The Stake of Us

Ch 1: The Cabin

Her tiny body trembles in the dark, and her small hand dwarfed her father's hand. He stands outside her closet "Stay in there, baby. Don't come out no matter what you hear, ok?" His eyes are wild as he tries to calm his daughter. He looks over his shoulder, a tiny droplet of sweat forms on his forehead, his complex is paler than usual; his honey-beige skin tone now lacks luster drain of his beautiful complex and leaving a pale ashen man with fear in his eyes.

Susy feels it more than hears it, a low guttural growl vibrates from somewhere outside her bedroom from within the house; her eyes dart to the doorway curious at what could make such noise.

Tighten of her father's grip on her tiny shoulders bring her back to look at him, but his grip wasn't hard, she could feel the tremble of his fingers and cold, they feel so cold. Her father is a strong man, his hugs are always warm and firm. He always holds her and her mother with such care, and every day she would look forward to him coming home from work.

His warm hugs are the best.

"I love you, Suzy. Be good and stay. Let's play hide and seek, we're playing hide and seek with mommy." Her father almost chokes out struggling to hold himself together.

"Daddy going to find a different hiding spot, don't come out until I come for you, ok? We're hiding from mommy.... if you see mommy, you run, ok? Don't let her catch you." Her father continues

Susy nods, her father kisses her forehead before getting up and slowly begins closing the closet's door. Susy quickly rushes to her dad and touches his hand "Daddy, let's hide in here together. Mommy won't find us."

Her father pauses before looking down at her with a sad smile on his face, he shakes his head "Wouldn't be a good idea, she'll find both of us." He spoke

Little Suzy nods.

Watching his little girl, he looks like he wants to say something more.

She walks back to the back of the closet and hide her little body in the piles of clothes and toys her parent had bought for all her 8th birthdays.

Suzy was lying in bed with her stuff toy bunny when her father rushes into her room and tell her to get in her closet.

Now only a thin stream of light from her bedroom cast into the closet before her father closes it completely leaving her in complete darkness.

Her bedroom door open then closes. She hears the quicken footsteps of her father's pacing away quickly.

Then silent.

Little Suzy waits for what felt like an eternity. Darkness scares her, she looks around she forgot her stuff bunny on her bed when her father moves her into this closet in a hurry. If she has the bunny with her maybe she'll be less scared, she thought to herself.

She wants to be a good girl and do as her dad said, but if she could just grab her bunny and make her way back in the closet, he wouldn't know and he wouldn't be mad at her.

Little Suzy slowly gets up from her spot. She creeps her way toward the door, she slowly opens it, quietness greets her.

She looks at her bed longingly, her bunny lay face down. She slowly opens the door wider, one tiny footstep out the door. Her eyes glance at her closed bedroom door.

Nothing.

She cautiously creeps her way toward her bed.

With a smile on her face, she reaches her bunny and that's when she hears it. Loud thudding crash coming from outside her bedroom.

She clenches her bunny closer against her chest.

The crash comes again this time occupies with her mother's scream.