The screaming. Why won't she stop screaming?

Ami was holding a thrashing Sabrina from behind on the couch. Her arms were wrapped as tight as she could without hurting the small girl, and her boney elbows were digging into Ami's bruised ribs. Sabrina flung her head back again, and Ami caught a mouth full of her long hair as she continued to try and calm her.

"Please, it's okay now," Ami pleaded in her ear, "You're safe."

Sabrina was stuck though, in some sort of strange half-way world between the monster and herself, and Ami could feel Sabrina trying to escape with every pain-ridden scream that she was trying to claw her way out.

They stayed like this, in the cycle of screaming, thrashing, catching breath, then screaming again for what felt like forever. But just when Ami was about to give up, the girl in her arms stopped moving. Ami let go of her, fearing the worst, only to see Sabrina slowly turning to her, wide eyes staring at her curiously, a small hand reaching out and touching Ami's face.

"Who are you?" the girl spoke in a small voice, her voice raspy and raw from the screaming.

Ami lightly pulled her hand away from her face and moved off the couch, crouching next to it to meet Sabrina's level. She held the girl's small hand between hers and tried to steady herself as she looked into Sabrina's crystal-grey blue wide eyes.

Ami was back in the tank, staring into the same still expression reflected in the blue curve of glass. Looking at Sabrina was like a warped mirror, so close to her own features, only the tiny details betrayed. Sabrina's face was rounder, more youthful in appearance, but her eyes had the same sunken stare that came with decades without sleep. Her eyes were doe-like in appearance though, and matched with her rounded features, Ami was reminded of the tiny cherub figures that dotted her grandmother's house long ago. Even with all these differences though, she was still too close, too close to her own face, and Ami had to look away.

"My name is Ami," she began, "I would like to know what you remember, Sabrina... If you're okay with telling me."

Sabrina seemed distracted though, and was staring intently at Ami's stomach.

"What are those?" Sabrina asked, reaching forward.

Ami looked down to find the crumpled pack of old cigarettes, sticking halfway out of her inside coat pocket. It must have come loose in all the commotion. She plucked it out and opened the bent cardboard gently, trying not to tear it. One lone squashed cigarette remained.

Sabrina reached out her hands to take it, and Ami hesitated to let it go at first. It had become sacred to her these past couple of months. A lone anchor from the past, to keep her grounded. But when she looked back up into Sabrina's eyes, she knew she didn't need them anymore. There was a living, breathing anchor sitting right in front of her.

Ami let go of the pack and she watched as Sabrina brought it close to her face, examining the laminate packaging with thin and careful fingers. She traced the lines, whispering something to herself, and Ami watched as the girl began to cry. It wasn't the loud, screaming, painful tears like before though, and they fell quietly down her cheek, before hitting a hint of a smile on her chapped lips.

"You remember her too?" Ami asked softly.

Sabrina nodded, eyes still glued to the small pack.

"I try not to remember... But I liked her," Sabrina finally spoke, "She used to sing to me... In the beginning at least."

There was a stillness between Ami and Sabrina. A quiet understanding fell between them. A shared bond, a shared trauma that only they could understand. For the first time, in a very long time, Ami felt a sudden calm followed by a sudden release as she let the tears fall from her own eyes. She felt a single tear fall down her cheek and trace down her jaw and neck.

"Sabrina," Ami started, finally breaking the silence, "Do you remember why they put you in the tank?"

Ami looked up to study Sabrina's face. She needed to know.

"I... I try to forget. It hurts... It hurts to think about," Sabrina let out in a quiet voice, "I remember the tank - the bubble... I remember it in my nightmares."

"So you know... You know what we become at night?"

Sabrina looked up, eyes numb and vacant.

"I... I... It's not me. I don't do anything. I've never done anything," Sabrina's eyes shot to Ami, frantic. "I would never do.. Could never -"

Sabrina was squeezing Ami's hands now, her knuckles white from the pressure.

"Please, please. It wasn't me."

Sabrina's face was red now, inches from Ami's face. She was hyperventilating again, and Ami needed to think fast before she broke out into another screaming fit. Ami took a deep breath then got on her knees in front of Sabrina on the couch.

"Listen. Sabrina," she peeled Sabrina's hands from her own and gently laid them between hers, "I know what you're going through. Trust me. I know... But we can't change the past... But we can prevent anything from happening in the future. At least... Temporarily."

"This... We have to live like this... In fear... Forever?" Sabrina choked, "The guilt... I can't... I can't."

Ami stood up from the floor, dropping Sabrina's clamp hands, and started to pace in front of the window. She felt the familiar stabbing pain in her stomach.

Forever.

A drone flew by the curved glass with a hum, carrying a small parchment package. She watched it as the little helicopter wings weaved through the building before it flew between one of the neighboring buildings, disappearing into the smog. She watched as another took flight between two large holographic billboards on the roof of the highrise. They began playing the same advertisement that Ami had seen during the first time she saw Sabrina, dancing on top of the electric box in that dark alley. The glimmering model, "Queenie", began her signature crawl through the screen.

Get rid of your ghosts, mouthed Ami, in tandem with the shiny black lips.

"Optica."

"Huh?" Sabrina croaked, mid sob.

"Opica Corporation. They're the ones who put us here. They have to have some answers," said Ami, "They threw us to the streets, knowing damn well what we were.... I mean, they had to have known what would happen."

"They knew... That's why they trained us," Sabrina whispered.

"Trained us?"

But before Ami could get an answer, the front door opened with a sudden whoosh. Red walked in slowly, his hands covered in what appeared to be grease. He looked unusually tense.

"I, er, fixed yer door... It'll lock at night now. For safety," he looked up from the ground to Sabrina and scratched the back of his neck. "You look better... better than before."

"Optica," said Ami, "What do you know about Optica?"

"Optica? ...I was actually going to ask you..." Red sighed, "They were the ones who put you here, right? I mean, I see what I can find on my end... but their security is pretty tight."

"Okay," Ami said, looking again out the window. The sky was getting dark already.

"At least it's a start... I should head back. Before I get locked out... Just keep me updated."

Ami hesitated as she got to the door before finally turning around.

"Please... take care of her, Red."

—

Ami slumped into her unmade bed and stretched out her arms. She turned with a yawn only to see, much to her dismay, that her bedroom window was still broken.

"Dammit."

All of the locks in the world wouldn't make a difference if there's a giant hole to the outside world left open. She got up with a sigh and kicked the little glass pieces aside with her boot. As she got to the window, curiosity got the better of her, and she snuck a peek out the window. A drone flew by her face, missing her by inches, as she scoped the smoky outdoors. How did she not break her ankles from this high up? Six stories...

Ami leaned back. It was already starting to get dark and she knew she couldn't make it to the park at this hour. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for options when she spotted the mask.

The rat mask was smooth, like porcelain, as Ami dragged her finger over the long nose. She dragged over the small eye sockets and stopped short of the little specks of dry blood.

What did she do?

Ami winced.

What did I do...

Out of desperation, Ami was able to push the heavy bookcase in front of the window. It may not be perfect, but at least it would slow her down. Now all she had to do was try to stay awake, for as long as she could. But she could feel the weight of sleep heavy on her limbs.

Surrender.

And so she did.