Chapter 2: Nightmare

"No! Stop it! Please! Please, don't hurt my mother...father!!!" Elle continued to shout as she watched her parents being beaten by strange men.

Her cries were useless. No one was listening to her. She wanted to run and hug her parents, but she was being held in place by a man. One of the group's grunt-men.

"Sorry kid," the leader of the group said, "we are just following orders. A job is a job. No hard feelings, right?" he swung his baseball bat, beating the couple.

Her mother was already unconscious, while her father was shielding his wife.

He was weak. His entire body numbed from the blows. Blood flowed from his mouth. "Please... spare my daughter," her father sputtered.

This was a heart-wrenching scene for the young Elle. She did not know why this was happening.

Who were these people? Why were they hurting her family? Her dad was a good man, a policeman. He had saved a lot of people.

Her mother was a loving wife, a mother, and a teacher. She also volunteers, often helping people like her husband.

What did they do to deserve this? Do good people really receive punishments like this? Why does God allow this to happen? These were the questions running through Elle's mind right now.

She felt betrayed and angry. But she knew she was helpless. She could not do anything to protect her family.

She was still a child. After all, what could a mouse do against a mountain?

"Please mister. Just stop it already! I will do anything. Please stop hurting my parents. Please, I'm begging you!" She continued, pleading for them to stop.

The man stopped his bat and looked at her. He signaled for his men to stop the beating too.

The man flashed an evil smile. "Anything?" he said to Elle, "You're willing to do anything to make us stop?"

"Yes, mister! I will do anything!" Elle answered immediately.

"Ok," he said, not breaking eye contact. "I've heard you are a very good girl. I will give you one chance," he held up his bat. "Just one."

Elle nodded firmly.

"Good girl. Okay. Your father wanted to save you, but then you wanted to protect your parents from me and my men… I think there is a way to make both wishes come true," the man said. He signaled to his underling to let Elle go.

Her father looked into Elle's eyes, telling her to be strong.

"Thank you, mister. What do you want me to do?" Elle asked him. She felt hopeful at the chance to save her parents.

"Come here," the man ordered. Elle tried her best to walk even though she felt weak from nervousness and fear. She stopped in front of the man.

The man walked to the nearest table and picked up a kitchen knife.

"This is what you are going to do: I want you to stab your parents. Right through the heart. In exchange, you get to live, just like your father wanted."

"And it is not just him that gets what he wants. Your wish about not letting us torture your parents will come true too. You save them from us, by killing them with your own hands," the man explained to Elle.

The men laughed as they heard their boss. The shock was visible in Elle's face.

Her world crumbled again. The little hope she had popped like a bubble.

The little girl did not know what to say. She just stood there like a statue. Her mind was blank.

Elle came back to reality when she heard her father's voice.

"Elliese, do it! Do what he says," he shouted.

"This is the only way. We want you to live. I love you, my little princess. You must live no matter what happens. You must survive!"

"What a loving father. Oh well," the man said. He walked over to Elle and placed the knife in her small hands.

"No father! No! I can't! No, don't say that. I need you and Mom. I want to save you!" Elle said hysterically.

"Please... Elliese, do it! For our sake and your own sake. Remember what you promised me for my birthday. You said that someday you will fulfill one of my requests," her father said to her.

"Please father, not like this!" she begged.

"Elliese, be strong! We will always be there for you, guiding you. We love you, our princess. This is my wish. This is the only way for you to survive. Remember this is not your fault. Do it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Father no!!! I'm sorry father, mother!

"Elle...Elle... wake up! Wake up. You're dreaming!" Charles tapped Elle's shoulder, trying to wake her up.

Elle opened her eyes and grabbed Charles's wrist. On instinct, she twisted it.

"Argh! Hey, it's me, Charles! Stop. You're hurting me, Elle!" Charles choked out the words.

Her grip was enough to make him squeal, but the twisting… that was too much.

"What are you doing here?" Elle asked him as she released his hand.

"I came here to talk to you about your upcoming mission. I called, then rang the doorbell a bunch of times. I came in and saw you sleeping. You talk in your sleep. Did you know that?" Charles explained.

"I woke you up because it looked like you were having a nightmare. And I'm guessing I was right… You're sweating a lot," he continued, massaging his hurt wrist.

Elle stood up, getting a cup of water. She ignored him, not minding his explanation.

Charles watched her move across the room. 'The expected response of an aloof young lady,' he thought to himself. 'She really is a woman of a few words.'

"Was it -the- nightmare?" he asked.

"Ask me again and you'll find out," Elle warned him.

She didn't want to talk about it.

Charles closed his mouth. He made some mental notes. 'Don't wake up Catseye, even if it is a nightmare. Oh, and never talk about nightmares.'

But he was right. It was the same nightmare, over and over again.

*****

[ Edited by Lilliny ]