"What happened to Annie?" My voice is urgent, but thankfully being on the phone shields Finnick from the fact that all color has drained from my face and my eyes are wide with fear.

"I'll tell you more when you get out here." His voice hiccups, and the words tumble from his lips, "Annie's parents are at home with Patrick, I'm here by myself. My parents are out of the country on vacation and Rye's in meetings all day. Please come down here, I can't handle this alone."

My heart clenches at the desperation in his voice. "Calm down, Finnick. I'm on my way. I promise." We say goodbye and I look over and see Katniss. Her face is shrouded in concern and she tries to keep herself protected from the imminent bad news by crossing her arms over her chest and taking a deep breath before I begin to speak.

"Katniss, I have to go. Something has happened to Annie and Finnick is waiting at the hospital for me. I'm sorry to cut this short but we can finish this the next time you are free."

She surprises me with her response, "I'm coming with you."

I sigh in frustration, every minute I'm here is a another minute Finnick is alone at the hospital. "I'm sorry, Katniss. But I need to go, we can finish up later." I pluck the journal from her hand and try to make my way to the door. She rushes after me, takes the journal back and tosses it on the bed.

"Look, Annie's my friend and I've done a shitty job of being there for her. I need to make it up to her somehow. I'm coming with you." Her voice is stern and leaves no room for argument.

I glance over at the journal, which is now laying partially open on the bed. I consider grabbing it one more time and being done with the situation, but seeing the determination and fear in Katniss's face, I decide to leave it for now and vow to myself to come back for it another time.

I can't waste any more time, "Get your coat on, let's go."

The car ride to the hospital is tense and quiet. Thankfully, like everything else in this sleepy little town, it only takes about five minutes to get there.

The heels of my dress shoes click loudly on the linoleum of the hospital's entrance. It's a sharp contrast from the quick, silent footsteps of Katniss trailing behind me. I realize I have no idea where to go and I glance back at Katniss. She rolls her eyes and nudges her way past me, waving her hand for me to follow.

I follow her down a long corridor until we both stop short when we see Finnick slumped over in his chair, his elbows resting on his knees and his face buried in his hands. Dreading what happens next, I take a deep breath before sitting next to him and placing my hand on his shoulder. I startle him, but he relaxes when he sees it's just me and scrubs his face with his hands.

There is an awkward silence hanging in the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Katniss shifting her weight back and forth on her legs and rubbing her arms to try and get warm. She's obviously uncomfortable, but I have to remind myself that she wanted to come, so I focus my attention back to my friend. "Finnick, can you tell me what happened? Where's Annie now?"

He takes a deep breath before speaking, trying to compose himself. "I don't really know what happened. She called me at work, and she just didn't sound like herself." He looks up at me, heartbroken. "She was so calm, Peeta. It was unsettling for her to request something so urgently, but her voice was so flat. She just wasn't my Annie on the phone. I made it to the house as soon as I could. When I got there she was in the corner of the living room with her hands over her ears. I couldn't get her to talk to me." His normally vibrant green eyes are pale and glassy as he continues to look up at me, "Peeta, I can't lose her. Patrick can't lose his mom."

I'm about to reassure him that everything will be okay and that Annie will snap out of it; she's just had an episode and things will eventually return to normal. But I don't have time to before Finnick notices Katniss standing next to me. He eyes her curiously and then turns back to me. I should have told him I was bringing her. Actually, I shouldn't have brought her to begin with and I can tell she is going to be trouble for me. My judgement is always clouded when I'm near her. She invades my thoughts and determines my actions. Like right now, I'm at the hospital, trying to be here for my friend, and she is at the forefront of my mind. Her effect over me is worrisome, but I need to think about that later.

Katniss clears her throat, "I'm, um, going to grab some coffee. Can I get some for either one of you?"

Finnick puts his hand up, motioning that he doesn't need any. I shift in my seat to pull my wallet out of my back pocket, so I can give Katniss money to get our drinks. She dismisses me and asks, "How do you take it? Sugar? Cream?"

