6 yo
My eyes flutter open when I hear a loud thump outside my room. The room is completely dark. It's not even morning yet. I stretch out my arms grabbing the bed frame then go out to investigate but I stop trying to figure out who it is. I go through the worst possible scenarios. A robber, a kidnaper, a great big monster. I shiver at the last one and almost convince myself to turn around and go to bed but I have to be brave.
For Cass.
I wait a few seconds in case I hear another sound but nothing comes so I slip my feet slip out from under my covers and walk slowly toward the door. My heart starts throbbing loudly in my chest. I put a hand on my chest to quite it done.
"Shhh." I whisper to my heart. But it doesn't listen. Naughty heart!
I carefully and quietly place my hand on the door handle and pull. I cringe as it swings aside with a loud swish. The hall is even darker then my rom. I open my eyes wider to make sure they didn't close on accident but it doesn't help. You can do it. I bravely leap into the dark hallway screaming but a cold hand is on my mouth before a peep can come out of my mouth.
"What are you doing?" Cass' voice scolds. She drags me into the living room not taking her hand off my mouth.
She puts me on the couch and makes me swear not to scream. She lets go of me and turns on a lamp light on the dimmest setting. I squint at her as she paces in front of the dark window screen. It looks scary dark. She's fully dressed wearing her best dress that is only supposed to be worn on special events. Why would she be wearing that?
I stay silent so she speaks up first. "What are you doing up?" She says it not angrily but in a confused way like she is really curious why I'm awake. I don't understand why, because we are allowed to wake up during the night and leave our rooms but we just can't leave the house until 5:00 when everyone goes to work.
"I heard a noise." I look around for a monster or a robber.
"Shhh! You must keep quiet!" She sits next to me and covers my mouth again. "Ok?"
I pull her hands away. "Ok. But why?"
"Because mommy's sleeping and she needs her sleep because she's going through a tough period remember?" I nod and she smiles causing me to smile back, but it's gone as soon as it appears. She gets up and goes into the kitchen turning on another light on dim. I watch her from the couch in the living room couch curiously as she takes a loaf of bread and a jar of jam out of the cold box.
"What are you doing?" I get up and walk over to her at the cold box. She continues to take things out of the sold box then puts them in her satchel which I bought for her with my painting money. She looks like she's trying to run away. I can't-won't let her do that.
"I'm going." She grabs half a dozen apples and puts them in her bag. she's definitely running away I conclude.
"Going where?"
"Out." She slumps the satchel strap over her shoulder.
"Out Where?"
"I said out ok now go back to bed." She isn't mad like I am, she's surprisingly very calm She casually leaves the kitchen and into the living room. From the kitchen, I watch her as she walks toward the front door. I gasp and run quickly in between her and the door.
"Tell me!" I say angrily but quietly keeping my promise to stay quiet. My eyebrows scrunch together as I bare my teeth like a wild beast. She leans in close our noses nearly touching making the same face I tried to make. It makes me want to curl up in a corner and hide but I force myself to stay still, holding my intimidating expression.
