The first week living with Tamsin was quite a struggle. The workload Lauren had was far more than she had anticipated, and whenever she would try to do her homework in the room, there was Tamsin eating chips loudly in bed or listening to murder podcasts. Whenever she did the latter, she would always creepily stare at Lauren until the first year sighed heavily, grabbed her belongings, and walked to the library. When those nights happened, Lauren realized that even with the pristine school in the daylight, walking around in the dark was still unnerving. At one moment she actually thought she saw a human with tapetum lucidum, the reflective layer behind animal eyes, which made her promptly clutch her belongings further to her chest and walk faster.

Whenever she would come back to the room, Tamsin was still very much awake with the sheets hiked high on her knees, the blue vibrator nowhere to be seen. Oh it was heard alright, and the lighter blonde had no problem utilizing the sound proofing of the rooms. The first time Lauren had walked in on Tamsin's… playtime, immediately upon opening the door a wave of moans hit her ears, but the momentum she already had to push open the door would not dissipate, and there she was awkwardly standing inside the doorway. Tamsin didn't stop, never breaking eye contact as she found her release, taking a few moments to herself before replacing the vibrator in its spot on the side table and walking to their bathroom. Lauren had closed her eyes as soon as the heavy wooden door closed, before gulping down a wad inside her throat. When nights like that happened, Tamsin was a bit more cuddly, actually wrapping her hand around Lauren's midsection instead of sleeping away from her.

Lauren had made it very clear the first night she wasn't going to sleep on the floor, to which Tamsin just shrugged and breathed laughter. The first year wasn't giving up, and she had flicked her eyes the very first night and moved away from the bed. Tamsin laid back down, taking up practically the entire thing with how she splayed her legs, and she watched as Lauren left to shower. When she came back, the light blonde was fake sleeping- who slept with their boots on!- before she felt a warm body come up next to her. Light green orbs peered out from half closed lids to see Lauren, who was still acting as if Tamsin had really been sleeping, crawling carefully into bed. The woman lifted the blanket as far as she could before shimmying her way in, a large shirt and Spock pajamas the only thing adorning her. Tamsin hadn't been kind, barely leaving any covers to the woman as she slept on top of them, but as the week progressed she would slowly allow Lauren to grasp more and more for a better night sleep.

It was strange sharing a bed with a roommate, Lauren found, not because they were two women and they didn't know each other, but because at every turn Tamsin pushed her away. There was no communication among them, and when Lauren would try to have a civil conversation, the other would make some crude joke and keep on her merry way. So when Lauren entered the room after her physics class ended for the night, she should have known something ridiculous was going to happen. She expected another vibrator incident, or the clothes to be stacked high in the corner again. What she did not expect was voices yelling at each other as she opened the door. The sound proofing was exceptional, making it so that Lauren hadn't even heard muffled arguments before she opened the heavy door, but it also wasn't helping since she had just walked in on a heated fight.

The woman stood there and waved awkwardly as both women looked her over. Tamsin sighed heavily, shaking her head and looking to the ceiling as if to ask a higher power for strength. The one she did not know looked to Tamsin with a glare before walking over to Lauren. She didn't move, and the woman folded her arms, barking out, "Well?"

"Oh, right," Lauren said, getting out of the way and standing off to the side.

"This isn't over, Tam-Tam."

"Oh, Stacy, you should really get those roots done. Makes all authority fly out the window."

The woman named Stacy's face went red before she turned on her heels and left in a huff. No explanation was immediately given when Tamsin took up her position on the bed, while Lauren closed the door. She looked to the lighter blonde in hopes they would talk, but it didn't seem like any answers would come.

Lauren waved her hands toward the door after placing her books and backpack down. "Do you want to, oh I know know, discuss this?"

"Not really," Tamsin breathed, hopping onto her back.

"Well it's time to start talking! Bringing a scorned lover back to the room is-"

Tamsin burst out laughing, sitting up and looking to Lauren with amusement in her gaze. "Stacy is definitely not my girlfriend. You are really shit reading a room, doc."

It wasn't like Lauren's reason at being at the university was a secret, she had many classes that were required to become a doctor, as well as books received from her brother in the make-shift bookcase on the dresser. But for some reason, seeing as Tamsin had not cared to ask her profession or would let Lauren ask why she was there for this entire time, it made anger bubble inside Lauren's stomach and throat. "Well maybe I just can't stand my room being used as your personal dumping ground."

"Well too bad it's not your room."

"Well too bad you're the worst roommate to ever walk the planet!"

Tamsin got off the bed, moving dangerously close into Lauren's space. Her face was tight with anger and she hissed, "Well too bad you shouldn't even exist!"

