Little Miss Maisy

Chapter three: My light and stars

Rewritten | Four

As the first week went on, Maisy became more and more adjusted. She was getting used to being around her siblings, the apartment, and the new lifestyle.

Or so they had thought.

Night eight was when all that seemed to change.

Maisy woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of her own scream, terrified of the strangely vivid nightmare that lingered in her mind. Teddy may be by her side, but Maisy was so disoriented that he wasn't helping much.

The pitch-black wasn't helping much either.

"Maisy?!" Beau came rushing to her side after he flipped the light on, terrified something had happened to her. He cupped her cheek in his hand, trying to get a response. "Are you alright?"

Yet, the only response he received was a loud string of sobs, just as intense as before as she sat up.

Beau made soothing shushing noises as he protectively scooped her up into his arms, his anxiety heightening. But bringing her into his little force field didn't help either.

"What's going on?" Cassidy rushed into the room as she tied a robe around herself, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the light. She too was woken up by the alarming sobs echoing throughout their apartment.

"I don't know!" Beau desperately bounced her in his arms, trying his best to soothe her. But the cries wouldn't slow, it was like they weren't even there. "Maisy, what happened?"

Cassidy frowned and tried to think of something to do. Examining the little girl, she noticed her flushed cheeks through her ear-splitting cries. "Does she have a fever?"

Beau continued to bounce as he felt her forehead to check, but shook his head when it felt no warmer than usual.

"M-MOMMA-A!" She cried, the sob ripping through her throat. Her cheeks were stained with the tears that continued to stream down her face, breaking her siblings hearts.

Then they went quiet. That's why she was crying. She missed her momma.

"Shhh, Maisy it's okay!" Beau stroked her hair and tried his best to comfort her, even though he knew there wasn't much he could do. "I've gotcha,"

Miles came in, rubbing his eyes as they adjusted to the light. "What're you guys doing in here?"

Cassidy made a face at him, irritated at his words. "We thought it would be fun to wake her up and make her cry, Miles. What do you think we're doing?"

"Go get a bottle of water." Beau directed Miles, keeping his attention purely on Maisy. He obeyed, sleepily stumbling out of the room.

"M-Momma-a!" Maisy sputtered out, clutching handfuls of Beau's shirt in her little fists as she called for her mother.

Beau sat on the bed, patting her back and staring down at her. "I know baby, it's okay."

Cassidy watched from near the door, her heart breaking a little. The sight made her eyes want to well up with tears, but all she could do was fidget with her necklace as she stared–Refusing to cry.

Maisy continued to bawl her eyes out into Beau's chest, still utterly terrified. She was beginning to recognize her surroundings at least, but she couldn't get the scary images of the bad dream out of her memory.

Beau even tried to hand her Teddy to make her feel better, but she only held on to him while continuing to wail.

"Here," Miles appeared back in the doorway with the water, looking more awake than earlier.