She was relieved that she had been unconscious. Glad that they had beat her into oblivion but to the point they knew she would survive. It was a small relief. Other times she had remained conscious through all that they did. Every little touch on her flesh.

The morning light brought her only to remember bruises, a few cracked ribs. No touches. Her flesh didn't sing with the scars of rough claims and false love. Groaning and whimpering she staggered to the bathroom. A look around brought her the realization of the life she would never have.

"I could play pretend... dream I was someone famous. A model. A rockstar...a movie star."

Whispered words came sing song as she stared at her reflection before recoiling from the mirror as if in horror. A flash glimmer change and even without the Shine she was there. Intersecting roads.

These roads that crossed though were different. Flashing lights of traffic signals. The interchanging red and blue of the Law behind.

In her head the tires screamed and squealed. St Croix clapped her hands over her ears and sank to the floor.

"Not now. Not now. Not now..."

Dreams and Nightmares was there a difference. The sound of a door slamming brought her from her thoughts and destroyed the vision of the intersecting roads. Quick as a scared rabbit she tugged off the old clothes they had left her in and jumped in the shower. Shuddering from the first pounding stream of cold water she watched the door with wide, wild eyes. Hoping it was enough to be left alone.

"Croix, I left clothes for you at the door. Get dressed and get your ass downstairs. It's time for you to start paying off your sins."

St Croix. My name is St Croix. She wanted to reprimand Omar's lackey but instead she just stammered out a choppy murmur of thanks.

As she sank down against the tiles of the shower and lost herself in the final bliss of hot water her eyes snapped open with alert clarity as she heard Omar's lackey leave the hotel room.

The door that had slammed before was not that of a hotel door.

It was impossible to be in the casino room and hear that sound but St Croix knew what she heard. A car door slam.

"Maybe I am crazy..."