Selfless Love

Nightmares

Victoria was running as fast as she could through the dark forest in the middle of the night.

She could faintly hear her mother screaming somewhere far behind her to keep going.

Her legs ached. Her lungs burned. Her vision was blurry from her tears. Low branches scratched her arms and cheeks, stinging and slowing her down as she fled. She continued to push her already tired muscles forward as she tried to escape.

But she wasn't fast enough.

Someone shoved her to the ground and she landed hard against the cold earth. Large hands grabbed her and held her as she squirmed and wiggled in vain trying to escape. She cried and screamed as loud as she could. The muscular arms tightened around her tiny body and she whimpered in pain.

Someone called her name but it felt so far away.

"Let me go!" she yelled over and over.

The voice that called her name sounded much closer but she was too distraught to recognize it. She continued to fight with what energy she had left against her captor, scratching and kicking anything she could reach.

The man holding her tight, held her out at arms length and shook her.

"Nooo!" she continued to cry almost hysterically.

Her captor raised one of his hands as though he were about to strike her to shut her up.

She tensed and closed her eyes tightly bracing for the harsh blow, but it never came.

She opened her eyes and gasped. She wasn't in the forest...she was in her bed in her room.

Her eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness but the bright full moon allowed her to see the outline of a massive figure moving above her bed. She started to scoot away to the far side of her bed when a soothing voice called to her.

"You're safe Victoria," her father's deep, comforting voice called to her. "I'm here. No one will harm you."

"Daddy?" the young child asked meekly, still confused. She couldn't see him very well in the dark room but she immediately felt a little more calm knowing she was not alone.

Riftan lit a small candle on the table standing next to her bed hoping the light would provide her a little bit of comfort.

"They were trying to take me away," Victoria cried as she hugged her knees to her chest. "The same bad men who took Mommy away before. They found us and I tried to run away. I really tried..."

Her words trailed off as she began to sob. Her tiny body shook and her tears rolled down her cheeks making the edge of her bed sheet damp.

"You were having a bad dream," Riftan said softly as he sat down on the edge of her bed before leaning over and taking his child into his arms. She clung to him immediately, burying her face in his shoulder as she continued to cry.

"The men who took Mommy are all gone," Riftan said in a cool, even tone. "They can't hurt you. Ruth has put powerful spells on your room and your brother's so no one can take you away from us."

"But...but what if- " she tried to object but her emotions quickly overwhelmed her as she cried harder.

He gently grabbed her shoulders and pulled her off his chest, sitting her in his lap. He reached up and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. 

"Victoria," her father spoke with a kind but firm voice, a serious tone that told her she needed to listen carefully. "I promise, as long as Mommy and I are living we will never, ever let anyone take you away. No one will ever hurt you. No evil men or big scary monsters. No one. We will always keep you safe and loved. Okay?"