4 years later

A shadow crossed under Mariana’s door. She slid out of bed and grabbed the phone. She dialed 911 and held it to her ear. No ringing. No dial tone. Crap. The lightning flashed illuminating the dark shape now standing in her doorway. He held a knife and an evil grin. She screamed.

Mariana woke up. She was drenched in sweat and had fallen out of bed. She got up to check on Angelica.

Mariana swept Angelica’s dark tresses back and kissed her lightly on the cheek. They were safe, she reminded herself, safe.

She went back to bed. She had been having dreams like this for four years. They had become less frequent as the years went by. It had been a couple of months since the last one, but they were still just as vivid.

She reached into her nightstand and pulled out a picture buried in the back. Enrico. This was all his fault! But she still loved him. Even though she never heard from him, didn’t know if he was alive, or remarried. She loved him in retrospect.