Jack and Finlay

The beginning

The prison was quite possibly the most overbearing building in the whole town, with its hard stone walls, and big brown doors accompanied by steel bars, to stop anyone from getting free. Locals walking past would shudder as this was the place home to some of the most dangerous criminals from pedophiles to murderers. Sure enough, it was the place where Caleb Taylor had spent the past seven years, after he cruelly took two girls from their Mother. Today was the day he would be set free, given a new identity and escorted to a different town, whereby he could be an ordinary 26 year old. 

"So Caleb, how are you feeling?" a blonde woman with her hair scraped back, wearing a white doctors coat, asked, as she carefully and often took notes on her session with the alleged criminal. On her coat, her name badge read, Tiffany Carter, psychologist. Tiffany had been working with Caleb and helping him through the past seven years, trying to get to the bottom of why he did what he did. Caleb twiddled his thumbs before looking up and making eye contact with the psychologist,

"I am finally getting out of this hell hole," he replied in a monotonous tone, the scowl slowly fading from his youthful face, as his blue eyes stared right back at the woman, he had slowly fallen in love with over the years; "And how does that make you feel Caleb?" Tiffany smiled, fiddling with her wedding ring, self consciously reminding the young man of her relationship status. "Happy to be free, but sad that I am leaving some people behind." Caleb muttered, hiding his feelings of panic and anxiety at actually been free and not knowing what to do. Tiffany swallowed, "Its good to hear that you have been able to develop some relationships  while you have been here, it can't have been easy." Caleb's scowl reappeared, before he moved his chair closer to the 32 year old. 

"I'd like to believe that they aren't just friends that I have made." Caleb smiled placing his hand on the woman's knee. Tiffany looked down at where Caleb's hand was placed, she put her hand over his, 

"No, Caleb. I am a married woman and cannot be with you." she said, trying to let him down gently, knowing that it was highly likely that it was rejection and his temper that led him to this place to start off with. Caleb rose from his chair and rubbed his hands over his face, walking over to the window and looking out at the place of restriction; the bars and knowing there was a world beyond it, but he couldn't help wanting what was in the place, and right behind him. He felt Tiffany standing behind him, he could smell her perfume, "You see, what is out there is freedom and opportunity to meet someone else." she whispered, placing her hand on his shoulder, Caleb swiveled round and came face to face with Tiffany, "Tiff I understand that you are married, but you can't deny you have feelings for me, I know you do. We can be together, your husband doesn't have to know." Caleb swallowed hard, looking deeply into this beautiful woman's eyes, thinking that was her only concern, it had never occurred to him until that very moment when she looked back at him, that she actually had children. It had never been a topic they had discussed, she never gave the impression that she was a Mother, obviously disgusted with what he was in there for. 

"You have children, don't you Tiff?" He asked, tears evidently building up as he could now understand why she wouldn't even give him a chance, was because she saw him as this monster who would harm her child. Tiffany glanced up at him, with tears forming in her eyes, and she looked at this broken man in front of her and came to the decision to answer truthfully, as after all this time she didn't believe that he was a risk to her own daughter, who had just turned 3 at the weekend. Tiffany just simply nodded in response, 

"And that's why you won't be with me? Come on Tiff you know my case inside out, you know ME, you have to believe I did not hurt those girls." Caleb insisted, now to the point where tears were rolling down his cheeks, and his eyes went wide at the realization of what he had just said and he clasped a hand to his mouth, "I shouldn't have said that, Dad will be so mad..."  Caleb mumbled, before he became completely unaware of his surroundings...