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Riley's eyes shot open in the blackness as the girl beside her let out a scream in the middle of the night. She sprung upwards and jerked her head to the right towards the sound. She managed to make out the silhouette of Ellie leaning up on her side of the bed.

"Ellie, what? What is it?"

Ellie's heart was racing and a few beads of sweat were running down her forehead despite the coldness of the room. She struggled to gain control of her breathing and placed one hand on her forehead and the other on her chest. "It was horrible."

"What was?" Riley asked quickly, her nerves still in a panic.

"Nightmare… it was so real."

Riley sighed out of both relief and frustration and motioned towards herself. "Come on. Come here." She leaned up and put her back against the wall.

Ellie fell over against Riley and laid her head on her lap. Riley yawned and began to mindlessly run her fingers through the freckled girls hair. Neither said a word as both had decided that the silence was the best option for the moment. Only once Ellie's breathing steadied and the tenseness in her body loosened did she whisper out.

"...sorry."

"Don't be. Must have been a hell of a nightmare."

"It was."

"Want to talk about it?"

She took another deep breath. "...I was back in that alley, with Ethan."

"Shit, that again?"

"Yeah, that again... mostly. He still tried to mug us and everything, but we didn't fight back... instead he... stabbed me, and then you, but... with you he didn't stop. I was already on the ground and was just watching him stab you over and over and over." Her voice grew increasingly unsteady. "Each time he did I could feel my heart beating harder and faster. I couldn't… couldn't move or anything. And you were making these horrible whimpering noises."

"Hey. Ellie. Come on, look at me." Riley rested a hand on the side of Ellie's face and tilted her towards herself. "It wasn't real. It was just a nightmare. Okay? I'm fine, you're fine."

Ellie slowed her breathing and shook her head slightly. "I know. But…"

"But?"

"There were two."

"Two… what? Nightmares?" Ellie nodded her head. "So what's the second one?" Riley asked even though she was hesitant about knowing.

Ellie spoke slowly and seemingly unsure of herself. "For some reason, right afterwards I was suddenly back at the orphanage. Tino and Sam were still alive."

Riley's heart sank at the mentioning of their names for the first time in months, uncomfortable with the feeling it stirred up within her.

"But it was weird. The room was pitch black, but I could see them perfectly standing side by side. That cooler door was behind them and they were both just staring at me, their eyes were a bright red color."

She rolled onto her back and watched the shadows dance along the ceiling. "The door behind them opened on its own and I could see that damn light bulb still hanging over the chair with David standing behind it. Then instantly they were sucked backwards and the door slammed closed." She let out a heavy breath. "I don't know what it meant, but it was really scary."

"I don't either. Maybe it doesn't have to mean anything."

"Maybe. But then why the hell would I dream something like that?"

"I really don't know, Ellie. We can talk about it tomorrow if you want to."

The implication of the statement was obvious. "…right." Ellie looked over at Riley and scrunched her face out of embarrassment. "Sorry for waking you."

"Totally fine. But I would like to get back to sleep though. You gonna be able to?"

"Yeah, I think so."

With those words of approval Riley laid back flat against the bed and let her arm around Ellie fall off as she rolled back over.

The morning after brought no comfort for either of them. The blinds over their widow once against threw a pattern of alternating light and shadow across them and the room like it did every morning. The cold morning air penetrated the glass and chilled the air throughout the apartment.

Ellie woke first and shuffled herself around trying to get what warmth she could from the blanket. She tugged it towards herself and unintentionally off of Riley, exposing her to the cold and forcing her awake.

"You up?" Ellie's voice was hoarse, the cold air doing her no favors.

"I am now." Riley's was no different but an additional tone of annoyance was apparent.

"How'd you sleep?"

She arched her back with a loud groan. "Not great. I didn't get back to sleep for a while after you woke me."

"Sorry again."

"And again, don't be. Not your fault you woke up with a scream, as freaky as it was." She twisted her body until her feet touched the ground but remained sitting on the bed.

Ellie kept her head on the pillow and spoke sleepily at her with an undertone of sadness. "Still weird though, I don't know why I'd dream about that place again."

"I don't either. Probably be better if we just ignore it though."

"Oh… but I thought we could talk about it. You said last night."

"I know what I said. I just don't want to anymore, okay?" Her voice carried impatience, something Ellie wasn't accustomed to hearing towards her.

"Alright… sorry."

"It's just..." She searched for an explanation but gave an exhale instead. "Can we just get some breakfast?"

Ellie leaned up from her pillow and watched as Riley left the room in silence. She was left speechless, unable to even mumble a sound in response. She hesitantly followed Riley's lead and slid her way out of bed and walked out into the main room where the other tenants were already preparing for the day.

Marlene was pouring milk into three glasses when she caught glimpse of Riley emerging first from the other room. "Morning, Riley." The combination of her demeanor and a lack of an answer immediately alerted her. "What's wrong?"

Riley sat at the table and made quick eye contact with Marlene, unable to force herself to hold it. "It's nothing."

"You sure? Seems li-"

"I'm fine."

She got the message and turned back around to finish pouring the drinks. "Okay..." She passed off one glass to Aiden, who was sitting on the couch, and was heading towards Riley when she spotted the last roommate appear. "Good morning, Ellie."

"Hi, Marlene."

It was impossible to miss the lack of enthusiasm. "Oh Lord. You too, huh?"

"What?"

"Nothing. Here's some milk. Waffles will be done soon."

She ignored the tension between the two girls as they both sat at the table, neither saying a word to each other. Riley looked distracted whereas Ellie just looked depressed. Something was clearly weighing on the two, but she'd rather let them work it out. She finished off a few batches of waffles and passed them out in the order of people to arrive first. Joel opted out of breakfast altogether, satisfied with his cup of black coffee and a newspaper.

