...[1952, Denmark]..
Everybody would have agreed that the intelligent ginger haired girl of the Bask Manor could wrap her head around any mystery, being the most exceptional child in the region, with straight "A's" and prize winning essays, Ellie Bask could well be the child genius of the year in the whole of Denmark.
But not today, today she couldn't wrap her head around this mystery and quite frankly it scared her.
It started like a normal day.
Fifteen year old Ellie Bask turned the doorknob of the only room she had never been in at the manor.
Very startled, she found it not empty. A man stood at the corner of the room facing a painting frame. The room, filled with hung paintings, pictures, and portraits. A room no bigger than a small kitchen, rectangular in shape and having one window that illuminated light from the afternoon outside. This man she had never seen stood before the painting of a stormy sea with a small boat trapped in the middle of it.
When she opened the door, he slowly turned, and her eyes widened. Ellie couldn't help but think he was the most attractive dark skinned man she'd ever seen, yet he looked much older than her father. His dark skin fitted well into his light-brown coat. The hairs under his hat dark and grey, his eyes glassy grey and his scarce facial hair as white as snow in winter. His eyes told one he had seen many mysteries, and his smile was undeniably infectious.
"Oh hello," he said, turning. "Nice to meet you, little one." Ellie stepped in further with her expensive pink gown, twirling her ginger long hair curiously. She was usually offended by such statements, being an intelligent child and all, but the way he said it drew her in. He had an African accent, a soothing one. She wondered what he was doing so far away in Denmark,
"I'm not so little." She said trying to be annoyed, looking down and shutting the door behind her, not an intelligent thing to do, but Ellie was used to seeing strangers at her home, though she had not been informed about this one. Above all that, Ellie was confident, due to her renowned accomplishments.
When she looked up he was still smiling so sweetly, she wondered what was wrong with him, but she caught herself from speaking it. You see Ellie had become more irritable over the years. She let her achievements go to her head so she hardly failed to speak her mind. Ask a few students and teachers and they'd tell you.
Ellie realized she didn't know who he was and what he was doing there. Her father had many friends, yes, but she didn't remember anything about one coming over for dinner.
"Who are you?" She asked, narrowing her brow and tilting her head with a snobby look "and what are you doing here?"
"I'm a friend of your father's." He said lowering his hat and edging closer with a fancy walking cane she now noticed, but he didn't need help walking. He stretched out his hand for a shake. Ellie stared at it for a bit then took it without fear. Her being the high minded child she was.
"Pleased to meet you, I'm Els." he said. Ellie redrew her hand confused, "That's weird, my Dad also calls me Ells." She said. The man chuckled which Ellie thought made him look nice, she wanted to smile but caught herself.
"I know." He said straightening up "though it's not the same as mine, I'm E, L, S." he spelt out, "which is short for something, but you can call me El."
"Short for what?"
"Don't worry, you'd know in due time." Ellie raised a brow, what an odd thing to say. He turned halfway back to the painting of the sea. "So Ellie, do you come to this room often?" He asked.
"No, this would be the first."
"Oh I see, and why's that?" He said still staring at the painting. Ellie did wonder for a bit why that was. She didn't quite understand it either. She had explored all the rooms of the mansion but she never bothered coming here, and for some reason she believed she had a reason and had forgotten.
"I don't know." She admitted.
"What do you think of it now?"
Ellie looked around, she wasn't ready to answer that question but it did seem like some of the paintings and pictures were lovely, but others she thought bizarre. She even caught glimpse of one and walked over to it, normally it would frighten any child, but Ellie wasn't like most children.
"That's Astan." She heard El say, which startled her. She turned. She hadn't noticed when he moved so close to her. She slowly turned back to the painting. It was the painting of a huge serpent monster in darkness baring it's fangs and a fiery mouth. It's skin so dark purple it blended with the darkness around it.
"As..tan?" Ellie asked with a quizzical look.
"Mmhm, don't you know the story?"
"Story?" Ellie said turning to face him "What story?"
"The story of Astan, of all the others." He said gesturing to the room "every picture or painting here tells a story, did you not know that?"
