Two Cups of Coffee Was NOT Enough for This

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Maddie can't sleep and goes down a figurative rabbit hole.
Enjoy
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In a cold sweat, Maddie Fenton awoke after a terribly realistic night terror. She had the same reoccurring nightmare almost every night for the last two weeks. In said dream, she found herself tied up alongside five others, and soon the moment was interrupted by searing pain coursing through every inch of her body. The details were sparse, but as the pain erupted all over, Maddie heard her baby boy, Danny, yelling at the top of his lungs.

The dream felt too vivid to dismiss as mere imagination, but Maddie knew she was still here and still alive. "Must be the late nights in the lab catching up with me," she quietly tried to convince herself. Maddie dared to glance at the clock; it read 3:47 in the early morning. She knew she wouldn't sleep after having such a night terror, and she didn't feel comfortable in bed after its recurrence.

A yawn, followed by a heavy sigh, escaped Maddie as she decided to get up and make a cup of coffee—or four. Navigating the dimly lit hallways, Maddie arrived in the kitchen, basking in the quiet solitude of the night. She didn't turn on any lights because the brightness could have woken up her man and her kids. Quietly rummaging through the cabinets, Maddie found a sizable mug and the necessary components for her much-needed coffee. She waited patiently as the beans brewed—the silent night now a little louder due to the soft hum of the coffeemaker.

After what felt like forever and eternity, the steaming coffee was done and being poured into her giant mug. Resting herself against the counter, she held the cup in her hands tightly, embracing its warmth. Trying to rid herself of the nightmarish feelings, Maddie took a long thoughtless sip of her brew and tried to keep her mind as silent and as empty as the early morning.

Abruptly, the sound of the front door lock clicking shattered the tranquility, jolting Maddie into a state of alertness. Her mind raced with concern, who the hell is trying to get into my house at this hour? Placing her coffee on the counter, she swiftly moved to the opposite wall from where she could peek out behind but not be seen by any intruder. Slowly, the front door opened, and in limped her son who clutched his side as he passed through the entrance.

Slack-jawed, Maddie's eyes went wide and her eyebrows shot up in shock. She anticipated several different outcomes: a robber, a mafia gang member, or even a ghost. Her face contorted into confusion—she sure wasn't expecting that.

Initially she was poised to confront her son, but curiosity eventually took ahold of her matronly nature. Danny, in true form, mumbled to himself—a lot. "Stupid ghosts waking me up early, not letting me get sleep, even though I have school. Stupid night for not being longer, and stupid house for being ghost-proofed from the outside—ugh." The muffled rant trailed off as he slowly limped his way up the stairs to his room.

Maddie's expression remained one of disbelief as she made her way back to her cup of coffee. Ghosts? Why was Danny out with ghosts? Her mind churned with unanswered questions. Despite satisfying her initial curiosity, she couldn't help but worry about her son as her motherly instincts kicked back in. Placing her half-empty mug on the counter, she ascended the stairs to Danny's room with caution, her footsteps barely audible.

Putting her ear against the door, she checked for any signs of life. Finding none, Maddie carefully opened the door and peeked in. On the floor was a first aid kit with its contents messily put inside the container, and in the bed beside lay her son who, if she hadn't just witnessed walk through the door, looked and sounded as if he had been there all night. Uncertain of what to make of the scene, Maddie quietly withdrew; maybe she was going crazy in her sleep-deprived state. Although she was glad to see him asleep in bed, the presence of the medical kit raised suspicions, but not enough for her to bother him at the moment.

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