Chapter 2
The huge, three-story mansion came into view as the van reached the end of the road. It appeared to locate in the middle of the island, views of highlands to the north and the ocean view to the south. Piper exited the vehicle and got her black suitcase with her. She didn't bring much. She had her whole life out there, and she would do anything in her power to make the stay here as short as possible.
"Sit." The word came soft, but cold.
Gulping, Piper sat down on the chair as instructed.
Across the large, oaken desk was her future father-in-law, Howard Bloom. She had been with Larry for three years, but for some reason his father never warmed up to her. Howard had always seemed distant—restrained. They never talked much, never holding a conversation longer than five minutes. He never wanted to get to know her, and she never tried to oppose his stance. Their mutual understanding was to stay away from each other. Yes, it did come across her mind. It did nag her as to why he was behaving that way. She had always thought that she was the wild type he never wanted for his son. She had thought many things, but her having gifted abilities was never one of them. She would never in a million years expect Howard to know of the existence of superpowers, let alone holding a place for people like her.
Surprised? After all these years? Piper paused as the past caught up with her. She remembered that night four years ago, when she had thought that she had found the love of her life—when she had thought that her life could not have been any more perfect than that. But it had disappeared. It had vanished in just a matter of moment. She had been proven wrong, and it had only gotten worse from there. Larry was probably the only good thing that had happened to her in recent years.
"Did you know?" Piper asked. "Did you know that I have this… strange thing?"
Howard was a small man. He didn't possesses any threatening features, but as he sat in this office, in a mansion on a secluded island off the east coast, he seemed to hold many threatening secrets that Piper didn't want to know. He leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped together across his stomach. He was in a wooly, crimson sweater and a pair of gray slacks. "It's not strange. It's natural. You were born with it. You are here to get to know your powers better, so that you can channel and control them, and not accidentally hurt other people. Everyone here has gone through the same pains and problems as you have. You will be safe here."
Still, Piper wouldn't let go. She frowned as she studied him. "How long have you known?"
Howard paused for a moment. "About you? Well, my first suspicion came when we were on the cruise two years ago."
Piper stopped at the mention of the trip. She had tried to bury the memories of those horrified moments. She had never discussed or mentioned it with anyone, but here it was, her future father-in-law was digging up the subject out of the blue as if he had known for a long time.
"The ship would have sunken, and there would be hundreds of losses that night. But I sensed it. A presence. A powerful one." Howard adjusted his glasses. "I've been around long enough, but I don't assume things. So I wasn't going to spy on you. You may say that I have a hunch, and usually I am right most of the times."
Piper jadedly nodded as the memories of that night returned. The ship had hit some rocks. She recalled the panicked faces, the screams and the horror in their eyes. She remembered how extremely exhausted she had felt as if her whole body had been torn apart again and again. After returning home from the trip, she had gone into a six-day deep sleep without waking up even for a sip of water. She had wakened again to find herself in a hospital. It had appeared that Larry had admitted her into the hospital out of fear for her life. He still had no idea what had happened then, and she hadn't planned to tell him of the incident yet. She was afraid that he might be scared of her—or what her powers could do.
"Yeah… so I moved the fucking ship. I didn't even know how I did it. I still don't, but I'm going to get it here, right? This has to count, being here… for how long… I… I can't… What is this place? What do I have to do here?"
Howard leaned over the desk, a curiosity sparked in his eyes. "I am truly curious what had driven you to move a whole ship. It must be something."
A survival instinct? Or a deadly promise she once made to herself that she would stay alive for the faithful moment to come no matter how long it would take? Piper looked away for a second, her cold hands on her stiffened knees. She was remembering too much. She was feeling too much. Sometimes it felt as though a sweet revenge was all she lived for.
"You will learn to control your powers, Piper. I promise that you wouldn't lose it and hurt anyone again." Howard cleared his throat, leaning back into his comfy chair. "I won't let you hurt my son."
Piper's thoughts ceased at his last words. Her head jerked up, and she stared at him, saddened. No, she would never hurt Larry.
"Your bed is on the right. I just had the maid clean up."
The room gave a cozy feel with lacquered wooden floor and two identical sets of wood furniture. Warm rays of sunlight came through the twin windows, separating the room in half. Each side offered a single bed, a bedside table, a working station and a closet.
Piper studied her roommate a bit. She was somewhat relieved that Polly Harper, a brunette, young lady, seemed harmless and polite. She was just normal. 'Normal' was what Piper needed now. They might even hit it off at some party on the mainland even. "Thanks," she said, and put the suitcase on the bed.
Polly pulled the curtains open wider, letting more light into the room. "It's good that you came in today, Piper. I can still show you around a bit. I'll be heading back home tomorrow, and you'll be stuck here alone for two weeks or something."
Piper unpacked her suitcase. "You can go home…? How long does it usually take for a resident to get the permission to leave?" she asked, keeping her voice steady.
