Darling Ellie

Chapter 24

Peter

I was so angry when she told me to leave. Not with her but with myself. Angry that she didn't want me to help her, console her. I almost always saw Elaine as tough, a girl who could take care of herself.

Seeing her tear-streaked face all I wanted was to hold her...and I didn't know why. I was angry at myself because I was slipping, I didn't understand what was happening. I closed the door to my room and threw a book at the wall, I clenched my hair in my fists ready to rip it from my head. I brought my hands in front of me staring at them as if they had a mind of their own.

What am I doing?

I left my room and sat in front of Ellie's door. Legs crossed, elbows leaning on my knees and my head resting on my tightly clenched fists. I listened to her harsh sobs and shaking breaths until they began to fade. Clearly, she had cried herself to sleep. I contemplated going in to check on her, but something told me not too. To respect her wishes.

Since when I respect peoples wishes, I'm Peter Pan for God's sake.

I walked away anyway. I read in my chair for a while, my eyes darting to Ellie's room every few minutes. Reading wasn't helping, I just needed to sleep. She would be better in the morning. I splashed my face with cold water before settling into bed, leaving my curtains drawn but my door open. Just in case.

My stomach lurched. It was still dark, the middle of the night. My heart was pounding and then I realised what had actually woken me, it was the screaming. I threw the covers back and ran to Ellie's room. I tried to throw the door open, but it was unusually heavy. It was then I realised she had fallen sleep on the floor. Eventually I pushed it open and pushed her further into her room. She was screaming in pain begging for someone to stop. I slid onto my knees and hoisted her up, holding her tightly in my arms.

"Stop!" She screamed. "Please stop! Let me go! Please! No...no don't! No! Stop!"

I shouted her name over and over trying to wake her.

"I don't want this! Stop! Stop!" She screamed, she shot forward in my arms one final scream bursting from her lungs.

"Ellie? Ellie it's okay, it's okay I'm here." I tried soothing her, she was awake, but the memory of the dream still gripped her.

"Make it stop," she cried, "please make him stop."

Tears stained her cheeks.

"Ellie, I'm here look at me." I turned her face towards me, and her eyes finally seemed to snap into focus.

She seemed to crumble in my hands, holding parts of my shirt tightly in her fists.

"Help me Peter please." She begged. "Don't let him hurt me. Don't let him do it."

"It's okay, he's gone." I stroked my hand from the top of her head down her back over and over, trying to soothe her.

I felt an unmeasurable pain in my chest as she pleaded with me to help her, to protect her. Begged me to save her. I held her in my arms and carried her to my bed. She was still awake, at this point and I noted she was still fully clothed. I sat her on the edge of my bed and knelt before her my hands on her knees.

"Ellie, you're in my room. Is that okay." She nodded slowly, clearly, she was teetering on the edge of awake and asleep.

"How about you take off these uncomfortable clothes and I give you something better to wear to sleep?" I was trying to distract myself more than anything, trying to get the sounds of her screams out of my head.

Again, she nodded very slowly. I helped her take off her shirt and pants. I quickly looked around to see if I could give her anything to wear. I grabbed a loose shirt of mine from my closet, her smaller frame swimming in the fabric. I sat behind her and carefully untied the ribbon and loosened her hair from the bun it was done in, allowing the brunette waves to cascade down her back. I wrapped my arm gently around her waist and pulled her up to the top of the bed, tucking us both under the covers. I held her close her hands tucked between her body and my chest.

Just as she fell asleep I heard her mutter, "Thank you."

Tonight, was one of the first in a long time that I felt genuinely scared.

###

I woke up before Ellie, normally she's the first to wake but I could tell she needed sleep. I heard the front door open and footsteps crossing the space outside my door, I got out of the bed as quickly and quietly as I could. I intercepted Felix at my bedroom door just as he was about to knock. I looked back at Ellie's sleeping form before quietly closing the door. Felix looked me up and down, clearly noting my bleary eyes and dishevelled clothing.

"Bit too much fun last night?" Felix asked with a grin.

"Not in the mood Felix."

"Oh, a rough night then."

"Really not in the mood." Felix raised his hands in surrender.

"The trip's all arranged for the morning after full moon."

"Fine perfect, can I get back to bed now." I grumbled.

"Back to your wh-" I pinned Felix against the wall before he could finish, my forearm firmly against his neck.

"You don't want to finish that one mate."

"I just thought-"

"You thought wrong, she belongs to me and what belongs to me deserves respect do you understand." I growled.

Felix nodded, his usual calm and serious demeanour slipping away.

"Get out." I released Felix and he scrambled away.

Brushing himself off he left the cabin, head hanging shamefully. What he almost called Ellie made me angrier than I've been in a long time. Just because she was more of a toy, entertainment, doesn't mean she isn't a person. A person who deserves respect. I opened the door to my room again to see Ellie sitting up in bed.

"Is everything alright?" She asked softly, her voice making some of the knots in my stomach melt.

"Fine, just Felix being an ass." I sighed.

"I'm sorry, come here you look tense." I walked over to the bed and sat down.

She guided me to where she wanted me and began rubbing my shoulders. Her nimble hands working away the knots.

"Are you alright, after last night?" I asked once I felt sufficiently relaxed.

She suddenly froze and I turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry I woke you, and I'm sorry I told you to go away last night."

"Talk about the dream for now, can you tell me about it?" Ellie moved so that she could hold her knees close to her chest.

She seemed to shrink very small.

"It was awful." She whispered.

I placed a hand on her knee hoping she would continue. She sucked in shuddering breath.

"It was dark, and I was bound. There was blood on my face, I could feel it. There was a man he hit me, over and over. He told me things and threatened me, then...then he...my dress was on the floor, and I couldn't stop him..." She trailed off, tears rolling down her cheeks.

I knew exactly what she meant, I knew exactly what she went through, and it made my blood boil. It was only a dream and yet I could see in her eyes, she thought it was real. Saw it as being real. I held either side of her face.

"It wasn't real, he can't hurt you anymore."

"I was so scared." I shuddered.

I wiped the tears from her face.

"I know you were, but for now get some more sleep and I'll be back after breakfast okay." She nodded, moving to slip back under the covers.

I threw on some fresh clothes and waited until I heard her breathing grow even, until she was asleep. I took away her memory of the dream, my magic slipping easily through her mind. The dream was like a dark mass, a sleeping beast leeching off Ellie's happiness. I felt my magic rip the dream away pushing it deep into her subconcious. I didn't want her to be brought down these last few days before my trip. I wanted her to enjoy our game. I wanted to enjoy our game and that couldn't happen if all she could think about was the dream. I quietly slipped out of the room.