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A kick, then another, until I had no choice but to curl into the fetal position and hold my knees to my stomach to stop the blows.
“Mama—”
“No!” I screamed as Day’s voice echoed through the hallway, giving his location away.
“I told you I’d come for him, didn’t I?” the ghost whispered in my ear, his laugh like ice-cold talons ripping into my soul. “Daddy’s home.”
“Day! Run!”
But his hand was around my throat, squeezing until the faint moonlight drifting through the kitchen window began to blur. I fought, and fought, and fought, succumbing to the darkness, knowing he was moments away from taking my son from me like he promised he would.
Something was touching my face, breathing into my neck and whining. I tried to push whatever it was away, but I was slipping away… I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t breathe—
“Jesus Christ!” I gasped, unable to catch my breath. I blinked into the dark living room in the bunkhouse, panting and clutching my chest.
Jenny licked my face, whining and nuzzling her long nose against my neck.
“Oh, my God,” I stuttered, my entire body shaking as I wrapped my arms around her neck in an effort to hold onto something, anything, before I passed out.
I’d fallen asleep on the couch sometime after I put Day to bed. I’d walked Jenny back to Grant’s house, but he wasn’t home, and Jenny refused to go inside. So, I’d taken her back to the bunkhouse with me, sending Grant a quick text letting him know she was here.
“What time is it?” I asked the dog, who had no idea what I was even talking about. I picked up my phone, shocked that it was almost three in the morning.
I rose from the couch, legs trembling as I tried to steady myself on the wall. Grant had to be home by now, and if he wasn’t, something had to be wrong.
Maybe it was the adrenaline still pumping through my system that had me on edge. I hadn’t had a nightmare like that in months, and they always caught me off guard.
Losing Day was my worst fucking nightmare.
“Where’s your dad, Jenny?” I panted, clutching the water bottle I’d left sitting on the coffee table and taking a deep gulp, crinkling the plastic in my hand before setting it down. Jenny whined at my feet, leaning on my legs like she was trying to get me to sit down again. I could feel the panic still rushing through my system, that unearthly fear that had me in constant state of fight or flight.
Something was wrong. Grant should have gotten my text. He would’ve come to get Jenny. He hadn’t, so something was wrong. Something was…something was…
I sank to my knees again, and this time Jenny started barking, damn near howling between licks to my face.
I couldn’t breathe. My chest was so tight I couldn’t catch my breath. I felt around next to me for my phone, but I’d set it down on the couch and—
The front door burst open, a key set dangling from the knob as Grant’s darkened figure stepped inside, a shotgun in his hand.
He dropped to the floor in front of me, taking my face between his hands. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“N-N-No—”
“Mama?” Day said from the doorway to his room, rubbing his eyes.
“Moira,” Grant whispered, using his thumb to wipe tears from my eyes. I looked up at him, into those emerald-like eyes that shone with nothing but concern. “Why are you on the floor?”
“She has nightmares sometimes,” Day said sleepily from the shadows.
“Nightmares, huh?” Grant said softly, his eyes still fixed on mine. He rolled his lower lip between his teeth, and in that moment, I could tell he knew there was more to this. I’d had a full-blown panic attack.
“I’m going to get him back in bed,” Grant whispered, then made a soft whistle, snapping his fingers at Jenny. She leaned her weight into me until I was forced to flatten my legs on the floorboards, and she splayed out over my legs.
I sat there for what felt like ages, staring at the far wall. Jenny didn’t make a sound, but her ears were standing straight up on her head, her eyes fixed on mine until Grant slowly closed Day’s door behind him and walked back into the living room.
“We’ll talk about this tomorrow,” he said firmly, his voice a low whisper. “Jenny’s staying with you tonight.”
“I’m fine,” I argued, but his serious stare had the words catching in my throat.
