Cold sweat trickled down his back and brow as Alex sat bolt upright.

Examining his surroundings, he came to find himself upon the floor beside his bed, his blankets cocooned around him.

He struggled to free himself of the material mass and suddenly found it easier to breathe.

Pulling himself up and back onto his bed, Alex sprawled out and heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

“What a dream.” He breathed and stared up at his greying ceiling. Alex tilted his head and lifted his arm, examining the limb for any signs of previous wounding. Finding that only small bruises remained he closed his eyes and let his arm fall back to the mattress.

Upon hearing the loud thud Alex had produced, landing on the floor as he had, Missy came rushing to the rescue.

Alex had heard the footsteps rushing down the hall and his stomach dropped out before the door had flung open. Sitting up, he made to speak but found he was interrupted before the words had even left his mouth.

“Oh, Alex, baby! Are you alright, honey bun?” She cried and flung herself upon him. “Sugar! You look so flustered. Let me help you there.” Alex made an attempt to fight her off, managing only to escape by flinging himself from the opposite side of the bed.

Standing, his arms out before him as a first line of defence, he furrowed his brow and spoke.

“Look!” He cried, a little fearful. “I had a bad dream, that’s all and now I’m fine.”

“What? A bad dream? Oh sweet heart! Come here and let Missy hug you all better.” The blonde crawled across the bed toward him, her bra barely containing her heaving breasts as she bounced from the bed, almost cornering Alex. Thankfully he had managed to duck under her arm and move to the open center of the room.

“No! Stop and just listen, okay?” She stopped, a few waves of blonde hair falling about her shoulders as she sat herself back upon the bed. “Alright.” Alex calmed himself a little now that he had her attention. “I am fine. My dream was only mildly alarming, and I don’t need hugs, or kisses, or anything else you may have to offer me. I just wanna go have a shower and have some breakfast... Maybe.”

Missy’s bright blue eyes seemed to light up at this. “Oh honey! I know! I’ll go make you some nice bacon and eggs. Will that cheer you up?” She was on her feet again and bounding for the door. It was then that Alex came to realise she was wearing only her underwear; a bra with barely any cups to it and a tiny thong that only just managed to cover what it needed to.

“Oh God! No, Missy that’s fine. I can get it myself.” He averted his eyes. “You just, go and rest for a while or something. Wax your legs or your upper lip or whatever.”

“Wax my- Oh Alex you don’t think that I need that do you?” A somewhat paranoid expression dawned upon her face as she turned to Alex’s mirror, but to no avail as it was covered in pictures and writing. “Oh my! I’m sorry, hun! I’ve gotta go.” With that, the tiny Texan ran from the room.

Again Alex let out a relieved sigh and buried his face in his hands. “My God.” He groaned, walking to his door and reaching out a hand to fling it closed.

He made his way over to his cupboard and pulled out a comfortable pair of jeans and a plain grey tee-shirt. Pulling them on over his boxers, he left his room and wandered out to the kitchen.

Grabbing a glass from the broken cupboard, Alex poured himself a tall glass of orange juice and leant against the bench to drink it. It would have to do for breakfast as he was not sure he would be able to stomach solid food just yet.

Sipping his juice, Alex allowed his thoughts to wander. What came to mind was more than obvious and he found himself questioning it once more; had he been dreaming this time? He still could not manage to grasp any of it truly. The strange attack, the albino woman - Aphrodite – and his dream just now with the woman who had seemed so very familiar, yet he still failed to place her face.

He was certain that Aphrodite and her room had been a dream, and the forest? Yes, that had been a dream for sure. Had the attack truly been a dream? Looking down at his arm once more, he shook his head and spoke aloud, “No. That was no dream.”

But then, perhaps it had been. Perhaps he had gained those bruises elsewhere like in his sleep. He had awoken from a eventful dream to his hand clasped tightly around his wrist once before, there was every chance that something of the like had occurred once again. Sort of how in his dreams the walls had closed in on him and he awoke to his blankets tight around him. He had also fallen in his dream and fallen from bed.

