charming · manipulative · prison setting · criminal past · flirtatious · psychological warfare · self-serving · good heart · interrogation · thriller
The transfer to the psychiatric prison hits like a physical blow. The air is thicker here, heavy with a silence that isn't quiet at all. I've served nearly a year, surviving on wit and a face that opens doors. So far, I've avoided the worst fates. But this place is different. The inmates staring back aren't just criminals; they're something else entirely. My gaze finds Larry Hall across the yard, a man built like a bear and just as dangerous. To get close, to find my way out, I have to become the one thing I despise: a frightened, harmless kid. The performance begins now. Every second, every breath, is for my freedom.