Claws

Prologue

      It's hard, being strange. I took the food from Gary, quietly thanking him.

"It's okay. I know that the one old guy was being mean to you yesterday. You don't need to deal with that. Especially so soon after..." Gary trails off.

"It's okay- I mean, it's not like I knew her, or anything."

"Please. You stayed in your room for three days after it happened. With your dad, it was different. But nobody expected this from your mom."

"She was insane. You couldn't predict what she would do."

"Everyone here is insane." Gary points out. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring this up. Do you want a book?"

"Sure! Which one?" I say, perking up.

"Rapunzel. I also brought Sleeping Beauty again." He reaches into the small bag he keeps at his side, pulling out both books.

"I'll take both. And thank you for bringing me my lunch." It's still hot, and smells delicious. Gary laughs.

"Hey, no problem. I'm sure any guard would have done the same."

"Only you, you big goofball. I'll see you around!"

"You just try getting rid of me." He laughs. "Bye!" He then closes the door, and I go over to the wooden bench and sit down. I look over the walls, which still have evidence of padding long gone on them. I open Rapunzel, one of my favorites. Her situation is similar to mine, though still exceedingly different.

I take another bite of the hot cafeteria lunch. I'm not sure having a cafeteria was the best choice, but people go more insane without social interaction, so whatever. At least the guards here talk to me. And three even look after me pretty closely. Gary, Louis, and Carl all have a particularly soft spot for me. I'm kind of unique.

That doesn't mean that the other guards aren't mean sometimes. Some of them have trouble getting over appearances. And I've heard them talking about how they think I'm nocturnal, or eat mice occasionally. I don't.

I take another bite, not really paying attention to the book. I think back to what Gary said earlier, how it wasn't the same for my father. I remember that, how detached I felt. I was only six, but I remember my mom was in agony. I just couldn't fathom being that sad over an old, blond tabby cat. I think I distanced from my mom that day. I always knew she was insane, but that was the first day she really looked it.

I push a strand of curly hair out of my face, my hand brushing my silky-soft ear as it passes. I bend the tip, thinking about how strange I really am. So strange, and only ten. Just a girl, living in the ashamed shadows of the insane asylum, with only three people left to care. What a strange existence.

Though, unlike most people here, I don't live in a padded room. I don't require extra caution from the guards, even though I do have extra privileges. I'm one of the few people here with access to sharp objects. Not that I could get rid of them if I tried.

Retractable claws are difficult like that.