Sadie's Nightmare

Chapter Fourteen: Angst

The night had been the first silent one in some time. Sadie's parents didn't argue. They had nothing to say to one another. Even dinner was awkwardly peaceful due to the lack of sound.

After Steven put Sadie to bed and left the crack in the door to let in the light. Sadie felt an overwhelming aloneness when she shut her eyes.

Her bed seemed to shrink into the darkness and the light coming in the door seemed to stretch across the floor but did not reach her.

She opened her mouth to call for her father, but no sound came out and she could do nothing except lay in her bed.

Soon, even the bed seemed to consume her. The poofy blankets became too much, she started to sink into the mattress. But, no. She kept sinking, being swallowed whole, dragged into an abys.

Soundless, she screamed. Paralysed, she struggled.

Sadie opened her eyes. Her cheeks were moist with tears.

It was all in her mind. A waking horror.

She turned onto her side-facing the light-and pulled her doona over her head.

Though, no matter how hard she wished it, she knew she would not see her kingdom that night.

~~~

Patricia had just laid her head down on her pillow. The days events were still brewing on her mind.

She tossed and turned for what seemed like hours.

Was she wrong to do the things she'd done?

Would she ever get her family back to the way it used to be?

Suddenly, she heard a bonk sound-that seemed to come from her wardrobe-which disrupted her thoughts.

Patricia frowned in the dark. Figuring it might have been Luna. Or, simply, something had fallen. After all, she had thrown Sadie's blanket in there before dinner.

Waiting in perfect silence, Patricia held her breath to see if she could hear the noise again.

She didn't have to wait long, before a muffled thud sounded.

Patricia sighed and groaned as she got up out of bed. "Stupid cat." She mumbled to herself.

When she opened the wardrobe doors, there was nothing in there that shouldn't have been there.

Just the magic blanket...