The second lock

"Elliana, dear." Elliana heard a voice in her sleep, and she turned around on the bed, hugging the sheets closer to her body, the loss of Mr. Marino's presence, making her heart feel empty.

"Open your eyes, sweetheart. I have come to take you. To take you away from this cursed world. I have come to take you back to the world where you belong. The world which is your home," Elliana heard the same whisper in her ears, and her brows furrowed.

"Mmmm," Elliana moaned in displeasure.

"Are you not going to wake up? Should I force you then?" The sound suddenly changed, more sinister and dark, and Elliana shuddered.

She was more conscious now. She wanted to open her eyes, but it was almost as if some invisible kind of weight was weighing her eyelids down, disabling her to open her eyes.