Shane laid with with her ear pressed to Alice’s chest as if she were afraid her heart would stop at any moment in the middle of the night. Her arm casted arm and right leg were both draped protectively over her body as Alice held her in her sleep.

Shane continued to lay in bed on her stomach pretending to sleep. She was starting to learn that if she snuck small naps in during the day she could stay up all night and fight the good fight until daylight finally broke. She shook the sleep that loomed from her exhausted body and placed her bare feet on the hardwood floor, intent on finding her usual bedtime companion. Shane moved quickly to the door checking that she didn’t cause any creaks in the floorboards, which she knew by heart from her nightly escapes. She slid down the hall like a cloud of smoke, keeping her slight frame in the shadows until she reached the end of the hall, only stopping momentarily when a flash of nasuea overtook her from the smell of ammonia that drifted through the apartment.

She took a deep breath and turned the cold brass knob that would bring her to her escape. She pushed the door open and stepped out of the hall and into the dark room. Her body began to shake not knowing just how much damage had been done tonight. She walked across the room trying not to wake the sleeping body huddled under the covers and sat on the end of the bed. The body tensed as Shane reached out to pull back the covers.