"Light, no sugar." Glancing back at Finnick, he's reverted back to his original position with his head in his hands. I lean closer to Katniss and whisper in her direction, "Do you mind going ahead and getting one for him, too? He takes his extra cream, extra sugar." If there is one thing I've learned at the station, it's how everyone takes their coffee. If Haymitch were here, he'd take it black with room for Jameson.

"I don't mind. I'll be back in a few minutes." I watch her walk back the way we came in. I was so lost earlier, I didn't even notice if we passed the cafeteria or not.

Finnick surprises me when he speaks, his voice is stern, like when he's reprimanding his son. "Be careful with that."

"With what?"

"With Katniss, that's what. What is she doing here? You're not getting involved with her, are you Peet?"

My jaw drops. Can he really be asking this? "No! Nothing is going on with Katniss. I was going through Prim's room with her when you called. She overheard the conversation and demanded that she come. I didn't really have much of a choice. I'm sorry for bringing her with me. I know the last thing you need is some stranger lurking around, invading your privacy."

"Katniss isn't a stranger," he huffs. "She's one of Annie's oldest friends. And trust me, over the past few years, I've come to know her quite well through our Monday morning chats."

"Oh. I didn't realize she and Annie were that close."

"Not anymore. Annie used to babysit Katniss and Prim when they were younger. Annie would joke that Katniss was more mature than people twice her age. Always so serious. Annie called her an 'old soul.' Whatever the hell that means." He chuckles softly. "But, you know how Annie is, she's always believed in shit like that. Do you know why she stopped being a teacher here and moved to Pittsburgh?"

Actually, thanks to Rye, I do. But, I fake it and shake my head, giving him the go ahead to tell me his version of the story.

"She was Prim's teacher when she went missing." He sighs and shakes his head like he can't believe what he is about to tell me. "She thinks she saw Prim in her classroom after she died, like a fucking ghost. That incident sent her to the hospital the first time. When she got out, she moved to Pittsburgh to live with her cousin, who just happened to live in my building." He chuckles, "I got their mail by accident one day and I was a goner after that. You know the rest; we hardly dated six months before we got married. I didn't think I could ever love anyone or anything as much as I love her."

I smile remembering how we were all shocked when Finnick told us he was getting married after only knowing this girl for a short time. We thought he was crazy, but after seeing them together, no one had a doubt that they were meant to be together. "So Annie was in the hospital before, because she saw Prim after she disappeared? What makes her think that Prim's dead?"

"Come on, man. Everyone knows she's dead. Chances are she died pretty soon after she went missing. Annie might not always be the most grounded person, but she's not stupid."

"I didn't say she was. I'm just trying to understand the situation."

"What's there to understand, Peeta?" He stands up and paces the floor, flailing his arms around while he continues talking. His voice gets louder and louder with each word. "My wife is in the hospital and I'm fucking terrified the doctor is going to come out and say she's insane or she's unfit to be a mother!"

Finnick picks up one of the chairs he is standing next to and throws it across the waiting room, knocking over a side table and causing the other two people in the room to look up from their magazines. They see the crazed man standing in the middle of the room, pick up their stuff and walk out. He's out of breath and his chest is heaving. He turns to look at me and he grabs handfuls of hair, trying to pull himself back to reality. "What do I do? I can't do this without her. I knew I shouldn't have let her do that goddamn interview! It was just bringing all this shit up. I knew this would fucking happen." He starts openly sobbing. "Why did I let you talk me into this? I knew better."

I jump up from my seat and pull him into a tight hug, squeezing as hard as I can. I feel his body shake against me; he needs to let this out. "Finnick, I'm so sorry. I had no idea this could happen."

Looking over Finnick's shoulder, Katniss walks into the room holding a cardboard tray with three cups of coffee and a security guard trailing close behind her. His deep voice bellows, "What the hell is going on in here?"

