𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 ⌁ 𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 [𝟐]

I. PROTECT & TRUST

night changes by one direction

"We're only gettin' older, baby
And I've been thinkin' about it lately
Does it ever drive you crazy
Just how fast the night changes?"

          My eyes fluttered open as I began hearing the indistinct sound of a crying baby. I could hear the sobbing from the other bedroom as I sat up on my bed. I let out a heavy sigh and rubbed my eyes from the tiredness of being woken up in the middle of the night. The crying didn't stop, so I pulled the comforter off my body and stood up from my bed.

          I tiredly walked out my bedroom to the one next door. There, I slightly opened the door and peaked my head in, seeing the wooden crib, where the crying resonated from. I let out a breath through my nose before slowly walking closer to the crib, towering over the little four-month old girl.

"Hey, Sarah. It's okay, it's me, it's Daddy." I whispered as I gently stroked the small frame of my daughter's face. Sarah's crying began to silence before she softly cooed at my touch. I smiled down at Sarah, feeling a warmth in my heart as she affectionately murmured and grabbed onto my fingers with her tiny hands.

          I suddenly heard the window click behind me and immediately turned around in confusion. I knitted my eyebrows before turning back around to face the crib, where I saw an empty mattress. My heart dropped to my stomach as my breaths became shallow in panic, before I heard the sound of Sarah wailing behind me. I looked back to the window to see my infant daughter in the arms of the Winter Soldier.

          Bucky.

         "No!" I yelled as I stepped forward, ready to charge. But before I could come any closer, Bucky pulled out a hand gun from his holster and shot me in the hip. I dropped to the floor as I felt the sharp pain in my flesh. I let out labored breaths as I gazed down at the floor, trying to push myself back up.

          "DAD!" I heard a voice cry out. I looked back up to see Sarah, but suddenly fourteen years old, struggling and squirming to escape from Bucky's grip.

          "SARAH!" I called out in panic, trying to stand back up again. Tears were running down her face before she let out a spine-chilling scream that echoed in my head.

          I jolted up from my bed as I drew in a deep gasp. I let out shallow breaths that soon slowed down once I came to my senses. Looking around my bedroom, I came to the realization that none of it was real, just a nightmare. I let out a breath of relief before turning my gaze to the digital clock on my nightstand and reading the time.