Sadie's Nightmare

Chapter Twelve: Torn

When Sadie returned to the real world and pulled off her magic blanket, she pulled a face.

She knew immediately something was not right. She peeled off her sheets. Her suspicion was bang on.

She was soaking wet!

As usual Sadie was the first to wake. She tip-toed out of her bedroom towards her mother's door. But stops.

Afraid her mum will yell at her, Sadie turned on her heel and started heading in the opposite direction-towards her father's room.

The floorboards beneath the carpet seemed to groan louder and louder with each step. It was all Sadie could seem to hear.

Her heart jumped into her throat when she heard the door creak open behind her.

"Sadie, what are you doing?" Inquired Patricia as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.

Sadie faced her mother and swallowed, forcing her heart back into place.

Hands on hips, Patricia glared down at Sadie's soggy pyjamas. "Why. Are. You. All. Wet?" Patricia asked, slowly.

Sadie didn't know what to say. She knew her mother would not believe anything she might have said. Instead, Sadie only managed a slight shrug.

"Ugh! Sadie, you can't keep doing stuff like this! Why are you wet?"

Sadie began to cry. She didn't like being yelled at.

"Sadie! Stop crying!"

"Stop yelling at her!" Shouted Steven as he rushed-out of his bedroom-to his daughter's side.

He knelt down to one knee with his arms out. Sadie leaned into his chest as he hugged her. He didn't even care that she was soaking.

"Don't comfort her! She's being naughty!" Spat Patricia.

Steven ignored his wife.

"Have a quick shower, sweet heart, while I change your sheets. Okay?" Steven spoke softly to Sadie.

She didn't reply. Only gave him a nod as she sniffled and wiped her tears.

After Sadie shut the bathroom door, Steven looked to Patricia who met his gaze with narrow eyes. "Your problems, are your problems. Stop taking them out on our daughter." He said sternly.

"I'm not-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses," Steven interrupted, "alright? Don't talk to me."

~~~

It was another dull, rainy day.

After what happened that morning, Sadie was feeling extra dreary.

She refused breakfast when her father had offered and barely spoke.

Steven tried to comfort her, he sat with her on the couch-along with the cat-and they just watched television. At one point a news update came on and mentioned the dismal weather; saying the rain should ease up sometime on Monday.

Sadie pushed the cat off her lap, stood from the couch and went upstairs to her bedroom. She had suddenly remembered her magic blanket and wanted it.

After grabbing the blanket-which Steven had lovingly placed atop her fresh bed sheets-Sadie was exiting her room when she was stopped by Patricia.

"Sadie. I'm only going to ask you this one more time. And I want the truth. Why were you soaking wet this morning?" Asked her mother.

Sadie took in a deep breath. "I was playing with my friends in the magical world in the blanket and I fell into the chocolate river."

Patricia's lips pressed together hard as she frowned. "I said, 'the truth', Sadie." Patricia reached for the blanket with lightning quick speed.

"No!" Sadie screamed as she grasped her blanket and held on to it for dear life.

They both tugged on the blanket.

"Stop it, Sadie!" Patricia shouted.

Just then, there was a loud ripping sound.

Sadie's eyes had never been wider as she gaped at the frayed tear in her magic blanket.