Hey guys, I've decided to re-write and tweak this story a bit, because the early chapters are just cringe worthy. So please hang in there while I get this story where I want it to be.

Family had always been a sore subject for Alex McKinley.

In fourth grade Alex's parents were called into the principal's office. She had pushed a bully, Sarah Connor, off the jungle gym slide. The kid suffered a near concussion and a broken arm.

When her parents asked why she had done it, she told them Sarah had started telling everyone that she wasn't loved by her real family.

She had gotten detention for two weeks for that.

She wanted to scream.

Neither her parents or the principal could understand. They didn't know what it's like to go through years of life knowing you weren't wanted; just some mystery baby.
Knowing that your birthday isn't even your real birthday because they couldn't pinpoint when you were born, just the day you were found on the street.

Alex can still remember what her adoptive father told her; "Words can't hurt you, Al. They can't hurt you unless you allow them to."

Now that she was older, she now knew that was probably the biggest lie he had ever told her. Because sometimes words hurt more than any phisical pain.

The blaring beeping of an alarm clock woke Alex up with a tired groan.
Slowly lifting her tired body out of the nice warm bed, she rubbed her eyes with a large yawn.

Switching off the loud alarm, she shuffled around a couple large moving boxes scattered about the bedroom floor, and walked into the bathroom.

After her shower, Alex wrapped herself in a fuzzy towel and glanced at the foggy mirror.

Long dirty blonde hair framed an oval face face and brown eyes stared back through the mirror.

Boxes were piled in high stacks back in the bedroom, clothes were hanging haphazardly in the closet, and paint swatches were hanging from small thumb tacks to the walls... needless to say, the new apartment was a mess.

After putting on a bra and underwear, Alex dressed in a light blue button down shirt, and a dark pencil skirt. Rummaging through her closet, Alex found a pair of black pumps, and a nice black blazer to finish off her outfit.

Once finished getting dressed, she made her way around more moving boxes and gulped down a glass of orange juice before grabbing her briefcase and walking out of her new home.

Taking a deep breath, Alex calmly made her way into the large, intimating building known as the 'Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane'... Arkham, for short.

Stopping in the main lobby, papers could be heard rustling to her right.
"Excuse me? Can I help you ma'am?" The receptionist asked with a smile whilst organizing the files.
"Yes, hi. I'm here to see Dr. Jeremiah Arkham, I'm Dr. Alex McKinley."
The woman's face lit up like a tree on Christmas, "Oh, yes! I recall Dr. Arkham telling me you would be dropping by today. Wait one moment while I phone him up."

Sitting in the uncomfortable vinyl waiting room chair, Alex took a moment to really take in her surroundings.
The walls were a washed out white color, and the floors seemed to radiate coldness, causing her to shiver. She held her blazer tighter to her body to stave off the chill.

Hearing a loud buzz, the two heavy duty security doors opened. Standing from the seat, Alex smiled as Dr. Arkham entered the waiting lobby.
"Ah, Dr. McKinley! So good to finally meet you." Arkham was tall, roughly 6' 3". His appearance looked like he had spent too many nights pouring over patient files, but he looked kind none the less.
"Same with you, Dr. Arkham. Thank you for seeing me in such a short amount of time."
"If you'll follow me this way," He said, gesturing to the now closed doors he had entered from, "I'll give you a quick tour of the wards, and then to your office on the third floor."

After swiping his ID card through the slot, both doctors made their way down the chilly hallway and past the point of no return.