Free Night Light by Terri Blackstock Page B

a try, but I’m not making no promises.”
    “That’s good enough for me,” Doug said.

twelve
    D ENI HELPED TUCK THE TWO SMALLER CHILDREN INTO BED IN Beth’s bedroom that night, while her father helped the older two settle in. She felt the need to lock up everything she had that she didn’t want stolen, but something told her not to. Maybe these kids would respond to being treated more like treasures than trash. She would try it with the younger two, anyway.
    The two seemed content as she tucked them into bed, and Sarah, who had pulled a nasty little teddy bear out of her backpack, clutched it against her as she sucked her thumb. She looked so sweet lying there with her hair combed and those tendrils falling into her eyes.
    Deni led them in a prayer, something the children seemed unfamiliar with, then kissed them both goodnight and left them with smiles on their faces. Then she and Beth got into her own bed.
    “She’s so cute,” Beth whispered. “I hope we get to keep her.”
    Deni pushed Beth’s blonde hair out of her eyes. “What about the other three?”
    “Luke is cute too, but I don’t know about Joey and Aaron. They’re kind of scary. I keep thinking of when I came in and found them today. They looked so evil.”
    “You gotta hand it to them, though. They do seem to care about each other.”
    “Think they’ll stay all night?”
    “I hope so, for Luke and Sarah’s sake,” Deni said. “But who knows what Aaron and Joey will do?”
    Beth got up on her elbow and looked at the doorway. “Let’s lock it, Deni.”
    “No, we have to leave it open so I can hear if one of them cries.”
    “Or if they sneak out?”
    “Yeah. If they try, we need to stop them. Mom and Dad can’t hear from downstairs.” She blew out the lamp. “I doubt I’ll sleep much tonight.”
     
     
    A NOISE WOKE D ENI IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AND SHE SAT upright. She heard a child crying. Beth lay beside her, undisturbed.
    The crying grew louder, so Deni slid out of bed and felt her way through the doorway. She moved into the dark hallway. As her eyes adjusted, she saw little Sarah standing there, hand against the wall, lost in her new surroundings.
    Deni stooped in front of her. “Sarah? What’s the matter?”
    The child’s screaming went up an octave. “Aaron!”
    “I’m here, Sarah.” Aaron emerged from the darkness of Logan’s room, and he picked her up. She was too big for a boy of his size to hold like that, but her weight didn’t seem to faze him.
    “I’m scared!” Sarah cried.
    “Don’t be scared.” His voice was a gentle whisper. “We’re at those people’s house, remember?”
    Her crying quieted then, as if it had taken his reminder to put things into context. She looked up at Deni.
    “What scared you?” Deni asked.
    Sarah sniffled and whimpered.
    “She has bad dreams,” Aaron said. “She’s used to sleeping with us, so when she wakes up nights I’m usually real close.”
    Deni stroked the child’s curls. “Well, why don’t you come sleep with Beth and me? I have a nice big bed.”
    Sarah rubbed her eyes.
    “It’s okay,” Aaron said. “I can take care of her. She can come sleep with me.”
    “No, I want to sleep with Deni!”
    Deni smiled and took her from her brother’s arms. “We girls gotta stick together, don’t we, kiddo?”
    Aaron clearly didn’t like it.
    “It’s okay, Aaron. Let her sleep with Beth and me. It’ll be all right.”
    “But what about Luke? He doesn’t want to sleep by hisself.”
    “Then you can go sleep with him,” Deni said.
    He sighed as if he’d been forced to give in, and finally Deni took the little girl back to her room and put her on the bed between herself and Beth. Beth turned over. “What’s going on?”
    “Sarah had a nightmare,” Deni said. “She’s going to sleep with us.”
    “Cool.” Beth moved over so Sarah could share her pillow, then she put her arm around the little girl. “I like having sleeping buddies.”
    Sarah put her