For a long while, Sophie slept seemingly peacefully, and she was. More so than she had in many, many nights. Perhaps it was knowing that she wasn't in that dreadful place anymore. But the peaceful slumber wouldn't last long. She was convinced that it never would again. And it was his fault; Ryan's.

Her eyes moved rapidly under her lids and she groaned. In Sophie's mind, she was home. Well, the planet she called home anyway. It was a rather large place, though seemingly uninhabited. Sophie and her feline companion Ayashe were exploring through the jungle-like area surrounding their tree. It felt so real, as she drug her fingers through Ayashe's soft white fur. The feline's back came up to, if not past Sophie's hip.

Ayashe had stopped, ears perked and alert. So Sophie stopped, too. Did the tiger-like animal sense something that her human companion could not? Golden flecked hazel eyes looked through thick jungle foliage. Yes, she could hear something, too. But, their planet was uninhabited... Sophie moved forward, pushing large green leaves out of the way as she stepped through to a small clearing.

Overhead, the sky had darkened. Sophie looked up to see smoke billowing high into the sky, causing it to look dark red, brown, grey and black. The forest was suddenly burning. But, how? Sophie turned to Ayashe, but the tiger was suddenly very different. "Ayashe?" the blonde questioned as the large feline stalked closer. Her fur, it was dirty, and messed, and had dried blood throughout it. There were entire pieces missing, where bone shone through. Her eyes were wild, foggy, and part of her jaw was missing. She'd become some kind of zombie.

Sophie shook her head, even laying on the couch she rolled onto her back and her head moved back and forth, once, then twice. "No," she mumbled in her sleep, before falling still and silent again. In her nightmare, Ayashe stalked closer still. Tears filled Sophie's eyes. Not her only friend, not Ayashe. A low growl, something feral and twisted, rolled from Ayashe's mouth. Run, Sophie told herself. And she did. Sophie turned and she ran.

The forest burned around her. It heated her skin and dried her tears as they fell. How had this happened? Glancing over her shoulder, Sophie could see that Ayashe was close on her heels. Faster, she told herself, but her legs were so heavy. It was like running across a beach, her feet felt like they were sinking with each step she took and her legs burned. She choked on sobs and smoke. Ash fell on her face, mixing with her tears and streaking down her cheeks.

She was coming out of the fire now. It was fading somehow, and as she pushed through a cluster of large tropical leaves, someone grabbed her. She screamed out, and struggled. It was another zombie! It was Ryan as a zombie. She struggled and screamed, but his voice cut through her panic, "Sophie," he said, causing her to stop and look at him. He wasn't a zombie anymore. The fire was gone, the whole forest was gone, Ayashe was gone.

"Where-," she'd tried to ask. "We're here," Ryan said. Sophie turned to see a building. She'd not seen the outside of the one she'd lived in for that short time, but this was it, there was no doubt about it. The feeling in her gut told her that much. "No," she said again, speaking aloud in her sleep again. But nightmare Ryan was already steering her through the doors. "No!" she said again in her sleep, louder this time. "Don't!" she begged. "Don't take me back," she pleaded in her sleep, though they were more mumbles from the real world.

Lab coats emerged from shadows all around. The faces were strangely blurred memories. They grabbed at Sophie. "No! Please! Let go!" she said in her sleep. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes into her hair. They pulled at her and held her down and she screamed for help in her nightmare, but her voice wouldn't come again. That's how it was in her nightmares. Running was impossible, screaming was no use...

There on the couch, Sophie seemed to struggle with invisible people. "No," she'd keep saying, "Let me go!" Tears fell generously. She was reaching for the white haired wonder as he exited the building. "Don't leave me here," she begged out loud.