Asylum (Mcr Fic)

Luck

"You let a random person take a picture of you?"

"Yeah."

Tyler shakes his head. "Seven what possessed you to think that would be a good idea?"

"Back at the hospital that was how it worked-" I start to defend myself but it seems that Tyler doesnt want to hear it.

"Of course, you dont know. Thats true. When did this happen?"

"Wednesday."

He nods and runs a hand through his hair. Its Saturday now and I hadnt considered much of it until this morning. I guess it was pretty dumb as it is technically a job opportunity. Tyler himself got a job at a restaurant bussing tables just a few days ago. I havent called back yet about the card, still jobless.

The lady gave me a card with numbers on it and told me to call her in a few days. She wanted my numbers but I dont have any. I almost forgot but then I saw the card on the table.

Tyler takes the card from my hand and calls the number on the flats phone.

"Hello?" He talks into it. "Yeah, its S- uh- Mayas brother. Maya was in a lingerie shop on Wednesday at midday when you took photos of her and gave her this card? New Jersey... No, no, I just wanted to check it was legit..."

He paces around the room, listening and then replying for a solid few minutes. I pull myself up onto the countertop, just blinking at him. He seems like he knows what he is doing so I let my brain think of other things.

"Seriously? I cant belie- no she doesnt... Yes you can... 42 West Street... Okay thank you."

He hangs up and leans on the counter, slightly confused and shocked.

"So?" I ask. "What did they want?"

"People are coming at 6 to measure you and set up some promo shots. Also theres a contract we have to sign. Youve been scouted."

I have no idea what that means but by the look on his face it must be big.

"In other words I may as well quit my job now!"

What? I assume it means big money. I jump off of the counter and stand motionless, waiting for him to explain further, his mind just skips through.

"Oh, also, I accidentally gave you a name without asking you, so hello Maya S."

"Maya S?"

"S stands for Seven."

I laugh at that.

"Just about that, though. You are 21, moved from Ohio with me, no parents..."

"How do I explain that?"

"Ohio disaster in 2012."

"Right..."

"Many died, our parents included, blah blah blah, go over the top and theyll shut up."

"Is that fai-"

"Yes. If anyone asks why you are so weird, say you were mormon- wait no- better yet- Amish." Tyler is walking back and forth nodding.

"Im weird?"

"Sheltered. Youre sheltered." He stops walking and faces me.

/////

I have a shower and try to look pretty but Im not sure what they want from me. I sigh at myself in the mirror, looking at how scars snake around my sides.

There is a knock at the door.

"Fuck! Its six..." Tyler yells from the kitchen and I pull a top on, rushing to meet Tyler at the door.

He opens the door with a smile and lets people in. By people I mean twelve people file into the room and start setting up without saying much. The person from Wednesday, the only one I recognised, talks to me so fast I can barely compute whats going on.

I tell her what Tyler told me to and things progress. They take pictures of me and teach me things I have no idea about. The lady hands me a bunch of magazines at the end of the evening, telling me to copy them. To ensure success I have to be like them...

Over the next weeks it becomes easier to do what they want and it gets more enjoyable. Its still endlessly confusing why they want to continuously take photos of me in compromising positions holding bottles and wearing weird brands but I get used to it. I even start to learn what its all about, whilst getting a nice and meaty cheque each time.

Sometimes I come home in the evening and Tyler is talking to himself in the corner of the room with tears on his face. Sometimes its the other way around. Im not sure we know how to live like normal people, but we are trying.

Within a few months we seem to have settled down as brother and sister and I start to forget about before. Maybe I just push it into the back of my head. I move on from the asylum, neither Tyler or myself bring it up. I push everything and everyone from over a couple of months ago out of my mind. I get a phone, I get social media, I become one of the people.

We finally escaped it, right?

I am reborn, I am a new person.