Her legs strode across the cold metal floor as Delilah pushed herself away from the little blue room. The floor was like ice, freezing her feet as she trod across it. Bare feet, why had she not taken a few seconds to put shoes on? The ceiling and walls around her started off blue but then faded to purple and through to other colours. The paint was lazily slapped on to the walls which themselves were littered with scratches and dents. The corridor was dimly lit by white strips of lighting above her head. Big bulky doors lay to her left and right with the occasional poster or noticeboard pinned up by their sides. A metallic scent hung in the air as well as her mouth. Del would have loved to admire the surroundings more but she was kept walking at a brisk pace. In front of her strutting down the corridors and leading the way was Anita. Clearly, she was making an effort to be heard as she stomped in those large boots, disturbing the other patients no doubt.

"Uh-Anita?" Delilah asked. Anita snapped her head around in an instant. The woman's lips were thinner and her eyes much narrower.

"I told you that you're to address me as Mrs. Macarthur, are you inept?"

"N-no, I-I'm sorry Mrs. Macarthur"

"That's better dirtface. I suggest in future you follow my words right away. Your life here can swiftly fall into hell. If you displease me, it'll fall further." There are times when it's best to stay quiet, times where it's best to leave something. Del knew deep down that this was one of those times, but thoughts have a habit of coming to the surface.

"Do you really think you're best suited to work at a hospital Mrs. Macarthur?" Delilah questioned, failing to hide the resentment in her tone. Anita let out a short giggle, venom in every ounce of laughter that came from her.

"My dear, just because those halfwit porters play into your pathetic pretences doesn't mean I will. I'm not payed this highly, respected this unanimously, adored this much by the nation to have to deal with your silly little make-believe ideas. Work at a hospital," Anita imitated in a dull, slow voice. "You're just like everyone else darling, there's nothing special about you is there?" Del shook her head, for once she agreed with this woman. Maybe there was something special about her before, something important about Delilah, but she sure as hell couldn't remember it. That was her old life; that was Delilah. Now she was Del.

"Exactly Del. Well, when you're out there tomorrow in front of everyone, try and stand out a bit more than these walls ay?" Del Didn't have a clue what the woman was droning on about nor did she care. Her mind was too bogged down by the past and too annoyed in the present to worry about the future. Her feet were numb as she continued to parade down the corridor.

"Mrs. Macarthur, would it be possible for me to go back and put some shoes on?" Del anticipated the answer.

"Oh no poppet. I don't think so. Besides, I can't see you requiring shoes, you're just going for food after all." Del didn't press the matter further. Besides anything else she was distracted by a growing murmur of noise, voices from afar. They continued to walk down further corridors, turning every now and then as the voices grew in intensity. Del wondered what the others here would be like, would they be nice? Would they be well enough to talk to her? Most importantly to her, were they like her? Del was begging to meet someone in her situation, someone to relate to. She had begun to dislike being the most clueless person in the world. Del heard some reassuring laughter growing louder. Laughter. She scarcely remembered what that was. The voices sounded inviting, they sounded friendly. That was good. Hell isn't half as bad when you've got a friend.

The pair twisted to the right to enter a large area with long purple tables and chairs of a brighter purple. There were people here, people not dressed in extravagant fashion items or fancy white suits. They were dressed like her in hoodies and jeans. They were all sat laughing with each other, too immersed in conversation to notice her entrance. There were about thirty people in total plus a couple of important looking men stood up patrolling around the room. A couple of people, including a lost looking teenage girl cast a glance up towards Anita before immediately directing their eyes back towards their food.

"Well, that was tedious," whined Anita. "Nevertheless, this is where we part. Be good while you're here dirtface and I need not see you again. Misbehave and well," Anita held out her sickly hand, Del grabbed it expecting a handshake. Anita's hand was freezing cold, and her sharp nails pierced Del's skin. Anita pulled Delilah closer and whispered in her ear: "hell." She let out another little giggle, her breath freezing against Del's cheeks. Anita let go and began walking away. "Perform your best tomorrow, it does well to make a good first impression Delilah. Needless to say, you failed that with me."