Finnick pushes me away and wipes his face. "It's okay, Thresh. I just lost my cool. Annie's in with the doctors right now."

The guard is built like an ox and I'm really glad Finnick knows him. I mean, I know we are on the force, but Finnick did begin to destroy a public waiting room. Thresh has every right to call for backup and have Finnick taken in, and I'm not sure either one of us could resist.

"Shit, Finnick. I'm sorry to hear that. I'll block this area off for you. Don't worry about other patients. Good luck with Annie."

Finnick nods, turns away, and begins his pacing of the room again.

Katniss hands me my coffee and walks over to give Finnick his. When he takes it from her a doctor walks into the small room.

"Mr. Odair, could you please come with me? Annie is responsive now, and I'd like to talk with the two of you about her treatment options."

Katniss and I sit down in two of the most uncomfortable plastic chairs ever made. We sit silently and wait for a while avoiding conversation, sipping our coffee, flipping through old magazines, and watching an informative health program entitled Menopause and Me, on loop.

I probably should talk to her, ask her about the journal or tell her she doesn't really need to be here and offer her a cab home. But truth is, now that Finnick isn't here, I'm glad she came. I'm not all that comfortable in hospitals, and the part of my brain that I just can't shut off is actually really excited to have her here with me. I steal glances over in her direction, sitting across from me. While she reads her magazine her lips move a little and I can't help but smirk.

I try to swallow, but all of the sudden my mouth has gone dry and I feel anxiety knot in my stomach. Why am I nervous all of a sudden? I've been talking to her all day. It's embarrassing how scratchy my voice is when I speak to her, "Hey, Katniss?"

She looks up from her magazine and finishes the last of her coffee. "Yes?"

"There were just a few more things I wanted to go over with you. Do you think you could meet with me again to go over it? Sometime this week?"

She closes up her magazine and sets it on the table beside her. "Um, I guess. When did you have in mind?"

The apprehension in her face makes me rethink asking her; maybe I was stepping out of line. No use backing out now. "Well, do you have another day off this week? Maybe we could meet up somewhere?"

She pauses for a moment and it's almost like I can see her weighing her options. She slightly tilts her head back and forth before answering. "Well, I'm working doubles all week. Cinna is going out of town and I promised him I'd pick up his shifts. I don't really know when I'd have time."

I nod my head in understanding. I don't want to press the issue, but there are a few more things I want to go over and I really don't want to sit on anything when I've been making such good progress. She speaks up again before I have a chance to try and convince her. "But, if you think it will help Prim's case, I'm sure I can find the time. When were you thinking?"

"Seriously, anytime." Shit, I hope I didn't sound too eager. "What I mean to say is that if you'd like to meet when you get off from work one night or something, I'd be fine with that."

She takes another moment to think. "Sunday night would probably be best. We close earlier on Sundays - I'm usually out of there by 10 or 10:30."

"That'll work, just give me a call when you leave. We could meet up somewhere or you could," I'm pretty sure it's a bad idea that I'm about to say this, "- come over to my house. It's pretty close to The Hob."

The scowl on her face tells me that I'm an ass and overstepped my boundaries. So, I'm completely shocked when she says, "I can do that. I'll call you when I leave work."

I try to remain calm as I respond, "Oh, okay. That would be great." We lock eyes for just a moment. The cool grey of her irises are striking and I know I'm staring, but right now, I couldn't care less. She looks away first and picks her magazine back up and flips through it again, breaking the moment.

I look back over at the television at the far end of the room. The informational program starts over again from the beginning. "I think if I watch this one more time, I'm going to be convinced I have early onset menopause. I already sleep with the windows open because I get hot at night and I've had to pee three times today. I'm starting to get concerned."

Katniss smirks, not taking her eyes off the page of her magazine. "I don't think you have to be concerned until the vaginal dryness sets in."

We look at each other for a moment, as what she just said sinks in, before bursting out laughing at the absurdity of the conversation. The serious Katniss Everdeen is finally letting go and she's beautiful when she laughs.

