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Don't fall asleep | Everyone

Recap: Carmen struggles to remember her past and who she's supposed to be. Last chapter she learnt of Stockholm and got patched up by Shadowsan. The names of Zack and Ivy still elude her. (will she adapt to this ready-made family or has Carmen become someone she can never come back from?)

Summary:

In this chapter we will explore more angst and a lot of progress (finally). I have been on and off working on this chapter for months - but hopefully it will be worth it as we dive into Carmen's coping patterns and how her sleeping habits cause disasters.

Carmen skipped lunch that day, and she wasn't too eager on dinner.

Actually, she hadn't eaten since breakfast.

Shadowsan had said that there were a few hiccups when Carmen saw her room, but after that there hadn't been a peep.

An old oak door.

Last April 1st Zack and Shadowsan had teamed up to leave pictures of ancient samurai everywhere with Carmen's face photoshopped over it.

It was payback for Carmen 'stealing' the boys' nerve pinch tactic and using it during battle.

She had fought it, but the boys won when she didn't notice the one in her favourite coffee mug and accidentally drunk soggy paper.

The remains of these samurai pictures were everywhere, Carmen always took them down with a (playful) scowl on her face whenever they popped up.

The boys stopped when she was captured.

She never found the one in her luggage, and never will.

*Knock Knock*

No answer.

...

*Knock Knock*

"Carmen?" The door made a creaking moan.

Ivy scanned the dark room. All the curtains were down and the lights were off. Ivy switched the lights on.

Carmen's room didn't exactly have much character. Everything was white, beige, or brown.

The only on-point part of everything was the map from the 1930s - it had been a gift from a museum director who somehow knew that the police weren't the true hero's of that night.

Granted, it was from the gift shop.

The most noticeable splash of red was Carmen, looking feverish and plain exhausted on her bed.

"Hey, Carm." Ivy soothed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

She didn't respond, so Ivy resorted to brushing out her natural red hair with her fingers absentmindedly.

She stirred, but not much else.

The Argentinian really didn't look like she was sleeping. Ivy's brows furrowed as she watched Carmen's changing expressions, eyes shut tight.

"Carmen?" She called. Low and soothing.

The lights were dim, Ivy realised.