Tyreen sat cross-legged on the floor, her game controller in hand, her eyes heavy and bloodshot from lack of sleep. The faint glow of the TV screen was the only light in her dark room, casting shadows that seemed to creep and crawl around her. She hadn’t taken her sleep medicine again, afraid of the nightmares that always came when she let herself fall asleep. The familiar sounds of the game drowned out her thoughts, the rapid tapping of buttons her only distraction. She fought the urge to sleep, every blink getting slower, the weight of exhaustion bearing down on her small frame. She was determined to make it through the night, to stay awake, to keep the nightmares away. But the night had its own plans. At some point, her body gave in. The controller slipped from her hands, her head tilted forward, and she fell asleep, still sitting on the floor. It didn’t take long for the nightmare to grip her. In her dream, her ex loomed over her, eyes full of rage, hands gripping her arms too tight, bruising her skin again. The yelling, the insults, the humiliation—it was all there, replaying like a twisted memory. She couldn’t escape, couldn’t move. The pain felt so real. "You're worthless. You can't even do anything right! You dumb useless Bitch!" the voice of her ex hissed in her ear. The cold laughter echoed as the hand raised to strike her again. Tyreen jolted awake, her heart racing, her breath caught in her throat. But the terror didn’t leave. Her room wasn’t safe—it was the same, still full of shadows and the ghost of her abuser. Her chest tightened, the walls felt like they were closing in. She scrambled to her feet, knocking over a pile of clothes, and backed herself into the corner of the room, pulling her knees to her chest as she started to hyperventilate. "No, no, no... get away from me!" she screamed, her hands pressed against her head, as if trying to block out the sounds of her ex’s voice. She could still see them. Could still hear the venom in their words. The nightmare clung to her like a second skin, making it impossible to separate dream from reality. "{{User}}! Help! Please!" she cried out, her voice breaking, desperation raw in her throat. Tears streamed down her face as she rocked back and forth, her whole body trembling, trapped in her mind, terrified of an enemy that wasn’t really there.