[ Ellie feels her heart begin to race, her throat close up the second Matthew's eyes go black. She knows what she's in for... Sort of. Bracing herself as best as she can, she sits back and takes a quick glance away to be sure they're truly alone. ]
[ But the memories kick in before she can check, her entire body going stiff while her focus is forced somewhere else. She feels as though she's in a room, watching everything on a screen that starts to flash before her in both slow and fast motion. ]
[ The first image is of Riley, of course, over the shoulder of a larger kid who'd taken Ellie by the collar of her shirt to shake her. She rips the guy off of her, slamming him to the ground. ]
[ "I should stomp your fucking balls!", she hears. And it echoes. She'd saved her ass, even after Ellie had been hardly pleasant to her. "I should stomp your fucking balls," she begins to hear her own voice say... And maybe she said it aloud in the library, but she can't tell. ]
[ "You've got some trust issues, girl" she hears, sees spoken through dark lips and a cheesy smile. It flashes forward to a few fast ones, moments she wishes would last longer when she feels Riley hug her and laugh that stupid fucking laugh of hers again. Her jacket is thick and her arms are warm, she can feel her heart beat for a half a second before the flash of a camera in her face changes the scene again. Ellie's arms are around Riley now, smiling for a polaroid that makes a strange sound as it emerges from the slot. ]
[ Then there's music... "Babe, I've got you, babe! I've got you, babe!" Her heart wrenches at the song, but it's pounding from the dancing she suddenly finds herself doing, Riley reaching out for her and taking her hands. ]
[ Within seconds, they're standing close... "Don't go..." She hears herself say. A dog tag jingles as it hits the floor, and Ellie feels her throat swell shut when that sudden urge to kiss her steals her entire body and she can feel those lips on hers again. But it's a fleeting scene, just like the others, and a burning sensation on her arm directs her into the final memory. ]
[ "Ellie... Ellie, your arm.". Riley says with wide eyes, but a seemingly calm expression when she shows the matching teeth marks on her hand. Just like the larger dent in Ellie's arm that bleeds profusely on her forearm. In reality, Ellie has gone frozen, back pressed hard enough against the wall she might as well melt into it. It's not until the sound of gurgling, screeching, and dead eyes on Riley's face that are clouded with the smoke of a gun that she comes back. ]
[ Ellie jolts back to the real world, blinking hard as her fists hit the wall. She wants to scream for her badly, but something stops her and has her accidentally hitting her head against the wall. ]
no subject
[ But the memories kick in before she can check, her entire body going stiff while her focus is forced somewhere else. She feels as though she's in a room, watching everything on a screen that starts to flash before her in both slow and fast motion. ]
[ The first image is of Riley, of course, over the shoulder of a larger kid who'd taken Ellie by the collar of her shirt to shake her. She rips the guy off of her, slamming him to the ground. ]
[ "I should stomp your fucking balls!", she hears. And it echoes. She'd saved her ass, even after Ellie had been hardly pleasant to her. "I should stomp your fucking balls," she begins to hear her own voice say... And maybe she said it aloud in the library, but she can't tell. ]
[ "You've got some trust issues, girl" she hears, sees spoken through dark lips and a cheesy smile. It flashes forward to a few fast ones, moments she wishes would last longer when she feels Riley hug her and laugh that stupid fucking laugh of hers again. Her jacket is thick and her arms are warm, she can feel her heart beat for a half a second before the flash of a camera in her face changes the scene again. Ellie's arms are around Riley now, smiling for a polaroid that makes a strange sound as it emerges from the slot. ]
[ Then there's music... "Babe, I've got you, babe! I've got you, babe!" Her heart wrenches at the song, but it's pounding from the dancing she suddenly finds herself doing, Riley reaching out for her and taking her hands. ]
[ Within seconds, they're standing close... "Don't go..." She hears herself say. A dog tag jingles as it hits the floor, and Ellie feels her throat swell shut when that sudden urge to kiss her steals her entire body and she can feel those lips on hers again. But it's a fleeting scene, just like the others, and a burning sensation on her arm directs her into the final memory. ]
[ "Ellie... Ellie, your arm.". Riley says with wide eyes, but a seemingly calm expression when she shows the matching teeth marks on her hand. Just like the larger dent in Ellie's arm that bleeds profusely on her forearm. In reality, Ellie has gone frozen, back pressed hard enough against the wall she might as well melt into it. It's not until the sound of gurgling, screeching, and dead eyes on Riley's face that are clouded with the smoke of a gun that she comes back. ]
[ Ellie jolts back to the real world, blinking hard as her fists hit the wall. She wants to scream for her badly, but something stops her and has her accidentally hitting her head against the wall. ]
Fuck--!