Polly sank comfortably on her own bed, a tablet in her hands. "My power is prehensile hair. It can grow really long and do some stuff, but I don't use it that much. I hate it when it drags on the floor. Ew." She made a face. "Well, given my background and excellent family supports, I've been pretty harmless towards others, so I was allowed to go home after the first few weeks here. I can't say the same about the others."
Piper silently nodded. "Then why are you still here?"
Polly grinned. "There are a lot of frustrated, scared and helpless people here. Many of them were disowned by their parents. They don't have jobs or didn't even finish school. Mr. Bloom certainly needs all the help he can get, and I'm here to help. What about you? What's your talent?"
Talent. Piper chuckled at the choice of word. "I… I, uh… I move things."
Polly straightened up, lowering her tablet. "Telekinesis?"
"I think so," Piper replied. She spread out her clothes on the bed, trying to determine each wrinkle on the fabrics. Her mother wouldn't approve any of it, and the thought gave her headache even if the woman wasn't here. When silence prolonged, she turned and looked at her roommate.
Polly was wide-eyed, her mouth gaping in shock. She was almost hugging her poor tablet. "Have you ever hurt someone with your powers?"
Piper immediately looked down and focused on the items laid out on the bed. "It saved my life. Four years ago, it saved me…" It saved me from a really horrible, evil person. "Then it saved hundreds on the cruise ship." She took a deep breath before she added, "But it threw my brother out of the car when we had a fight just a month ago. I had absolutely no control over it. It was just… a small disagreement."
It was a heated argument. Although Cal was usually calm, Piper was a different story. She was proper or volcanic the next moment. Ever since her powers were awakened, her temperaments seemed to have changed as well. Unfortunately, she hadn't been feeling well for weeks prior. She hadn't been able to get in touch with her powers when the drive happened. When the fight started, she had only felt the powers building up within her, but had no control over it. What happened was the deepest regret in her entire life. She wouldn't know what to do if Cal died that day. It was the reason she willingly submitted herself to this 'special' island.
"I'm gonna sleep with Jessica tonight. Don't take this personally, Piper, but that sounds absolutely insane. I can't believe that they assigned you here." Polly groaned.
Piper began to fidget in her pose. "I understand. I'll ask them to move me, if you want me to—"
"You see that old building right there?" Polly moved towards the window, pointing out.
Piper squinted. Behind the thick woods, she could see the roof of another building. It looked much older and uncared for. Its size was twice as large as this mansion. "What is that? Another dorm?"
"Yep, the South Mansion. We're in the North, the newer one, the safe place with harmless superpowers. I think you belong to the South, but considering your boyfriend…" Polly sat back down on her bed, concentrating on her tablet again. "You can have my room."
Piper grew uneasy. "Hey, I—I won't hurt you—"
"They all say the same thing." Polly even looked understanding as she sighed. "I am one of the easiest members to be able to leave the island, so I think that's why they assigned you with me. Well, you seem like a really nice girl, Piper. Learn your craft, and get out of here."
Nodding, Piper resumed her unpacking. She just hoped that it was as easy as it sounded.
The first dinner at Litchfield Island came at precisely six o'clock. Inside the large cafeteria, Piper was seated next to Polly, who had just introduced her to Jessica Wedge and her gang. The four blondes occupied the opposite side of the long, wooden dining table. They were looking at Piper up and down, judging her with curious smiles and whispers.
A cream-smeared fork in one hand, Jessica glanced sideway at one of the girls. "What do you girls think?"
"Telekinesis is bad." The second blonde spoke.
"Dangerous and unpredictable, wouldn't you say?"
The fourth blonde shook her head. "She should be in the South. Why isn't she in the ghetto?"
Piper sat quietly, letting the four blondes do all the talking. Polly glanced at her a bit.
"She's going to be Mrs. Bloom soon, just so you know," Polly said over meal.
"Ah." Jessica raised her brows in mockery.
"Ah." Piper put up a smile in return. Jessica was a very pretty woman, with nice smiles and great figure. But Piper just really, really didn't like her all that much. There was just something about this bitch.
"Wait. Larry Bloom, right?" Jessica hummed. "You must be something special. Because Howard, AKA the Bloom, has always been clear that he doesn't want a 'gifted' girl for his son. I always love it when he uses that word, 'gifted'. He couldn't even make it sound sincere. And to think that he's one of us, taking care of this place. He's quite a conflicted man, isn't he?"
Piper paused at the information. She had no knowledge of this isolated island before, or what Howard had been doing behind his lawyer façade. Howard and she never brawled, not even a bit, but there was always that strange distance—the invisible wall between them. Maybe it was just what Howard had admitted earlier today that he had suspected her all along. Howard feared for his son.
Piper put down her fork, her appetite completely lost at the moment. The mere thought of Larry tore her heart. It hadn't even been a day since they parted, but it already felt unbearable to her. She wanted to call him now. She needed to hear that they would be ok after all of this—that he would not waver and cower to his father's will.
