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

I know later that would be considered sexy.
     
    Just as I was about to pour myself another cup of coffee, I heard Katie talking outside the back door. She often did that when playing with her dolls. As I listened closer, I heard something that sent chills up my spine. Another little voice said, “Your mommy will leave you too!” I turned around and looked out the back door, only to find Katie playing alone. I called to her to come inside.
     
    “Whom were you talking to?”
    “The little girl I told you about mama. She said her name was Laura. She’s sad. She said her mama and daddy left her alone along time ago. I told her she could play with my dolls whenever she wanted, and that she could live with us. That’s okay, isn’t it mommy?”
     
    Not knowing what to expect next, I tried to put on a face to cover my fear and said, “Sure, baby. Why don’t you ask her to come inside for a snack?”
    “She had to go, but she said she would come back later and play with me.”
     
    I was sure I must have been mistaken. I could not have possibly heard another voice. All I heard was Katie talking to her dolls. At least, that is what I kept telling myself. Anything else just did not make sense. Katie had never been one to make up such a story. Extremely concerned, I decided to play along with her story for now, and discuss it later with Jim when he returned home from work.
     
    I knew Jim would be out late. He worked hard, trying to make as many contacts as he could. Starting up a furniture business and trying to sell his ideas for a new line of furniture would not be an easy task. However, we were optimistic and I had always believed in my husband’s talents. Right before Katie was born, he surprised me by designing and making all of the furniture for the nursery. The day he surprised me with it he said, “Barbara, I wanted to make something special for the baby, something that would last for all time, like the love between us.” I knew then I had found my soul mate.
     
    Darkness threatened to close in around the house, as the hour hand on the clock crept upwards; I started preparing a bath for Katie and helped her into the tub. I wanted to surprise her with some hot chocolate, so I went down to the kitchen to pour her a cup. I stopped suddenly as my body shuddered, and gazed at the wide open door out into the cold dark night. Wide open? How? My mind worked but could think of no way it could have occurred by chance or accident. I was even more frightened to find the hot chocolate I’d prepared minutes earlier on the stove had already been poured into two of my cups. It appeared as though it had just been poured. I immediately shut and locked the door and continued trying to make sense of it all. Could I have left the door open earlier? Had I already filled the cups and had just forgot? I shook my head and hurried back up the stairs to check on Katie. Then to my horror Katie asked, “Mommy you won’t be mad if I ruin your surprise… will ya?”
     
    “What surprise, Katie?”
    “Laura told me you made me some hot chocolate. Can she have some too?”
    “Katie are you talking about your make believe friend?”
    “No mommy. Remember, she was here earlier playing with me.”
    I took a deep breath and tried to look like I was in control.
    “Sure she can, baby. Where is she? I’ll take her a cup.”
    “She’s waiting for us in my bedroom,” Katie said without hesitating.
    I wasn’t sure what to do next. I kept telling myself this is just an innocent child’s game, but everything in my body was telling me it was something more.
     
    I wrapped the towel around Katie and we started slowly towards her room. With each step I took towards Katie’s room, my mind took me back to when I was a little girl after watching a scary movie. I remembered the fear; not wanting to go into my room, fearing the unknown. I felt it again, no longer the small bunched up fear of childhood, but the full grown fear that clutched at my