Chpt.4
white lie bréag gan díobháil
"Time's a ticking time's a ticking. Tick tock. tick tock." Again, Aoife saw the man at the computer typing mindless at what looked like a security wall.
"Who are you?" Aoife whispered, even though she knew that he couldn't hear her.
"Tick tock tick tock. Time's a ticking. Time's a ticking."
"Why do you keep saying that? Why are you important in my life that I have to dream about you?" Aoife questioned.
"Tick tock tick tock. Time's a ticking. Time's a ticking." he chuckled.
"Am I losing control?" Aoife exclaimed in frustration. She didn't want to lose control, but what if that was what was happening? What if her control was slipping away?
"Tick tock tick tock. Your time is running out." Aoife was surprised by the new line.
"Who's time is running out?" she questioned in a whisper.
"Tick tock tick tock. Your time is running out, Oracle."
Aoife shot up awake.
"Barbara." She whispered. Aoife ran downstairs to Barbara's bedroom and opened the door.
"Barbara?" she questioned in a panicked voice. To Aoife's surprise, Barbra sat up in her bed along with Dick next to her.
"Aoife?" Barbara questioned in surprise.
Aoife was confused why Dick was sleeping next to her, but relief rushed through he when she noticed that Barbara was alright.
"Aoife, what's wrong?" Dick inquired with concern.
"N-nothing." Aoife whispered. "Sorry for waking you two up." The girl backed away from the room, and then ran back upstairs.
It was about five A.M. when she woke up, and she sighed. There would be no way that she'd be able to go back to sleep, and she had to get up for school in another two hours.
Aoife curled up in her bed, clutching one of her Teddy bears tightly.
Someone's after Barbara. Why am I seeing this? Am I supposed to protect her? How am I supposed to do that? I don't even know who the guy is! I can't do this! I don't want to see any of this!
"Aoife?" The girl looked up to see Dick standing in her bedroom doorway. "Are you alright?" he questioned as he walked further into the room and sat on the edge of her bed.
"Yeah. I'm okay." Aoife lied. She didn't want to talk to Dick about her new dreams, because she knew that he would worry too much about her.
"You sure?" he inquired, and Aoife nodded with a smile on her face.
"Yes. I need to try to get back to sleep before school." Aoife informed.
"Alright. I'll see you in the morning then." Dick said as he started to close the door, but Aoife questioned,
"Why were you sleeping in Barbara's bed?" Dick froze for a moment.
"Um… well, she likes it when I sleep with her sometimes. I just comfort her I guess." Dick shrugged. Aoife nodded, and Dick couldn't help but sigh. Just looking at her eyes, he could tell that something was off.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Dick questioned.
"Yes. I'm fine." she stated sternly. Dick didn't want to leave Aoife when he knew something was wrong, but there was nothing he could do if she didn't want to tell him, so he kissed the girl's head, then started to heard out of the room.
"I hope you sleep well." He whispered.
"You too." Aoife replied. Once Dick left the room, Aoife hugged her teddy bear tighter. When her alarm clock went off, she was waiting for it and quickly turned it off. As she expected, she was unable to go back to sleep.
She slowly got out of her bed and sleepily got dressed into some jeans, black boots, and a red t-shirt. She brushed out her hair and quickly braided it into a single braid.
She then walked downstairs for breakfast.
There sat Cassandra who was eating some pancakes, Dick, who was drinking coffee, and Barbara, who was typing at her computer with a bagel next to her.
"Good morning." Aoife said with her best smile, as she started to pour out some cereal and then added milk.
"Good morning, Aoife." Cassandra said with a small grin.
"Were you able to get back to sleep?" Barbara inquired, looking up from her computer.
"Yeah." Aoife smiled, despite the fact that she was lying. She didn't want Barbara to worry.
She quickly ate her breakfast and grabbed her back pack to head out to school.
"Aoife, do you want me to drive you?" Dick inquired, but Aoife shook her head.
"Thanks, but no thanks, Dick." She said with an apologetic smile, then walked out the door.
"She is uneasy." Cassandra pointed out quietly. Dick nodded.
"I noticed, but I don't know about what. I mean, I know she's been having some problems fitting in at school, but there seems to be more to it." Barbara looked up at both Cass and Dick.
"When she feels like we need to know what's wrong, she'll tell us. We just need to be patient. We can't force anything out of her." She explained.
"I know." Dick sighed. "Still doesn't mean I'm not worried."
~*~*~*~*~On the Streets of Gotham~*~*~*~*~
Jason spotted Aoife as she walked to school. Just by the way she was holding herself, Jason could tell that she was tired.
He quickly crept up next to her, and then gave her a warm smile.
"Hey kid." Aoife smiled when she saw him.
"Hi Jason." She yawned, and Jason looked at her with concern.
"You look tired. Did you sleep well last night?" he inquired, and she shook her head sadly.
"No." she answered. "I saw the crazy guy again." She muttered, and Jason raised an eyebrow.
"Any more info on him?" he questioned, but he was trying not to sound to nosey to make Aoife suspect anything.
"No. I still haven't seen his face, and he was looking at a computer screen again. But he said 'Your time is running out Oracle.' So he's gonna hurt Barbara. I just know it. I… I don't know what to do." Aoife frowned. Jason sighed and gave Aoife a small pat on the back.
"Don't get so worked up, okay? I'll handle stuff. I'll look for whoever is going to try to hurt Babs, alright?"
Aoife smiled up at the man.
"Thank you."
"Just doin' my job, kid." Jason chuckled, and they were outside of Aoife's school. "Now get an education."
As Jason watched the girl run into school, he couldn't help but sigh.
Aoife was the only person who ever saw what he could and did do to people, and not fear him. Aoife understood him as a person, not just an angry man with a knife. She saw him as a man and not a monster. Jason was grateful for that.