Tori didn't notice the door to the dojo open. She didn't see the turtle put on a brave face as he approached the trussed up girl. Her eyes were closed. His eyes scanned her face. She looked like she was in pain. Like her heart was hurting. He reached toward her and hesitated before he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay now. We'll help you."
Tori's eyes shot open. She focused on the turtle in front of her. A concerned face with a streak of purple across his eyes.
"D-Donatello?"
The turtle smiled. "I thought you were going to call me Donnie."
Her eyes began to tear up again. "Y-You still want me to c-call you Donnie?"
"Yeah. I do." The turtle smiled as he rubbed her shoulder. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"I-I don't know."
"Alright. If you need anything, call me. Okay?"
Tori doesn't respond.
"Okay?" The turtle pressed as he moved to fill up her vision.
"Alright." Tori whispered. Donatello noticed her brown eyes have lost the glint of insanity.
She moved her hair so it covered her face. "Splinter told you what happened, didn't he."
Donatello paused. "Yeah, he told all of us." He turned his head, looking at her from the corner of his eye. "He's right, you know. We'll take care of you."
"How can you be so sure?" Tori looked lost.
"I just try not to think of all the things that can go wrong." The turtle continued walking. The door to his lab closed softly.
Tori gaped after him. She didn't notice the others standing behind her.
"We've got your back, Tori." Michelangelo cheered.
She whipped her head around to the three turtles.
"No matter how crazy things get. We'll be here." Leonardo continued.
Tori bit her lip, trying to hold back tears. "No one's ever said that to me."
Raphael scoffed, but his brothers chose to ignore it.
"If you need anything."
They went their separate ways, and Tori saw the rat. "You told them?"
The rat looked at her. "They have a right to know."
Tori's head drooped. "Whatever you say..."
"That is right, child, however, you have bigger things to worry about." The rat strode back to the doors.
"I know."
LINE BREAK
It was dark in the lair, and Tori slumped against the pole she was tied to. Little manic. The girl opened her eyes. Brown tinged with red. She looked around. Little manic. This is what happens when everyone falls asleep. Tori stayed awake. LITTLE MANIC. Tori gave up trying to hold it in. She screamed, but no one heard it. No one can. It tugged at the restraints. Tori felt glad they didn't let her go. It gave up, and instead of leaving, it decides to torment her. Tori was stolen from the comfort of her own mind. So what if I'm CRAZY.
Tori landed in a long dark corridor. Looking around, fear gripped her. She had been here before. Running had done nothing. There was nothing she could do to escape. Her head whipped around. She tried to move her feet, but the floor had turned to quicksand. She tugged at her feet, and noticed she was wearing slippers. Her boots were on the edge of the shifting floor, marking where safety lay. If only I could get there. It was a couple yards away from where she stood.
One slipper slid off her foot, and was swallowed by the floor. She took a large step, and carefully took her foot out of the other slipper. It was quickly consumed. She lunged as far as she could go. One sock slipped off her foot. The other, the one she stands on, was still stable… for now. The floor was beginning to seep through the sock. Tori leapt out of the sock, and landed hard on the floor. Frightened, she put the boots on, not forgetting to put the new set of sock on as well. She ran toward the exit. The hall stretched to accommodate her strides. It's the perfect way to slow someone down.
Tori felt her body begin to tire. Why now, of all times? She pushed herself further. The handle is barely within her reach. Her fingertips brush the cold metal. She looked at the door, and saw herself. Her short hair was ragged. Her eyes looked wild, red and swollen from crying. She was yanked away from her reflection. Her wrists became chained, and she was slammed back into her body. Too exhausted to move, she noticed her shoulders being shaken. She can barely open her eyes. Brown meets brown, and she realizes who had brought her back. "D-Don?"
Donatello immediately started checking her over. "Are you alright?"
Tori managed a feeble nod. Her eyes fluttered closed. This time she is left alone. In peace. In darkness.
A few hours later, Tori woke again. This time to the sound of pounding. What is that? She scowled, but didn't try to move.
"M-Mikey." Tori whimpered. The turtle in question was in his room. Tori noticed a small plate near one of her feet. The little thing has five buttons. Red, blue, orange, and purple surround a brown button. Color coded? Tori moved her foot, and pushed the orange button with the toe of her boot.
The energetic turtle bounced out of his room. "You need something Tori?" He beamed at the girl.
Seems like he isn't scared anymore.
"Uh…" Tori looked down. "What do you do when you have a nightmare?"
The usually hyper turtle took a moment to think. "Well, I would talk to either Raph, or Master Splinter."
Tori thought for a moment. "Oh." She looked at the youngest turtle. "Who would you go to first?"
"That depends on how bad the dream was." Tori took a deep breath, and told Michelangelo the details of her dream.
The turtle's eyes went wide. "Wow, dude. That's harsh." He thought for a moment, then ran off. Tori called after him, but she wasn't heard. Rats… I mean, Crap. She saw the young turtle pull someone toward her. Raphael was still stumbling from sleep. His youngest brother tugged on his arm, insisting he needed to talk to Tori. The hyperactive turtle convinced his brother to leave the warm swath of blankets in order to find out exactly what Michelangelo won't shut up about.
Tori's eyes widened when she noticed just who Michelangelo had brought to help her. No one other than the hot head himself. Tori shrank toward the pole, but she couldn't really move much. The youngest turtle had pushed his heavy brother in front of Tori, and pushed on his shoulder. Raphael glared at his brother, who was pulling on one of his shoulders trying to get him to sit as well. The turtle lifted his brother off his shoulder, and took a seat in front of the shaking girl. He stared her down, as he had often in the short time she had been with them.
"So, the bonehead says you need to talk to me?" Raphael wasted no time in idle chat.
Tori looked at the turtle. She glanced at Michelangelo, who nodded his head vigorously. She took a deep breath.
"I had a nightmare. Again." She looked away, for fear of his cold stare. Tori waited for him to laugh. Instead, she was asked to explain it. "Uh, I was awake, trying to get some sleep, when I was pulled from my body, and plunged into a hallway. I had escaped it before. I had promised myself I would never go back." Tori raised her head defiantly. "I will never go back there." She goes on to tell the rest of her dream.
"So, you called Shell for Brains over there," He shoved his thumb at Michelangelo, "to help you with a dream?"
Tori looked away. "The last time this happened I went beserk."
"Good thing you can't go far." Raphael smirked. "He came and woke me up to help you." The turtle thought for a minute, trying to decide on something.
He shook his head slowly. "You know, I used to take care of Mikey's nightmares. He used to run into my room crying his eyes out." The turtle chuckled, and looked Tori dead in the eye. "Do you trust me?"
"Uh, I'm not sure." Tori glanced over the turtle, who was missing sleep because of her.
"I'll help you if you let me."
"I-I'll be fine." She ignored the knot in her gut.
"Nonsense."
The turtle looked up. "The real question is, what does it mean?" Tori thought of her dream. The cold terror had eased its grip after she had told Michelangelo about it.
"I think they're still trying to find me."
Raphael raised an eyebrow. "Your Dad?"
Tori nodded. "They would never let me go that easily." The girl scowled, and her eyes gained a dangerous glint. "The hall from the dream is the same one I ran through to get out."