Sadie's Nightmare

Epilogue

Thirty years later. Present day.

A young girl is rummaging through some old boxes in the attic of her home.

She comes across something that takes her fancy. It's so soft, she can't help herself.

The girl pulls the object from its resting place and wraps it over her shoulders.

"What are you doing up here, sweetheart?" Asks the girl's mother.

Startled, she quickly replies, "Nothing!"

"It's five in the morning. The sun isn't even up yet." Her mother's voice is sweet, like a melody.

"I had a nightmare."

"Oh," Says her mother, "do you want to talk about it?"

The girl shakes her head and tries to conceal the item in her hands-balling it up behind her back.

"What do you have there, Grace?" Asks her mother, who's keen eyes miss nothing.

"Nothing." She replies.

"Come on, show me. I won't be mad. I promise."

Grace holds out a bundle of dark grey and red knitted material.

When it unravels, it reveals itself to be a hooded blanket.

Her mother is speechless.

"Grandpa said you had a special blanket once." Explains Grace. "That it was magic, and it helped you get rid of your nightmares. I just wanted to see if it was real".

Her mother goes to her, crouches down so that they are eye to eye and whispers, "Oh, it is magic. But magic can be dangerous."

Grace gives her mother a confused look.

"Do you know why, Grace?"

She shakes her head.

"Because magical items, like this blanket, are more than they seem. They are gifts to be cherished. But if they are abused, they can't unleash your worst fears."

"Can I have it?"

Her mother frowns. "Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"Please, Mum. I promise I will take good care of it."

"I don't know." Her mother's face scrunches up as she thinks it over. "Alright, Grace. But, you must never let anything happen to the blanket. If it gets even the smallest rip, you must bring it straight to me so that I can sew it up. Otherwise the magic won't work. Okay?"

Grace nods excitedly.

"Sadie?" Calls a man from the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the attic.

"Yes?" The mother replies.

"Is Grace with you?" He asks.

"Yes." Both Sadie and Grace reply in unison. They look to each other and smile.

"You do know what time it is, right?" More a statement than an actual question. "You guys going to come down, or are we having Grace's birthday up there?"

"No, no. We're coming." Sadie replies to her husband, then she looks to Grace and says, "Come on, we'd better get down there before your Dad gets his panties in a twist."

Grace giggles.

"I heard that." He calls out.

Sadie and Grace laugh as they head to the stairs.

Grace stops. "Oh. Can I bring the blanket?" She asks.

Sadie takes a good long look at her daughter, before she smiles and nods.

Excited, Grace grabs the hooded blanket, throws it over her shoulders and smiles back.

For a moment, Sadie sees a vision of herself, from thirty years ago, before the real nightmare began.

But this time, she is not afraid. Not one bit.

To Be Continued...