He gently poked at one of the bruises and withdrew a fraction at the dull twinge of pain he felt.

Thinking on it more, he came to the conclusion that it certainly had to have been a dream. But it had felt so very real.

A familiar groan drew Alex from his small reverie and he lifted his head to the doorway. Sure enough, there stood Clinton, slowly trudging into the kitchen with his crotch clasped in his hands.

Alex turned away from his predictably naked father and took to staring down into his already half empty glass of orange juice. Wandering around naked was a very common occurrence in his household. He seemed to be the only one to have the decency to wear acceptable clothing

In fact, it was not only around the house that these incidents took place as Alex remembered how very often Missy would leave the house to get groceries in mini-skirts that Alex considered to be the equivalent of a belt. He always expected her to return home with a police escort at either arm, under warning for indecent exposure. To his constant surprise, it has yet to take place.

Taking another sip of his orange juice, Alex decided that he should soon exit the kitchen as he heard one of the dining chairs groan under his father’s weight as he sat and stretched.

“Oi! Get me my cereal.” Clinton grumbled. Finishing the last of his juice, Alex turned to face his father, who – it so turned out – was still naked and groping himself.

Shifting his sights to one of the free chairs scattered about the table, he found himself missing Kezza.

It was during times like these in particular when he missed having her around to hold a least a small amount of humanity.

Coming from a good background, Kezza had taught Alex to be proper, if only a little. And she would keep Clinton as civil as she could.

Kezza was the one who had influenced Alex to be the person that he was now, and hopefully the person he would become. She had left while he was only six years old, so he had strived to be the best person he could in hopes of making her proud, should she ever return. His hopes of her return died soon after his twelfth birthday.

Alex missed her, he loved her. He would find her again someday, he promised himself.

“Alex! My cereal! Now!” Alex jumped at his father’s yell. Taking a moment to return to the real world, he soon went about seeking his father’s cereal.

“Dad, we should probably get this door replaced sometime soon, don’t you think?” Cringing at his own words, Alex prepared himself for a verbal shredding. One of the many things that tweaked Clinton’s frustration was a reminder of how run-down his home had become over the years.

He looked up from the table and Alex swore he could feel his father’s eyes searing into the back of his head. Regretfully, he swallowed hard and continued to pull the enraged man’s cereal down and ducked below the bench to retrieve a large bowl.

Turning around, Alex’s heart jumped to his throat at the site of his father’s face as he walked to the fridge to collect the milk. Finished, he set them all down on the table before Clinton.

“Where’s my fucking spoon you ungrateful little prick?” Clinton bellowed. Jumping, a gasp escaping his lips, Alex quickly ran to the drawer to locate Clinton’s spoon.

Clinton’s dark eyes followed the spoon to the table before slowly following his son’s arm to his face.

“So... We need a new cupboard door, do we?” He seemed overly calm as he turned his sights from Alex and began pouring his Cheerio’s into his bowl. Alex stood silent as he watched the unfaltering expression on his father’s face as the milk splashed over the O’s and he took the spoon up in his hand.

Clinton paused for a moment, spoon in hand as he stared ahead, licking and biting his bottom lip.

Suddenly he wheeled around on Alex, the spoon clenched tight in his hand, held above his head.

“I asked you a fucking question, boy!” Retreating and bringing his arms up to shield his face, Alex yelped as he hit the cupboard. “Fucking answer me!” With Clinton towering over him, Alex dropped to the ground in the corner, curling his legs to himself and pressing himself to the cupboard doors as best he could.

“No, Dad. Please? I’m sorry. It’s fine.” He pleaded with the older male, his eyes beginning to water as he stared into his father’s enraged eyes. “I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry!”

Clinton’s expression softened just a fraction as he lowered the spoon and turned his back on Alex, who half sighed, half sobbed with relief as his father returned to the table.

Clinton took a large mouthful of Cheerio’s and glanced at Alex through the corner of his eye.

“If you don’t like my house, then you can always leave.”

