mindset

oliver

oliver is the one that offers to bring shae to her dreamspace.

she doesn't know what to expect but she doesn't expect a giant library. well, it's not a library, not really. it's kind of like a big flat that is completely dedicated to books and reading. all the walls are shelves and there's a fireplace and chairs that shae just wants to curl up on and go to sleep in.

oliver lets her walk around it for a bit, watching as she runs her fingers over everything and reads some titles. he's never read anything in this place before. "so you like it, then?"

she looks over her shoulder and offers him the tiniest of smiles, and oliver can tell even that takes a lot of effort. "yeah. it's perfect."

"everything in this place is."

shae crosses her arms over her chest. "my brother's hair was dyed when... when it happened. why isn't it here?"

"everything's perfect," oliver repeats. "everything is new and clean and perfect. sometimes it takes longer, though. when eloise got here, her hair was brown. and now it's blonde again, because it's new and clean and perfect."

"how long have you been here, oliver?"

he forces himself to look at her, because he owes her that much. "four months."

"how do they keep us alive?"

he looks down, his fingers picking at a loose stitch in the fabric of the nearest chair. "they pump us with the chemicals we need to stay alive. that way, we're never conscious." he looks her. "we never fight them."