CAPTIVITY
A small figure stood in the corner of the small room, everyone else in the center, barely noticing her. She noticed them though; she saw everything about them, even more than she wanted.
Look at that retarded girl, just standing in the corner, probably pissing herself- oh god, please don't piss. I really don't feel like cleaning it up...
Her eyes darted around, trying to find where the voice came from. It took her only a moment to find the person, seeing the guard shift slightly and cough quietly. As she looked on, watching him closely, she heard the voice again, and he looked at her uneasily. What she heard she didn't like. He was mean, an oaf, someone that shouldn't be there in the room with her. At first she was wondering why nobody had noticed that he was saying such things, but then she remembered; the voice. It was in her head, and had been since she was a little girl, even younger than the seven years old she was then. Through the years it had kept her company, showing her the other sides of people. Being so young, she didn't understand that she was hearing other's thoughts, and she assumed that the voice in her head was telling her what they meant to say. She thought that her invisible friend within her was explaining who the others were. It wasn't quite true, but at least she had come to terms with the fact that she was different. At such a young age she didn't exactly get why her mother thought her own daughter was insane.
As she closed her eyes, she let go of her focus and let the voice talk to her; it obviously wanted to. So she stood, stock still, and absorbed everything that was being thrown at her. It was chaotic, and it was confusing, but within all of that she found the white noise. Her breath slowed as she allowed the sound to wash over. Even with her mother arguing and everyone staring at her either in pity or disgust, she was able to be at peace for a few seconds.
THE TRUTH
Again she stood.
Now nine, she knew who she was, she knew where she was, and she knew why. It frightened her, knowing that she could really tell what people were thinking without even talking to them. Violet, this young girl, didn't even need to look at a person, they just had to be close enough. Living in a mental hospital didn't exactly promote her enjoyment of her "powers". It wasn't as if they were newly found; she had just figured them out. And by just, it had only been the night before when everything was silent besides the thoughts of others. She had heard of these things from other people, and many of the nurses had said to their comrades she seemed like she knew exactly what they were thinking. This wasn't a good thing. She may have gathered the what, but not anything else, and she was scared to death of it. In her younger mind it was okay, an invisible friend, someone that directly told her what was going on; now it was just herself. The night before, while she was thinking, she had cried. It had been ten months since she had cried last. That wasn't because she was a cold person, but because that was when she was content in her "home". Now she was as uncomfortable as when she began. So she cried. Violet didn't have her mother to console her, didn't have a nurse that helped a sad girl in need; she only had herself and the voices she picked up. And she couldn't get rid of them. Only when she concentrated so hard she blacked out did the voices start to subside into the background.
So she kept straight and stiff, not wanting to do anything except focus on getting rid of what she had heard. Knowing that these other mentally unstable people had been thinking those things. A shiver raced down her spine and she felt her eyes swell again. So many people screaming in their minds, so many people thinking things that terrified her, so many other children that didn't understand a thing. Violet was trapped in a place where nobody could relate, and nobody would give her the leg room to even try to explain. Their only response was more medication and sleep, hoping that someday it would wear off. If she told anyone she was hearing their thoughts, she'd get shoved farther into the dark hole that was the hospital, and she didn't want that. She didn't want to be lost forever.
DECEPTION
It may not have been forever, but at seventeen, almost double the age she was when she found out what and who she really was, it felt like it. Years of training herself, of black outs, hospital visits, lies, and the rest of the red tape she had to run around. Until she was an adult the doctors didn't dare put her out in society, especially not alone, but because of her own cleverness, at eighteen she was going to be released and allowed to live her life. She hadn't been beyond the property since she was admitted, and she didn't know what would happen when she approached large masses of people, but she was determined, and was finally ready. Three days from her actual birthday, she had to take long sessions with her doctors, all to convince them that she was actually ready to go. If they made one little mistake, it could be hazardous to the patient and those around them. What they didn't know was that even if they did let her out and she collapsed from the burst of thoughts that were pushed onto her, nothing bad would happen. The biggest side affect would be a headache. Still, they didn't know that, and she had to lie for three more days.
Violet was staring at her doctor, Dr. Martins and he was staring back at her. Years and years of endless talking and evaluating hadn't brought them close in the least, but she still smiled. If he felt happy, then maybe she would. Or maybe he'd try and fake it and she'd see all the skepticism in his mind.
"Well, I see you're fine today."
Instead of relaxing at his sing-song tone, she clenched her jaw and her breath sped up. He wasn't thinking anything nice and kind. I've been seeing this girl for ten fucking years and I still can't get rid of her? What the fuck has Carl been up to for so long, and why the fuck should I care that she hears voices? Stupid bitch probably did this for fun; damn kids. Violet closed her eyes and let herself breath. If she lost her head she have snapped and caused a problem. At least he was all for releasing her. Dr. Martins was the more abrasive of her two doctors, Dr. Bateman, or Carl, was her other doctor, someone who was far kinder and was actually worried about her well-being. She liked Dr. Bateman. Nevertheless, she responded.
"Yeah, I'm actually wonderful. Three days until I'm an adult."