Alex’s eyes widened. One threat he seldom heard was the threat of becoming homeless. Had he been any normal child he could probably have just shrugged it off, gone to his room and come back out later to a happy father once more. But in this family, his father never joked about those sorts of things. In fact, Alex could not even remember Clinton ever genuinely smiling. Even his female companions offered him nothing but hollow pleasure nowadays. Part of that was sickening to Alex’s stomach.

“I’m sorry, Dad. I really didn’t mean it.” He got no answer, no reply what so ever. That did not seem like such a good sign to him.

He left the room to the sound of his father’s sloppy eating. Clinton did not raise his head as his son sulked slowly away to his bedroom.

Closing and pressing his back to his door, Alex closed his eyes and fought back the tears. Surely Clinton had not been serious about that. He was just trying to scare Alex.

Surely... Alex thought to himself as he opened his eyes and stepped toward his bed.

Something stopped him in his tracks as he stared at his bed. The one thing he never expected to see him again sat upon his bed, her white-blonde hair falling in soft waves about her shoulders, her pastel pink lips curled into a warming smile as she stood with outstretched arms toward Alex.

“Aphrodite.” He half whispered as her ever-soft hands met his face. Her bright blue eyes stared into his with an empathetic warmth that seemed somehow reassuring and comforting.

“Oh, Alex.” She spoke, her voice like honey. “Come here, you’ll be alright.” She said softly before carefully ushering him into her arms.

Her touch was soft, gentle, warm; much like the rest of her. Alex found himself closing his eyes and resting his head on her shoulder, bringing his arms up to return the embrace. There was just something about her person that caused him to relax and to trust this stranger he thought to be merely the dream of an overimaginative teenager. “You’re safe now.” She whispered.

Alex liked that idea, to be safe. Oh how he wanted to believe it, he even tried to convince himself it were true. But living here as he did, he knew that, that could never be.

No, he would never be safe with his father, no matter who would be around to protect him. What he needed was someone to mend his father, to complete him once again. That too would never happen.

It was then that Alex withdrew from the embrace, his eyes filled with suspicion as he looked Aphrodite hard in the eyes, searching for some sign to prove his speculations incorrect. Something!

Understanding Alex’s expression all too well, she shook her head and recited what she hoped she would not have to say. “Alex, it’s alright. I’m not here to hurt you, and I’m not here by your father’s request.” His expression showed that he wanted to believe her, but he could not, no matter how he tried. Experience had taught him otherwise. “I know that there’s no way to prove it to you, but please, I promise you. All I can ask is that you believe me.”

Her hand once again came to rest upon Alex’s cheek. There was that warmth again.

His eyes filled with sorrow as he shook his head and took another step back. “I can’t. I’m sorry I just-” No longer able to fight the tears, Alex’s knees gave way and he collapsed into the corner of his room.

Throwing herself forward, Aphrodite made her best efforts to catch Alex, but only managed to fall with him, landing before him on her knees. She returned the deep expression of sorrow as she pulled him close to her chest.

“Alex... What has he done to you?” She whimpered, her eyes beginning to water. “I’m sorry I didn’t come to you sooner.” Aphrodite closed her eyes and planted a soft kiss on the top of Alex’s head, speaking into his hair. “Alex, I promise you, from now on I’m always watching over you and I’ll do my best to keep you from harm. You have my word. Please, please stay strong. We can get through this.”

Heaving deep breaths, Alex done his best to calm himself. Aphrodite’s words aided profusely as his breathing began to level itself and he allowed himself to fall freely into her. He could not remember the last time he felt so safe, the last time he felt this kind of comfort, or the last time he truly believed a promise.

Finding that Alex had calmed gratuitously, Aphrodite sat him up and lightly lifted his head to look him in the eyes. “I need you to do something for me. Do you think you can?” Alex nodded. No matter what her request would be, he would try his best to please this woman so generously offering him her aid. “Good. I need you to keep yourself out of trouble, okay? And should trouble find you then I need you to try and be strong for me. I’ll always be here for you, but sometimes I can’t come right away. So, do you think you can handle that?”