"I haven't been to this side of the mansion." She explained again. "I didn't even know there was art here. What do you mean by they tell stories?"
Ellie shouldn't have been asking questions. She should have fled the room instead and searched for her mum to ask who the strange man was, but everything had been set up this way, and he didn't want her to leave, not just yet.
He titled his head and held the cane in front of him with both hands as he looked at the Astan painting. And like an African story teller he began to tell her a tale.
"This painting of Astan tells an ancient story, of a being who thought he could do it all by himself. he was smart, brilliant and beautiful, but his ego turned him into something else. The monster you see, and ended him in eternal darkness, just like you see in this painting." He told her some extra things about the serpent, about how it tried to achieve being the master of many, and how it tried powers that be. She was intrigued by the story, though she knew it couldn't be true. It was just a myth she thought. Something to teach little children a lesson, but little did she know this was an ancient story between them and she represented humanity trapped in the middle of it.
She couldn't help but disagree with some points of the story though. It showed when she frowned slightly as El spoke. El must have sensed her struggle because he asked,
"You don't like the story?"
Ellie turned to explain "Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful story, good for amusing adults and teaching little children, but I don't think I quite agree with it."
"Oh, and why's that?" El said smiling again. Ellie pouted her lips before she spoke. She didn't realize the whole thing was just bizarre. She never gave this much attention to people she didn't know, even friends of her father's, but she loved speaking her mind, stating facts, and teaching truths. Which El wanted her to do quite well, before revealing his hand.
"Well sir, I believe some are made strong, highly gifted or intelligent to do the impossible. I believe we all can do the impossible if we put our minds to it and we wouldn't need any help if we never gave up. I'm a living proof of that you see."
"Oh yes, I know." He said smiling, "your father has told me about all your feats." Forget her father she thought. She was on the front page twice! "..best in all subjects in school, you are quite the genius aren't you."
"Yes I am, but I wasn't always." Ellie admitted, even though she was frowning a bit now. How could he not know her achievements outside her father's talks.
"Oh?" El said.
"I was a dullard once before, but I put my mind to change that and came out on top, that's why I know I can do anything without needing to be helped."
El watched her for a moment in silence. She couldn't tell whether he agreed with her or was just thinking about her bravado.
"Mr. El." She said bringing him out of his thoughts, "are you really friends with my Dad?"
"Oh certainly."
"What are you doing in here, shouldn't you be with him?" She said now wanting to know more about El.
"Oh, he comes here to meet me, always." El said walking back to that painting. The one of the sea. Ellie found that odd, surely if he had been at her house once before she would have known it. He almost sounded like he was living in this room. Ellie was having her suspicions about him when something caught the corner of her eye. She turned to look at another painting. She stepped closer to it her eyes widening as she admired it. It was the painting of a pink horned unicorn, and a lion, a lamb, and a dove which flew above as they walked beside it. Ellie loved the painting, it made her think of lovely days and safety.
"You love that unicorn don't you." El asked, she turned and saw him smiling at her.
"Yes, I do, it's really pretty but.." She turned back to the painting, looking at the other three creatures "somehow it looks like without these three her world wouldn't be quite complete." Ellie said, which sounded strange in her mouth as she did, but that was how she felt looking at this painting. The Lion looked fierce, it could protect the unicorn. The other two looked strangely important as well.
"What story does it tell?" She asked, but he was going to avoid answering that question. El didn't want to spoil anything before time. He stepped back from the one he stared at and replied with a smile,
"You'd know soon enough, but you're correct. Without them she couldn't go far that unicorn." Her eyes adverted to the painting of the stormy sea. The one El had been staring at. she walked over to the painting. If she had known what would happen next maybe she wouldn't have. The painting of the stormy sea and the man struggling in it. Ellie looked intently at the painting, but she was surprised when a sudden mixture of confusion, fear with desperation washed over her as she did. She stared at the picture a bit longer than she expected, something about it drew her, and then.....it moved.
