𝐓𝐈𝐋 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐃𝐎 𝐖𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 ⚠︎︎ 𝐉. 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑

𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

Sleepless nights were common in their household. Someone was always screaming. Whether it be Thalia, waking from a horrid nightmare, or Daisy, just a baby who cried because she was hungry, needed to be changed, or because she'd been awoken by her caretakers screams.

When those nights of full sleep came, she found it was hard. Her body was on routine to be awake during random hours, ready to spring into action at the drop of a hat.

That was how she found herself staring at the wall, arms crossed over her body and awaiting that telltale cry from the baby's room.

Joel slept like a log beside her, bare back to her and snuggled under the heavy duvet as the spring air blew in through the open window.

Thalia smiled softly at the sight, fighting the urge to run her hand over his surely warm skin. It was real, that was what she had to tell herself. This was no sick joke or a pipe dream, this was her new life.

She's left behind the blood baths and grueling environment for safety. The cruel world is gone for one with cherry pastries and children going to school. People working together to build something instead of tearing it down.

It was no easy adjustment because there was no adjustment. The brunette had completely convinced herself that she would never become used to this way of life. It felt like a blanket on her mind, something that covered her from thinking of the cold, hard truth.

Joel slept easier, she didn't. Ellie was slowly making friends, she wasn't. Joel was working, she wasn't. Maria was raising a baby seemingly flawlessly, she wasn't.

Thalia squeezed her body tighter, trying to rid herself of that permanent ache inside of her chest. The same one that had resided there ever since the hospital, when they'd gotten home that night and she realized what she'd done.

Splat.

The color of Marlene's blood covered her eyesight, the sight of her brains covering the garage floor after she'd so mercilessly murdered her.

She fucking deserved it.

Thalia shut her eyes, wincing at the thought that she found too true. Marlene needed to die for them to be here today, a somewhat happy and cohesive family.

Creak.

The woman sat up in bed, eyes darting to the cracked door. The floorboards in this house were noisy, the last time someone lived inside of it was in the winter when they'd come to visit. Before that, there was no one.

She tried to peer through the crack but found nothing until a light down the hall flicked on, an orange haze basking the hallway.

Quietly, she flipped the covers from her body, grabbing Joel's switchblade off of her nightstand. Her feet hit the floor, slowly creeping towards their bedrooms door.

Another sound filled the air, a gasp. Thalia rushed down the hall, knife in hand before bursting the door open. It crashed against the wall and she shrieked upon what she saw, "Jesus Christ!"

"What the fuck? You could've killed me!" Her jaw went slack, "What are you doing, Ellie?" She exclaimed, voice still hushed. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Scaring the shit out of me." The teen rolled her eyes, the sass practically radiating from her. In her arms was Daisy, tiny fist in her mouth. After more inspection, she saw a large streak of spit running down Ellie's cheek, glistening in the lamp light.

"She get you?" Thalia flipped the knife back, allowing herself to breath, setting it down on the small table by the door to the baby's room.

"Yeah. Little shit rubbed it all over my new shirt." The small whine in her voice made the woman chuckle, shaking her head as she watched the two, fitting like two puzzle pieces.