"Are you happy that you're getting out of here?" You'll probably be back here within the first week, probably cause me all sorts of trouble.
"Of course I am. I haven't seen much in real life and I've had those books instead. I'm thinking looking at things in person is going to be much more exciting. Maybe I'll convince my mother to let me go to France. The eiffel tower looks gorgeous."
Knowing how much this damn place costs, you'll probably be in with your mom for the rest of your damn life. "It is." Poor Violet.
"You've seen it?"
I may not be extremely rich, but working here does bring in the cash, otherwise I'd be working as a marriage counsellor. Maybe I'll do that anyway... "Yes, just two years ago, actually. That's why I was gone for a little bit, remember?" You must be dumb too.
"Oh, of course."
Stupid girl. Even over ten years I think you're mentally retarded. At least you're not deadly, because now I can get rid of you. "Well, enough of this chit-chat. Let's get down to brass tacks so we can get you out of here on your birthday."
Despite his smiling voice and mouth, Violet couldn't help but feel her stomach churn horribly.
DISCOVERIES
Violet sat in a bar, relaxed and happy, listening to the mix of music and thoughts of the people surrounding her. Most of the time she cut out almost all their thoughts, but every once in a while she liked to let them file in. It gave her all the information about the people around her without turning around. So when someone sat by her twenty year old self without her hearing them come, she jumped.
Her drink went flying, the glass shattering on the bar and falling onto the ground, her arm catching the edge of it and half falling onto the ground. It took her what seemed like hours to get her head back on straight. Like someone discovering that they can hear thoughts for the first time, the absence of this man's spooked her. She felt her body contract in uncomfortable ways; he made her extremely uneasy. After the initial shock of her clumsiness and she had regained her thoughts, just barely keeping the others' away, she remembered that glass cut skin. Blood was dripping from her arm and her side where it had bit into her. She was sure the glass was still stuck, keeping most of the blood from bursting out, but it hurt so badly she wanted to rip them all out. Then she saw the face of the man above her. He was fairly beautiful, but handsome. A chiseled face and a glow that only a woman would have, she smirked at him. He didn't seem to notice her though; just the blood that was pooling around her. For long moments they stayed where they were and stared. It was as if it was more silent than she had ever been. Not hearing a person's thoughts even though she wanted to was something new, and it made her dumbfounded. The whole time they were next to each other he didn't make eye contact, and after less than a minute he simply turned and left. Violet would never see him again.
As a few people around her helped her up and eventually into the ambulance, until she fell asleep she thought of him- not his face, but his silence.
SELF
As with every life, there are lulls. And while Violet had her exciting moments during the next four or five years, it was spread across a vast sea of boredom. She went from job to job, trying to maintain a lifestyle that was normal, but not really finding it. When she had moved she assumed that life would feel like it fit, and all she got was an itch to move again and again. She had lived in California for months, basically disowned by her parents, and worked every job she could find. Sure, she may have met a few celebrities, but to her that was nothing. Inside the hospital she was desensitized to fame, thinking for the longest time that she was going to be there until she was too old to live on her own anyway. The only thing that really stuck in her mind, the only thing that mattered, was that she discovered who that man was in the bar. At the age of twenty two she had met a few others that she couldn't read and decided to befriend one. Violet did, and she learned, through snooping and strategic guessing, deducted that she was friends with a vampire. Unlike all of her other big hits in life, this one was rather small. Media and the culture she had adapted to made it easier to believe and accept. That didn't stop her from picking up all of her things and moving, of course. There was too much lore about how dangerous vampires were, and with the "loss" of her ability with them, she wasn't comfortable staying that close. That's how she ended up back, close to her home town.
The moment she arrived back, she applied for work at a popular place called O'Leary's. Of course, it wasn't only that it was popular that attracted her, but the man himself, Lucas. He had different thoughts that most people, and she always caught strange snippets of things that didn't make sense.
After befriending a vampire, she felt rather ambitious and asked for a job and got one. Then she worked. Nights and sometimes days she was there, working and developing a friendship with her boss. At the beginning it was simply a fascination, but as time went on she could see the benefits of staying there even after a shift and even meeting up with Lucas after hours. They never did anything, though she knew that both of them wanted to, and the two of them simply became close. Then the day came that she found out that he was a shifter.
The shock was a little harsh as she had pretty much forgotten about why she wanted to be his friend in the first place. It had only been a little while, but still, she actually gasped when she let her curiosity get the best of her and peeped into his mind. Then she realized that, if someone like Lucas can be defined in popular culture as a monster, then vampires can be like him. Violet soon developed the viewpoint that no matter what a person was, that didn't dictate who they were.
Violet has continued to work at O'Leary's and has fallen in love with her life. There are times when she wants to just have complete silence, and there are times when she struggles a bit, but it's nothing more than a normal person would encounter. She has friends, she has what she could basically call family, and she's surviving. So far Lucas is the only one that knows about her own secret, but maybe with all of the others revealing themselves, she'll tell her friends. As always there's a catch; they wouldn't want to be around her, but that doesn't stop Violet from thinking about it. After all, even if she rarely uses her gift, that's all she really knows, are thoughts.