Ellie took a step back, she turned to El wondering if he saw what she did. She had this serious look on her face like she didn't believe she saw that. El was smiling as always and pointed back to the picture asking her to look again. She turned to the painting, and tried to focus on it. She must have been day dreaming, it couldn't have moved the way she thought it did.
Something about El telling her to look again made her almost think he did notice what she did. She focused hard on it again, and suddenly it began to move again. Her eyes widened. She wasn't dreaming at all! It was first the motion of the rain and sea, then the thunder clouds and lighting and then the boat. The whole scenario came to life like a movie, and all of a sudden before she could realize it....she was there.
.....
...[no where you know]....
The sound of thunder boomed over her waking her to the reality she was no more at home. Around her was the raging sea, and the flash of lightning warning about the blast of thunder. The wind and rain didn't have a direction, blasting against her from all sides. She panicked at the instant change of scenario, and was sorely afraid. Then she heard a voice behind her.
"Don't be afraid."
Ellie turned to see who it was, and saw El, then she noticed under his feet. He was standing on the sea! That's when she realized the ground beneath her wasn't as even as she thought. She looked down, and realized she was standing on the sea too.
"How is this..." She began.
"Don't be afraid Ellie" El said, "look at me." She slowly lifted her head, finding it hard to take her eyes from the floor beneath her, but she did, slowly. She had been standing perfectly fine before she noticed she was on water, but her posture now was like someone standing on a beam afraid to fall, but that feeling didn't last when she lifted her head to see him. El had his arms stretched out, and she felt a strange calm rush over her.
"Come." He said softly, still smiling.
She walked a few steps over to him, taking his hand. She felt an even greater security doing that. Whatever the case she never wanted to let go, especially not in this scenario.
"It's OK, I'd never leave you here, just stick with me." El said. Her first thoughts were, what is this? I'm dreaming!!?
She turned about, amazed where they were.
"Where...where are we??" She asked.
"Well, in the painting of course." El replied.
"But, but...." She tried to express her fear, wonder and confusion the best way she could. "How could that be? Are you some sort of magician, the kind I've read about?" She looked back at the face of the man who was smiling in the rain at her.
"Far from it." He said.
"I'm dreaming then!"
El smiled,
"I will explain everything, but first why not look at what's in front of us, are you not bothered by the state of that fellow." El said pointing ahead. Ellie was an intelligent girl. She based everything she did on logic even at her young age. She was bothered by the situation, but sometimes Intelligence made you wonder. To figure out than being afraid.
She turned slowly to face the sea, and saw a man trapped in the middle of the storm, just like the painting, and for the first time she truly saw how he was. A man in a suit struggled with a rowing rod as the water tried to fill his boat and drown him. It was a miracle he could even last a second.
"Who is he?" Ellie asked, still trying to get used to this strange occurrence. Believing it some weird dream.
"A friend."
"Well, can't he see us, won't you help him?" Ellie asked. She raised her head to face El, partly because she didn't want to see the storm, partly because she didn't want to see a man drown. She was worried for him as all little children would, at least she still had that. But El gave her a strange answer.
"I am."
Ellie turned to see the man on the boat again. He was still struggling with the waves in the storm. She was wondering now what El meant, this man was about to die, couldn't he see that?
"What do you mean? He's in trouble, go help him, he could drown!"
"Why are you so afraid?" El lowered his head to stare her in the face. His eyes were full of assurance that he was telling her the truth.
"Besides he is on a mission for me." He added.
Ellie didn't know what that meant but she fixed her eyes again on the man in the boat. Her face in worry still trying to comprehend what was happening. "He is not afraid, so why are you?" She heard El say.
She began to notice the statement he made was true. The man in his wet suit, drenched from head to toe didn't have a single worry on his face as his arms and lower body moved to adjust themselves to the waves to fight them. She could see that at some moments he even smiled.
"Why.. why is he smiling. What is going on here Mr. El?" Ellie asked.
"He's smiling because I am helping."
