The Alliance

T H R E E

Awful. I want out. "Good."

"Great. I looked over your case Valerie and it seems to me you have a fascination with Supers." He squints at his binder, which must contain my "file".

What the-

"Is that something you think about often?" He asks directly, watching my every facial expression. I school my features into neutrality, afraid my face will give away how crazy I think he is.

"Not really." I can hear the question in my own statement but I am so lost as to why these people think I am here. I was taken against my will, not committed by a concerned family member.

"This is a safe place Valerie, I need you to be honest so I can better assist you in getting better." Getting better? That meant getting out. I had not planned on staying that long but I would do things his way if it equates to more freedom for me.

"Well, I was always fascinated with Supers," that was not a lie, "but what kid isn't right?"

He gives a nod, "it is incredibly common for children to fantasize about heroes and super beings, especially with them living on the other side of our country. What is concerning Valerie, is how you have hurt yourself believing you are one."

"I- What?" I cannot fake this one. I had no clue what he was talking about or what he thought I did. I could kill Krista! Bitch was probably laughing her bony butt off like this was the best pulled prank she had ever done. Only this was not a joke, and these people were very serious. If they believed I was a danger to myself, who knew how long it would take them to believe I was cured.

Dr. Yu sighs deeply, removing his glasses from his face. Heavy lines mar his forehead along with haggard laugh lines and dark circles under his eyes. He looked tired and withered. Much different from the Supers I was used to seeing. "Valerie, there is no reason to lie here. I can only help you if you are willing to help yourself."

I was dumbfounded. How did I act my way through this when I had no idea what my file even said about me? "I, um, I did not mean to." I pull my feet underneath me to keep from fidgeting through my lie. I hold his stare levelly, willing him to believe the words out of my mouth. "I got a little carried away. I know I am a human and that those are just fantasies." I give a cringeworthy smile and a sheepish shrug that says 'sometimes I do stupid things, what can I say? I'm blonde.'

He nods, his pen flying across the paper. "Here's the thing Valerie, I believe you understand the difference from reality versus fantasy." Hope blooms in my chest. "But," it deflates along with my smile, "we need to make sure you are in a healthy state of mind before you leave here. It's time to depart with those dreams and start embracing what is. So over your course of time here, we will be getting you on a schedule you can mimic in everyday life. In the mornings you will have breakfast, then it will be time for a therapy session host like this. We will discuss goals you set for yourself throughout your day and an overall goal you set out to achieve over your time here. Then it is free time, active therapy also known as gym, lunch, outside time, nap, journaling, free time, showers and bed."

My head was spinning with everything they will have me doing. Where in there can I fit in my escape? I blink at him before I realize he is waiting for some sort of response so I nod eagerly, as though excited for that hellish schedule. "Great!" I chirp, forcing the beaming smile I used to give all the human boys who showed interest in me. I caught something akin to lust flash in his eyes before they widened imperceptibly and lowered to his binder, a flush rising up his neck and to his cheeks.

That's right, I think, Humans are so easily manipulated that even on Poise some of my Siren ability worked its charm over them. Never mind that even on that suppressing drug, to Humans I was incredibly good looking.