Del was left standing there like a lost child in a supermarket. Noticing a group of people in the corner collecting food on metal trays she wandered over in that direction. Realising she was here now and that there was little she could do about it, Del collected a tray for herself and went over to the counter. The woman working there was friendly with a smile gleaming from ear to ear. She asked Del how she was and recommended the pasta. Del not knowing better and not even remembering what different foods tasted like decided to follow through with the woman's recommendation. She also got herself a can of cherry flavoured Badder's Keep. One of the most famous energy drinks out there and it always came in a bright neon pink coloured can. Thank you, Del. That's so much more useful than knowing when your birthday was or if you had siblings.

She carried her tray away from the counter past the men who were walking up and down the aisles of tables. Why were there people strutting around the canteen, did hospitals have people doing that? Then again, Del told herself, the hospital was just an assumption which every new bit of evidence seemed to contradict. She wasn't going to assign much validity to what Anita had said because well, that was Anita. But the vibe of this place wasn't screaming hospital. Her initial idea seemed to be misguided. Don't make assumptions Delilah, they make an ass out of you.

Del found a place on one of the quieter tables with only several other people sitting down. The group residing there looked over at Delilah as she went to take her seat.

"Mind if I sit here," she requested, using her eyes to gesture to a seat three down from where they were.

"Why would you want to sit there, do we smell or something?" Laughed a young man in a red hoodie. Del wasn't ashamed to admit that he was rather handsome with shiny blue eyes and light brown hair that was messy in just the right way. "Come over here newbie, we'll shuffle along. Del placed her tray down and sat to the right of this charming bloke. He looked over at her smiling as Del went to take a bite of the pasta. "Fair warning, it tastes like crap." She lifted the fork into her mouth and yes, this guy was right. The pasta was bland and slithered around her mouth, the rubbery fusilli squeaking against her teeth. Del didn't mind the pasta by comparison because the sauce that accompanied it tasted fresh out of a sewage dump. Was this how food normally tasted? Del winced as the sauce swarmed around her teeth. The guy let out a little laugh, clearly waiting for this reaction. She opened the can and launched the drink down her throat to wash the toxic meal away. If it was any constellation, the bad food distracted her from her freezing feet and her aching head.

"How did your grilling with Anita go newbie?" This was asked by the guy sitting opposite her. He had big black curly hair that formed an afro, a pair of broken green glasses stretching over his eye and a big grin on his face. His voice was warm and friendly, a welcome change from nasal man and Anita. Oh Anita. Del felt delighted that she had the excuse to rant about the stupid cow.

"Is she always like that?"

"Like a bitch you mean," the handsome guy jibed. Del nodded laughing. "Yeh she is. Don't take it personally though, she's like that with everyone. Oh, I bet she said to you be good and I won't need to see you again, didn't she?" he asked giving an uncanny impression of Anita's singsong voice. "That's classic Madame Dynamite for you."

"Madame Marmite you mean," teased a dark-haired girl sitting by him. She had gorgeous olive eyes and a cheeky smile. Del noticed that there were a set of scratches under her right eye. The girl was holding the hand of a blonde slightly older looking guy sat next to her. "I wonder how much she looks forward to giving that speech to the newbies, probably spends all day rehearsing it each time. I remember when she gave it to me."

"Do you now netty?" teased the blonde gentleman.

"No because my hair wasn't even that bad, she was being a drama queen yet again," defended the smiley girl.

"Yeh, that doesn't surprise me," Del chimed in.

"Oh, she catches on quick this one. I like her," reasoned a young woman sat with them. She had light brown skin and dark hair which cascaded down to her shoulders. This woman also seemed to have the friendliest smile out of them all. Then again, that might have been by comparison to the silent blonde sat to her left. She, on the other hand, was not smiling and just sat eating some food occasionally throwing a scowl up in Del's direction through her fringe. "What's your name anyway so we don't have to keep calling you newbie?" Asked the smiley lady.

"I'm Del, it's short for Delilah."

"Nice to meet you Del. Well, I'm Theo," Greeted the handsome man in the red hoodie, "I've been stuck here the longest. This is Chevy," the guy with the afro gave an appreciative nod, "he's a bit odd but we love him really." Chevy gave a little smile and his glasses slipped of his nose and fell with a clink onto the table below. "We love him very, very deep down. That's Bella," Theo said gesturing to the smiling woman who asked for her name. "She'll back you any day of the week. And that's ..."