Slowly she saw it. A figure of a translucent being formed from leg up behind the man on the boat. Ellie's eyes widened, it looked like El, but almost like a ghost of him as it looked like a phantom image of El beside her. She gasped, turning to see if El was still with her, and he was. He smiled at her, seeing the wonder in her eyes. She turned back to the boat and saw the phantom was still there. His hands resting on the shoulder of the young man in suit.
"Time to go." She heard El's voice say, as he turned to face him he was still there, but now they were back at the pictures and painting room. Ellie redrew from him. El smiled like he understood. But before she could ask the obvious question he spoke.
"How about a riddle to answer the question in your mind, hmm?"
"Wha..what?" Ellie managed in a low frightened voice.
"How about I ask you a riddle. If you get it, then you would have your answer about who or what you think I am?"
"What..."
"Ah ah ah." El interrupted teasingly. "First riddle me this." He turned away and took a few steps before turning to her. Ellie should have been amused like most children would, but she wasn't like most children, who imagined the opportunity to experience the bizarre and magical.
"I am who I am" he began "and I help everyone who is willing to enter into life's boat against the sea and choose me. Who am I?"
Ellie heard every word he said, but she was beginning to realize something was awfully wrong, not because of the magical experience, or the strange man before her, but also because she just realized the room shouldn't have been this way. A strange thing to say now, but for some reason she felt the room hasn't always been a painting room, though she had never been there.
"What are you?" She asked with genuine curiosity appearing across her face. She was scared and yet she was not. El still looked harmless like a gentle breeze but recent events had made her understand he was no ordinary man, if he was a man.
"Not a magician." El replied staring down on her still with a sweet smile and a hand again behind his back. "You need my help Ellie, without me you can't go through the pictures or paintings." He said straightening up and facing the painting before him. It was the one of the three animals and the unicorn. "No one can."
Ellie wondered what he meant. If she hadn't been so defenseless in a small room she would have raised some kind of object as a weapon to distance herself between her and him, but with all honesty Ellie couldn't bring herself to properly feel threatened by the man, or his strangeness. Something about the man in his coat felt....divine?
"I want to leave. I'm going to call my mum." She said heading slowly for the door.
"You can't leave yet Ellie." the man said turning away from the painting, "you have to see that without me you can't enter the picture paintings or do anything for that matter."
OK, she couldn't take it anymore, something was wrong. What a strange thing to say. He must have seen it in her eyes that she had decided.
"No Ellie, don't...!" But Ellie ran for the door. She swung it open and didn't hesitate to leave El behind, but to her surprise she stumbled and fell, but, back into the same room that she left, but this time it was without El, and it was darker, like the sun had finally set and moonlight so bright and bluish poured into the room. Ellie got up and tried to go back the way she came but the door was already shut behind her. She tried to open it but it wouldn't budge. Her head was already drumming the pounding of her heart, that happens to many when they are so afraid or anxious and Ellie was no different in this situation. What was going on? Am I in a dream? she said to herself. She tried to remember where she had been before entering the painting room the first time but she couldn't, the only thing she could remember was her Dad and Mum had been in the house, everything else was a blank which was strange. Why couldn't she remember?
.......
"Mum?" she called out in a low voice, nearing the door. "Mum!?" She said much louder as she banged on it, hoping that her parents would hear."Mum!? Dad!!?"
"Ellie?" A voice startled her, she almost didn't recognize it but it was her mother's.
It came from the corner of the room. She turned to see.
In a dark corner that escaped all light she saw the figure of someone lying there.
"Who?" She said, ghost-frightened. "Mum? is that you?"
"Please help Ellie, quick" Her mum said. Ellie came out of the haze of imagining the worst of what it might be in the shadows realizing it was her mother. She rushed over to her, and getting closer saw her mum was on the floor bound hand and leg with purple ropes. Mrs. Bask was in an unusual state dressed in her black and white kitchenware. Ellie always teased her by saying it looked like a maid's uniform.
"Mum! What happened?!" She said scooping down to raise her up to sit.
"Untie the ropes Ellie, before he comes back!" Her mum said. Ellie didn't want to believe it, but her sharp senses deducted what her mother meant. It could only mean the stranger did this. El.
