The Winter Star ❥ b.barnes daughter

xiv. drunk

Yall Kendra lowkey a bad influence 😭😭

ELLIE BARNES TOSSED AND TURNED in her sleep, trapped in a nightmare that refused to let her go. The air was thick with tension, and the familiar setting of the HYDRA facility loomed around her. She was ten years old again, standing in a cold, dimly lit room with concrete walls that seemed to close in on her. Her best friend, Jamie, stood beside her, his face pale but determined.

A harsh voice echoed through the room, and Ellie's heart pounded in her chest. She knew what was coming. She had lived this nightmare countless times, but tonight, something felt different.

"Do it," the voice commanded, and a HYDRA agent shoved Jamie forward.

Ellie's eyes darted to the side, and she saw her therapist, Dr. Evans, standing in the shadows, watching. Her presence was unsettling, her expression cold and detached. Ellie's mind raced. Why was Dr. Evans here? This wasn't how it had happened.

Jamie's eyes met hers, filled with a mix of fear and resignation. "It's okay, Ellie," he whispered, trying to comfort her even in his final moments.

A gunshot rang out, and Jamie fell to the ground, blood pooling around him. Ellie screamed, but no sound came out. Her body was paralyzed, rooted to the spot by an invisible force. She tried to move, to run to Jamie, but her legs wouldn't obey her.

Dr. Evans stepped closer, her eyes locked on Ellie's. "This is your fault," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "You could have saved him."

Ellie's heart shattered at the accusation. She knew it wasn't true, but the guilt gnawed at her insides. Tears streamed down her face as she watched Jamie's lifeless body, her friend, her brother in all but blood, taken from her once again.

The scene shifted, and Ellie found herself standing in the middle of a dark, empty street. Dr. Evans was still there, her presence a haunting specter in the night. "You'll never escape your past, Ellie," she said, her voice echoing in the silence. "It will always be with you."

Ellie's eyes snapped open, and she bolted upright in bed, gasping for breath. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt the sweat on her forehead, cold and clammy. She looked around her room, trying to ground herself in reality. The familiar posters on the walls, the soft glow of her nightlight, and the quiet hum of the air conditioner all served to remind her that she was safe, that it had only been a dream.

But the images lingered, the sight of Jamie's blood and the cold accusation in Dr. Evans's eyes. Ellie lay back down, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing. Why had Dr. Evans been in her dream? What did it mean? She had always trusted her therapist, despite the uncomfortable memories that their sessions sometimes brought to the surface. But now, doubt gnawed at her.

She replayed the dream in her mind, trying to make sense of it. The guilt she felt about Jamie's death was always there, lurking beneath the surface. But why had her mind chosen to place Dr. Evans in that horrific scene? Ellie couldn't shake the feeling that it meant something, something she needed to understand.

Minutes ticked by, and Ellie's breathing gradually slowed. The room was quiet, save for the soft rustle of the sheets as she shifted restlessly. She glanced at her clock; it was barely past midnight. She knew she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep easily.

Ellie threw off the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She padded across the room and opened her door, stepping into the dimly lit hallway. She paused outside her dad's room, listening to the soft snores coming from within. A part of her wanted to wake him, to seek comfort in his reassuring presence. But she hesitated, not wanting to disturb him with her troubled thoughts.