Unfortunately, our laughter is cut short when we see movement come from the other end of the waiting room; it's Finnick walking back towards us.

If it's possible, the handsome man that I saw earlier this morning, the one always so bright and vibrant, has aged ten years and looks like he's had the life drained from him. Katniss and I both stand up, waiting to greet him and take care of anything he might request.

Finnick clears his throat. His eyes are rimmed red; it's obvious he's been crying. "They're going to move her to the mental health facility this evening. I'm going to go get Patrick to let her parents come up here. I don't want him to see her like this. Not yet."

Katniss steps forward. "I could watch Patrick so her parents can come up here. She used to watch Prim and me, I kind of owe her."

Finnick shakes his head. "Thank you, but no. I just need to be with my son right now. I want to explain to him what is going on. He should know his mother is sick and she won't be home for a while."

"Do you need a ride?" I ask.

"No, I'm okay to drive. Also, Annie wants to see you two." Finnick pulls his jacket on and heads towards the exit. "You'll want to go ahead and go in there, they just gave her more sedatives. She probably won't be able to stay awake for too long. She's in room D-4."

We walk silently through the double doors and check in at the nurses station. A short, round woman in green scrub pants and a cheerily-patterned top walks us to Annie's room.

Annie has always been a petite woman, but in the large hospital bed, she looks like a child. She's curled up on her side and staring out the window. Her long dark hair, usually shiny and curled, is put up in a messy bun on top of her head. Her usual lovely face looks dull and there are dark circles under eyes. I knock on the door frame to get her attention. She turns to face us and a small smile inches across her lips.

Her voice is groggy and she looks very tired. She sits up in the bed while she smooths down her hair. "I'm sorry I look like such a mess and I'm sure I've pretty much ruined your entire day."

Katniss sits down on her bed. She takes Annie's hand, placing both of hers around it. "Annie, you haven't ruined anything. Are you okay?"

The kindness in Annie's soft green eyes reminds me more of the Annie I know. "I saw her, Katniss. I saw her again."

Katniss looks back at me with an eyebrow raised. I know Katniss is confused and I wish I could just blame what Annie is saying on the drugs, or maybe even some kind of stress. But, I know who she means, she thinks she saw Prim.

"Katniss, she was just as beautiful as I remember her," Annie tells her with glassy eyes and slight wistfulness in her voice. "She hasn't aged a day."

Katniss is shaking her head, not wanting the pieces of what she is saying to come together. "Annie, who are you talking about? Who looks the same?"

"Prim, of course. I saw Prim today. She looked lovely. Her hair was in two pigtails, just like she wore it when she was little."

There is a tear running down Katniss's cheek, and I want nothing more than to scoop her up in my arms and try to comfort her. She wipes her cheek before speaking. "Annie, what are you talking about? How could you have seen Prim?"

"She came to me, again." Annie is no longer making eye contact with anyone and it seems like she is looking right through Katniss. The dreamy expression on her face is disquieting.

Katniss is getting more and more agitated. "What are you talking about, again? What does that even mean? You aren't making any sense."

Annie's face turns serious, and the drug-induced haze seems to have instantly vanished and her eyes lock in on Katniss. "Katniss, I'm telling you the truth. Prim came to me before, right after she disappeared. She did it again today. It was the same strange feeling I had in my classroom, like someone was right there. Like someone was watching me. When I looked up, I saw something in the hallway mirror. I walked towards it, thinking maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me. But when I got up to it, I saw her. Prim was standing right behind me. I don't know if she was behind me the whole time or if she was just in the mirror. But I could see her. Somehow, I knew she was there with me."

The tears are flowing freely down Katniss's face. I want to go and comfort them both, but I feel unsettled as well. Is Annie telling the truth? Not that I think she's lying about what she believes, but did Prim really come to her? The feeling she had - that she knew Prim was there with her - It sounds eerily similar to what I experienced at the station the first time I opened Prim's file. I had the same uneasy feeling that I knew someone was standing right behind me. Was it Prim?