"You saw the strange man? He is the one that did this to you?" She asked quickly untying her mother's legs first.
"Wait, Ellie." Her mum said with alarm sitting up to see her daughter's face "did you see him too? Did he hurt you?!"
"No mother." Ellie said, trying to think as she loosened her mum's legs, going straight for her arms after that. She successfully did that under a minute and her mum quickly hugged her, asking her if she was alright.
"I'm fine mummy, where's Daddy?"
"He's fine, and he's out of the house, but I hope he gets back soon but listen, Ellie..."
"Mum, we have to get out of here. There is something I have to tell you..." Ellie said turning to rise but her mother held her hand.
"Listen Ellie." Her mother said in whispered urgency, taking the face of her daughter with the other hand. Ellie could see the signs in her mum's eyes that she had something important to say, but it could wait. It couldn't be more important than what she had to say if her mom would believe it, and they had to get out of here, though she wondered how. The door was locked and the window was a high one.
"Mum what are you doing? We have to get out of here, that man.."
"I know, I know Ellie, he's not ordinary but there's something I have to tell you." Ellie was surprised at her mother's response, she knew what the man was?
Her mother spoke softly "Ellie you are special.."
"Mum we don't have time for...." She said
"No, no, Ellie, you don't understand..." Ellie could see it in her mother's eyes that this needed to be said now. "You are special, and you can do anything, but most importantly you have the ability to visit other places."
"Places?"
"Worlds, far beyond normal human reach." Her mother explained.
Ellie was confused at what her mother said, even though she understood there was a lot going on here that she didn't know.
"Mum, you're scaring me. What do you mean?" Scaring wasn't the only word. Ellie was both that and confused.
"What did you do when the strange man showed you the picture?" Her mother asked. Ellie's eyes widened, how could she have known about that.
"We..." Ellie paused thinking it might sound crazy but seeing the mother's face she understood her mum knew everything she did not. "We went into...another..place."
"Yes, another world." Her Mum said, smiling like she was glad her daughter took a journey with a stranger to another dimension.
"But Mum, what does that mean? What's going on.."
"I would explain everything to you in detail." Her mum's expression and tone became more serious "but first understand this, you have the ability to hop into worlds through the paintings of this room. Every painting is a real place."
Ellie took a moment to glance around. Her face showed confusion. The pictures and paintings of unworldly places were there too, could they all be real?
"But mum..." She wanted to protest
"Shh shh shh, Ellie, I know this is hard to understand, but we can't leave this room the way we came. We must go through a painting. It is the only way to escape."
"Escape who? El..?"
"Shhhh" her mother hushed her quickly "don't say his name, names have power."
"But he said without him I can't go through..." Ellie tried to explain as her mother began to rise. Ellie helped her up. Her mum placed her hands on her shoulder with the look of concern on her face.
"That's because he doesn't want you to know the truth, that you can do anything without worry or fear of him. And also, he wants something from you."
"Something? What?" Ellie asked in concerned fear as her mum walked slowly as if hurt, as she made her way to one of the paintings. The one with the unicorn.
"Your gift. He wants to keep it from you, from you using it. So that no one except him could do what you do." Her mother placed her hand on the painting before her. Ellie couldn't see her face, but there was a smile on it as if to say finally at long last.
"What do we do?" Ellie said, now sincerely bothered about all this. She had so many questions, but her analyzing brain told her now wasn't the time. Her mum turned around. She walked over to Ellie bending a bit and placing her hands on Ellie's shoulder.
"Ellie, it's going to be ok. Mummy won't let anything happen to you, but we have to go now."
"I don't think I can open it on my.."
"Yes you can!"
Ellie was startled at the mother's outburst.
"Mum?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Her mum said. Her face looked stressed a bit more now. "Ellie, the truth is, we are out of time. We have to go now before he comes back. You have to try, oK?" She said softly. Ellie nodded.
"OK." Ellie said "So which one?" Ellie asked looking around but her mother drew her attention to the one she had focused on before.