Lauren didn't know why that hurt so much, or why someone she didn't know would say something so existential, but any anger that was left in her system promptly dissipated. She could feel tears threatening to spread down her cheeks, and before her eyes watered and reddened too much she turned and walked briskly out the door. She didn't see Tamsin's hand try to catch her arm, nor did she see the woman standing ominously in the shadows as she got out of the building. When Lauren got outside she sucked in the cool air and felt the heat from her anger completely subside. She walked aimlessly, letting the tears fall, before finding a bench a ways from the building surrounded in darkness but for one light that perfectly surrounded where she sat.

In that moment she remembered her older brother, and how her parents always told her they had actually wanted him. In a way Tamsin was right- her entire existence should have never even came to be. Even with all their protection, her mother still got pregnant with her, and with all the ways they had tried to get rid of her, Lauren stayed. Her brother was the only kind one, taking her out of the house when her parents fought over the little demon that was her, and instead showed her happy things. They rode their bikes and played on the swings, found secret temples and played cops and robbers. The disconnect of her life was like a giant hole in her chest, and unbeknownst to Tamsin she had brought it all back with one simple sentence. How stupid was the human brain, she thought bitterly.

Her crying session was cut short not by Tamsin, but by another slightly familiar voice. "Tamsin was always good at making pretty girls cry."

Lauren sniffled, wiping away her tears before seeing the blonde from earlier step into the light. She chuckled humorlessly before replying, "Stacy, right?"

"Yep, that's me. May I?"

"Yes, of course." Stacy sat beside Lauren gently, a concerned look on her face as she looked her over. Without warning, the woman moved her hand to caress Lauren's face. Moving away slightly she asked, "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, just an eyelash." The moment sank into the chill of the air before she continued, "You know it wasn't a coincidence Tamsin was roomed with you. I see it all the time: a fresh first year coming onto campus with hopes and dreams, elated for their future. Only to have it dashed away from them when they realize they are roomed with the worst roommate on the planet." Stacy smiled kindly, though Lauren thought she saw something sinister in her eyes. She pointed out into the darkness and said, "Just look at all those faces devoid of emotion and care. That's Tamsin's doing."

Confused, Lauren followed where Stacy had pointed into the shadows of the night, only to have her heart drop into her stomach and a scream rise in her throat. Groaning and shuffles filled the air around them as the grayed faces of young adults made their way slowly into the night. They looked like zombies, varicose veins dancing across their faces and forearms, their clothes dirty as if they had been sleeping in the ground. Their moans filled Lauren's ears, stirring her to try to jump up and run, but her body wouldn't move. Stacy's arm was around her shoulder, even with the awkward position Lauren could feel more weight than should be pushing her downward to keep her planted on the bench. The zombies were coming closer and closer, one with sandy brown hair in the lead that reminded her of her brother. She tried to scream but a hand was clamped over her mouth.

"This is what Tamsin causes," Stacy hissed. Her mouth was close to Lauren's ear, and she could feel the woman's tongue lick her neck. "The same will happen to you if you stay."

Lauren closed her eyes tight, trying to wake from the nightmare. There was only one explanation, only one cause to why this was happening, and it must have been because she had fallen asleep after the fight instead of going out, making her dream all of this up. It didn't matter what it was, all she had to do was get out of it! Something sliced through the air, and Lauren opened her eyes slowly as she felt the pressure from her shoulders recede. When her brown eyes fell upon the zombies decapitated head, and warmth strike her in the face and hair, she finally let herself scream.

She bolted up in bed, her breathing heavy and Tamsin stirring at her side.

"Good thing the doors are soundproof, doc," Tamsin drearily said, sounding very agitated to be woken up with a blood curdling scream. "Nightmare?"

Lauren was still having a hard time catching her breath, he eyes darting from Tamsin to the door to the room around her. She hummed to herself nervously, her body jolting with chemicals to tell her to run, before she painstakingly slowly laid back down. Her labored breathing continued, her hand going to her forehead to wipe away sweat. A shaky hand came down to rest on her stomach, instantly creating small dabs of wetness there. Confused, and finally feeling her senses again instead of how her body wished to run, she felt an icy chill go down her neck from her pillow. Raising her hand again, she curled her fingers into her wet hair and frowned. Had she sweat so much into the pillow that her hair became drenched? No, that was improbable, especially seeing as the fruity scent of her shampoo was all around her. Then how was her hair so wet?

The woman looked over to the back of Tamsin's head, scrutinizing every inch of the woman's back. Her eyes became heavy, either from the rush of adrenaline leaving her body or the fact she had a long day, and any thought left her mind as she was pulled back into sleep.

"Rest easy, doc," Tamsin whispered, turning her body to look at the sleeping woman. "Rest easy."