UNDEFILED

Chapter Four

Song - "Anathema" by twenty one pilots

Trigger warning
- self deprecation/loathing
- schizophrenia
And actually I'm just gonna say this applies to the rest of the book. I'll still warn y'all ahead of time for other trigger warnings, such as self harm or suicide, but for now, I'm gonna say these apply to the entire book.

Please stay safe, and stay alive |-/

x Laura

Hypatia's POV

Tyler sighs heavily in front of me, avoiding all eye contact with me. I'm about to speak up when the door to my cell is opened and an orange jumpsuit is thrown inside.

"Put it on," the man barks at me gruffly. I raise an eyebrow.

"In here? Seriously?" I ask, rolling my eyes. "You realize that my hands are chained to the wall, right?"

His face scrunched up in confusion until realization passes across his features.

"Fine. Come with me."

"Undo my chains, and maybe I'll be able to get out of my cell." From my left, Tyler snorts, failing to stifle his laugh.

~~~

"Ah, it looks like you're one of us!" Tyler smiles as I'm led back into my cell.

"Who else are you talking about? It's just us down here, y'know," I reply, giving him a look.

He rolls his eyes in response. "It's an expression."

I roll my eyes at him back. He laughs, a higher pitched laugh than most guys. Come to think of it, his voice isn't like anything I've ever really heard before.

Hey, who're you talking too? Karmin's voice booms in my head, interrupting my mini daydream.

"Who do you think, idiot?" I think back to him. I don't have to see Karmin to know that he's rolling his eyes at my sarcasm.

Hey, take it easy, girl. He's just curious, Julia scolds me. You know he's clueless.

"I know, I know, but still," I reply back in my mind. I rub my face with the palms of my hands, my handcuffs clinking as I move my arms. The bright orange jumpsuit is most definitely not designed for comfort, and the rough fabric rubs harshly against my skin whenever I move.

Well, that orange jumpsuit makes you look ugly as hell, Dorine adds kindly.

Eh, it's not that bad, Julia says nonchalantly. It could be worse.

I don't know about that. She's already ugly as it is, Karmin's voice again crumbles any nonexistent confidence that I could've had.

"Stop it, just, stop, okay?" I say aloud on accident. I can hear Dorine and Karmin snickering as Tyler looks over at me, confused.

"Sorry, it's just, y'know, voices," I explain quickly, my face bright red.

"Oh, i-it's fine," he reassures me quietly. "C-can I help you, in any way? I mean, I obviously don't have schizophrenia, but I'm practically insane and there's some things that help me I guess and-"

"Tyler, Tyler, it's fine." Once I'm no longer in complete shock that he just offered to help me, of all people, I jump at the chance to get him to stop worrying.