Ellie walked over to the painting of the unicorn. She was confused if this was actually a real world or just a painting, but all the other pictures in the room were bizarre too. A world with unicorns Ellie thought. This would have been pretty neat if she wasn't finding the situation eerie and unsettling in her head, chest and gut. Ellie looked back. The face of her mum smiling, nodding reassuringly and giving a thumbs up to which Ellie thought was strange.
Ellie turned and stared at the painting. She had done it before so she could do it again. Ellie took in all the images in the painting, waiting for the creatures to come to life. She focused hard on the lion, the bird, the lamb, and the unicorn. But moments passed and nothing happened.
"It's not working." She said
"Try again, but this time I believe you need a little help," her mum offered. Ellie turned wondering what she meant and saw her mum reaching deep into folds of her kitchenware uniform. She brought out a small knife but Ellie didn't recognize it. It looked like a small cake knife they had used on her last birthday, but the handle was shaped like a curling tail. The kind of knife you see in movies of fantasy.
"What are we going to do with that?" Ellie asked.
"Sometimes Ellie..." Her mum said holding up the knife to her own face, "..sometimes you'd have to force your way through things, the outcome is what matters dear, use this." She stretched out her hand to give Ellie the knife. Ellie was confused but took it anyway, but her mother had so much explaining to do after this.
Ellie turned back to the painting to try again, then she realized she had no idea of what to do with the knife, but the obvious answer was preposterous, she couldn't imagine doing it.
"What am I supposed to do now?" Ellie asked
"Cut"
Ellie turned back immediately
"What?"
"Cut a hole in the painting."
"What??" Ellie said, confused. Why would she hurt this painting she loved?
"Ellie, I know, but sometimes that's how your gifts work, or how life works, sometimes you have to force your way through when you're on your own."
"Force my way through? on my own?"
"Cut the painting, trust me, you'd see."
Ellie turned back to the painting after giving her mother a weird look. She stared at the painting and it was beautiful, though the darker room made it look bleak. Ellie didn't want to destroy it remembering the feeling it had given her the first time she saw it. The feeling of happy memories. Looking at it now she felt she must have had a connection to the painting.
"Ellie, there's no time, he's coming back. I can hear him coming back!!" her mum said.
Ellie turned and sure enough her mum was facing the door. Ellie wondered why and listened. Then she heard it. Footsteps approaching.
"Do it now Ellie! Trust your mother. I wouldn't lead you astray!"
Ellie spurred into action. She stabbed at the painting with the might she could and began to cut through. She cut a small round hole in it while concentrating on it to see if it would begin to move. Ellie noticed something as she cut the hole. Behind the hole was dark, but not because of the room. It looked like it had turned into a real hole.
"Yes Ellie, focus on the hole." Her mum said, and she did, but Ellie didn't get it. The difference in her mother's voice, the strange eagerness to see what would happen next, but the tense situation and the approaching steps didn't let her think twice about it.
"Yes, yes Ellie, you are doing it. All on your own." Her mum's voice sounded deeper now.
Ellie was about to ask, doing what? when something protruded from the hole. A purple hand. Startled, she tried to get back. But before she could, it launched at her face and she screamed.
.....................
Ellie screamed with her eyes shut and suddenly sensed she was somewhere different. She opened her eyes and realized she couldn't see anything. It was total darkness. She almost thought she was blind but could tell the darkness was lesser every time she closed her eyes.
"Mum?" She called, her heart racing and pounding in her head again. No one answered. Ellie turned around to see if she would spot a light or anything.
"Mum?!!!" She called out again, louder, but no answer came but her voice echoed now in the darkness.
"M..Mum?!..'
"Ellie?" She heard her mother call. A wave of relief washed over her, as she turned to the direction it came from.
"Mum!!" She called seeing a flicker of light approaching, purple, and like a flame.
"Where are you Ellie, and what have you done?" Her mum's voice said.
Ellie was a confused at the statement,
"Mum..?" She said "I don't know, I did... I did what you asked me to." Ellie said, "Mum, is that you?"
"Yes." Her Mum's voice said, "worry not."
