is one which cannot be won.

Just as people say there are two sides to every story, there are also two sides to every individual. One which is revealed to the outside world, and another which is kept hidden inside.

This duality is governed by the equilibrium of light and darkness. Every person has the capacity for both good and evil, but some cheat the governing system, blurring the lines of morality. These individuals hold the highest power.

The Mikaelson's have certainly made a habit of blurring that moral dividing line. They sometimes do questionable things, but with honorable intentions.

Hope's family originally changed her identity to protect her, alone. But now, she continues to make that sacrifice of identity for something much bigger than herself; she does it for the people she loves, to protect them from the truth, to protect them from becoming yet another casualty of her existence.

But things are different now. Her enemies are using her loved ones as tools and weapons against her, trying to sway her to reveal the truth.

The danger of the known and the unknown are equal now, so is it really necessary for her to remain in the shadows?
But, if she chooses to step into the light, the supernatural world will erupt into chaos, her family's enemies will seek revenge on her, she will have to overcome her defensive habits of secrecy.

Maybe Josie was right, her dilution of the truth is compulsive now, she doesn't even have full control over her own truth.

What would Hope do if the little control that keeps her sane suddenly slips through her own fingers and into the hands of the supernatural community? All of her intentions and order would be rendered useless. The outcome would be unpredictable, but the one sure product of unveiling the truth would be devastation in its wake.

Hope's thoughts are suddenly disrupted by a soft knock. She looks over, surprised to see a hesitant Josie standing in her doorway, even more surprised that Josie wears her t-shirt still, but she doesn't address that,

"Hey, sorry, I saw that your light was on..."

Hope furrows her eyebrows, "No, it's—it's fine..." Hope's words fade as she sits up more and waits for Josie to voice what it is she wants or needs.