That was an easy question, of course he could. He always had.

Alex nodded and Aphrodite smiled before planting a delicate kiss upon Alex forehead. “I need to go now, but remember that should you need me, just call.”

His eyes widened at her words. He did not want her to go. In fact, he never wanted to leave her side ever again. He was happy, he was safe and he was comfortable. She was almost like his place of solace. “No.” He shook his head. “No, please.”

Aphrodite stood, but Alex clung to her arms. “Please, don’t go. Please stay.” She bit lightly at her bottom lip as her expression fell.

“Alex, I must. You said you’d be strong for me. Remember?” Kneeling down, she gave him one last hug. “You’ll be just fine.” And with that, she stood and took a step back.

Blowing Alex a kiss that seemed to take on a physical form and drift to him in glittering silver dust, she slowly disappeared into the very air itself, and Alex was left alone in his bedroom once more with only himself to keep him company.

Climbing to his feet, Alex staggered to his bed and let himself fall unhindered to the mattress, his body limp as he lay and stared at the wall.

The minutes passed and slowly Alex felt his eyes closing, before he knew it he was falling deep into sleep.

“Alex! Alex, God, are you alright? Alex? Speak to me damn it!”

He opened his eyes to a spinning room and a splitting headache.

Clutching his head, he made to sit up but quickly found that gravity was far too strong for his weak and lightheaded state and fell back to the cushiony floor. What on earth was going on here? He found that he was quite comfortable where he was - wherever that happened to be – but he could not stay there. He had to figure out just what was happening here.

Making a second attempt to rise, a little slower this time, he found that he eventually managed.

Opening his eyes bit by bit, he found that his vision slowly cleared and he was finally able to explore his surroundings

“Alex? Alex! Oh my God you scared the hell out of me.” The woman from his dreams came into vision, relief playing very heavily on her face as she pulled him into a firm embrace. Alex cringed, his back seemed overly tender for having done absolutely nothing to his knowledge.

“Oh, God I’m sorry. Are you okay?” She asked, quickly drawing back and bringing her hand to her mouth as if she had just made some kind of colossal error.

“Yes.” He replied, rubbing his back gingerly. “I’m fine. What happened?” Her bright, aquamarine eyes stared worriedly into his and the question finally reached his lips. “Who are you?”

Her jaw dropped a fraction as her face drooped.

Alex was confused, but felt that maybe he could make an attempt to stand now that his vision had completely cleared and the dizziness subsided.

Leaning forward and carefully placing his hands on either side of his body, he was able to push himself into a squatting position. Maybe he could stand without falling, but his head begged to differ. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his skull, a small reminder that his head was not ready to allow his body movement as the world began revolving without him once more.

Just as he was about to give up and lay back down, a warm hand caught him by the arm and he was helped to his feet. Once he was there it wasn’t so bad. His head was no longer excessively objecting and the room was still, as it should be.

He turned to the woman, an inquiring look in his eyes. She merely dropped and shook her head, hugging her arms to herself. “Why do things like this always happen to me...?” She began to sob. “Why did it have to be him? My Alex.”

He furrowed his brow and tilted his head. Her Alex? Who did she think that she was?

An immense crash filled the room as Alex raised his head to see the door break with such force that it splintered across the room.

Alex jumped and the woman beside him screamed as the room began to fill with a thick, black haze. Before long it was impossible to see a millimetre in front of his face.

Alex could hear her screams and suddenly found that he felt overly protective of her. As if a natural instinct had been triggered within him, he began groping through the dark in attempt to find her, but found his hands met with only air. Her screams continued to echo through the dark – Alex tried so hard to reach her.

Stepping forward, he felt something brush against his leg. Something was moving around down there and it sent icy chills up and down his spine.

A whole new need to reach her rushed through him as he dropped to his knees and continued to grope the air in search. A bright flash filled the room, followed by a loud thud. The screaming stopped.