What the hell am I talking about? Get it together, Mellark. You don't believe in shit like this. Everyone gets creeped out from time to time. Don't get pulled in by the ramblings of a mad woman. As much as you love Annie, just remember that she is ill and these are just her hallucinations. They're probably caused by lack of sleep and stress. You need to pull yourself together and be there for her, Finnick, and now Katniss.

The nurse walks back in to let us know that visiting hours are over. We say our goodbyes to Annie and are escorted out of the room.

I take Katniss home and any closeness or camaraderie we shared earlier in the day is gone. Katniss shut down when we left the hospital. She didn't speak to me again, even when I asked her if she still wanted to meet on Sunday. She only gave a slight nod and got out of the car.

I haven't heard from Katniss all week. She and I are supposed to get together this evening to go over a few more things in Prim's case. I could call her, but I don't want to harp on this if she is still upset after seeing Annie the other day.

Finnick has been out all week taking care of Patrick and visiting Annie. From what he has told me, she seems to be doing really well in the hospital, but it will probably be a few weeks before she is released. My brother Rye is going to be coming in a week or two to visit and he'll be staying with me. I haven't lived under the same roof as him in years. That ought to be interesting when he gets here.

The weather turned a little colder last night, so I wasn't able to go running this morning like I wanted to. I'm currently on my treadmill, trying to make it through the last three minutes of my run on a steep incline. The loud and constant thud of my feet hitting the belt and the whirring noise from the motor make me almost miss the ringing of my cell phone. If my music hadn't stopped, I never would have noticed I had a call coming in.

Katniss's name flashes on the screen and I silently thank her for the excuse to slow down my speed and start cooling down. I think I can live without those last grueling two and a half minutes. When I'm finally able to catch my breath a little I answer, "Hello?"

It's quiet on the other end and all I can hear is my own heavy breathing. I'm sure that's not creepy at all. "Peeta? Are you okay?"

I'm finally able to stop and I hold onto the handrail when I try to speak again, still out of breath. "Yeah… I'm fine. I was just running."

"Oh. I'm sorry if I interrupted anything."

"No! You didn't interrupt. I was just finishing up. Actually, I should be thanking you. I was really regretting my incline choice."

I could swear I almost hear a little chuckle on her end. "I only have a minute. I'm on break right now. Do you still want me to come over tonight to go over Prim's case?"

I'm wiping the sweat from my face and chest. I really need to turn down the heat in here. "Yeah, if you'd like to. There are a few things I want to go over. I've gotten the okay from Haymitch to canvass the area again and I wanted to talk to you about some things you think might be important to ask."

"Yeah, okay. I'll come by after I get off."

"Sounds good, I'll text you the address."

After I hit send on the text message, I look around my house. This place really needs to be cleaned up.

The evening has gotten away from me. I straightened up the house, took a shower, and um, took care of myself.

I've been a little on edge ever since the realization of Katniss being over at my house hit me. I thought it would help me calm down and relax, but I'm afraid it's just made things worse. Thinking of Katniss walking through the front door and taking her to the bedroom, or the sofa, or the kitchen table, may have done wonders for my libido, but it's made me a little anxious for this evening. The more I see and talk to her, the harder it is to keep this professional.

So, since that hasn't worked, I decided to do my second favorite activity to calm myself down - painting. I took the small sunroom off the kitchen and turned it into a makeshift studio, as the lighting is excellent during the day. It was actually the reason I picked this house. Well, that and that fact that it was available immediately.

I get lost in painting. My mind just becomes so focused on what I'm doing, that I easily lose track of time. If my stomach hadn't growled, I probably would have just kept going until Katniss got here. But after the incessant rumblings, I decide to clean up and make myself something to eat.

Just as I open the door to my embarrassingly empty pantry, there is a knock on my front door. I rush over and take a deep breath before opening it. It's now or never.

