The Masks We Wear

Darkness

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If there was one thing that Ame hated, it was darkness. When she was about 8, she was always in the dark and as a kid, her imagination went wild. She saw monsters and evil creatures hurting and hunting her. But the sad part about it was that the creatures were real. They did hurt her.  And they were human.

Stop....please! What did I do to you?! I'm sorry! Stop, stop please! Help! Stop-
Wally snapped his fingers in front of her watery green eyes, "-ello?! Earth to Ame!"
"Huh?"
Ame looked around to see her friends and brother near her.
"Scary movie? Going, like...right now! Put on your shoes, come on!"
"Oh ok...wait, do I have to come? I really don't like the dark..." Ame scratched her head and avoided looking her brother in the eyes.
The team looked around until Robin finally spoke up, "We kinda work in the dark, you know that right?"
"I know but...it's different...it's a little overwhelming for me."
"Why isn't anyone just whelmed?"Robin laughed as the rest moaned at his made up word, "We aren't forcing you to come but...you've been a little off lately and we just thought that you would like to chill with us."
"But not Netflix and chill..."M'gann added, "was I right?"
"Pfft." Sian crossed his arms.
The team moaned again, Artemis smacking her forehead.
They had been right, though. She was off. Ame's nightmares about her past has been getting worse ever since she stopped talking to Dinah, and secretly stopped taking her pills. She's been skipping training and not paying attention in school or during missions. Her attitude had dropped enough to make the team very concerned.
"I will stay with her. Take Roy instead, he wanted to see this movie way more than me." Aqualad volunteered.
"Are you sure?" Connor asked.
Wally and Robin pushed the team away from the two and towards the Zeta tubes, "Of course he's sure!"
Before leaving Wally whispered, "We got you bro. You do you."
Sian was the last one to leave. He looked into Ame's eye. He couldn't look at the other one because it was still behind her bangs. Aqualad looked at the two. To him, it looked as if they were speaking to each other in their heads. He wondered if Ame had the ability to do that.
"Be careful." Sian finally spoke,"...You know I really care about you?"
Ame stared plainly at the floor,"Yea. Same to you."
Sian looked at Aqualad,"Take care of her."
"I'm not a baby." Ame narrowed her eye at him.
Before Sian could reply, Wally appeared beside him,"Waiting for you dude."
Sian frowned and then turned on his heel.
Ame put some strands of hair behind her ear, "You didn't have to stay."
"I wanted to...you seem so...distant."
"I just need some rest."
"Oh, well, I'll be in my room if you need me." Aqualad waved as he slowly walked to his room, secretly hoping that she would change her mind and join him. But she just got up of the stool and walked towards the girls dorms.
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'Stop...that hurts...stop, your making me bleed.' Ame begged the tall black shadow. The man didn't stop and rammed a needle into her arm. 'Please stop. Make it stop! I can't take it!' She felt warm blood ooze from her body, 'STOP! Please I didn't do anything. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so so so so sorry.'
A new voice surfaced as the lab she once was in disappeared. She was now in her old bedroom. Her toes touched her bed's chains. She jumped on the bed as dark blue matter spilled on the floor.
'You left me Ame.' A dark figure appeared in the shadows.
'Who are you? What do you want?'
'You left me. Your promised to come back. Come back and save me Ame. Save your sister!'
'I don't have one.'
A light blue face with sharp teeth on their cheeks jumped into Ame's. Their hair was purple and short. Their ears, as big as elephants, with pointy tips. Their eyes were green with the whites being black but them having . Blood dripped from their lips.
'Save me, Ame!'
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Kaldur was reading in his room. Well he really wasn't reading. He was thinking about Ame. Her mood had drastically changed. He wondered what could have made her so blue and what he could do to fix it. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard her scream. Being the swift hero he was, (and because his teammates kept singing to him that he had to be 'swift as a coursing river') ran to the girls dorms.
He punched in the passcode to enter. She screamed louder and he worried there was an intruder. Once the door finally opened, he found her own the bed, kicking and screaming at an invisible person. He attempted to shake her awake but when he touched her, she kicked him so hard that he nearly had the wind knocked out of him. He finally got a hold of the screaming girl, he shook her, and didn't stop until her cries and pleads were nothing but an echo in the distance. His hands trailed down from her shoulders where he had shaken her, to her wrist, which were dark purple and held deep scratches and cuts.
She shook her head, snatched her arms away and wildly wiped her eyes. Ame grabbed her legs and pulled them to her chest. It was a little bit of a hassle considering that she was a little on the bigger side but that's what she always did when she was upset.
"I'm sorry."she cried, "Just stop hurting me. Please please please."
Kaldur rubbed her back, " Who is harming you, Amethyst?"
She had yet to see her fearless leader giving her a concerned look, a look that has been worn a lot lately when the team looks at her.
Ame quickly wiped her eye, "Nothing, no one"
"It didn't seem as if it was nothing." He grabbed her wrist, trying to see them once more.
She snatched them away again, and hid her body beneath her cover, "Well it is..."she stopped to think, "Please don't tell Dinah...Kaldur you have to promise, promise!"
"Why would I tell Canary?" he gave her a questioning look.
"Well don't tell Sian."
"But-"
"Please Kal," Ame put a hand on the boy's lap,"He'll flip if he knows I had a nightmare."
Kaldur sighed,"Ok."
Ame's hand lingered on his lap,"Thanks."
They sat there awkwardly. Kaldur noticed that Ame's arms were showing. She always wore long sleeves or a jacket to cover her arms. He looked at them. They looked as if little butterfly were tattooed on her elbows.
"I didn't know you had tattoos." He pointed to her arm.
She shoved them back under the covers,"I don't."
"Oh,"
They sat in akward silence again.
"Ame, I understand that you are feeling a little sad. I want you to know that we are here for you." Kaldur gentely placed a hand on her shoulder,"We are more than friends. This team is a family."
Ame frowned,"Family...yea."
Kaldur realized he had made a mistake by calling them family because he had feelings for her. What if she got confused and thought that he liked her as a friend? What is he going to do? He thought he blew his chances with her, just like with Tula.
"Kal, I'm fine."
Kaldur looked at her as if he didn't believe her.