"Don't include me in your stupid little introductions Theo," interrupted the blonde woman. She looked up towards Del, the only one not smiling and said, "my name's Olivia and that's all you need to know."

"Don't mind Olivia," comforted Theo. "She's a bit grumpy because she failed her trial day. There's Sarah and Connor," nodding to the two holding hands. "They've been together for about a week."

"Still don't know why Olivia's so moody," admitted Connor. "I'm on two crosses and I'm still smiling." Del had the familiar feeling of understanding only half of what was going on.

"Two crosses?" Everyone looked over at her, their eyes concentrated in thought. Their smiles, while still intact (apart from Olivia), had shrunk ever so slightly.

"How much do you remember Del? Inquired Chevy. He leant over the table and asked in a quieter voice, "Do you remember what a Gamus Institution really is?" Del exhausted her mind trying to connect with those words, attempting to find some shrouded memory, some forgotten past that would tell her what a Gamus Institution was. Nothing came to her. Clearly it wasn't an energy drink. God was being unfair in what he was allowing Del to remember. Or maybe he was being kind, ignorance is bliss after all.

"I remember quite a bit, just forgot some of the details of a Gamus Institution," lied Del. She didn't know these people well enough to let them in yet and besides she didn't want to stick out like a sore thumb for not remembering. She wanted to think. If she couldn't work out what this place was from her past, she'd do it by deductions in the present.

The rooms here were small yet cosy enough but the doors to them were forged from iron and super secure. There was blood in her room. There were marks and damaged portions all along the corridor's walls. Now, here in the canteen. There were people who looked to be in charge strutting between all those sitting down. Those sitting down all looked perfectly healthy, not patients. The food was crap, infamously crap, judging from Theo's words. That all helped but it was Anita's words that tipped the balance.

"Be good while you're here." No doctor or nurse would ever need to utter those words. In fact, Del could only think of one scenario where someone would say that. A cold lump formed in Del's throat. Everyone at the table was still looking over at her. Pity now shone in those eyes alongside something else that Del didn't recognise at the time: familiarity.

"Do you want to come to the toilet with me Del?" asked Bella with a gentle nod of her head that indicated to Del she should do the same. They both stood up and walked away from the table. They were just about to leave the canteen when one of the men walking around lifted a hand to stop them.

"Where do we think we're going ladies?"

"Toilet," they both said in unison.

"I don't think so. One at a time will do. Sit down for now Bella."

"But please," objected Bella. "It's her first day, she won't know where the toilets are or anything."

"I can walk to them with her," reasoned the man.

"I'd really rather you didn't," admitted Del. The cogs in the man's head began tumbling as he looked into Del's eyes, totally perplexed. "Fine, go with her then Bella. But do it quickly." They walked with each other out of the canteen and down a rather long corridor before reaching the toilets. Bella shut the door behind them and looked around the cubicles, making sure nobody else was in there. She then returned over to Del and held both her hands. Unlike Anita, her hands were soothing and warm. Bella went to speak but Del jumped in first. "This is a prison isn't it, Bella."

"Yes Del," she admitted with a wry smile on her face. "You need to tell me Del how much you remember, do you know how you got into this place?" Bella's words were filled with warmth; they invited honesty. She was the sort of person you'd want to confide everything to give her your whole life story. Of course, in Del's case this wasn't much.

"I-I remember nothing Bella. Not a thing from before. Is that normal?" Bella returned Del's honesty, giving a deep sigh before saying.

"No, it's not unheard of but I won't lie that's certainly not normal. You might come across the phrase hollow while you're here. They use it on the people that can't recall anything. Sometimes they take the hollows away to a special place because they're not fit to partake in the trials. You seem mentally with it now though at least, how're you feeling?"

"Very lost. I also have this pain in my head that keeps coming and going..."

"Oh that," Bella interrupted. "No that's perfectly normal, don't worry about it. It's just an after effect of the injection they give you."

"The injection?"

"Yeh, they give you a little jab in the neck when you arrive here. It contains a fluid that induces amnesia, nasty thing. They don't want anybody remembering how they got here or even where here is, so they dose you up. Apart from sometimes that goes wrong, some people react badly, and they forget more than they're meant to."

"You seem rather aware of what's going on," complimented Del.

