Together Forever

Chapter 12: Baby Don't You Cry No More

Frida awoke in her cold, empty bed with stiff muscles. Rain was pounding the ceiling, the crashes making her panic. Frida detested thunder and lightning. Taking a moment to re-adjust, she rolled onto her side to glance at the steadily ticking clock. 2:47; The perfect time to spontaneously arise from the dead. Frida needed the bathroom anyway so she gave a long bodily stretch and hobbled to the door.

Creeping across the landing, Frida sniggered as she heard Benny's rumbling snores. Still the same.

She turned on the bathroom light, which seemed to flicker ominously for a few moments before using its full power. Frida blinked in surprise, but quickly slammed the door shut.

After washing her hands, she stepped out the bathroom and tiptoed around, freezing as she heard a noise downstairs. "Wh-who's there?" Her voice trembled. Frida heard a squeak and then silence. Breath quickening, she considered calling for Benny but decided against it; he probably didn't want her in his room anyway.

Running down the stairs, with her heart pounding in her ears, she burst into the kitchen. Grabbing a knife, Frida held it out in front of her chest, though her hands threatened to drop it from how much they shook. "Show yourself, coward!" Frida said as loudly as she could manage.

A small body stood paralysed in the middle of the room, eyes wide. Then, he let out a deafening shriek, backing away.
Flicking on the light with her spare hand she saw Ludvig clutching a glass cup, but within seconds it had slipped through his fingers. All Frida heard was a smash before she made a beeline for the boy, snatching him out of harms way.
"Get away from me, psychopath!" He screamed, shoving her away from him.
"What?" Frida just managed to avoid the shattered glass.
"You- you're going to stab me!" Ludvig looked at her with terror in his eyes. "DADDY." He shouted once more.
"I wasn't going to stab you. Are you hurt?" She noticed Ludvig's tear-streaked face.
He shook his head.
"Good. Why were you down here anyway? It's well past your bedtime." Frida looked at him accusingly, but picked Ludvig up for a cuddle all the same.
"I just wanted a glass of water, Fri-Fri." The boy said meekly, but his lip quivered and soon he was bawling yet again.

"Did I scare you sweetheart?" Frida asked guiltily.
"Yes." Was all he could manage, but even that was hard to distinguish from the incessant wailing.
"I'm sorry." She hoisted him higher up her hip so that he wasn't at risk of hurting himself. "Why did you get water yourself? It would've been safer to ask your dad."
"Daddy was asleep." Ludvig sniffed softly as Frida rocked him.
"Do you need someone tissues?" Frida noticed that the shoulder of her pyjama top was particularly wet. Why am I in my pyjamas? I wasn't in them before. Maybe Benny thought to change me into something more comfortable?

Frida ran to grab some tissues from next door and began gently drying his cheeks. "There, there Ludvig, you're safe with me." He clung to her tighter. "You could've really hurt yourself darling. Promise me next time you'll wake me up?" Frida forced him to look at her.
"Yes Frida. Did I hurt you?" He stroked her face with his tiny hands, curiously peering down at the glass-covered floor.
"No, don't worry. I was more concerned about you anyway Ludvig! Are you sure you're alright?" She quickly checked him over before determining that the little was fine. A little shaken up, but fine.

"Why did you get a glass sweetie? You're not big enough to carry them yet." Frida sat him down on a chair and looked for the dustpan and brush, careful to avoid the shards if she could help it.
"Well..." Ludvig began to tell the tale of his extraordinary adventure, making a point to add large pauses for dramatic effect. "I hate thunderstorms and I just wanted to get to sleep so I thought if I had a glass of water it might help. I went to go ask daddy, but he kept making the funny-nose noise that old people make when they sleep, you know, the one that sounds like a big helicopter," Ludvig stopped for a moment to imitate said noise very loudly. "And I jumped on his head loads but even that didn't work, so I went into your room but you looked really happy and peaceful when you were sleeping so I didn't want to wake you-" He said in one breath.
"Remember to breathe, darling." Frida laughed.
"Oh yeah!" Ludvig said happily, taking a moment to listen to the silence before carrying on. "So I came down here and I got a big chair and pushed it against the side-counter-thingy so I could reach the cabinets, and I grabbed a glass to get some water." He pouted.