Bittersweet Dreams

The cold gives way to stifling, muggy late summer heat before goosebumps have a chance to form on Ellen’s arms. It’s the middle of the night, but Ellen feels no less safe for being alone. She speeds for the entirety of the nearly empty route between downtown and home. No need to wake Rob and Marie by walking in the front door, she doesn’t have the energy to face them now anyway.
Climbing through her bedroom window, she stumbles through the mess she’d left behind months ago. Clothes she’d thrown on the floor in the process of packing to go to the future. So much for that. She drops on her bed, not even bothering to take off her shoes, and cries herself to sleep.
Weeks, months, pass in the blink of an eye; it all kind of blurs together. Ellen’s been a totally different person since she got back, she keeps hearing her parents whisper to each other when they think she can’t hear them. Spending less time with Chris, too. Too weird being around him anymore, and Ellen doesn’t want to get him caught up in… whatever kind of bullshit she’s going to get into. All the things she’d already done. Not when he’ll do so much better without her.
It’s Tay’s birthday.
Every now and then she’ll remember things that won’t happen for decades still, and gets angry at herself all over again. Goes somewhere to be alone. Punches harder than she should when she’s on patrol, just to vent her anger. Takes more drives in the middle of the night and thinks about just not going back every single time, but why put off the inevitable? That’s what I get for reading ahead.
She stops working with Tornado.
Ellen looks down at her arms, covered in tattoos and scars she doesn’t remember getting, and wonders where the time has gone.
She lowers her old sunglasses and charges forward, crashing into Daybreak’s constructs.
She doesn’t recognize the song playing on the radio, but hums along to the tune anyway.
Cyclone frowns at her, more hurt than angry, with other heroes from the League around him.
She recites words she doesn’t remember learning and a magic circle flares to light around her feet.
The Jackal’s new sidekick lands a solid hit square on her jaw.
----
The strike jolts Ellen awake, her eyes shooting open with a sharp inhale of cool winter air. She rubs at her jaw just to make sure there’s no bruise forming.
“Thanks, Mel.” She whispers with a smile. Pushing the hair out of her face, she looks around her room in the dark: curtains drawn so the streetlamps outside are hazy and dim; two guitars in their stands in the corner of the room; Tay asleep next to her.
Ellen’s heart soars. Her breathing calms as traces a finger along Tay’s arm and snuggles in next to her again. Despite the fact that she’s always cold, being close to Tay always warms Ellen up, and it’s not long before it gets difficult to keep her eyes open.
Saved me again. Thanks Tay. I lov-
Asleep too soon.
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Category:B-Verse
Category:Scenes
Category:Ellen Drummond