The light was approaching her from a distance. It looked like a fiery kind of light with purple flames in it. Ellie could see the shape of someone walking in it which was strange. She thought it had been a lamp being held in the darkness, but it was actually someone surrounded by floating fire. Getting closer she saw her mum's face, and smiled in relief, but wondered where the light around her came from.
"Mum?"
"Ellie."
Ellie froze, what just came out of her mum's mouth was her name, but that wasn't her mum's voice, it was strange and different.
"Mum?" She said, soon she found herself unable to move, something was wrong. She was held in place. She looked down and felt a fat fleshy rope tie her from chest to foot. She couldn't budge. She gasped in fear, but she could hardly breathe. It tightened.
Her mum was several steps away, now she saw her face clearly. It had a disfigured smile like she was insane. She had never seen her mother give an evil grin before.
"Mum?"
"Yes." The voice said with a little hiss to it like a serpent.
"You're..." horror building in Ellie's eyes. "You're not my mum" Ellie said, feeling the thing that held her tightened as she began to wallow in fear. she stared in horror as the horrible replacement of her mum illuminated the space between them stopping just meters away, still looking deranged.
"Of course I am." The figure said, then it turned as if to walk around her. "Everyone who runs from Him automatically runs to me, they are my children. It has been so for as long as the world's existence. It paused to look at her again. "Did you not know this?"
"Wha..wha, what are you? Where's my mum?!" Ellie said unable to keep her voice from breaking as she spoke loud. Tears were already forming in her eyes, she couldn't understand what was all this.
"Oh don't worry about her, let's talk about you." It said edging closer to her. its face inches from hers. "Let's talk about how you thought you could do everything all on your own. How you've always thought you did everything on your own, you see, you and I...we are so alike."
"Where's El..."
"Don't ever mention that Name here!!!!" It bellowed in fury and stepped back quickly. Ellie closed her eyes as she saw it morph from her mother's face briefly for a moment when it screamed to something else, like a snake but still trying to maintain her mum's features with a wider mouth. When she opened her eyes her mother's face was still there.
"Don't you ever mention his name. He has no power here. We have fought over you since you were born but finally I have brought you here." It said, Ellie wondered what it all meant, but her fear was her concern, was she trapped with this thing forever? She couldn't remember much but she was sure she woke up today not expecting whatever this was.
"You...you deceived me to go through the painting on my own, to cut it up." Ellie said. She was trying to make sense of things still, but managed her fear and spoke up. The creature smiled and came close to place its hand on her face. Its touch was unpleasantly hot. Ellie could only scream in pain. The tears were starting to flow now.
"Yes, and you believed me, didn't you." It said backing away and turning. It waited a moment before talking again. "I'm done with you." It said moving away "I am not some kind of villain who would go on and on, and explain everything to you. My main purpose is bringing people here." It turned sideways to face her.
"But I have something better in mind for you."
To Ellie's horror It began to morph again and halfway through it Ellie had an idea what it was. She had seen it before.
It grew bigger in size and length, and she saw even the fleshy rope that strung her was attached to it. Ellie watched in terror as the part that held her grew in size too, coiling around her and lifting her off the ground. Looking up she could see the huge fiery mouthed serpent she had seen today. The one El spoke of. Astan.
"You see Ellie." Astan's voice more sinister in its true form, and deep. Like how you'd expect if a dragon talked. "You're not just staying with me forever. You see, you and I, we are alike." Ellie couldn't believe the terrifying sight before her. She had seen a lot of horror today but this seemed by far the worst, towering over her was a huge serpent that almost blended with the darkness if not for its malicious wide fiery purple eyes and fiery mouth. She was sure it could breathe fire and it did. "You're staying in me forever, it's hot and spicy inside.
"No, no!!!, I want my mum!!!" Ellie said crying and trying to struggle but it was futile, she was held in place
It laughed more loudly that the place shook. Ellie was shaking visibly now even though she was stuck in place. She watched as the serpent turned its gaze back at her after it was done laughing its head off. She saw it in his eyes and knew this was the end. He was going to devour her here and now. She didn't know why but something told her she was going to feel every bit of it, forever. And just when it rose its head to strike her down, Ellie remembered His name.