"Well, I got lucky I suppose. Only forgot the day I got sent here. Some people forget years and some people, like you Del I'm sorry, forget everything."

"What was your life like before you came here?" Del asked hoping to get some insight into the outside world, some indication of what true life felt like. Maybe something she'd say would jog her memory and Del would remember everything again.

"I was an engineer, but they'll be plenty of time to tell you all that. Right now, I want to talk about you." Bella's voice grew more panicked. "I need to warn you Del. Don't let on how little you know to anyone. Pretend you remember your life, please. Pretend to everyone but especially to the porters in white and the guards in blue and of course Anita and Victoria too."

"Victoria?"

"The governess, she'll probably want to meet with you later today or tomorrow or something. She'll grill you like she grilled me, trying to work out how much you remember. Make it up or something. I don't know what they do to the hollows here. I can't imagine any place worse than this hellhole but I'm sure Anita can. You don't want to be seen as a hollow. Promise me you'll listen to me."

"Of course, I will. I don't like the sound of that place any more than you do" Bella let out a sigh of relief and her tone now was far more relaxed.

"Good. I've got another little bit of advice for you. It might juxtapose what I just said but still, I'd recommend you don't tell anybody important that you know this place is a prison. They treat you nicer when you think it's a hospital or something. Trust me. You'll only be able to keep it up for a day or something but that's a day more of them being nice and a day less of them being well, the usual.

"So, pretend it's a hospital or something so the people who work here treat me as human?"

"More or less. It works though. They never normally let people go to the toilets together. That guy only let you, so you didn't catch on to what this place really was."

"Alright I trust you," said Del honestly.

"I don't know why you would?"

"Ay?"

"Well, this is a prison Del. That means all the people around you are criminals. For all you know I used to be a serial killer. Don't trust people so easily."

"You weren't a serial killer right though?" Bella popped a frown on to her face. She held a stony glare into Del's eyes. For a moment she played the part well looking stone cold serious. The glare didn't last as the corners of her mouth began to twitch and Bella burst out into laughter. Del couldn't help but join in.

"No, course I'm not a bloody serial killer," Bella spat through gaps in her laughter.

"How did you end up here then?" Bella stopped laughing a moment and while she still stood there smiling, that smile was no longer convincing.

"Another time. Right, you ready to head back?" Del was immersed in thought. This place was a prison. That meant herself, Delilah Cherie was a prisoner. Oh Del, what did you do to land yourself here? Did you kill someone? Did you rob someone? Were you even a decent person? The volume of her internal voices ascended, growing louder and louder until they physically hurt her head. Then the voices stopped, Del managed to keep the whole thing secret on her face. Bella hadn't noticed a thing.

"Just one more thing, how did I end up here then?"

"Let's see, how does someone end up in prison? By committing a crime you dingbat," the two of them shared a smile.

"But what crime?"

"How the bloody hell am I supposed to know? Did you steal some infinity stones or something?"

"Bella, what if I was the serial killer."

"Impossible, that would make Anita warm to you after what she's done in the past." Del looked concerned for a second. "Oh my God, Del I'm joking. She's not a serial killer, she's just a right..." The door flew open and another prisoner in a green hoodie strode in. Bella gave them a nod and then dragged Del out of the toilets. They strode back over to the dinner table together and took their seats by the rest of the group.

"You both alright," Theo asked looking at the two of them.

"Yeh, all sorted now," smiled Bella.

"Del I was thinking while you were gone," chatted Chevy with his mouth trying not to grin. "There's something about you, I don't know. Your face just seems to ring a Del." An awkward silence struck the table broken by a small, suppressed giggle from Bella.

"You'll get used to Chevy's awful jokes," Theo confessed.

"Unfortunately," muttered Olivia who was now staring at her nails. Any excuse to not look at Del. Del felt a growing sense of unease from her and took a moment to break the tension.

"So, what were all your jobs then before you got sent to this place?"

"Well, I myself was a chemist," Theo jumped in with a quick stroke of his light brown hair.

"No, no, no. I'm not letting you pull that one again," teased Connor. "You sold drugs internationally for a living. That doesn't make you a chemist, you idiot." Bella glanced over to Delilah and spoke in an encouraging tone.

"What did you do for a living Del?"