I flip on the outside light, not realizing I hadn't turned it on for her before, and open the heavy wood door. A burst of cool air hits me and I see Katniss standing there rubbing her arms and slightly bouncing up and down. It's started to rain, and there are fat raindrops sticking to her hair and eyelashes. It's one of the many times I want to tell her how pretty she looks, but I hold my tongue.

She surprises me and walks into the house before being invited in. I guess I should have already asked her to come in, but I was too busy staring at her like a dumbass. She dusts herself off in my entryway and stomps some mud off her shoes and onto the mat. "Sorry, my truck doesn't have heat and I'm freezing. I had to come in."

"Oh, it's no problem. Here, let me take your jacket." I pull the worn leather coat that is a few sizes too big for her from her shoulders. It's damp and cold from the rain, so I hang it up in the entryway closet to dry.

"I know it's late, but I haven't eaten yet. I was just about to order some Chinese food. Would you like some?"

She hesitates for a moment. "No, it's okay. Go ahead and get yours, though."

"You sure? My treat. I mean, you are at my house, and I would be a pretty terrible host if I ate moderately priced, inauthentic Chinese food in front of you."

"No, really I'm fine." She stubbornly tells me again.

I pick up my phone to call, but then I hear a stomach growl and I know it wasn't mine. I look over at her just in time to see her blush with embarrassment. It's so adorable, I have to laugh. "Well, that settles it. You're splitting my order of broccoli beef and fried rice with me."

She scowls at me now, but I'm pretty sure she'll change her mind once the food gets here.

Before our meal arrives, we go over the questions I'd like to ask the people still living on Capitol Drive. Mostly, it's just the standard things like, "Do you remember seeing this girl? Did you notice anyone suspicious in the neighborhood or around the rec center during the time of the incident? Any strange vehicles?"

But Katniss suggests that she'd like for me to ask if they'd ever met Prim. She thinks that maybe if they knew her, they'd care more and try to help. I can understand her reasoning, but if anyone felt that way, I'm sure they would've already helped the police six years ago.

After I pay the delivery driver we sit down on the sofa and eat. I'm not normally one to brag, but I was right about her changing her mind. She wastes no time clearing her plate. In fact, I'm pretty glad I ordered a couple extra egg rolls, too, or else I probably wouldn't have gotten the one I did.

We both crack open our fortune cookies and are about to compare fortunes when my phone starts to ring. It's after 11 on Sunday night and Haymitch is calling me. Of course. I grab my phone and stand up. "Hey Katniss, I'm just going to grab this real quick, it's my boss. I'll be right back."

She nods her head and stuffs half of her cookie into her mouth and speaks, "No problem."

I step into the kitchen and answer the phone, but can't even get out a "hello" before Haymitch starts in on me, his speech slurred, "It's about time you answered your goddamn phone. It's Sunday night and you have work in the morning, you better not be out."

I sigh, "No sir, I'm at home. May I help you?"

"Not really, but I thought you should know that Snow finally came in for questioning today. Darius said he couldn't get anything from him. He's already got a team of lawyers ready to go if they pursue this any further." He grunts, "Look. Darius really thinks that son of a bitch either did it or has some part of it. I want you to find out what you can on him."

"Darius really thinks that he killed that girl?" Something moves out of the corner of my eye and I see Katniss flop back down on the couch. I furrow my brow and peek into the living room. She doesn't seem to be paying any attention to me and looks pretty into the show she's watching.

I go back to pacing around the kitchen. "Well, I was thinking about canvassing Capitol Drive again for the Everdeen case. I'll make sure to keep an eye on him while I'm in the area."

"Be sure that you do." He slams his phone and it disconnects our call.

I go back into the living room and collapse on the couch. When I prop my feet up on the coffee table, Katniss pulls her knees up to her chest. I flip the channels until we both agree on an episode of Duck Dynasty. Actually, she picked it, I just agreed to stop changing channels.

