"No- No please... MISCHA! MISCHA!" Hannibal's screams ripped you from your sleep as the young man writhed amidst his nightly terrors. Every night since Grutas' group of starving Lithuanian men, volunteering for the German SS force to join them if they ratted out enough of their own, had killed his little sister Mischa, he had nightmares.

He saw Mischa's face when she so desperately tried to struggle against them as they dragged her out of the lodge to slaughter and cook her like she was a pig. He remembered Grutas with blood and feathers smeared on his mouth from eating a frozen, dead bird. Desperate as they were, they didn't feel remorse, or hesitation, or guilt, not even when they bashed Hannibal over the head for trying to save his sister.

You ran to his room, fearing he might bite his own tongue off whilst screaming or worse. As you slammed the door open you saw the young man there, laying in his bed, tearing the sheets with a tight grip on them. His muscles were tensed to the limit, looking like they might rip if he tensed a little more. He had bitten the pillow apart in his distress, his teeth grinding together like the teeth of the men when they bared theirs like wolves at Mischa in hunger. He was drenched in sweat, tears running down the sharp features of his face.

The Lithuanian had been mute since the night he escaped as an eight year old boy from the lodge, silent throughout his time at the boys orphanage that was once his home: castle Lecter. He would only scream at night or beat up the bullies, kids much bigger than him, whilst he shared the rare sweet treats he'd get with the smaller kids, even when they assumed he was deaf too and would call him insane in his presence.

He hadn't spoken to you since his arrival at your late Husband's Château, your late husband happened to be his uncle by blood and now the boy was in your care, seeing as you bonded over your loss. He hadn't spoken to you either, only expressing curiosity and gratitude as you showed and taught him new things, allowing him to heal in the large house.

His screams died down as you cradled his head against your chest, his eyes opened, adjusting to the dark and looking up at your face. The face of an angel he saw as he searched for comfort. His arms didn't wrap around you, but he stayed still in yours and let his heartbeat gradually slow back to normal.