Demons in my Dreams

Chapter Three

Emily sat alone at the kitchen table completely unaware that the clock had already struck midnight about fifteen minutes earlier. She rested her head between her palms contemplating the past week's events. Emily tried her hardest to make sense of so many things although her brain seemed to stay in a constant fog. Thousands of thoughts raced through her mind at once leaving her a train wreck the majority of her days. For Emily, it almost seemed as if she was stuck living in some kind of movie she'd seen over and over again but just couldn't escape. The movie title she decided would be "The Boogie Man" starring Emily Hart. "Why can't I let this go?" She whispers into the night even though she knew no-one would reply. Emily stood up quietly shaking her head in disbelief but scurrying off to bed.

Once Emily hit the bed her eyes couldn't resist closing for one more second, she knew there was a chance "he" would come for her tonight but her mind had to succumb to sleep. Emily tried the whole "sleep with one eye open" myth yet her worn brain needed to rejuvenate. Slowly drifting by the second Emily felt herself continually jetting up like she was falling under some sort of spell instead of drifting into dreamland. The night drug on as Emily tossed and turned inside Of her sheets waking probably every hour on the hour. "Please don't let him get me", she prays inside her mind. " I need to sleep!" She's still pleading with her overactive thoughts. None the less Emily couldn't shake this dreadful feeling leaving her restless all night long.

Six O'clock in the morning and her alarm sounds to get the kids ready for school. Emily smacks it swearing at the alarm, dresser, and anything else in her line of sight as she rolls over. "No sleep again last night, great!" She murmurs. Although Emily did feel extremely lucky to have escaped him yet another night. Emily scrambled to her feet tossing on a robe hurrying down the hall to the kitchen. She's shouting out as she passes through the hall "Dakota! Damian! Lucas! Get up for school!" Dakota was of course the first to arrive for breakfast looking at her mother sheepishly. Dakota and the boys were never really sure what type of mood Emily would be in from each day to the next. "Mama, is everything alright?" Dakota mumbles as quietly as she can. "Yep!" Emily shoots back. "Now just finish your breakfast, Dakota." "Dakota go make sure your brothers are up please." Emily sneers screaming down the hall to Lucas and Damian. "Come on children I have to get to the bakery!" Emily shouts from behind her.

Once Emily drops the kids off at school she takes a second to steady her racing thoughts, heading towards Sinful Sweets by Emily, A small bakery just outside of the city she'd started years ago when Damian was only two years old. It wasn't five-star dining although she did well with regular customers returning every day for pleasant conversation and even better morning pastries. The radio sang low in the background yet Emily couldn't hear a thing as she let her mind wander again and again. "What am I doing?" She shakes her head violently. "Focus on the road!" She scolds herself. Although no matter how hard she tries to fight it Emily's mind drifts back to another time in her life.

"Get up Emily! Get your fat ass up!" He's shouting at her from beside the bed. "I've told your lazy fat ass a thousand times this is why you'll never be a good mother, you need too much sleep!" Emily can hear him shouting down to her. "You have to get up for work bitch!" He snarls in a growl. Emily could feel the panic inside herself as if it were twenty years ago and she was going to be late for her waitressing job at the diner uptown she worked at. Emily tries to steady her thoughts but even still her entire body was trembling from the violent memory that just popped up inside her mind.

Emily finally reaches the parking lot of the bakery, she decides to take a second to ready herself for today's events. Emily knew since today was Wednesday and on the menu was a special on scones her good friends Dale and Bonnie that she had met about five years earlier would be in as early as she was. Bud another gentleman that came in for the company would be a long shortly after, Emily was sure of it. Emily knew in the state she was in it would be impossible to give her undivided attention to her guests let alone be much of a conversation for her long-time friends. "Get it together Emily!" She scowls.

After a few moments, Emily finally has enough courage to walk into the bakery, just as she'd suspected there sit Dale and Bonnie waiting on her bright smiling face. Emily put on her best fake smile walking to her customers, greeting them with a nice warm hug. "How are you guys?" She asked them in a friendly tone. "We are fine dear, how are things going with you and that wonderful handsome gentleman you were telling us about last week?" Bonnie smirked out. Emily giggled and shot Bonnie a huge ear-to-ear grin. "Well, I wouldn't be much of a lady if I kissed and told, now would I Bonnie?" Emily sings back at her making Bonnie grin from ear to ear as well. "He better be treating you right." Dale teased placing his hand on Emily's shoulder. "Don't worry Dale, he's been nothing but a perfect gentleman so far." Emily laughed.

Behind the counter Emily's one of two employees stood filling salt shakers and smirking up at Emily. Debbie and Sheila weren't only just employees of Emily's they were also her lifelong best friends. She'd met Sheila in junior high and a couple of years later towards the end of high school Debbie and she started becoming very close. Now the three of them known as "the trio of trouble" were inseparable all these years later. They did almost everything together. Debbie also had a daughter Lucas age and a son Damian age who of course were Emily's children's best friends. Sheila only had one daughter a year older than Dakota but the two of them were closer than Sheila and Emily. For the kids growing up together has provided them all the luxury of lifelong friendship.

"Sooooo..." Debbie draws out the word from her round, piggie mouth. "How are things going with Mr. Tall, dark, and handsome? Come on spill!" Debbie teased. "I dunno, he's probably starting to think I'm nuts," Emily whines out. Not only do I have three high school-age children, but I am also a basket case 100% of the time." "Would you keep dating me?" Emily chokes out. "Omg Emily! There is nothing wrong with you!" "Some of us do have slightly more baggage than others!" Debbie sneers in a joking manner.