Chapter 3: News Of A Coup
At some point, soon after her whole debacle with the police academy. Emily had trained herself to stop screaming during her nightmares. A skill that would have done wonders for her had she still been at the academy. But even without that, it still served a great purpose.
With her nightmares now a silent affair, Emily had been able to do an act of kindness for her mother. She had looked her mom straight in the eye and lied.
"The nightmares are gone, I am sleeping through the night now," And the relief on her mother's face, after years of worry had made the lie worth it. Which was why, at two in the morning, Emily was wide awake and trying to be as quiet as possible so that she did not wake her mom in the next room.
Like most mornings, the remnants of her age old nightmare still clinging to her, Emily got out of bed and headed straight for her crafts drawer.
A needle and thread in one hand, cloth held in another, she carried on with her latest project. Glasses slipping down her nose as she embroidered under the warm light of the bedside lamp. By the time five o'clock rolled around. She was done with the little flower. The red petals vibrant against the white cloth.
Putting the project away. She went about faking like she was just waking up. Even going as far as rubbing her eyes in the hallway when she ran into her mom. The older woman buying the act completely.
From then on it was smooth sailing, getting clean, getting presentable, and then sharing breakfast with her mom before heading out just before six-thirty, which ensured that Emily was a full thirty minutes early for work.