Riley ate about half before pushing herself back in her chair and getting up from the table. She began to walk off before Marlene caught her.

"That's all you're eating?"

"I'm not done. Just gonna put some clothes on." She maneuvered around the table and disappeared back into their room, the door closing behind her.

Marlene couldn't help but take this moment to inject herself into the situation despite knowing to stay out of it. "Ellie, what's going on with Riley?"

Ellie managed to shrug as an answer. "I don't know. She snapped at me and just walked out."

"Well I don't like seeing you two like this. You should go talk to her."

"I'm not the one who started it."

"Ellie."

"I know, I know. I just don't want to right now. I'll do it later."

Marlene rolled her eyes and headed over to the couch to sit with Aiden with a plate of waffles in one hand and a bottle of cheap maple syrup in the other. Riley came back out just as she hit the cushion of the couch. She sat back down and continued where she left off with her food, taking a moment in between bites to talk.

"We should probably get going here pretty soon."

Ellie looked over with confusion at Riley from her sudden suggestion. "So early?"

"Well, we've been slacking the last few days thanks to these guys." She gestured towards Ellie's arm and her own leg. "Speaking of which, how's yours?"

Ellie rolled up her right sleeve and pushed aside the white bandage to reveal a wound that was just beginning to scab over.

"That's gonna scar."

"No shit. How's yours?"

"About the same. Only grosser since I can actually see into it."

They both sat silently for a few minutes before Ellie finished her food and excused herself from the table. "I'll get ready."

Once in the room she kicked aside the clothes Riley had dropped on the floor. She put on whatever shirt her hand touched first when reaching into the closest since it wouldn't be seen until she was back in bed at night. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and headed back into the main room. Ellie nodded to Riley and they both headed for the door.

"Thanks for breakfast, Marlene."

"Be safe out there." She widened her eyes at Ellie and motioned towards Riley who returned an annoyed nod of agreement at her.

They made their way down the hallway which was always able to make them uncomfortable. New foreign stains graced the wall and there were a few unmoving people staggered throughout. The girls made their way past a couple of them, headed down the stairs, past the den lady near the front entrance, and out into the street again. They walked as fast as Riley could manage along the sidewalks for several streets without speaking until they reached the spot where they were to split off.

Ellie was the first to speak, though not about the obvious. "I'll see you around five then?"

"Yeah."

"Where at? We can do the soup kitchen again, or that little diner near the bank."

"Either one is fine."

"Okay… let's just do the soup kitchen then. It's cheaper."

"Sure."

Ellie sighed, hating every moment of it. "Alright, well… see ya in a bit, I guess."

She leaned in for a painfully awkward kiss and headed off in a direction opposite Riley's.

She walked the last several streets not thinking about anything specifically but rather letting her emotions have free reign. Unfortunately, they grew to the point where it felt like her head was being compressed and the word around her was growing hazy. It must've been apparent on her face since more people than usual were avoiding her. She took her spot and, as embarrassed as the hundred times before, started begging for change from complete strangers.

She propped up a cardboard sign with a generic pandering message, a sign that she's always hated, and sat herself against the wall, its cold hardness she's always despised. She rested her arm on her knee and held out the scuffed up plastic cup with zero interest. She focused on the sidewalk near the peoples' feet and half-watched as blurred figures flowed from one side of her vision to the other. She would infrequently shift her focus upwards following the occasional hollow thudding sound a coin would make landing inside her near empty cup.

Her thoughts saturated her mind and denied the outside world access. Riley took up half of its capacity and the orphanage the other half. She couldn't stand the silent treatment from Riley and hated the feeling that there was something that she wasn't being involved in. They talked about everything and anything, no matter what it was, and being denied that was something she's never had to deal with before.

Another coin drop pulled her out of her inner rant for just a moment. She looked up in time to see the person moving on. She attempted a simple thanks, but her mind couldn't force her mouth to open.

As soon as the donator was out of earshot her thoughts took over again without pause.

This is such bullshit. If this had to do with the other night she should've just told me. Like always. But no, for some fucking reason this time is different and she goes and makes it weird between us. I mean, what the hell? We go through some shit and then all of a sudden she- I just... if it is about that, it's not like it affects only her. They're in my head constantly too, how could they not be? David, the orphanage, our past, all that. But that doesn't mean-

"If you're going to beg for free money you should at least try to earn it."

Ellie was rapidly pulled from her chaotic rambling thoughts and thrown back onto the sidewalk. Her eyes tilted upwards to focus in on a man in a dark brown trench coat standing in front of her.

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What?"

"You heard what I said. If you want money you're going to have to earn it."

She glanced back at the ground in disbelief. "Leave me alone…"

"Not even going to try? That's real surprising."

"Leave me alone!" In an instant her voice rose to a shriek.

The man stepped back in surprise but retained his expression of arrogance. He shook his head and walked away with a snide comment. A few people had stopped to witness the outburst but she simply ignored them. She had an extensive amount of experience in doing so since she had to deal with an immeasurable amount of those who thought little to nothing of her every day.

The compression in her head had grown and shifted toward her brow. She settled back into her physical position and her position in thought, never truly leaving the latter.

But that doesn't mean I get to act like an asshole every time they do. I know we had to leave and it wasn't our fault they didn't listen to us. We did what we could, even she said that. At least, for the most part. And besides, if not us, then who?

Before long the sun was three quarters through its path for day and the street lights were just beginning to flicker on. She dumped what meager change she received from the day into her pocket and exhaustedly shuffled her way back across the city towards the soup kitchen. She stopped just outside the building and leaned against the wall next to the door with her arms folded tightly.