Insanity

Andre came down the hallway, his familiar footfalls echoing between the stone walls and inside Aurora's head, she didn't move from her cot.

"Hey there kiddo." He said brightly. She didn't respond.

"Aurora?" He said, concern seeping into his voice. She didn't respond.

"Claire? I think that Aurora shouldn't have to entertain any visitors tomorrow. She looks... ill..."

Aurora heard Claire's sharp little heels click on the linoleum floor as she went to Andre's side.

"I think you're right, Andre. I'll go make a note." Claire said, sticking around for only a moment longer before rushing back to the cubicle. Aurora was vaguely mystified... Claire rarely made notes...

She heard Andre walk closer to the cell.

"Hey, kiddo. Take it easy tonight and just tell me when you wanna talk." He whispered between the bars of her cell.

Aurora nodded a little, never facing him, face damp with drying tears. Andre stayed a little longer, offering a comforting presence to her. She wished that she could go to him and have him hold her like any brother would. She wished that he were truly her brother so that she would have someone to go to and rely on when she was finally released from this prison.

She knew that she would probably never get out while Damien was alive, and she always pretended that things were otherwise in her daydreams. She had to find a way to keep hope alive. Maybe one of these days, Charlie would come to his senses and stop covering for his friend. Maybe he would get angry with Damien or manage to scrape some crumb of remorse for keeping her here and let her go.

Maybe, maybe, maybe…

As pitiful as it was, that single word was all that kept her from falling into that eternal abyss of depression that loomed in her consciousness every waking hour of every damned day. Maybe was her salvation, her hope. Maybe was all she had left.