"Conflicted is all of us, don't you think?"
Piper, Polly and the blonde gang looked up at the interruption. A strawberry-blonde woman in her early thirties approached them with a tray of food in her hands. She sat down next to Piper, smirking with a toothpick between her teeth. She was rather small, but with a fiery, lion hair. Her eyes were round with a dark shade of hazel.
"Hello." Piper automatically responded.
"Hey, beautiful. Nicky Nichols." The woman said, and then spat out the toothpick to the side of her own tray. The action earned an immediate turning away from the blonde gang.
Piper had to move away a bit since Nicky sat down so close to her that their arms were brushing. "Piper Chapman. I'm engaged."
Nicky laughed, slapping the table. "Yeah, I can see that three fucking miles away. But he isn't here, is he? You fancy anyone tonight?"
Piper moved an inch away from the weird, lion-hair woman. "I'm here to learn to channel my powers, not to find a date or casual one-night stand," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
"Yeah, I got my powers just fine. I move fast. I move anything fast. My fingers are fast, too. You fancy?"
"She teleports. She doesn't fuck fast," Polly explained to Piper, "People here tend to exaggerate their powers."
Nicky chuckled. "So you've heard about me, or are you interested, Molly?"
"It's Polly," Polly corrected, her face reddened as she glared at Nicky. "You can't sit with us, Nichols."
"Why not? Is this high school?"
Piper inwardly groaned. She now understood why the blonde gang had already evacuated their trays to the other line of tables. She took in a breath. She just couldn't believe this was happening to her on the first day. "Nichols, I am… not interested in women," she said with a calm voice, trying her best to reason with this mad woman.
"Sure, girl." Nicky began to devour her food. After a while, she looked up, wiping the bread crumbs off her lips, and grinned. "Everyone is dangerous here. Don't let them convince you otherwise."
"Oh, thanks for telling me." Piper kept her gaze elsewhere, while trying to decide if she should move to another table. Thankfully, Polly had stayed by her side, and they both exchanged weary glances at each other.
"That Wedge shit, she got ice powers. She can freeze people to death. Not kidding. So don't give in to this or that mansion shit. It's all about whether your parents can pay. The ones in the South? They're from poor families. Some of them never leave this island again because they don't know how to survive out there." Nicky chuckled. "Like I said, everyone is dangerous here. Watch your back."
When Nicky gathered her tray and left the table, Piper turned to Polly for further explanation.
Polly meekly shrugged. "Well, Nichols is kinda right. But those poor—umm, I mean, less fortunate people can be very dangerous, because they have nothing to lose! They constantly fight one another, and sometimes it gets serious and fatal. You really don't want to see what it's like in that dorm. You wouldn't be able to sleep there even for a night. It's just not a place for people like us." She then glanced at Nicky, who was already walking out of the cafeteria. "Her mother is some rich guy's girlfriend, and that's why she can afford to be here with us. But she likes to hang out with those delinquents in the South though."
"If Nichols can go there, can they come here too?" Piper asked.
Polly took a sip of her drink. "There's no rules preventing us from visiting each other, but it doesn't happen often. Nichols is one of a few examples. She has no friends here, and her girlfriend lives in the South."
Speaking of loved ones, Piper stood up from the table. "I need to make a phone call."
Piper lied down the bed, her hair still wet from the shower. It was only ten o'clock, and her eyes were wide awake. She was in her blue, long-sleeve pajamas. She made a phone call to Larry after dinner, and they talked for twenty minutes. She told him about the people she had met today, reassuring him that she was in a safe place. However, she neglected to tell him about what his father said. She wasn't sure how he would react, and the fact that she had no idea how long it would be until she was allowed to go home, she didn't want to risk complicating things between them.
She glanced at the empty bed next to her. Polly wasn't kidding. The brunette was spending the night at Jessica's room. Piper didn't blame her though. Throwing a brother out of a car would have scared anyone, even Piper herself. Luckily, Cal was a big, strong man, and he landed in a swamp, so he wasn't badly hurt. It touched Piper so deeply that while he was surprised, of course, he wasn't scared of her at all, unlike her parents. He was understanding and even had a pained look in his eyes when she confessed to him that she had been living these past four years in paranoia, having to hide her powers from everyone. Cal was the best thing that happened in her life.
Oh, wait, second best. Larry should be the first on the list. Piper chuckled at her slip. Then a darker thought crept in as the list of bad things in her life grew longer and longer, outdoing the happy thoughts. The worst thing that had ever happened in her life had to be her unwanted superpowers. It landed her here, locked her away from the outside world and loved ones like a prisoner. It was all because of her gifts—
No, it was all because of her…
It had been the first time in four years that Piper let herself lost in the thought of that woman. That vile woman who came into her life, uninvited—who did this to her.
She did this to me. She's the whole fucking reason I'm here.
Piper swore that if she ever met her again, she'd kill her with her powers. A payback would be so sweet.