We sit in comfortable silence for a moment, listening to Jace talk about pulling a prank on either his brother or uncle - I can't tell them apart - when Katniss turns to me and curls one leg underneath her. "Peeta, can you be honest with me?"

"I don't really think I've lied to you before."

She nods. "Tell me, do you really think asking people these questions six years after Prim went missing is going to accomplish anything?"

"I do." I shift on the couch so I am facing her and mimic the way she is sitting. "I know it seems like a long time has passed, but that's also given these people a long time to deal with their guilt if they knew something and didn't come forward with it sooner. If we get to that right person, us asking them might just be the chance for them to clear their conscience. When a case has been open for this long, that's usually what happens."

She takes in what I just told her. The slight flush on her cheeks makes me wonder if I really do have the heat turned up too high in here. She startles me when she reaches her hand up to my face and wipes at something on my cheek. "You have something green on your face."

I try to swallow, but I can't seem to move my throat. "I was painting earlier, I thought I had cleaned that off."

Her hand lingers on my face and I can't help but lean into her touch. Unconsciously, I move closer to her. I can't be misreading this, I know she can feel what I feel in this moment. She opens her mouth slightly and I'm close enough the feel the warmth of her soft, pink lips against my skin. Just as our lips are about to touch there is a loud bang on the television and some member of the Duck Dynasty family hooting about shooting something.

Motherfucker.

Both of us are pulled from the moment in a flurry of cursing by me and Katniss jumping off the couch, slipping on her shoes.

"I have to go!" She exclaims, frantically searching for her car keys and rushing to the coat closet in the entryway.

I sit on the couch in a stupor until I realize what is going on. I jump up and follow her to the door.

"Katniss, you don't have to go."

She swings open the door, almost hitting me with it in the process, while simultaneously putting on her jacket. "Thank you for dinner and all your work on Prim's case. I'll talk to you later."

She slams the door shut behind her, leaving me to bang my forehead against the door while listening to her truck rumble to life after her trying to start it a few times. I can't believe what I almost let happen. I am such an idiot.

I walk over to the television and turn it off, both thanking it and hating it more than anything I ever have in my life. I take the remnants of our dinner and toss them in the sink, not caring if I break a plate or not and go back to my bedroom to try and get some sleep.

I'm running through the woods and into a large, open meadow. It's not nighttime, but all I can see is a cloudy void ahead of me. I know it's cold, but I can't feel it. I have no idea where I am, but yet I know exactly where I am going.

My heart is pounding loudly in my ears and I feel this enormous weight against my chest, making my breathing even more difficult. I don't know what I'm running from, but the despair and fear I feel brings a tear to my eye. I've never felt anything like it before. I look up and see that I am following a young girl with blonde hair flowing behind her. I beg for her to slow down to ask her what we are running from, but she doesn't stop. She doesn't even look back. I do my best to keep up with her, but I feel the weight on my chest keep pulling me back. It's no use; she disappears into the void before me and I'm being yanked back by the very thing I've been running from. I scream out and thrash, but it won't stop.

I wake, sitting upright in my bed, sweat dripping down my chest even though I see the curtains blowing in the breeze from my open window. My throat is sore from screaming and I can't catch my breath. I've had this dream before. They just recently started coming to me since I moved here. I sink back into the bed, trying to fall back asleep, but every time I close my eyes, I see that girl running. In the back of my mind, I know who it is, but I refuse to believe it. The feeling I get from this dream is too familiar, like I know the person so well, but I never met Prim. How can I feel this way?

The clock on my nightstand reads a little past 4 o'clock. I know I'm not going to be able to go back to sleep now, so I get up and stumble my way down the hall to my studio and do what I have done since I was little.

I paint the bad dreams away.

We would like to thank everyone for their patience and continued support with our story. All of the messages and reviews have meant so much to the three of us.

A big thank you to our lovely beta sunfishdunes and our fantastic pre-readers desertginger and jennagill. You ladies are so quick to help and we really appreciate it.

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