Unknown Beginning

Part 13

Heart thudding, Riley raced to lock all the doors and windows of her childhood home. She couldn't quite see outside in the dark but saw the outline of a man coming closer to her house. "Brady?" Riley tried to call out with terror in her voice. She knew her dog was home too but couldn't find him. He had to be safe inside, right? The panic was spreading now. She couldn't seal the house fast enough. She couldn't be sure all the doors and windows were locked. She didn't have a weapon. And where was her dog? Adrenaline coursed through her as she saw the man forcing his way into her home. She couldn't find her voice to scream. Couldn't move her body to run or fight.

With a gasp Riley's mind reeled as she lay, locked with all of her muscles tensed yet unable to move. She could barely breathe. She whimpered quietly as she tried to inhale. She had experienced this before. She'd had some variation of this nightmare many times over the past several years. Somewhere in her terrorized mind she knew she'd had a nightmare and was now experiencing sleep paralysis. But she wasn't out of it yet and the fear and tension were all still very real.

"Riley?" a soft voice questioned in the dark.

Riley let out a quiet, distressed sound in response.

"Riley? Are you ok? Did you have a bad dream?" The voice asked gently.

As Riley fought to leave the nightmare behind and felt her body gradually release from the extreme rigidity despite her racing heart, she began to return to reality. "James?" She asked in a small voice.

"Yeah" Riley heard James reply, sounding closer now. "I'm right here. Are you ok?" James asked again, concerned.

"Mhmm" was all Riley could respond.

"I heard you talking in your sleep earlier but you stopped for a bit and then you were..." James trailed off, "you sounded scared or...hurt or something. Was it a nightmare?"

Fear still tainted Riley's voice as she responded "Uh huh"

"Ok well you're safe now. You're ok." James reassured. Do you want me to rub your back or something? That's what my mom used to do when I was little."

"Yes please" Riley murmured before asking worriedly "Where's Mittens?"

"What?" James asked.

"Mittens. Mittens! My elephant" came Riley's panicked response.

"Hold on, I'm sure he's here, don't worry." James comforted as she pulled her phone out to use as a flashlight. Spotting the small stuffed elephant, she stooped to pick it up from the ground and handed it to Riley. "Here he is".

Riley reached for him like a child before quickly pulling him to her chest and squeezing tight "Thank you".

"Of course. Unsure of what to do next, James asked "Do you still want me to rub your back?"

Riley did want that but now she was more awake she thought better of it and said "That's ok. I'm alright now. Thanks though".

"Sure" James said, silently disappointed as she got into her own bed. "Night" James whispered as she laid on her back, staring in the dark at the ceiling.

"Night" Riley replied, curling onto her side with Mittens held tight to her chest.