DESPERATE

5

Jillian stumbled into the kitchen, flicking off the lights that the kids had left on. She rubbed her temples, feeling a throbbing headache. Ever since they moved into the new house, she had trouble sleeping. Strange noises kept her awake at night. Maybe it was Jordan sneaking into the kitchen for a snack. Or maybe it was her husband's snoring that pierced through the walls. She couldn't stand it anymore. She needed some peace and quiet.

She brewed herself a strong cup of coffee. They hated her bitter brew, but she loved it. She liked it black, with no cream or sugar. She took a sip, scalding her tongue. She didn't mind the pain. It kept her alert.

In the hidden room, Randall sniffed the air. He liked the aroma of the coffee. He had been awake all night, nursing his wounded thigh. He was restless and decided to check on his family. He peeked into Jordan's room, where the boy lay sprawled on the bed. His blanket had fallen to the floor. Randall grinned wickedly. He wanted to have some fun, so he imitated an owl's hoot.

Jordan jerked awake, hearing the eerie sound. He felt his arm hairs stand on end. He was too scared to move. He heard it again, and tears rolled down his cheeks. What a wimp! Randall chuckled and moved on to Dionah's room.

It was late at night. Dionah wasn't asleep yet. She had her laptop on the bed and headphones on. Randall watched her type frantically and smiled. He didn't want the teenage girl to have a boyfriend. He felt a pang of jealousy. She belonged to him and no one else.

Randall went to Gail's room. He was surprised to see the sleeping little girl surrounded by Barbie dolls. Randall disliked how her toys seemed to stare at him. Did Gail place them intentionally to freak him out? What an eccentric child.

Before Randall headed back to his room, he wanted to see if Jillian was asleep. He heard a bed creaking from the parents' bedroom. He licked his dry, cracked lips and watched them make love. His hand slipped into his pants. Suddenly, his moment of pleasure was abruptly interrupted as he felt a swarm of tiny insects skittering all over his legs. His face turned pale and he let out a harsh, abrupt scream. Startled, Jillian gasped, asking, "Did you hear that?" She pushed her husband aside with such force that he tumbled off the bed. Lying on the floor, he felt a fresh surge of anger building up. "Seriously, Jillian, was that really necessary?" he snapped.

Jillian screamed at Tom, "What the heck, Tom? Our children could be in danger, and you don't care at all!" She watched him drag himself off the floor and stumble into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. She ran out of the bedroom and checked on the children. They were sleeping peacefully.   Randall's face twisted with worry as he dashed back to his room. That was too close. He looked around the cluttered room. There was barely any space to lie down. He shoved the trash aside and made a makeshift bed. He just wanted to sleep. It had been a rough day. 

The basement door creaked open, and Randall jerked awake. His eyes scanned the dark room, and his breaths came out in short, ragged bursts.   "Don't go in the basement, Jordan. The boogeyman is down there. He'll get you." Gail whispered to her brother.   "Don't be silly. There's no such thing as the boogeyman. I need to get grandpa's baseball card collection. It's still in the box. I want to show it off on the first day of school." Jordan said, brushing off Gail's hand.   "Please, don't go. I'm scared for you." Gail pleaded, holding onto his pyjama sleeve.   Dionah appeared behind them, hands on her hips. "What are you doing?" She asked. Jordan and Gail jumped, startled by her voice.

"Gail woke me up. She wanted to drink some water, but she was afraid to go downstairs by herself," Jordan explained.

"Don't lie to me. I'm not dumb. What are you looking for in that creepy basement?" Dionah snapped.

"I told him not to go in the basement. The boogeyman might hurt him. He isn't friendly. He attacks at night," Gail cried out.

Dionah felt a cold chill run down her spine. Her sister knew how to freak her out. "If you don't want to be punished, get back in bed.”