The Tail of a Wolff (UNDER MAJOR EDITING)

32. a millionaire's garage

When I was younger, I had Nyctophobia. I would always sleep with my nightlight on, always.

One day, there was a power outage in our area back in San Diego, I don't remember exactly what but it had something to do with stolen equipment.

I was 7 the first time my night light never switched on. I had a tree outside my window which had a shadow that looked as if a person who was reaching for me. I always thought of demons or monsters when I saw the shadow.

16 YEARS AGO

I wake up, startled from my nightmare once again.

Daddy didn't come home in the dream and Momma was always crying. We had to live off of Momma's work money, but wasn't enough.

Tallis and I would be playing our toy games while our mom was cooking in the kitchen. The door bell would ring, but Momma couldn't hear it. The radio's volume was at its highest and the sizzling ingredients in the pans made it impossible for her to hear it.

Tallis would continue to play with his toys so I would get up, wiping of the imaginary dust on my tights. Flashing blue and red lights would appear through the curtains as I walked closer to the door. I would furrow my eyebrows at the police cars.

Two police men were at the door when I opened it. They would greet, smile and acknowledge, but always asking where my mom is. Eventually, mom noticed the commotion and came to the door.

I would sneak my head around the curtain of the window to see 2 police cruisers parked out front with the alarm siren disabled, but the same cannot be said for the colours. The neighbours would come out to see what all the fuss was about, one by one.

When I looked back at Momma, she was silently crying until she broke into a heartwrenching scream. I would run up to her as she fell to her knees.

"Momma! What's wrong?" But she wouldn't answer me. So I would look up at the police officers who looked at me with pity "What did you do?"

The man closest to me would kneel down and say "I'm sorry sweetie, I'm sure your dad loved you very much" but it wasn't his place to tell me, it should've came from Mom so I look at her. Everything clicks when she continues to cry, holding the necklace daddy gave her.

I was a smart kid, whereas Tallis took a while to figure it out. I couldn't let him live with any regrets so I'd tell him myself. Each and every time. He would blame me, scream at me, saying it was my fault.

My mom would look up and agree with him.

The cops would look down and agree with my brother and my mom.

At the end, they'd all repeat one phrase.

"It was all your fault"

I never slept peacefully after the first time I had that nightmare. Once it became frequent, I never slept at all or sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and lay awake until sleep overcame me. When I'd wake up, I'd always be comforted with the presence of light.

When the power lines went out, it was when all that changed. I woke up to find my room dark. I was so scared that I began to hyperventilate. I wanted to shout out to my mom and my brother to help me, but I was afraid that a monster would reach its claws out and silence me.