Shortie had fell asleep that night after staring for hours at the life size portraits she drew of Demetri and Kiljo earlier that night trying to figure out what she missed. She always seems to be missing a small insignificant thing to her drawings and sketches but something small enough it drives her crazy. It's that one thing that keeps her drawings from coming to life. If you look closely enough at the portraits they look so life like...they seem to have the ablilty to step right out of the wall and materialize. To her thats exactly what they did.
Demetri appeared to her he was a child again and so was she. They were back at their father's castle playing with their other brothers. They were the happiest times for Demetri and Shortie. A time when Demetri and Shortie shared a bond like no other she experienced before. A bond that she will never be able to replace by another. They were playing in the trees after they were yelled at by their mother not to go outside. They were both hanging upside down from the tree, Shortie was mindlessly swinging back and forth looking at the sky, when he looked over to here and said in a soft whisper.
"Be careful Shortstuff they will hurt you just like before. They will lie to you and hide things from you. Protect your heart. She will bring you the most harm."
She looks over at him and suddenly they are older again and they are out on his island. He is kneeling down infront of the small grave, his daughter's name on the tombstone. She places her hand gently on his shoulder as she glances over at the second tombstone, of his dead wife, her best friend. She shivers slightly even though the sun is shining brightly and there is a warm breeze surrounding them. He stands up suddenly stepping away from her and the tombstones, walking farther down away from them slipping on the rocks as he climbs down the cliff. She follows him tears blinding her as she calls out to him to come back.
He watches her tumble down the rest of the cliff and then sit there at the bottom weeping hugging her knees close to her body. He looks at her, his blue eyes darkened as he pleads with her to listen and understand He kneels down in front of her placing his hand softly on her cheek.
"Listen to me Shortstuff. Get away from them, get away from that place it is cursed. They don't love you, they feed on your innocence and love. They need you more then you need them. You are stronger then you think. Get away while you can. Run and never look back."
Suddenly his voice becomes enraged "How can you still call her mother after everything she has done to you? How can you love her? She killed our father. She killed my child. She killed my wife and now she has killed me. I love you, sister dear with all my heart but I can not stay in that place no more. She is poison. She posions everything she touches. She kills the ones she loved the most." He suddenly breaks down weeping he wraps his arms around her, "She claimed she loved him and yet she killed him. She loves me and she has killed me. Stay away from her Shortie, don't let her kill you too."
With that he kisses her cheek softly running his hand through her hair. Then stands up and steps away from her pulling the dagger, their brother Adrion Hellborn gave him for his previous birthday, from his pocket. The tip of the dagger has posion on it that will kill him when it peirces the skin. She screams at the sight of the dagger lunging at him with all her might but he backs away and she misses him, landing on the soft grass. He drives the dagger into his heart as she lays on the ground weeping for him to stop. She stands up again and lunges at him as he drives the dagger deeper into his heart, this time she is able to reach him and he becomes limp in her arms. She falls to the ground holding his dying body, he reaches up and touches her cheek.
"Keep her away from here Shortie, do NOT let her posion this place too. Protect it with all her heart. I love you with all my... heart.. and soul...."
With that he takes his last breath and dies in her arms and she weeps for him to come back. "Come back Dem Dem... Come back... Don't leave me here...." She cradles his lifeless body rocking it back and forth slowly weeping for him. As she cradles him his body begins to detoriate and slowly he is nothing more then bones in her arms. As she looks down at the bones in her arms she wakes up screaming.
A tall albino dressed in a black robe with flames stitched in it and a large alien helm upon his head appears walking along the horizon. The helm making his features appear as though he is wearing a gas mask. He makes his way to Shorts as she cries in a ball. He gently places a hand on her shoulder. Shorts, I have come to let you know something. I know of your brother and I am sorry. I will be spending more time in my realm. the dreaming. If you want to visit me anytime just fall asleep thinking of me and I will be there. I have much work to do but I never will be to busy for you. I also would offer that anytime your brother wants to see you or you see him that you can use my realm as a meeting place, it goes beyond the bounds of death in that both you and he can visit. I am sorry I can't be a better father and be around for you but I need to get back to my work I've been neglecting and as I said just ask and I will be there for you. He hugs her and then spinkles some sand from his pouch to let her sleep and then they both appear in his castle in his realm.
She had watched him approach as she laid there in bed weeping for her dead brother. Knowing well enough by now that he knew about her dream she didnt need to say anything, she just laid there and listened for once. She wanted to tell him that he had been a great father but it was his turn to speak for her heart was hurting bad.
When they appeared in his castle she looked at him sadly her eyes filling with tears. She didnt want to be weak and weep in front of him even though she did so many times before. He had helped her through a lot, stepped up to be her father, when no one else would. He had been a great friend mostly, a friend that takes enternity to find and when the time comes you don't want to give up.
"You have been a great father to me. I couldn't have asked for a better father or friend." She reaches out and strokes his cheek softly, " I just hope that I was able to help you. I understand you need to get back to work. I will be here for you when you return. No matter where you are in my heart you will always be my daddy." The tears had esacped and went streaming down her face knowing well enough by now that this was the end of their relationship. It was time to let him go.
He smiles and hugs her tight," Thank you, my daughter and just remember I am with you as well. Placing a hand on her heart, " in here and in everything that reminds you of me. You were always such a joy to me and you still will be, I expect to hear from you at least once a week young lady" He smiles and holds her tight,"You will always be my daughter and I will always love you."
She laughs sadly the tears streaming down her cheeks hugging him tightly not wanting to let him go burying her face in his chest. To keep him any longer would have been selfish of her, he needed to go. yet it was so hard leaving him. "I love you, Daddy and always will. I will return as much as I can. In my heart you will always be my Daddy no matter where you go." She leans up and kisses his cheek,"I have to let you go back to work...." She looks sadly into his eyes more afraid of never seeing him again then anything.
Giving her a small pouch, like his own but smaller he smiles,"Whenever you want to see me for sure sprinkle a little sand over your face and you will see me, the bag may be small but it will never truly empty, and I promise I will never leave forever, and I will never leave you totally alone.
She takes the bag in her hand crying hysterically now her body shaking,"I love you, Daddy....... I will see you soon..... I promise....."
She wakes in her bed her father gone but the bag of sand and a picture of her father and her when they were finger paining in her hand she can still feel his arms around her as she wakes from her slumber and she can here him say,"I shall always love you daughter."
She looks down at the picture and giggles at it still feeling his arms around her,"I love you too Daddy, until we meet again in my dreams." She just lies there not moving, not wanting the feeling of his hug to leave her. She smiled to herself knowing that this will not be the last time she heard from the father she loved dearly. For she was a dreamer and dreaming is what she did best.
