"Cass?" She heard someone calling out to her.

She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the bright light before turning and seeing Yancy standing there looking at her, a bit concerned. She paid no mind to him calling her Cass, mostly cause she was still disoriented.

She looked at him a bit confused before realizing that wasn't Yancy but was actually Mark.

Her eyes widened as tears started to trickle down her face. "M-Mark?" She asked, her voice sort of crackling before clearing up.

"Uh... yes?" Mark looked at her confused.

"I-" She stopped, her hand trailing up to her face, feeling the tears. "W-Why am I crying?" She muttered, confused as she felt overly relieved but also very confused all cause she saw Mark standing there with her. She tried to think about it more but it only made her head hurt causing her to hiss in pain.

"Hey... are you okay...?"

"I-... I don't know?" She replied, tears still dripping down her face, her body shaking a bit. "I... I don't know what's wrong..."

"It's cause we're in the slammer now, huh?"

"N-No... I..." She was looking down in thought. "It's not that... I just... feel... relieved? Or something... Surprised maybe?" She replied before looking up at him again. "But only after I realized it was you."

"What...?"

"Look, I don't get it either but I got overwhelmed by emotions when I realized you were you and not someone else. I have no idea why."

"You really need to stop daydreaming." Mark told her.

She huffed at him. "I wasn't!" She countered before frowning in thought. "...Right?" She muttered to herself.

"I'd suggest you lie down for a bit, but we really need to get out of here..."

She nodded. "Y-Yeah... Uh... Let's try the guards?"

"I was just about to say that! Charming the guards does sound like a good way to go about this."

"Yeah. The prisoners won't like that we're trying to break out." She agreed, stating the latter as a fact.

Mark looked puzzled at this. "But it's prison, they'd want to get out?"

She shrugged, not even thinking about it. "Why? They don't have to do anything here. Unless they have something out there that they can't live without, why would you leave?" She replied, not really thinking about her answer.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of..."

She turned to him. "So you'd rather pay taxes for everything?" She countered, not sure why she was even explaining this or why she even thought of this.

"I guess you have a point there..."

"I'll be honest, I have no clue where I heard that..."

"What have you been here before or something?" Mark joked.

Cassidy stopped and turned to him, about to deny it but something stopped her, confusion flickering across her face again before hissing in pain clutching her head.

Mark freaked out a bit. "Wh-what? Was it something I said?"

"I... I could have sworn I've never been here before but... I-" she hissed in pain again. "I have... memories?? Of this place... of... us being here???"

"We just got here no less than an hour ago?" He questioned.

"I... I know. But I keep... seeing like... blurs of memories? Of things that haven't-... happened..." She trailed off, swaying a little.

"Hm... Maybe you're just overthinking all the situations we could wind up in..."

"I..." She couldn't form words, her throat tightening at the thought of another memory, still swaying unsteadily a little.

"It's okay, I'm sure it's just the stress. We are in jail, after all..."

"....Y-you... died...." She muttered quietly, staring at the floor.

"What?!"

"I... saw you die..." She replied. "That's... Why I got so... emotional..."

"Like, In a dream or something?"

"I... If I focus on it... It feels so vivid... so real..."

"But I'm in front of you right now, alive and well."

"I know... I just..." she finally shook her head. "F-Forget it... It hurts to think about. Let's just get outta here..."

"...Right..." Mark looked at Cassidy strangely.

"So, guards, right?"

"Yup."

"Right. So... Just go up to them? what's the plan?"

"So, all we got to do is get ourselves a job and then slowly work ourselves up to a position of power and trust with the guards and, boom, we'll be home free." He shrugged.

"Sounds simple enough. Might as well ask." She moved towards the guard.

"Oh, hi. Hello, Officer!" Mark walked over to the guard with a smile across his face. How are you doing? You look lovely today." The guard opened his mouth to answer but Mark quickly interjected. "Hey, I was wondering if maybe we could possibly maybe, um, get a job in the kitchen?"

The guard was breathing heavily. "A job?!" He growled, looking at Mark with narrowed eyes before smiling. "You know, there's something about you that always makes me trust you!" He pointed at Mark. "I can't put my itchy trigger finger on it, but I like you." He turned and grabbed something. "Here, take these aprons!" He threw them roughly into Mark's arms. "You got yourself a job!" He moved out of the way to let into the kitchen. "Get yourselves in there!"

"Oh, great!" Mark replied.

