Free Awaken Spirit (A digital Short) by Barbara Watkins Page A

reality, or so we thought.
     
    The movers met us there bright and early and we started the tedious task of deciding what box went in which room. Jim helped the movers bring in the furniture and I began to unpack.
     
    Katie, our daughter, was an average five year old with more energy than she knew what to do with, and could barely control her obvious excitement. The move, an amazing adventure to a child of that age, had her hurtling around the house in explorer mode. After rummaging through a few of our boxes, I found some her favorite toys and focused her attention on them. With four bedrooms to choose from upstairs, I decided to give her the closest room to ours. While Katie played with her dolls, I thought I would start on our bedroom. I tired easily these days, being eight months pregnant, but I did not have much longer to go. My hormones had raged all during this pregnancy, far worse than last time, and I could get overly emotional at the slightest provocation. We had been at it all day and I soon felt ready to call it a night.
     
    I put a nightlight by Katie’s bed. After reading her a nighttime story, Jim and I kissed her goodnight. Not long after that, I peeked around the corner into our bedroom and found Jim fast sleep. Lighting some candles in the bathroom and starting a hot bath I prepared to relax. The bubbles had never felt so good. The hot water relaxed every part of my body. Then I heard Katie scream, “Mommy, where are you? Why did you leave me?” She sounded so frightened and scared. In my own panicked state, getting out of the tub seemed to take forever. She just kept screaming the same words repeatedly. I could not understand why Jim had not calmed her down. Surely, her screams had woken him? Almost breaking my neck, I finally reached her room. There she lay quiet and still. I was sure she must have had a nightmare. Jim must have been sleeping very sound not to hear her screams, I thought.
     
    The next morning I woke up early so I could prepare breakfast in our new home. Jim was running late for work and only had time to grab a bite and run. The smell of maple syrup caught Katie’s attention as she came running into the kitchen.
     
    “Mommy… mommy is you fixing pancakes? I love pancakes,” she said.
    What she asked next gave me cold chills.
    “Mommy did you hear that little girl crying last night?”
    “Maybe you were just having a nightmare, baby.”
    “No mommy I seen her out my window. She was looking in at me.”
    “Katie that’s impossible, remember no one lives close for miles.” I gave Katie her plate of pancakes and changed the subject. After breakfast, Katie wanted to take her dolls outside and play. It was a beautiful day. The sun shone bright in contrast to the autumn nip in the air, as winter tauntingly revealed how close it lay. I bundled Katie up and told her to stay close to the back door while she played. I fixed myself a cup of coffee, and started sorting through our important papers. I picked up our contract to the house just to look at it one more time. Mr. and Mrs. Jim and Barbara Delarose; it felt so exciting to finally own our first home. While going through the box, I came across some baby pictures of Katie. Looking at her precious pictures I could not help but wonder what he would look like. Would he be born with a head full of dark hair like Katie? I continuously referred to the baby as if I knew what sex it was, but Jim and I opted to wait until the baby was born. I wondered if he would have the same temperament as our daughter Katie. She had always been a somewhat mild-mannered child. She enjoyed just playing alone with her dolls. Jim often voiced his concern. He felt maybe she was a little too shy, but I did not worry too much. I knew things would change when she started school. It was obvious; she had inherited Jim’s beautiful blue eyes and dark hair, and my shy disposition. I had many nicknames in school due to my bright auburn hair and full lips. Little did