Chapter 30 - Reality

Waking up Eleanor rubbed her eyes, which felt wet for some reason.

Opening them she looked around, a long terrified scream left her lips.

Her whole bedroom was drenched in blood.

Glancing down she saw that her usually white nightgown had turned pitch black.

Her breathing began to quicken as she looked around, feeling drops of blood fall on her head she quickly stood up only to feel her feet touch something moist and squishy.

Looking down she instantly saw what she stood on, bodies upon bodies piled were up beneath her.

She quickly turned back to her bed, which she wanted to slip back into.

But as she looked at the place it had been in she noticed that she stood atop a mountain of corpses.

Suddenly a cold clammy hand wrapped itself around her ankle and she was slowly dragged down.

She screamed and fought against the force pulling her down but the more she struggled the more hands wrapped themselves around her.

"No… no, please…" she cried out, desperate to survive.

But nothing changed, she was just dragged further into the depths.

Soon everything went dark as she was pulled too deep into the pile for any light to reach her.

Of course, Eleanor kept fighting against the bodies that were piled on top of her and then suddenly the pressure vanished.

Looking around she saw that she was in a long corridor, the floor of which was made of some black mist.

Taking in a shaky breath she stepped forward only for the floor underneath her to give way making her fall through it, into another corridor.

Hearing footsteps behind her she quickly stood up and looked behind herself.

Seeing the dark silhouette of a man in long robes she took a step back.

The man who just stepped into the light was quite tall with a long white beard and a short pointed hat with stars decorating it.

A terrified scream left Eleanor's lips and she bolted.

Running down the seemingly endless corridor lined by doors she kept looking back only to see the bearded man closing the distance between them by just walking.

Running over to one of the doors she wrenched it open and ran inside.

Feeling the floor beneath her disappear Eleanor looked down only to notice she was falling towards a black cloud.

Closing her eyes she waited for the nightmare to be over.

Eleanor's eyes snapped open and she bolted upright but looking around she found herself in the cottage she shared with her mother.

Standing up from the bed she was lying on Eleanor looked around, it was exactly how she remembered.

'Was it all a dream?' she thought to herself.

Spotting her mother working in the kitchen she ran over to her, "Mother, mother."

Turning to her daughter Morgana opened her arms.

Jumping into them Eleanor wrapped her arms around her mother.

"I missed you so much." she whispered out.

Chuckling Morgana smiled down at her, "What do you mean? We saw each other just yesterday."

Removing her face from her mother's belly Eleanor looked up, "Nothing, I just had a long dream."

"Well then, it must have been good for you to smile that way."

Hearing her mothers words the smile vanished from Eleanor's face, "N-no," tears started to gather at the corners of her eyes, "I was so scared, I didn't know what to do. I tried to put up a strong front but it was so hard."

Pressing her face back into her mother's belly she cried her eyes out.

Reaching down, Morgana patted her daughter's head, "There, there. It's okay, it's okay."

Stroking Eleanor's hair a few more times she said, "I have a surprise for you."

Looking up into her mother's eyes Eleanor asked, "What is it?"

"Well it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you, would it."

A sheepish grin formed itself on Eleanor's face, "Yes, of course."

Taking her daughter's hand Morgana pulled her towards the door, "Come I'll show you."

Opening the small wooden door Morgana gestured for Eleanor to walk outside.

Doing as her mother asked she walked out into the light.

Her eyes widened in joy as she saw a tall brown haired man with a short cropped beard, standing in the centre of their large garden, a goofy grin on his face.

"Come here." he called out to her, his arms extended.

"Father!" Eleanor shouted, running towards the man.

Grabbing his daughter under the armpits Arthur lifted her into the air, "How's my little dragon doing?"

Eleanor giggled and reached out to her father.

He laughed and pulled her close into his embrace.

"I missed you." he whispered into her ear.

She giggled again and looking over to her mother, smiled.

Morgana smiled back contently and leant against the doorframe.

Grinning at his lover, Arthur gestured for her to come over.

She shook her head chuckling but came over anyway, joining them in their embrace.

Smiling Eleanor lent her head on both her parents' shoulders a relieved look in her eyes.