"Oh me," Del looked around the room for some form of help, "I was a chef. Yeah, just worked in kitchens. Preparing food, cooking food, buying food, eating food. You know that sort of thing." The group gave her a strange look but Del continued. "I just can't get enough of that food."

"What's your favourite food then?" Chevy asked looking at Del eagerly.

"Uh, I'd have to say just pasta." You really would Del given that was the only food you could remember.

"Why pasta? Penne for your thoughts..."

"Oh, for God's sake," groaned Sarah "She's new, don't make her put up with all this rubbish."

"Hey Theo, what's a chemist's favourite pasta? Carbon-ara. Get it? Well, it's definitely not going to be Boron-ese" Again, Bella was the only one who let out a laugh, Del just about managed a small smile but even that was hard work.

"Okay so that's enough of the jokes for one day Chevs." As if they were being overhear, one of the guards walking round came over to the table and spoke to Del.

"You look like you need a rest darling, want me to take you back to your room?" Del felt as though the question was rather rhetorical but upon seeing Bella's reassuring nod she decided to go with the man. She gave a little wave to the group of them which was returned by all apart from Olivia. Leaving the canteen with a smile on her face, Del felt less alone now she had those people.

The man escorted her back down the corridors, the same route she had taken before. The scratches on the walls looked less innocent now she knew the place's real nature. When it was a hospital, the building just looked dreary, now it was a prison everything seemed sinister. The guard opened the door for her and then left Del back by herself in her little blue room. Her prison cell. That's what had thrown her off. For sure this room, with its rusting door and blood-stained wall, wasn't perfect. But come on, what sort of prison gave its inmates a comfy sofa and a warm bed? It just seemed off. Kindness didn't seem to be in the nature of this institution yet here Del was in her own, decent enough room. Unless they wanted to make sure she was well rested or something. Well rested for what?

Delilah felt exhausted despite how little she had done today. Just going to eat food had been a labour and a half today. She fell on her bed and looked up towards that dull white ceiling. How had she ended up in this place? Guilt flooded her mind as she tried to think what she must have done to land herself here, for this seemed to be more than just your ordinary prison. Mind you Del wasn't entirely sure what a normal prison was now. Her past was a mystery, her present was confusion. Her future promised a hell. With thought after thought flashing in her mind like adverts on the TV, Del struggled but eventually fell into an uneasy sleep.

Dreams can tell you a lot about yourself. They show your true thoughts unencumbered by the dismissal, doubt and denial that we forge like armour for ourselves when conscious. Dreams are gold for anyone seeking the truth about themselves. Happy, sad or scary, dreams are a treasure trove of excitement and discovery perfectly curated for yourself. They're the perfect tool for someone who can't remember their past. Unfortunately for Del, her sleep that afternoon was dreamless.

The hours whistled by as Del slept soundly through the hustle and bustle on the corridors outside. She didn't wake up to Burt calling her through the door, asking if she wanted dinner. Del just lay there asleep, her mind too empty to dream. Del remained in slumber until the late evening when a loud ping sound, echoing around the room, snapped her eyes awake.

She opened her eyes to a dim white glow shining from beneath the sheets. Del lifted up the tablet to her face and looked at the big notification which streaked across the screen. Del scrolled down it to read the news in full:

Notice for Resident 0204397/ Delilah Cherie:

Your designated trial for tomorrow is entitled The Scarlet Sphinx. Please ensure you arrive promptly for your trial with a ready mind. No specific clothing is required for this trial but please ensure you look presentable. You are reminded of the necessity to partake in these trials to the best of your ability. Regardless of successful or unsuccessful completion of the above trial, you are not permitted to discuss the nature of the trial to any fellow residents as it may provide them with an unfair advantage. Anyone found to be breaking any of the rules set out will face severe punishment. No further details are available for this task.

Underneath the trial was a bright yellow triangle. Del remained clueless as to what it all meant and far too tired to give it any proper thought. She shut the tablet off, pushed it on to her bedside table and closed her eyes. Sleep came back to her easy, with her ignorance to her situation removing any panic. Across Nightshade Village, people checked their tablets, looking carefully to analyse what tomorrow would bring. Relief dawned on some faces while horror set on others. They were used to this by now. Prepared to expect the unexpected. Some would draw up whole plans and examine every word of that notification. Not Delilah. Delilah lay asleep while the Scarlet Sphinx waited.