Twenty years had passed since Mikael had first met the baby that had grown so fast into a woman. She'd been kept in the hospital for a few weeks until the adoption procedures had been completed. One of the midwives who'd been at the birth was unable to have their own children, and she'd adopted the baby. She'd given the baby a name, a home and a loving start in life. Until she'd died of cancer soon after Eleanor's fifth birthday. Ellie had been left alone once again, and shoved back into the foster system that had held her in its evil grasp until her eighteenth birthday had allowed her to set out on her own; away from the people who'd abused and shadowed her, snuffing out all of the hope and confidence that she'd built up during her first five years of life.
Mikael stood over Ellie's restless frame, watching helplessly has she once again cried herself to sleep. She'd curled herself up into a tiny ball in the middle of the bed, wrapped herself around the bunched up duvet as if she actually had someone to comfort her.
He couldn't resist brushing a few stray strands of her long, black hair away from her watery spring green eyes. She looked up - staring right through him - and glanced at the window. It was closed, yet her mind still rationalised his touch as a draft. He sighed, wishing he could wrap her in his arms and for her to know that he was there for her, that he always had been.
Ellie closed her eyes, squeezing them shut again as she returned to the dark thoughts that caused her despair. She wore no makeup, not that she had any real need to; she had naturally thick black eyelashes that framed her beautifully shaped eyes, a small nose, full, rosy lips and flawless sun kissed skin that blessed her face. In Mikael's mind, she was perfect, beautiful both inside and out; yet in her ex's mind, she was nothing but an easy target. Someone to use and abuse. Someone who'd take what he'd dish out and still come back for more.
He yearned to close his fists around the man's throat and squeeze tightly; feeling the life drain out of the man who'd caused his Eleanor so much undeserved pain and heartache. But all he could do is watch, helpless as one danger after another passed through her life, snuffing out the bright light of her soul.
Ellie sighed, her muscles relaxing as she fell into a deep sleep. Mikael prepared himself to enter her dream - the only time he could really spend time with her, he could hold her and talk to her. He could tell her that it could all be ok, that he'd protect her.
Darkness surrounded Mikael. He heard crying in the distance, yet couldn't see where it came from. He knew she was here - this was her dream, so she had to be there somewhere. He remembered a happier time, when he'd played with the small girl and kept her nightmares away. But now her dreams were darker, filled with unseen monsters and endless paths that always lead to the same destination - pain and despair.
Ellie screamed, and Mikael ran towards the source of her voice - if he didn't calm her soon, then she'd wake and he'd have to wait until the next time she was exhausted enough to sleep.
Vines grabbed at his feet, clawing at his skin as he rushed towards her. He ignored the pain - he'd gained many scars in her dreams as endless amounts of terror attempted to keep him from her.
He reached Ellie just as John did. She often dreamt of the people that were in her life. She was vulnerable even in the brief moments that she slept - a time when most people were safest. John was her ex.
"Please, can't you just leave me alone?" she pleaded with him, backing away. The surroundings suddenly changed, from the dark shadows that grasped at them and into the flat that she'd briefly lived in with her ex.
"You shouldn't have left me, you don't have the right." John moved forward, pressing her into the wall, "You're mine." He'd pinned her and started ripping at her clothes with one hand whilst holding the other tightly against her mouth to muffle her pleading cries.
Mikael felt the anger rise in him, he wouldn't let the man terrorise Ellie in her sleep - the only time when he could protect her. He ran up to her and John and grabbed the man by the throat. He pulled him away from her, leaving her to fall to the floor whilst he struggled with her attacker. He let all of his pent up anger be released as he fought with the man who he'd helplessly watched terrorise his Eleanor that day. As he pulled back his muscled arm once more to deliver a strong blow to John's face, the scene changed again and he fell to the floor.
