"Mom!" Astrid screamed desperately, clinging to her mother's still form. "No! This isn't happening! Come back to me!" Hot tears rolled down her cheeks and she gasped for breath. "Mom, please! Don't leave me!"
Astrid shook her mother's body, but she did not wake. She was gone. Gone from the world forever.
"This isn't real!" her throat burned at the intensity of her wild screams. "Mother!! Wake up!!!"
Suddenly strong arms were around her. It was father, pulling her, yanking her away from the bedside.
"No! Let me go! She's not gone! She's not gone yet!!"
She struggled and panted and pulled, frantically trying to get away, but she simply wasn't strong enough. Every second she was being pulled farther and farther away. She couldn't handle it.
"Mother!!" She called.
"Astrid!"
The sudden shaking sensation startled her, but Astrid still continued to call out for her. "Mom!"
"Astrid, ASTRID! Wake up!"
Astrid exploded upright, half screaming half heaving for air. She didn't know where she was or who was next to her, but the person's voice was very familiar.
"Astrid look at me!" The voice said quickly. She felt two hands come up to her cheeks.
Who is this?! Astrid screamed in her mind. Why can't I see?! I can't see!
"You're okay, M'lady, you're okay! I'm right here,"
"I can't see, I can't see!"
"Astrid open your eyes," the voice said, quieter this time, but laced with worry.
Oh..
Astrid did open her eyes and her whole body flushed with relief at the face in front of her. "Hiccup?"
"I'm right here," he looked so scared that he might throw up. "You're okay, Astrid. It was just a dream."
She felt his left hand tuck her hair behind her ears and caress the side of her head.
"I-I was in my old house, back-back on Berk." Astrid's shaky voice made Hiccup even more worried. As she continued she eventually burst out crying. "My mom... my mom died. I was screaming for her to wake up but she just wouldn't! And then my dad started pulling me away and no matter what I did I couldn't break free! I couldn't get to her, Hiccup!"
"Come here," Hiccup pulled her into him, squeezing her tightly as she sobbed onto his shoulder.
"I was so scared," she gasped for air.
"I know," he whispered. "But it was just a dream. She's ok. You're ok."
"It seemed so real. I swear it was like it had actually happened.."
Hiccup let go of her and sat back but Astrid only clung to him tighter and whispered "Please don't." He wrapped his arms around her again and rubbed soothing circles on her back.
*****
Astrid eventually drifted back to sleep in Hiccup's arms, so he gently laid her back down and covered her up. Then he drifted back to sleep himself.
***
The basement was pitch black; she was as blind as if her eyes had been gouged. Her body washed cold. She brought her fingers to her eye sockets; they were still there. She turned back to the stairs and tried to run up, but her foot fell through each one like it was a mere projection. So how had she walked down them? She leant forwards to touch the stair and felt a fabric fall down her arm, soft and velvety. Cold metal touched her forehead, one grope told her it was a pointed hat, like a fairy tale crown. She grabbed it and a mirror appeared in front of her, glowing like a television screen. It was her, broken face and all, dressed like some picture book queen. She swallowed. "The girl must die," isn't that what the ghost said? Without sight of any knife in the mirror the image began to bleed from the neck. She raised her hand to feel the sticky warm fluid about her throat. She screamed; the image laughed and started hissing her name in a cold, cruel, disgusting voice. "Asssstrid..."
She started convulsing.
"Assstrid!"
She fell to her side, unable to control her body's flailing and jerking.
"Astrid!"
"What do you want from me?!" She screamed as she felt the blood begin pour from her nose and eyes.
**
"Wake up." Hiccup shook the trembling and moaning Astrid. Just as he said this she exploded upright again.
"Hiccup!" Astrid wheezed as if she couldn't breathe at all. She instantly threw herself into Hiccup's arms and clung to him tightly, trembling and gasping for breath.
"I'm here," she felt Hiccup's soft, warm hands wrap around her and instantly felt a little safer. "You're safe, m'lady. I've got you.."
She gripped one of his arms like a little girl would a teddy bear, desperately needing all the comfort she could get. It had seemed so real... the blood.. the image in the mirror... all of it.
"Hiccup?"
"What?"
"Please don't let go again. Never let go."
He squeezed her tighter and kissed her neck. "I'm not goin' anywhere. I'm right here with you, Astrid. Always."
"Why does this keep happening to me?" She whimpered.
"Shh. Just try not to think about it. Everything's gonna be ok."
