Amnesty | Original Fiction: The Past Lives In The Shadows
Prompt: 314. Nightmare
Word count: 334
Rating: M
Summary: there's nothing that can save Mackenzie from the monster in her mind.
Warnings: past abuse (physical, psychological and sexual), implied PTSD, past violence.

Mackenzie didn’t like sleeping, she never quite liked sleeping. She doesn’t quite remember when was the last time it was safe to sleep; she might be learning how to not fear everyone at all times. Her body was still in constant survival mode, she could feel it buzzing under her skin.

Every time she heard footsteps near the door, her body tensed up. Torn between ready to bolt and the lesson of it hurts less if you stay still. You could say the Covenhead was quite effective in her mission of making Mackenzie a broken little thing.
The Covenhead was the start of her nightmares. The hands and the touches, the hits and the screaming. Every memory crystal clear down to each breath of those “bonding sessions” and “tutoring classes”.

Mackenzie would rather the killings. Covered in blood and guts, tasting iron behind the muzzle. She’d rather the bloodier deaths too, over the quiet, stealth ones. Her hands burned like acid was poured over them when she did things like grabbing one’s neck and crushing until there was no life left in their eyes.

The issue, sometimes, was when nightmares clung to her when she was still awake. It happened more often than she was willing to admit. Shivers ran up and down her body, the muscles on her chest and back hurt with how hard and fast she breathed. There was blood on her lips, biting her tongue so she didn’t scream; screaming attracted the Covenhead.The show her mind chose tonight was almost familiar with how often it came to her. Realistic enough for her to check her back for blood and could feel all the aches of intrusive, unwanted touches.

“It’s adorable how you think you can be free,” Mackenzie flinches at the voice.

“You’re dead.”

“Am I?” The Covenhead leaned over, Mackenzie could smell and feel her breath. “I’m still inside you, you’ll never be clean. Tainted and broken. That’s all that you are.”