사랑해

Chapter 5

I uncomfortably laid there on the couch, trying to go to sleep. It was quiet and dark. I could hear footsteps. A dark figure crawled down the stairs. I closed my eyes. I felt breathing on my face. Someone shook me.

"Madison?"

"Marco? Is that you?"

"Yeah."

"What's up?"

"I had a nightmare."

"Oh! What was it about?"

"My dad killing my mom."

"That can't be true. It was just a dream, right?"

"It seemed so real though."

"Marco, just forget about it now. Sleep now. We'll take care of it tomorrow."

"But Madison. It felt so real. In the dream, my dad ran away after he killed my mom." He started tearing up again. "I can't sleep alone tonight. I need someone." Whoever this "someone" is, it better not be me. "Madison."

"Yeah."

"Can you...."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. I'll go sleep now." He crawled back up the stairs. I looked at the clock. It was 3 A.M. I hid under the blanket.

A few hours passed. I woke up to Marco's sweet, but sad, voice.

"Marco? Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yeah, but I had another nightmare. It was about my dad coming back from work. He had a mean look on his face, and my mom was gone. He looked at me with mean eyes and killed me."

"Marco? OMG! It's just a dream!" He started bursting into tears.

"Madison. I'm scared. What if it's real?" he said as my mom ran down the stairs.

"Marco! Stop thinking negative!" I was scared for him. I got a shiver down my spine.

"Marco! Marco! What happened?" my mom shouted.

"Nothing. I just had another nightmare."

"It was about his-" I stopped and looked at Marco.

"About his what?"

"My dad came back from work. My mom-my mom-she was gone. And, and, my dad--" He choked of tears. "Killed me," he whispered.

"Marco. Just forget about it. It's just a dream, or nightmare I should say. Eat breakfast. It will cheer you up."

"No, thanks. I'll eat breakfast at home. I'll check on my mom."

"I'll drive you there then." We went to the car and went to his house. I got goosebumps.

"Can I come in with you then? I mean, like, just to check on you and, you know, help." He looked at me and smiled for the first time since last night.

"Sure! Just be, umm-careful, if you know what I mean."

We got out of the car and pushed the door. It was unlocked. The door creaked opened, like a dying mouse. The house was quiet. We walked past the kitchen.

"She's gone. My mom! She's gone!" There was blood on the floor. The knife remained.

"Marco, maybe your dad came home and saw her. Maybe he brought her to the hospital. Call your dad."

"If you say so." He grabbed his phone and dialed a number. All the sudden, I heard a phone ring.

"Marco? Do you hear that? It sounds like the phone is upstairs. We crawled up the stairs. The sound was coming from behind a room. Marco opened the door. We gawked at what we saw. There lie his mom on the floor. The phone continued to ring.