Premonition

Broken Sounds

Three times they had searched the house over. There simply wasn't anyone else inside. Billy had made her repeat her reasons for thinking otherwise several times. Trina offered her own plausible solution; the door hadn't been closed securely after Billy came in, and the sound of the floorboards had been the result of temperature change, the house settling, and one of them rolling over in bed.

"Let's call it a night, get back to bed," Trina suggested in a lulling voice.

"Easy to say when there's two of you," Darcey muttered as they ascended the stairs.

"You can always crawl in bed with us," Billy offered, only half joking.

Darcey hesitated at the top of the stairs. She still held the cordless in her hand, ready to call her dad at any moment. Trina turned and offered a weak smile. She waited for Darcey.

"You really could sleep with us, you know?"

Darcey felt comforted by the offer. The house was locked up now, and they had searched it. At least they didn't think she was crazy. She briefly considered it, then decided she'd let them have whatever peace the night had left to offer.

"I'll be fine. Thanks though. Would it make me a baby if I wanted to leave the bathroom light on?"

Billy answered as if on cue.

"Are you kidding me? Every time I run for the bathroom in the dark, I get tripped up over my third leg."

He laughed at his own juvenile humor.

"I think what the horse here means is go ahead. We might need a little light."

"Thanks again."

They went in to the guest room and didn't quiet shut the door. Darcey flipped on the bathroom light and then headed back to her own room. She crawled under the covers, but couldn't sleep. Doubt was trying to weave it's way into her thoughts.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, actively trying to prevent herself from giving in to fear. The sound of the heated air coming through the vents was soothing. So, too, were the muffled sounds of Trina's giggling.

In her mind she conjured her mother's voice. They had a conversation the way they would have if her mother were still alive. She didn't know why she liked to have these predictable conversations with the woman.

Her mother was the reason Kyle wasn't here. She had been drunk, and insisted on driving him home from an away basketball game. Her decision landed them in a tree, the car's engine in their bellies.

"Momma, I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"I don't know. I thought there was someone in the house. And the other night, I dreamt of Kyle. He was warning me."

"But the house is empty. No one's here that shouldn't be."

"I know."

"Then why are you afraid?"

"Because something's coming. In the dark. I can feel it?"

"Then find it. And when you do, end it."

Darcey was shocked into silence. In all the times she'd had these "conversations", her mother's answers had always been predictable. This answer was nothing like the advice she'd give.

"Momma?"

No answer.

"Momma?" she called again.

"Momma's gone."

She opened her eyes and came face-to-face with Kyle.