Chapter 6- Truth in Nightmares
Over the next four days life for Ellen was unbearable. She had fallen ill and had been put to bed by the doctors. She was glad after all that Hadrian had chosen Ed to run his business. Being sick would have been a bit more bearable if she had pleasant company to talk to, but all she had was the comfort of her nightmares. Maybe not nightmares, nightmare, she was haunted by the same one every time she tried to return to slumber. Not even lack of sleep or sedatives could ever keep the nightmare from returning in full force, often worse than the one before it.
Remember me? It always started with the voice from her past. The voice from before though wasn't as sharp, cold and cruel as the present company. I won't let you live, I won't let you escape again. I'll make sure you die very painfully. She laughed. I'll start by killing your sweetie, or maybe…I'll go after your brother…
Ellen remembered the incredulous promise the nicer voice made to her. This meant that the nice entity still existed somewhere, or HAD existed. "My brother's alive…who are you if you're not protecting him?"
That bitch, I don't know how she survived but I'll make sure you don't. Watch out girl! Dante's coming for you!
The sound of gunfire, marching, war chants and blood spatter filled the rest of the dream. Ellen could see thousands of carcasses thrown into pits; they all wore a gold star patch and a brand number. One of them she spotted was what was to become of her. The body was badly beaten…and dismembered. But she knew it was hers when she saw the number written on the exposed bone of its arm…
1476
"Stop!" she screamed. The one named Dante only laughed. The bodies liquidized into a sea of blood and flesh. Ellen held her breath to prevent herself from screaming and puking. She scratched at her arms, desperately trying to wake herself up before…the worst came. But…Dante wouldn't let her go before she saw this part, over and over again.
A large earthquake began, what appeared to be a door rose up from the sea of blood, skeletons climbed up with door moaning in anguish Don't look at us…Don't open the door, don't look at me! Turn back! They all chanted in a melancholic melody, it wasn't meant for Ellen, she knew to stay clear…it was meant for whatever creature would appear at her side this time. This time, she was lucky; it came in the form of a little girl. In the distance the girl was dressed with a white turtleneck shirt and a maroon dress over it. She wore a simply jade necklace. Ellen decided that was it was her when she was younger; the girl had short hair like she did back then. The girl's hair was lighter than Ellen's jet black hair, but it didn't change the fact that this girl looked almost exactly like her…
Almost…
She skipped to Ellen, who had turned to the gate briefly. The girl grabbed Ellen's hand and rubbed her cheek against it. Ellen turned to look at the girl, she had scaring all over her face, it was discolored and pruning. Her teeth were razor sharp and her eyes had been gouged out. Ellen could not help but shriek. She knew the dream always got worse, but…it was never this bad. She pushed the girl away. The girl fell down and starting crying…blood. Feeling betrayed she ran to the gate. Ellen had had this dream enough times to know what was going to happen.
"No! Don't! Please!" she called.
Okay… the girl said sadly, but as soon as Ellen let out a sigh she knocked on the door.
"No! Get away!"The girl only laughed wickedly and knocked again. The door opened slightly, she peaked in and let out a horrible sound that was like broken glass in an icebox (sharp and cold). The girl ran in horror, Ellen could only stand there—frozen with fear. Black hands and eyes were chasing the girl, she ran passed Ellen and pusher her forward like Ellen had done to her.
Bye, the girl sung in a whisper. The hands wrapped around Ellen's mouth, she struggled to scream, but obviously couldn't. The poked her eyes at laughed at her. She looked at the little girl that had betrayed her, she was laughing too.
Darkness consumed…
Ellen always screamed at this part, because there was more afterwards. But this time she was awoken before the worst, by a splash of cold water. She choked.
"They were right; your shrieks are horrible…" Edward said casually.
Ellen ran to the bathroom mid-sentence. The smell of flesh rotting always lingered for a while after the dream. Her eyes were blood shot, lips red and raw from the few times she had tried to stop herself from screaming— her nails broken and bleeding from when she tried to wake herself by scratching. It could also be inferred she made the bloody claw marks on the head of her bed. She decided to clean herself up a little bit before she returned; even thought present company had already seen the mess she had been. Ellen didn't bother with untangling her hair or clothes or even try to look remotely okay because she wasn't. Ellen had to stop wearing the ring Hadrian had given her; afraid she might damage it or damage herself further with it.
"What nightmare leaves you looking like that?" Edward gulped as she came out of the bathroom. He noticed more scratched and bruises now that she wasn't under the covers.
Ellen sat on a chair curled into a ball. "She won't leave me alone, not until she kills me or I kill myself," her voice was a hoarse whisper.
"Who?" Edward said. He looked into her eyes. Lifeless. "Tell me who made you do this?"
"It's a different who every time. First it was one of seven horrible monsters…of which one would resemble my brother. Then finally a little girl came to me today. She never shows me who she really is…"
"Ellen, you have to tell me exactly who she is." Edward believed that she was rapidly gaining her memories back, just as he thought, she was Dante.
"I wish Hadrian were here, I can't fight this on my own…" she whispered to herself.
Aha, Edward thought, I knew there was something between those two. "Ellen I know you miss your boy toy, but this is a bit of an extreme way to go about it." He was going to pry what happened out what information he could get, if she got angry in the process even better. More proof towards she being Dante…
"Shut up…"
"You're obsessing…Stop faking things…"
"It is real! She is real! She's trying to kill me!"
"You're just took weak to handle your own problems yourself!" he yelled back. It was harsh, but she was Dante, she deserved every ounce of hate he could muster and then some. Ellen sobbed; she knew some of it was truth. It wasn't her fault she was like this; it wasn't her fault it was theirs. But she could never make this up.
"You think I'm so helpless that I would mutilate myself for his attention!" she shoved her arms in his face. "Look at my gashes do you think I'd go through this pain every time I go to sleep for fun?! Believe me Edward; I could never create a demon as heartless, blood thirsty, spiteful and angry as Dante! Hell would be a better punishment than to hear her to return to my dreams every night."
"Dante?" he whispered. You're not supposed to know who she is…
