A Waking Nightmare

Every cell in my body froze. My handbag clattered to the floor. I stared at the nightmare in the living room, too petrified to scream. ‘Honey, are you hungry?’ Kieran came up the front steps. ‘I can rustle up some—’ The rest of the sentence died in his throat as he saw what I saw. A few seconds passed in absolute silence, but it felt like centuries. Kieran yanked me behind him, shielding me with his body. ‘Honey, don’t look. Close your eyes.’ I wanted to, but I couldn’t make my eyelids move. The nightmare was seared into my memory. ‘Mummy?’ Mia’s sleepy voice came from the second floor. ‘Mummy? Where are you?’ Her face appeared at the top of the staircase landing. ‘Daddy? Mummy’s not in the room.’ She rubbed her bleary eyes and yawned. ‘Mia, sweetie.’ Kieran struggled to keep the panic out of his voice. ‘Go back to your room, please.’ ‘But I want Mummy,’ the girl whined. ‘I woke up and she wasn’t in bed.’ Kieran spoke to me without turning his head, ‘Honey, I’m taking Mia back to her r