Emerging from the Ashes (Open)

[Lenore Sinclair]

She sat with her back against the wall in a corner she designated as her sleeping area. Her pale skin was covered in scars since she would not let the leech bites heal on their own. Besides, she wanted to have a reminder of her lowest moment so as to never make the same mistakes again.

Lenore stared at the door, wondering if the chasers would forget to feed her again. As a result of this repeated forgetfulness, she'd taken to hoarding some of the dry food. The trick was to eat it before it began to rot if there wasn't already mold on it.

"I wonder how much of the Asylum has changed without me," the dark-haired girl mused out loud to her jackal friend. He seemed to have changed as well. Mr. Jackal had become as tall as the doctor Bramsfield and was extremely well-muscled. His teeth were sharper but his pupil-less eyes troubled her more.

"I'm sure it's changed plenty, Lenore. People come, people die. The Asylum has moved on without us."

"Maybe it's been a month and we'll be released today. I miss Rose... I hope she's okay. I hope she hasn't died."

"You'll find out eventually. If she's died, you'll find out in the most terrible way possible, I'm sure."

"Most likely. A final punishment," she replied as she continued to eye the door that separated her from the rest of this twisted world.

[Amelia Jacobson]

Amelia crept down from the Dining Hall in the recesses of the shadows, passing along tunnels and hallways that grew steadily colder. The Chasers should have been lurking about to seize and stop her from wandering. Many of them were nowhere to be found. The hour was late and if the Chasers and physicians hadn't taken an inmate to fuck then they had snaked away for a drink. That was why she had taken the opportunity to steal food for the worst of the girls.

The paper-wrapped parcels were snug against the insides of her stockings and concealed beneath her shift. Treading lightly, Amelia ghosted through Ward B without a sound, slipping bits of bread and a rare slice of meat or cake through the bars. She was nimble enough to where she could wriggle to get to the inmates that were chained to the walls. She passed cell after cell like this, stopping at last at the padded one that would be the most difficult to penetrate.

Amelia could not be sure whether anyone was inside. Moreover, she could not be sure that anyone inside was still alive. Taking a deep breath, Amelia took a chance and knocked three times softly against the door of the cell. Her brown eyes darted quickly back and forth to make sure that no one was coming. "Hello?" she whispered.

[Lenore Sinclair]

"Knocking... someone has remembered I exist, Mr. Jackal!"

"So someone has. They're friendly. Chasers and doctors don't believe in knocking."

Weakly standing up, Lenore made her way to the door. Her stiff joints protested but she had to find out who her mysterious visitor was. Leaning against the doorjamb, the dark-haired girl whispered back.

"I am here and I am alive... who are you? Why have you come to me?"

She knew she shouldn't bombard her visitor with questions, but she was overflowing with them. She'd become a flame that unexpectedly rekindled. It felt as though aeons and aeons passed her by. Lenore hoped her visitor would have enough time to brief her with the Asylum going-on's and maybe give her news about Rosemary.

[Amelia Jacobson]

Amelia jumped slightly at the quiet voice that answered her. Someone was inside! Poor thing... She couldn't imagine. She had to help. It wasn't an option anymore.

"My name is Amelia, from Ward A." God, when had it become normal for one's address to be a cell number? Amelia shook her head. She still couldn't see beyond the door and this was a problem. Could she pick the lock somehow?

"I filched some food from the Dining Hall and came to try to feed some of the wretches that the damned attendants forget in Ward B. I did not know if anyone was trapped in here or not, but reasoned to check. Who are you? Are you alright?" It was a stupid question. Of course she wasn't alright. She was alive, at least. Maybe if they worked together they could find a way to either break her out or get the food inside.