Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Dreams really do come true

The case of Lucy and John Spencer was known by many.

In years, it would become a case study of the failings of safeguarding protocols and procedures for new teachers and social workers to learn from, and for numerous students to write essays about. In months, it would be the cause of a brief resurgence in awareness of abuse and what could be hidden in plain sight. But, for the first week or so after the news hit, it was gossip. Newspapers revelled in spreading the delightfully exciting and gory details for the world to see.

'SOCIAL SERVICES MASSIVE MISTAKE!' Read one.

'MISSING BABY AND COMATOSE GIRL. WHO'S FAULT IS IT?' Read another.

If someone were to read further into the articles, perhaps they would be interested in the fact that the father was sent to prison, where he had to be placed in isolation to protect him from the other inmates. No one likes a child murderer. Maybe they would also be interested that, while she was never allowed to see her daughter again, Mrs Spencer fought tooth and nail to keep her daughter on life support.

But perhaps they would not be interested in any of that. Instead, they may look to a small, pink-walled ward, filled with beds and the occasional nurse. There are faded paintings on the walls that no one ever looks at, and wilting flowers, that no one ever smells, placed haphazardly by every bed. All but for one.

Soft, steady breaths whisper out and a heart monitor quietly hums, unheard by the resident of that bed. A doctor walks up to it, followed by one of the nurses.

"The poor girl," murmurs the nurse.

"There was nothing in the scan, no sign of any brainwaves. Wherever she is, it's not here," the doctor sighs, rubbing her brow tiredly. They both stand there for a moment, simply watching the heart monitor slowly count out the beat of a weary heart.

Soon the doctor will walk away and put the girl from her mind to focus on her other patients. Soon the nurse will go on his break and happily chat and gossip with his co-workers. Soon the girl will be forgotten by those people, only ever visited by distant medical staff who had never seen her awake.

But to those who saw her with eyes wide open, even as she slept, who smiled at her and welcomed her as a friend, they won't forget her. They won'tbe able to.

There once was a girl who believed in fairies and dreamed of goblins.

In a world that is not quite a world, a child screams with chortling delight, scurrying through the thick press of a hedge wall, easily stepping through the small spaces and slipping into a green hallway of mirrors. He is quick, but not quick enough as furry hands gently sweep him up and bring him into a soft embrace. He laughs anew as he is plucked from this hug and spun upside down to see a grey, sharp toothed smile.

There once was a girl who played with dolls but never played pretend.

Another member of the group sighs and grumbles while the another praises the child's quick and daring movements. Together, the five of them make their way to one of the mirrors. Snorting, giggling and rumbling with amusement. From within a mirror comes a silent smile as a slender hand beckons the group to a hidden room.

There once was a girl who made a wish to save her brother-

In a land within a dream, two siblings sit in a cave of glass lights, the taller crooning out a soft song as the other leans back in her arms. They sit together, surrounded by their friends, watched over by a little white owl, smiling up at the stars they made together.

-and ended up saving herself.

Authors Note:

Thanks, from the bottom of my heart, for reading all the way to the end of this story. I hope you all have enjoyed this as much as I have. I'm a little sad to finish it to be honest. I've been working on it for so long before I started publishing it.

Thank you again to Sazzle76 who was fantastic in all of her help, and thanks to everyone who gave me kudos, comments and the will to keep going. You all make me smile so much and I can only hope I did the same in return for you xxx