She sat against her door, gasping when she heard a loud crashing noise followed by screaming. She covered her ears, whimpering as she tried to block out the noises. She rubbed her arms, not daring to come out of her room when dinner was called. She checked the lock of her room to ensure that she couldn't come in.

Every time! Every time she found something she liked, they had to go and ruin it for her! They had to go and ruin it for her, expecting her to be good! To be their good little daughter going right back to doing what she was told.

Her eyes narrowed. Not this time. Erik was still her friend, and she was still going to help him. She wasn't afraid of him. There were worse things to be afraid of.

She waited until they had gone to sleep before she undid the lock and crept out down the hall. She quietly pushed open the door of her parents' room and made her way inside, searching in the darkness. She made her way to the nightstand and eyed the surface, seeing nothing. She tried to pry the drawers open, doing her best not to disturb them.

She dug around in one drawer and grinned as her fingers brushed the tip of something metal. She grabbed it and saw the key in her hand. She quickly closed the drawer back and retreated out into the hall, never fully releasing a sigh until the door had closed behind her.

She ran to the attic door-to Erik's door-and knelt before it, peering underneath the crack.

"Erik?" she whispered. "Erik?"

He walked over to the door and knelt down, peering at her. "Adellade? What are you doing here?"

"This." She stood and fit the key into the lock, turning to open the door.

He stood there, a confused expression on his face. She grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hall.

"Come on! Before they wake up!"

"What-where are you going?"

"I'm getting you out of here! Hurry!"

"Adellade!"

"Come on!"

He pulled her back and ducked into her room, tossing her onto the bed, a hand clamped over her mouth.

She tried to get him off of her, only to hear the door open for a moment. She laid still, hardly breathing. The door closed again and he relaxed a bit.

"You should not have done that," he muttered, sitting up.

"I had to. I couldn't leave you locked up in there forever! You're my friend, Erik! I don't want her to take you away from me too."

"Sadly, you must," he sighed. "She has her ways."

"Please, Erik! I don't want you to leave!" She wrapped her arms around him. "I don't want her to take you away from me! Why must she lock you away like that?"

He sighed. "Would you like me to tell you a story?"

She nodded.

"There was once a house, at the edge of a village. A man and woman lived there together, and they were happy. However, the woman found herself with child one day, and tried to be rid of it. She did whatever she could, yet nothing worked. She gave birth to a son, and he was horrible to look at because of what she had tried to do to be rid of him. Fearing what everyone would think if they knew, she tried to destroy him, and when that didn't work, she hid him away in her home-in a room that was always locked. She crafted a lie to tell the village, claiming that her son had died in his infancy as he continued to grow, locked away in an attic.

"Some time later, she had another child-a daughter. As if to make up for what had occurred, she vowed to keep them separate-to take the daughter and use her to impress everyone else-to mold her into perfection from a young age. Do you know what the woman named her daughter?"

"What did she name her?"

He sighed, placing a hand on her head. "She gave her the name of Adellade Destler, and she gave her son the name of Erik."

She looked up at him. "Erik?"

He nodded. "Yes, Adellade. I am your brother."

"But-I never knew I had a brother. Why does she hate you so much? If she got to know you, then maybe she would change her mind!"

"She is not like you, Adellade. Nor is anyone else. She will only come to bring me meals as long as I remain in the attic away from her, and if I only have my mask on."

"She's afraid of the monster?"

"Yes."

"But...you're not a bad monster. You're a good one-like the ones in the stories. You don't try to hurt people like those bad monsters do." She laid her head in his lap. "You're a good monster, Erik, and good monsters help people. She's a bad monster because she wants to lock you away forever. I don't want to stay here with the bad monster. I'd rather have a good monster than a bad one-even if he is my brother." She looked at him. "You can still be my brother and my friend, right?"

"I believe so."

"Good. Because I don't want to lose my friend."

He sat with her as she slept, gently stroking her hair. He sighed and looked at her, seeing her peaceful form.

She had seen him without his mask on, and she still wished to be Erik's friend! She thought him a monster, yet she still thought of him as good-if such a thing even existed! Could it exist? Could a person be a monster while still being good? She believed it so, so why shouldn't it be true?

He had spent his days up in the attic, never knowing another human being other than his hateful mother. He had been told to stay away from her-that he would hurt her…. Now, here he was, sitting with her as she slept.

She did not want him to leave her-to leave her to their hateful mother-to her mother. Madeline Destler had stopped being his mother the moment Adellade had been born-the moment she had a real child to care for. He did not believe he had family, and she had found him.

He smiled to himself, recalling the worry that they could not be friends, and the relief that followed. If he were to ever have any family in this world, he would have Adellade Destler as his only family. For once in his life, he thought of her as his sister-his very real, innocent, kind-hearted sister.

Yes…. If he was to ever have a family in this world-in this lifetime, he would have her.

Sleep well, Adellade, he thought to her. Erik is here. Erik will keep you safe. I promise. Erik will keep you safe from the monsters.