"Elllll, save me!"
The serpent struck fast. She closed her eyes. The last thing she saw was the approaching fiery gape of the serpent's mouth. She expected to be in pain. She tightened her eyes, not still willing to see her end. But there was a flash of light and another scream, she screamed along too in fear though she didn't feel any pain. She opened her eyes to see what had happened and saw the serpent's head going down. She tightened her eyes the more wondering what was going on, then she heard a huge thud as its head hit the ground and there was silence. Ellie felt the grip of the serpent's tail loosen. She opened her eyes, seeing herself slip to a fall. But then something caught her, she didn't know what, but it illuminated the place. For the first time she could see the full features of the snake as it laid on the ground. She felt a warmth on her shoulder, but this time it was pleasant. She tried to turn her head to see what had saved her but all she saw was a very bright being of light, it grew bright and before she knew it she was back at the room of pictures, paintings and portraits, and standing holding her shoulder smiling at her was El.
Ellie was sweating pin balls. She was terrified still but felt an overwhelming sense of Peace when she saw him.
"I think Peace be still is in order." He said
Ellie didn't know when she did it, but she dived at his waist to hug him, and in a low voice began sobbing hard with tears and she said.
"Where were you El?!"
El pulled her away gently. His face showed concern for her.
"I was there with you all along." He said, but Ellie looked at him horrified, she didn't understand.
"I needed you to see what he had become, and anyone who runs from me belongs to him." He added, not helping her confusion. He smiled again "A confusing day it must be for you, but a good day too." He said
"What?"
"I know I know, I should properly introduce myself shouldn't I, but the thing is, everyone knows me, in some way or another, and even now in your mind you are seeing the answer." El stood up straight, his face more serious now.
"Ellie, I am who I am, I help everyone who is willing to enter into the sea of life and choose me, who am I?"
"I..." Ellie knew the answer now. It had to be, "Your name is Elsker."
"Good, and what am I?"
She paused, it would mean admitting she...no, that all humanity couldn't do it on their own, but she had seen the darkness, she knew what Astan had become.
"You are Love." She answered. El smiled.
Ellie gasped for breath as she awoke. She was in the same room, but with a huge difference. She sat up. It was late, the moon was up and she could clearly see there were no pictures or paintings on the wall. Ellie had the feeling she had been sleeping for hours, what a bizarre dream she thought, but Ellie still felt strangely a warm touch on her shoulder.
"El?"
She stood up trying to recall how she got there, and then out of the corner of her eye, she took notice of the stickers on the wall. She remembered what the room was for now, she had always known but just like in the dream it was her first time being there. Ellie walked over to the sticker before her, pink in color, then she read the prayer on it written by her father.
"Make Ellie like the unicorn, Let my daughter be safe in your arms like a fatherly lion, let her learn from you as a gentle lamb, and have peace in you as a flying dove. If there is a God, I know it will be Love, because Love guides me to give my daughter the intelligence she needs to succeed, I pray you hear my prayer."
Her arms dropped knowing exactly what this room was used for. Ellie never once believed in prayer neither was her family religious, but it seemed her father's desperate love and concern had called something towards her, something ancient. So desperate he prayed for her. She touched the sticker. Her dullness had taken a toll on her back then she remembered, for a child who shouldn't care. Ellie didn't claim to know the mystery of this world, but she was intelligent to know this....she had always been helped.
"El is love and Astan is hate," She concluded. Another mystery for the world to figure out. Ellie wiped her eyes of the subtle tears that came and looked around. There were more stickers, more prayers. She spotted one for a friend of her father's going through a breakup; her father described it as a storm, she knew what this was. The man in the boat. Love was there too to help. Her father though rich had the time to do all this, even for others. She had forgotten the hours he spent tutoring her himself when he was not at work, making sure she made her papers, that was love. Ellie walked out of the room. Now she knew Love is God. She was never again so snobby or proud. Rather she was proud to know Love.