Silence

Chapter 29

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My eyes fly open as I wake from my nightmare. I immediately feel the cold sweat on my body, but not the soft bed beneath me. And why is the ceiling so close?

When I realize I'm floating, I'm already falling and my stomach drops. I catch myself just as I'm about to hit the bed. I set myself down slowly onto my bed. I sit up and take several deep breaths. Then I sob, my head on my knees.

It hasn't felt that real in a long time. I haven't had a nightmare in weeks. I thought I was finally getting better. I swear I could feel the heat of the fire on my skin, the tightness of my chest as I sank beneath the ground.

I shake my head and stand up, refusing to think about it anymore. I grab my phone and check the time. It's about an hour before I usually wake up. It's a Saturday, so I don't have to worry about school.

I grab my clothes and head to the bathroom. I turn on the shower, leaving it cold. I scrub off the sweat and grime from last night. My hair is a mess from being in that wig every night. I only turn up the heat slightly when the freezing water makes me shiver. I try to wipe the dream from my mind, taking deep breaths. I have to fight to keep myself from falling asleep.

I step out of the shower and get dressed. I brush out and dry my hair, pulling it back into a simple ponytail. I put on enough makeup to be presentable but not much else. I go to my room, grab my phone, and head downstairs.

I enter the kitchen to find my dad already awake, cooking bacon and eggs. Pine rushes to greet me as I take a seat at the island.

"Morning, honey," Dad says. "You're up early."

I nod as I pet Pine. I walk over to the counter and grab a dog treat from a jar. Pine wags his tail as he smells it. I toss it towards him and he grabs it with ease. He takes it into the living room to finish.

"You sleep good last night?" Dad asks. I pause for a moment, then shake my head. I could lie, but I'm too tired to think.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," he replies with a sad smile. "I know it's been rough recently. It'll get better soon, I promise."

He puts his arm around me and I let him hug me. I point to the bacon that's almost finished.

"Of course," he answers. When breakfast finishes cooking, he divides the food onto three plates. Just in time, as I hear footsteps from the stairwell. My mom greets us and takes her breakfast into the living room. She turns on the TV and we watch for a while.

I'm distracted from my nightmare with thoughts of Blüdhaven. I have to find a way to make it there and back without my parents noticing. I could feign sickness and skip school, but I'd run the risk of Mom staying home to watch me. I can't pretend to spend the night at Melony or Bridgett's, since they can't know about my nightly escapades. Running away without covering would just be stupid. If there's a way to get to Blüdhaven and back without getting caught, I haven't found it yet.

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Flying over the expanse of Gotham's sky, it doesn't feel the same as before. It's been three days and my nightmares have only gotten worse. I look down and breath steadily, trying not to remember the feeling of rapidly descending into the dark streets. I make myself look ahead and focus on the patrol. When I have no particular goal in mind, I fly wherever I think there might be trouble.