Broken Love

Chapter 4

Emma's pov

I sat up in bed and gasped. There was a high pitched wail ringing out from somewhere in the house. The alarm? No it wavered. Then it started again louder. Oh my god it's Sophie screaming. I grabbed the handgun from underneath my bed and ran out of the room. I held up the gun and looked around in the dark waiting for my eyes to adjust. I didn't have time.

I sprinted into Sophie's room banging the door open and straining my eyes trying to see what was going on. But all I saw was Sophie thrashing around in her bed and screaming. No intruder, no creepy man with a gun. Just Sophie having a nightmare. I ran over to the bed and grabbed hold of Sophie's arms while she was thrashing around wildly like a fish out of water. 

"Wake up" I muttered half to myself and half to her. I mean I didn't expect her to suddenly stop screaming and then go, "Yup wassup I'm awake now"

Sophie stopped screaming as I cradled her poor sweating body and kissed her damp cold forehead. She had worked up a right cold sweat. Peace was restored in the house as Sophie began snoring gently again. I laid her head down gently on her pillow and stood up watching over her.

What was she dreaming about which could scare her so badly? I didn't really want to wake her up and ask her and when she woke up I wasn't sure I wanted to ask her then either. It's not as if I want her to remember whatever nightmarish deformed thing gave her nightmares. Was it because she was watching that news report with me the other day and  saw Trump's face?  Damn it, I knew they should've censored that orange bastard. 

I pulled up the sheets over Sophie and stroked her forehead which was still damp with sweat. Sighing I tucked the gun into the back of my comfy cotton shorts and adjusted the straps on my top. I'm pretty sure I looked like I had just fallen off a cliff into the ocean and spent days living in a cave but oh well, there was no one to impress anyways.

I walked downstairs and entered the kitchen. My heart was still racing, I knew that it was only Sophie having a bad dream and no one had broken in or anything but I felt so on edge. And I couldn't stop thinking about Sophie with someone in the parking lot. It just didn't make sense if it was some nice person talking to a kid randomly why would they disappear the moment I show up? But then again if it was some dip shit wanting to steal my child then why didn't he take her? 

I sloshed the water around in the glass and stared into the clear liquid. I couldn't afford to fall into this deep shit again. I poured the water down the sink and placed the cup in the sink before turning on my heel and going to switch the kitchen light off. 

But then something caught my eye. I could see into the living room from where I was standing and there was a tiny movement from behind the sofa. As if whatever was there was trying really hard not to move at all. I slowly walked back to the sink as if I changed my mind and grabbed another cup and went to the fridge and opened it up. I tried to think of what to do, shoot and let on that I know they're there or just act like nothing happened?

I had a child now which meant I always had to play the safer route. Fuck, growing up sucks. I closed the fridge and putt he cup on the counter before slowly walking out of the kitchen. I didn't turn off the light so I could walk safely up the stairs knowing the fucker wasn't lurking in the darkness behind me. I went up the dimly lit stairs and as soon as I reached the top of the stairs I ran into my room grabbed the phone and then ran into Sophie's room.

I slammed the door shut hard and locked myself in there with her. I began to dial 911 then remembered I lived in England now and it was 999. What bullshit. Fuck it. I threw my phone aside and whipped my gun out and checked it was loaded. I never used it but I had to make sure I was properly armed. I took out the magazine then pulled the slide to the rear and let the round come out. I then put the magazine in again and allowed the round to be chambered. I did that over and over again, loaded and unloaded the gun as I waited.

The noises got louder and I could clearly here someone coming up the stairs. It was slow but steady like they were doing this just to creep me out. Like they knew what the fuck they were messing with. I calmly stared at the door as I methodically removed the magazine and then replaced it again and again. 

Whoever it was had reached the top of the stairs now and judging by the floor creaks were headed in the direction of my bedroom. I turned and looked behind me at Sophie who was still calmly sleeping. As if she didn't have a care in the world. I could just about see her little face in the moonlight flooding through her window. It lit the bedroom up eerily in the silence that followed.

It was like everything in the house had shut off. There was no sound. I couldn't hear the boiler whirring or random bits of the house creaking. It was just silence. The stranger in the bedroom wasn't making any sound. 

I waited anxiously. I kept the gun loaded as I waited for whoever it was to get out of the bedroom. I quietly dropped to my knees as I looked down under the door crack. I couldn't see any shoes in the corridor, no light or anything. Just the carpet and mild darkness.

I hated not knowing what was going on. I breathed in and kicked the wall hard three times. Then I waited. Slow and steady footsteps coming towards me. I could hear someone walking out of my bedroom and heading out into the landing. They stopped. I kicked the wall once more and lifted the gun, my hand on the door ready to unlock it and shoot someone.

The footsteps neared as I pulled the slide back on the gun. I was ready.