Bright.
That was the first word that came to mind.
The whole world was far too bright.
After years of only knowing the four gray walls that had become the barriers of her world, the journey from her cell to a new building on the mainland was overwhelming. The sky was so light it bordered on white; the green of the grassy hills was near washed out; the marble of the building's façade seemed to ripple with heat.
After six years in prison, the outside world was too harsh. Too bright.
"Inmate."
She flinched. The voice was harsh in her ears, despite her handler's gentle demeanor. Her starched lab coat was blinding.
"We must head inside."
Her lips pressed tightly together. Inside—inside would allow her to escape this too bright world, but she knew what lie before her was not the reward it may have seemed. The world she no longer recognized was now an anomaly. She never thought she'd see a day outside of her dank cell deep in Azkaban, her home, and yet, here she was—a parole hearing.