The Doll Collector's Son

Chapter 11 - Maria

My eyes opened by themselves before my alarm even rang. The room was still dark, so I knew it was still early morning hours.  A rotten feeling bloomed in my chest and spread down like toxin. I sat up in bed, looking around the room. Maybe someone had broken in? I might have heard a window being broken. All seemed right. The house suddenly settled, a crack coming from the corner of our room. Or was that the creak of the stairs? Of someone coming up? My hand twitched towards the night stand to reach for the gun. I paused. Maybe I should wake Zach, but then again, it might be nothing. The kids were home, and they were too old to really sneak out. This house was also old. I shut my eyes, my ears tuning in to all the different sounds coming from just outside of our bedroom.

My heart sped up as I swore I picked up the sound of something being dragged across the hardwood floor. The floorboards creaked as if someone were trying to sneak down the hallway. I opened my eyes and snapped my head in the direction of the open door. A dark figure would be filling up the doorway, I just knew it. The seconds ticked away, at least according to the useless clock on the wall that sounded louder than the creaks in the house. Nothing appeared.

Zach let out a snore beside me, doing nothing for my nerves. Well, if I was going to be awake, then so was he. I reached out to touch his back when Jordan's face flashed through my mind. Was this motherly concern? Oh god, maybe something was happening to him. I slipped out of bed, and grabbed my phone. The stairs creaked under my weight as I made my way to the kitchen. Tea should help me get back to bed. I left the lights off, the blue of the flame on the stove providing the only form of illumination.

I checked my phone. No notifications. That was depressing. It was 4:30am, and my alarm would ring at six. Footsteps sounded in the hallway, raising the hairs on my arms. No. Kris was dead, Alexandra was dead, there were no serial killers coming for me. We'd been fine for 25 years, there was nothing to worry about. A large shadow darkened the entrance of the hallway. Oh god, there really was something in the house. I clenched my fists, urging myself to calm down. The monsters were gone, all I had were memories.

A voice called out to me by name. I unclenched my fist recognizing Zach's sleepy voice. He shuffled in, carrying my robe. He placed it over my shoulders, kissing the top of my head as I explained I'd been unable to fall back asleep. He slid onto the stool beside me, yawning loudly the way a dad always does. I rested my head on his shoulder, urging him to go back to sleep. He hummed a response, reminding me that he couldn't fall asleep by himself. Like most men, like Kris, he was scared of sleeping alone. Memories of Kris' whining if he ever had to sleep by himself soured the moment.

God, it'd been years since I had thought of him this way. Why now? I slid my body off the stool, and wrapped my arms around Zach's waist, and firmly placed my head in the crook of his neck. I internally cringed that at this age, I was still being needy. Of course, right now I didn't feel fifty-five, I felt sixteen and scared. Zach turned his body and brought me into a real hug. That was the good thing about marrying a psychiatrist, they just knew. I straightened up after about a minute to pour us both cups of tea, then we sat together in the kitchen, talking quietly until the sun began to rise.

It'd been a while since I'd seen the sun rise. I didn't miss it. Zach hit the off button when the alarm on my phone went off, then we placed our mugs in the sink. I hadn't told him that this strange feeling seemed to be pointing towards Jordan. My boy was fine. He was a capable agent, and I was worrying for nothing.

I got ready for the day, greeting Adrian and Luciana when they came downstairs for breakfast. Soon they were out the door and Zach and I were heading out too. The strange feeling returned with force this time as I got into my car and turned over the engine. No calls had come in about Jordan so he was probably fine, but maybe I should call him. I backed up out of the driveway, heading down the street.