Daddy's Little Girl, Too

Chapter 1: The Party's Over

It's the day after her 5th birthday. Colorful balloons still scatter the living room floor and the smell of pizza and birthday cake lingers in the air. During her usual afternoon nap, little Emma Young awakes, screaming for her life. Her mother Nancy rushes to her bedside. Scared by the blood curdling wails, Nancy holds tight to her daughter, rocking gently. "Shh. It's okay Emma, Mommy's here."

As her mother holds her, Emma begins whimpering something from her trembling lips. "He made me do it...the man made me do it." The frightened young girl doesn't seem to be making any sense.

Nancy doesn't understand what she means. "Sweetie? What man? What did he make you do?"

Emma doesn't answer her mother's questions, and this leaves Nancy wondering and concerned. Emma just cries into her mother's shoulder, her tears soaking Nancy's shirt.

Not knowing what horrors her scared little girl has just envisioned, Nancy brushes the incident off as, just another bad dream. She should know better. Typical nightmares have never reaped such horrid screams.

At bedtime, the nightmares return. Emma wakes the house again. Both parents, Nancy and her husband Michael Young, hurry to their daughter's room. Emma's face is soaked with tears as she sits in the middle of the bed whimpering and shaking. She's absolutely horrified.

"Another visitor...another visitor..." are the only words the scared little girl can speak.

They try to get Emma to talk to them about her dreams but she refuses. She's too scared to even speak. She continues to sob and shake uncontrollably.

Michael and Nancy finally get Emma to settle down enough so that they can retreat to their own room. Once left alone, Emma's thoughts quickly resurface. She closes her eyes, but she can't sleep. Her fears are constantly circling her thoughts. The sights she has seen torment her young mind to no end.

Michael and Nancy are having a difficult time getting back to sleep as well. Michael can't seem to get comfortable. He tosses and turns, trying to find that one perfect position.

Nancy's mind is everywhere; spread thick with worry. She knows these aren't normal dreams, but she doesn't understand exactly what they are, or why they are happening.

Coming from Emma's room, the soft sounds of whimpering can be heard. She tries to mask the noise with her covers, but both of her parents can hear the undeniable sounds of their only child sobbing.

For the remainder of the night, Emma will sleep in the bed with Michael and Nancy, uncomfortably in between them. No one will sleep soundly on this night.

***

In the morning, Emma seems to be somewhat back to her usual self. She doesn't speak of the dreams, but she can't stop thinking about them. She sits at the kitchen table looking sad. She is exhausted from the limited sleep she managed to get. Her elbows are on the table propping her head up.

Her cereal has become soggy from sitting for too long. The milk has absorbed into the rice puffs, and now Emma has no interest in them. She just stares into the bowl, imagining they are miniature people, drowning in a lake.

Nancy pours a cup of coffee and begins to sip it slowly. She leans against the counter and watches Emma sulk. She knows Emma's mind must be racing with worry about the dreams; Nancy's is. She tries to think of something that will help; anything that may possibly distract Emma from her thoughts.

Michael enters the kitchen and kisses Nancy, "Good morning." He pours himself a coffee.

Nancy cracks a half-smile, "Morning. How'd you sleep?"