Britannia, NY

The dreams have only intensified since her fight with Lexi. The last few nights have been unbearable, but when she wakes up she just lies in bed, concentrating on being as still as possible in the darkness, noting the cold in the air--she can't stand sleeping without the window open--anchoring herself in time. She's here. She's here and nowhere else.

Around three o'clock in the morning she jerks awake, her skin burning, sitting bolt upright, then carefully untenses her body and lies back down.

"I'm here," she tells the ceiling. "I'm me. I'm just me."