When I got back from dinner I grabbed a bag and began placing some of my favourite toys inside. Roger had explained all about Hope and what she had been through. Her Mother died when she was 9 and then to be shut away from a cell with no one at all. It made me think to when she had seen the toy in my hand. Her curiosity in her eyes, it was clear to me now, she had never ever seen a toy before. I wasn't really sure why I was doing this, it wasn't like me at all but I felt a strange connection with this girl. Maybe it was just my imagination but she seemed lonely too. Not that I would ever really admit it out loud but I was lonely too. The other kids didn't really talk to me because of who I am and Mellow hates me. This girl was different, she was a mystery, one I didn't understand. I walked the short distance down the hall and paused when I got to Hope's door. Do I go in? Don't I? This wasn't like me but I was interested in this girl in a way I had never been interested in anyone before. I turned to go back and then I heard a slight movement inside the room. It sounded like her getting off her bed. I looked over my shoulder at the big bag of toys took a deep breath and slowly opened her door...

The room was the same as when I had left it before dinner. Hope was stood up by the window looking at me with what looked like fear in her eyes. She let out a relieved sigh.

"It's just you." She said more to herself than to me.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing." She said quickly. I knew she was lying but decided not to push it. I stepped further into the room. "What's in the bag?" She asked me. I walked in further until I stopped in front of the bed. I placed the bag of toys down on the floor and crouched. Slowly I opened the bag and without saying anything took out some of the toys inside. I took out some toy robots including the one I was playing with this morning and loads of dominos. Hope was still stood by the window watching. It was clear to me that she didn't trust me though I didn't expect her too. I had just come into her room with a bag full of toys that she had never seen before. I stood all the robots up in a line and then began to set up a domino rally. After a few minutes Hope slowly walked over and sat beside me. She nervously looked over my shoulder at what I was doing. I looked over my shoulder and looked into her big red eyes.

"Want to help?" She nodded and I passed her a domino. I moved out of the way and then she very carefully placed the domino down but it wasn't stable and fell over nocking the ones I put up over too. Hope gasped and looked at me.

"I am so sorry." She said sounding really upset, I was confused by what she might. She stared at the knocked over dominos. "I didn't mean to destroy the thing you spent time making."

"Don't apologise. This is what dominos are for. You set them up then knock them over." She gave me a confused look.

"Why would you do that? That surely defeats the purpose of spending all that time setting them up."

"That's what makes them fun. You set them up and then when you are finished you knock them over to start again. It means you can create thousands of different paths for the dominos to that."

"I see the logic in that. And what do these do?" She said pointing at the robots. I picked on up and winded it up at the back. I set the robot on the floor and he started walking and flashing different coloured lights. I watched as Hope's face light up in amusement. I smiled a little but then quickly covered it up before she saw. Hope picked up another robot and started winding that one up to. It was then that I noticed the pictures on the wall over my head. I looked up and saw a picture of Watari and a kind looking woman next to him.

"Who is that?" I asked Hope. She didn't even look up when she answered.

"It is Mama. She was killed when I was 9. She was coming home from work, we weren't that wealthy and couldn't afford a car so Mama had to walk home everyday, while I waited at home in the small apartment we called home. Then one day she just didn't come home. I later found out she had been mugged and shot by a man that had a sick pregnant wife at home. He didn't have enough money to buy his wife medicine so..."

"He resorted to crime." Hope nodded.

"That is why I want to be a detective. I want to find out the truth of what happens. Mama was only 27 when she died and because she was pregnant with me at 18 and not even married her parents, my grandparents kicked her out of the house and wanted nothing to do with her. They wanted her to have an abortion but Mama refused because she said that she already loved me and I was the only thing that connected her and my dead Father. My Mama was a very understanding person and believed that no one was truly evil but sometime people do bad things out of desperation." I felt a pang of sadness at her words and her face she was wearing while she thought of her dead parents.

"And you drew them?"

"Yes I feel free when drawing. When in my cell the government controlled everything. What I ate, drank, what time I slept but the one thing they couldn't control was what I drew and so drawing became my only freedom in my otherwise controlled life. To other people they may just be drawings but to me they are freedom. Does that sound weird?"

"No. Drawing for you is like toys for me." She looked at me and I saw that her eyes looked slightly wet, she smiled at me. It was a genuine smile and I made me feel warm inside just looking at it.

"Thank you for sharing your toys with me. I love them but it is getting pretty late and I think maybe you should leave." I nodded and started packing my things up. Hope collected the robots she was playing with and placed them in the bag. She was right next to me and I felt something furry brush against my hand. I looked down and realised it was her tail. I stared at it and when Hope saw I had stopped looked down to see what I was looking at. She didn't say anything and neither did I, but I very slowly reached out to touch it. At first she flinched away but then for some reason she let me. It felt soft, silky and warm and something I had a strong urge to rest on my face and fall asleep with. "Near?" Hope's voice was soft and almost loving. I looked up and her and saw pure kindness in her eyes. It was a look that had never been directed at me before. "Come on you need to go." She said softly. I picked up my bag of toys and started to walk out of the room. I looked back at Hope one more time and saw she was watching me. I closed the door with a soft click behind me and headed down the hall to my own room.