Room 218, Tuesday Night

It started off as a good dream. She and Ender were running around the park, playing hide and seek like she used to with Jaenelle and the kindred. They'd hide in the treetops, behind benches, in the underbrush. The night was filled with laughter and the howling of kindred wolves.

Then the dream changed. The laughter changed, grew hard and cruel and mocking. The howls stopped coming from kindred throats and became screams of human pain. And Ender was no longer Ender. He was some foul and misshapen thing, who held a mirror in front of face like a mask, with Ender's reflection trapped inside. He launched himself into a tree and in his hand he held a glimmering crystal chalice.

"I didn't think I'd see you coming out of the dorms again."

Dawn saw Karla awake and huddled under her blankets, like a child hiding from the dark.

[Establishy]

Room 218, Wednesday Afternoon

Coming back from 'Dite's after making sure Dinah was all right, Karla succumbed to her exhaustion and laid down on her bed. Just a nap. Just one small, little nap and then she'd feel better. Everyone else was napping, yes? It it wouldn't be like Dinah's whatever-that-was. This could be a teensy little catnap and she'd have no trouble waking up from it.

Even as she was thinking that last thought, she fell asleep. And dreamt.

Karla woke up, pulse racing and heart-beating. Not from fear. Oh no. If it hadn't been for the arm and the conversation about Ender in the beginning, Karla wouldn't have thought the two dreams were related at all, even though they both had that same feeling of gritty reality. This dream had been nice. Way too nice. Kinda-made-her-want-to-curl-up-and-cry-nice.

Whatever was going on, Karla hated it.

[Establishy but open]