Someone opened the door and let them into the kitchen.

Mark took Cassidy's arm and walked in. "All right, well, he didn't tell us exactly what to do, so, um..."

She shrugged at him noticing someone working at the sink.

"Over here I guess." He took her over to the sink.

She followed him, picking up one of the dishes. "Looks like cleaning dishes."

"Well at least that's something I know how to do."

She nodded and handed him the dish. "Here."

"Thanks." He put it under the water and began scrubbing."

The guy next to him turned to him. "Wow! I really admire both your work ethic! You," He pointed at Mark then at Cassidy, "And you, truly are an inspiration to all the other prisoners!" He turned and threw a bundle of cloth at Mark. "I'm promoting you to laundry duty! Take these smocks!"

"Oh, well thank you! We're honored!" Mark smiled at the man.

"Thank you." She told him and followed Mark towards the doors. "That was fast..."

"This is going great!" He exclaimed. "We're gonna make it!"

She grinned and followed him into the next room.

"Okay, well, he didn't actually tell us what we were supposed to do, so I guess we just gotta guess." Mark looked around the laundry room before spotting a pile of dirty clothes. "Oh, maybe we..."

"Wash the clothes?" Cassidy finished, watching him.

"Yeah..." Mark had gotten distracted by the man next to them, who looked eerily similar to the other worker in the kitchen and even the guard they had talked to earlier.

"Goodness Gracious!" The man turned to them. "My dreary days were filled with sadness and despair until I saw how hard you two were working!" He reached out and put a hand on Mark's shoulder. "I think I might actually be in love with you."

Cassidy glanced at Mark, stepping back a little.

"O-oh!" Mark was certainly taken aback by this, casting a nervous glance at Cassidy. "Well... we are flattered, sir." He answered.

"I am too. I am hereby promoting you the two of you to cleaning duty, starting with the warden's very own office!" He turned and grabbed another bundle of cloth. "Here! Take these pinafores and these dusters," He handed Mark two dusters.

"Well, that's right kind of you, sir!" Mark was amazed by their luck.

The man looked at them both with a serious face. "Everyday that I don't see your smiling and pretty faces, is one step closer to my grave."

Cassidy just stared at him.

"Oh, um, well, thank you. That means the world to us." Mark grew more nervous as he spoke.

Cassidy just awkwardly smiled, locked her arm around Mark's and pulled him towards the door. "We best be going, don't want to keep the warden waiting and all!"

"Definitely, I guess we've been quite lucky here. You made a great choice." He grinned at her.

She smiled back at him. "I'm a bit confused about that guy back there but I'm glad things are going smoothly so far."

"Soon we'll be outta here home free!"

"I hope so!"

"I mean, we basically just got a free ticket to the Warden's office."

"Yeah. That's some pretty crazy luck."

"Even with how weird that was, we made it!"

"Finally!" She replied, approaching the door.

"The warden's office. This is our key to the top." Mark opened the door. "Ladies first."

She lightly punched his arm and stepped inside.

"Oh, there you are! Come on in!" Murder-Slaughter tossed his newspaper on the desk. "I've been hearing very good things about the two of you!"

"Oh, that's so wonderful." Mark's voice changed to a cheesy, lighthearted tone. "And you were right, Mr. Murder-Slaughter, this place is the best. We feel exceptionally rehabilitated."

He laughed and slapped the desk. "I knew it! I knew it! That is the Happy Trails way."

Cassidy took one of the dusters from Mark and just started carefully dusting while Mark talked to him.

Mark began to dust off the desk while he talked. "Well, I mean, if I could ask a favor. Since we're here and since we've been such beacons of good behavior, if it would be possible, maybe, just possibly, could we hold onto that special box? It's a family heirloom, and it would mean the world to have with us at night."

Cassidy stepped forward and playfully dusted at the Warden's face.

He nodded as he thought about it before slamming his hands against the desk. "Absolutely not!" He snapped.

Next thing they knew they were in their cell with him on the outside with... his desk?

"Now, you may have impressed us with your admirable work-ethic, but we have very strict rules when it comes to personal possessions..." He patted the box. "And we won't bend them for ANYONE!" He slammed his hand on the desk. "Now..." He buttoned his jacket as he stood straight. "If you two fine folks will excuse me," He put his hands on the side of the box. "I have a, uh," He started stroking the box strangely before realizing they were still there. "Ahem, dinner to attend to." He picked up the box. "Good day." He left.