Pitch stalked around in the small living room. He couldn't understand how anyone could stand living in a dump such as this. The outside walls and floor were simply rough concrete, the other walls were decaying wood beams with dry wall falling off. There was no electricity and he knew how humans love the stuff. There was barely enough food to live on, along with no heating save a small fire that will probably end up burning down her little hovel.

Humans never made sense to him.

His internal clock told him that it was time, and he crept back to her door frame, pulling aside the sheet to watch.

A thin strand of fine golden sand snuck into the cramoed space, starting to make circles around her head as she lay sleeping. The sand morphed into a silhouette of her walking along, the sun behind her and the rain before her. She smiled, snuggling deeper into bed.

"Hmm." His mouth cut into a thin line again. He entered fully, settling himself at the edge of her bed, and watched her sleep.

She had a very strange dream. After a while of walking she ran into a man, and took him along with her. They could be seen laughing around a table, in a fully electrical room, playing card games and drinking from steaming mugs. They laughed at cartoons on the television, went to the library together, held hands like they were bffs, everything.

Such foolish hopes. Strangers aren't nice people. He stood up, leaving the room in a whoosh, returning to the living room. He'd leave her to the delusion Sandy gave her.

That morning, Adalie woke, shivering and with her feet uncovered and freezing, with a great smile in her face.

Her dream had been wonderful. Everything she could have wanted even before she was alone. From coffee to TV to the library to a card game. She gave a wistful sigh.

If only she could remember who it was that was with her. He was a strangely comforting presence. He felt almost like a father figure, but at the same time he wasn't her father. It was very confusing. They laughed often, she could remember that much from the already foggy details. She had done most of the laughing, but his laughs were few and special.

She shrugged, still smiling. Dreams don't hold sway over real life events, she knew this. Best enjoy them and move on. She reached over, pulling the basket of laundry toward her and started rummaging for socks.

When she emerged from her room she found Pitch in the door frame for the living room. He was bearing a smile that more resembled a smirk, looking at her with his eyes completely void of all empathy.

"Sweet dreams?" He asked softly, voice honey-ed with sarcasm.

She placed her hand on her chest, donning a wistful expression, looking off to the side and fluttering her eyelashes. "Why yes!" She said, mockingly sounding like a delicate princess "I felt secure and had such wonderful fantasies."

He snorted, the corner of his mouth curling upwards breaking his cool facade, and turned back into the living room. She chuckled to herself, and walked to her kitchen corner, grabbing her last three granola bars and a slightly bruised apple.

Unwrapping a bar she walked into the living room, shoving the wrapper in her pocket. She plopped down on the couch beside Pitch and slowly ate her bar. He ignored her, instead paying attention to a book that he got from who knows where.

"So." She finally broke the silence. "How'd your night go?"

He sighed, the book vanishing in a swarm of black sand. "Not as well as your 'dainty princess' sleep." She snickered, muttering "dainty princess, ha" under her breath. He continued on, despite her interruption. "The last thing I want is to be stuck here." He rolled is eyes to her, voice apathetic again. "No offense." She rolled her eyes and he continued looking away again. "I tried to leave, plain and simple. I didn't get far before the pain came back." He looked back at her, serious this time. "I'm afraid I'm stuck with you for a while yet."

She shrugged her shoulders and nodded. "Alright. I'll see if I can get another blanket. Speaking of," she pushed on her knees, standing up straight and stretching to pop her back "I'm heading to town, and since you apparently can't be too far from your only lovely believer," she turned to him, grinning and batting her eyelashes again "you're gonna have to come with."

He heaved a dramatic sigh. "Oh, joy of joys."