Smile Through The Bruise, Ellie

Daylight crept over Halburn City brushing away the nightmare that unfolded inside the walls of her bedroom. The sky beamed as pigeons glided above the chatter of passerbys lost in their morning routines. 

Ellie breathed steady. She lay still, deep in slumber beneath the thick sheets of her king-sized bed set before the tall glass window that overlooked the buzzing city below. Her brows twitched as the sunlight peeked through the gaps in the curtains that Phyllis had carefully secured the night before. The low hum of the AC filled the comfortable silence that cushioned the space. Peaceful, as if the nightmare that had shaken her hours ago had never happened.

6:00 AM.

The alarm pierced through the silence. She groaned under her breath. Her hands blindly reaching toward the nightstand, feeling for the off button. 

Bee-beep, click!

Ellie stepped through the steam-covered glass shower partition. The air was thick and heavy with the subtle smell of lavender soap and disinfectant lingering somewhere. She sighed resting her head against the wall, soaking in the drizzle of warm water gushing on her head. Her muscles were tight and her jaw, clenched, as her thoughts drifted back to the nightmare. She didn't feel the same way standing in the room where she'd torn someone apart.

Her ears pulsed with the wet snap of bones, the blood-curling screams that tore through the concrete walls of her apartment, and her own voice, feral, as she sank her molars into flesh. A bitter taste, still lingering on her tongue. 

Her breath caught in her throat. Determined to shake off the thoughts closing in on her, she scrubbed her arms raw as if it could wash away the nightmare. She breathed, staring down at the water curling beneath her. 

Blood.

Thick and heavy, rippling around her ankles like the blood-drenched floor in that twisted dream. A chunk of flesh floated past, followed by a tooth with the roots still red.

She staggered backwards, her body hitting the glass partition behind her. Her eyes burned, stung by the shampoo. Blinking hard, she wiped away in a rush and glanced back down at the liquid beneath her.

The water was clear.

Nothing there.

The tightness in her chest had started to calm and her frantic breathing slowed.

"You're fine. Just a dream." she reminded herself.

She reached for the knob, turning off the faucet and stepped out of the shower. Still shaken, she felt like a stranger in her own skin, like it belonged to someone, or something else.

Her body felt sore. She stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in her bathrobe. It was beautifully crafted from Turkish Cotton in a shade of cream, a gift from her mother that had passed away from lung cancer the previous year. Her name was hand-stitched perfectly into the cloth, visible only to her. 

Elliana.

Betty Morrison, her mother, bold and graceful. The years had worn her gently, but the cancer had left her aching body frail. Cigarettes. In her lifetime, she had let go of many things, but she never managed to give up the habit. In her final year, she had spent all her life savings on a four-bedroom flat in The Aires Residences, where Ellie now lives. Her only wish: for Ellie to have a place to call her own during her absence. After her passing, Ellie moved into the flat and never looked back.

Her friends, Bernie, her makeup artist, and Phyllis, who shaped her persona across social media, moved in with her the same day she became Ellie Ryder in the World Wrestling Entertainment.

Betty's memory clung to her as she rubbed lotion on her body with her calloused hands. Like muscle memory, she pulled on her leggings, sports bra, and a black zip-up hoodie. Familiar armor. Her second skin.

Her gaze studied the sun-washed rooms. The walls that embraced her, blood-stained from last night's disturbing dream, now wrapped in quiet warmth, a bubble of calm.

It was all so normal. 

No blood. No teeth. No screams. Only the distant honking of taxis in the buzzing city below. 

She eyed herself in the hallway mirror, then reached for the door and stepped outside, stealing a final glance before letting the door close gently behind her.

Click!

The Aeres Residences was a premium residential complex home to only the most successful professionals in the city. On the ground floor, a commercial strip bordered the sidewalk all nestled evenly one after another with their glass front windows catching every ray of UV and neon light.

The whiff of burnt espresso and buttered toast greeted her as she pushed through the door of The Silver Cup Café, alive with the low chatter of content diners and the soft clink of cutlery on this Saturday morning.

Bernie and Phyllis were already at their usual table near the window overlooking the post office on the other side of the street.

Bernie lounged in his charcoal pyjamas and faux-fur slippers, designer glasses poised neatly just above the bridge of his nose, complimenting his outfit. His attention was fixed on his phone screen, the morning news broadcasting the latest fashion show.

Phyllis was bundled up in a loose-fitting silk robe trimmed with pastel feathers. She completed her look with pink sunglasses that settled over her eyes as if she were evading the press instead of enjoying her coffee. She flashed a smile and signalled to Ellie, who was making her way to their table, her damp hair gathered into a loose ponytail.

The nightmare still lingered in the back of her mind. She sighed in quiet relief at the sight of them, mouthed a soft 'hi' as she approached and slid her gym bag onto the vacant seat beside her.

"Morning, sleepyhead. Looking all athletic and mysterious today," Phyllis said with a grin.

Bernie barely looked up. "Body says beast mode, but your eyes are begging for a nap. You okay, honey?"

Ellie smirked as she slid into her seat. "What can I say? I like to keep the mystery alive. Also, I haven't punched anything yet today, so… beware."

Phyllis giggled. "Violent and caffeinated. My favorite flavor."

Ellie reached for a banana trying not to bring up the nightmare that was still eating away at her. "You two still recovering from last night's soap opera?"

Phyllis groaned. "Girl, I came home with no shoes and a sudden urge to ghost everyone I know."

"And glitter in your hair," Bernie added, "Which, by the way, is not biodegradable."

"You say that like I'm not fabulous."

"You're the reason this place needed a new carpet."

They turned slightly toward the faint murmur of a vacuum cleaner running on the other side of the café.

Ellie softly chuckled under her breath, warm and real. "Sounds like I missed a whole season of drama."

Phyllis exclaimed, "You did! A fight broke out over the bartender. Oh he was cute. Anyway, total chaos. Honestly? It was kinda beautiful." She gave her hair a casual flip as if it agreed with her and returned to her bacon and eggs.

Ellie arched her eyebrows in amusement. "Damn. I had a full-blown nightmare and still missed out on all that."

Bernie rested his phone on the tabletop and glanced at her with a flicker of concern visible in his deep brown eyes. "You okay though? You look kinda shaken."

Ellie shrugged biting into half an egg before responding. "I'm alright. This dream just hit weird. You ever have one so vivid it sticks to you all day?"

Phyllis cut in. "Oh yeah, I once dreamt I married a vampire. He was perfect and way more romantic than my ex. I woke up sobbing like I'd just lost the love of my undead life."

Ellie snorted, catching bits of food with her fingers as they fell from her lips.

Bernie leaned back smiling, his gaze on Ellie. "Well, if you need to train it out of your system, you know the punching bags miss you." he winked.

"Already on it," Ellie said, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin. "Figured I'd sweat the weird dreams out today before they start nesting in my brain."

"And she lives."

Later, she yanked her hoodie into place and strode into the sun-soaked streets of Halburn City. The morning was crisp and glowing, alive with the gentle buzz of life in the air.