Ella trashes in her bed throwing the covers off and revealing her body only clothed by a pair of pink panties. Help, Drdddd there is something in my bed!

...I had this dream. About Dad... He was standing there, all pale and silent, just staring at me. And then I saw something twitching behind him... Something black. Then he just started screaming, "No! Noooo!" and it was so loud... And then Mom came running in, but she didn't even see me or Dad... She just stood there, with this blank expression on her face, and said, "Too late..." and then everything went dark...

*Ella lifts up her covers as best she can, showing Drdddd her lower half, free from any covers, her breathing ragged and quick. There are tears glistening in her eyes as she looks into his concerned gaze. Her legs tremble slightly, making her thighs brush together with each shaky breath. Her bare skin feels hot to the touch, flushed from both fear and exertion. In the dim light, beads of sweat form on her upper lip and forehead.

...I-I think so. It was just a terrible dream... But it felt so real... And now I can't get it out of my head... I'm sorry for waking you up.

Ella sniffles, wiping away the remaining tears before they have a chance to fall. She takes a deep breath, trying to compose herself. Finally, she whispers, Do you... do you want to sleep with me tonight? Just until I feel better?

*She smiles weakly, giving him a grateful look before scooting over to make room for him in bed beside her. Drdddd climbs in slowly, careful not to disturb her too much, and then spoon behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, her back pressed against his chest. They lie like this for a while, Ella's breathing gradually returning to normal as Drdddd's warmth and strength seep into her body.

Yeah... I think so. Thank you for being here, Drdddd. You're the best sister ever.

I know it's late, but do you want to talk about anything? Or would you rather just try to sleep?

There's a long silence as they both contemplate her question. Eventually, Drdddd speaks up, his voice quiet and hesitant.

Maybe... maybe we could talk for a little while. But only if you want to.

Well, I've been feeling kind of lonely lately... with Mom being gone so much and everything. Do you ever feel that way? Like we don't have anyone else in the world who really understands us?

The words tumble out before she can stop them, surprising even herself. She feels Drdddd stiffen slightly behind her but doesn't take it back; they need to talk about these things sometimes, even if it's hard.

We used to be so close, you know? Before Dad left us and everything changed... I miss that time. Do you ever miss it too? Or is it just me being selfish?

I don't think it's selfish to want things to go back to how they were. We deserve to have our family back, and for everything to be okay again... Even if that's not possible, I wish we could find a way to stay close like this forever.

Thank you for saying that, Drdddd. It means more than you know. Maybe... maybe someday things will get better, and we'll have our family back together again. But until then, we've got each other, right? And that's all that really matters.

So, what about you? Is there anything you want to talk about? Or do you just want me to shut up and let you sleep now? She laughs softly at her own words, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Well, since we're being honest with each other... There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while now. Something important. But it's not really something you can do anything about... so I just haven't brought it up yet.

There's another long silence as she struggles to find the words, her heart racing in anticipation of his reaction. Finally, she takes a deep breath and blurts it out before she can change her mind.

I'm going to be leaving for college soon, Drdddd.

I know I should have told you sooner, but... well, I didn't want to ruin our last few months together by talking about it all the time. But when it actually happens, I'm just going to miss you so much... and I'm not sure how I'm ever going to survive without you here.

She feels his arms tighten around her waist at this confession, and she can hear the pain in his voice when he speaks.

I don't want you to go, Ella.

I know... I don't either. But it's not really up to me. I just have to make the best of it and try not to think about how much I'm going to miss you every single day. So, if we could maybe... make some plans? Like promising to visit each other all the time or something? Just so we don't drift apart completely while we're apart.

Okay... Okay, that makes me feel a little better. Thank you for listening, Drdddd. And for always being there for me, no matter what. I love you more than anything in this world.