but I couldn’t visually detect even the hint of a shadow.
Breathe. Don’t hyperventilate. This is no time to panic.
My body disagreed. It insisted that this was actually the perfect time to panic. My knees buckled and I crumpled to the floor.
I needed to get my bearings. From the doorway, I could follow the wall to the closet, where I could hide. I crawled slowly to where the door should have been but my hands touched nothing but empty space. I groped around in all directions, but found nothing but floor. No walls, no furniture, even my bed seemed to be missing. I was lost.
I felt like Helen Keller. Yeah, and she didn’t give up, so neither will I, I thought with determination.
I crawled forward further. Sooner or later I was bound to run into something.
The basement stairs. Oh, no!
Maybe I wasn’t in the bedroom anymore! For all I knew I was about to plunge headfirst down the stairs into the basement.
I’d reached my limit. Newfound courage melted away and violent tremors shook my body as sobs took over. I curled into a ball, hugging my knees to my chest. The feel of the cool floor beneath me was comforting. I caressed the polished hardwood with my hand, relieved to feel something solid, a familiar texture.
My hand touched something soft.
What is this? A piece of my clothing?
I touched the object again and it was definitely fabric, with something solid underneath. A piece of furniture, perhaps.
And then it moved, and something grasped my wrist.
It was a hand.
I screamed, long and loud. I no longer cared who heard me because the intruders had already found me. My only hope now was that one of the neighbors would hear me and call the police.
“HELP ME! HEEELLLP!” I screamed over and over, until I ran out of breath and my voice went hoarse. My face was soaked in sweat. At some point during my screaming fit, the intruder released his grip on me.
I covered my head with my arms and squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for daylight or death, whichever came first.
“Help me,” I whimpered. “Please, somebody help me.”
“I’m here for you, Dana,” a voice came through the darkness.
It was Colin. I could hear him as clearly as if he were in the room with me. The sound of his voice equally soothed and terrified me. My laptop was turned off, so how the hell was I able to hear him?
Maybe he was the intruder! Maybe he wasn’t a charming psychology student at all, but a creepy Internet stalker.
No! Not him! Not my Colin! I refused to believe Colin was anything but sweet, but an alternative explanation eluded me.
The darkness was darker than anything I’d ever seen. It felt thick, suffocating, like a wool blanket over my face.
“Colin?” I whispered.
“I’m sorry, Dana. I’m so sorry.”
Why? I wondered. Please don’t tell me you’re sorry you’re about to kill me.
“I’m going to stay right here by your side. You’re going to be okay.”
“I’m scared, Colin.”
“I’m going to stay right here beside you,” he repeated, “I’m not going to leave you, Dana.”
“Stay with me, please. I need you.”
“Please wake up, Dana. Please.” His voice broke on the second ‘please’.
Is he crying? What the hell for?
“Please wake up,” he whispered again.
I’m trying to, Colin!
* * *
When I woke, I was safe in my bed. Moonlight streamed through the windows, bathing the room in a soothing glow. Then I realized that it wasn’t moonlight, but my LED nightlights, which were once again working.
What a freaky dream. It sounded like Colin was right here in the room with me.
I got up and checked the light switch and confirmed that the power was on. My laptop sat on its table beside the bed, closed and shut off, just the way I had left it. I opened it and pressed the power button.
The digital clock beside the bed said 4:25.
Wait a minute.
The clock wasn’t blinking. I looked at my computer and confirmed that it was indeed 4:25 am. Colin wouldn’t be up for at least another
Breathe. Don’t hyperventilate. This is no time to panic.
My body disagreed. It insisted that this was actually the perfect time to panic. My knees buckled and I crumpled to the floor.
I needed to get my bearings. From the doorway, I could follow the wall to the closet, where I could hide. I crawled slowly to where the door should have been but my hands touched nothing but empty space. I groped around in all directions, but found nothing but floor. No walls, no furniture, even my bed seemed to be missing. I was lost.
I felt like Helen Keller. Yeah, and she didn’t give up, so neither will I, I thought with determination.
I crawled forward further. Sooner or later I was bound to run into something.
The basement stairs. Oh, no!
Maybe I wasn’t in the bedroom anymore! For all I knew I was about to plunge headfirst down the stairs into the basement.
I’d reached my limit. Newfound courage melted away and violent tremors shook my body as sobs took over. I curled into a ball, hugging my knees to my chest. The feel of the cool floor beneath me was comforting. I caressed the polished hardwood with my hand, relieved to feel something solid, a familiar texture.
My hand touched something soft.
What is this? A piece of my clothing?
I touched the object again and it was definitely fabric, with something solid underneath. A piece of furniture, perhaps.
And then it moved, and something grasped my wrist.
It was a hand.
I screamed, long and loud. I no longer cared who heard me because the intruders had already found me. My only hope now was that one of the neighbors would hear me and call the police.
“HELP ME! HEEELLLP!” I screamed over and over, until I ran out of breath and my voice went hoarse. My face was soaked in sweat. At some point during my screaming fit, the intruder released his grip on me.
I covered my head with my arms and squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for daylight or death, whichever came first.
“Help me,” I whimpered. “Please, somebody help me.”
“I’m here for you, Dana,” a voice came through the darkness.
It was Colin. I could hear him as clearly as if he were in the room with me. The sound of his voice equally soothed and terrified me. My laptop was turned off, so how the hell was I able to hear him?
Maybe he was the intruder! Maybe he wasn’t a charming psychology student at all, but a creepy Internet stalker.
No! Not him! Not my Colin! I refused to believe Colin was anything but sweet, but an alternative explanation eluded me.
The darkness was darker than anything I’d ever seen. It felt thick, suffocating, like a wool blanket over my face.
“Colin?” I whispered.
“I’m sorry, Dana. I’m so sorry.”
Why? I wondered. Please don’t tell me you’re sorry you’re about to kill me.
“I’m going to stay right here by your side. You’re going to be okay.”
“I’m scared, Colin.”
“I’m going to stay right here beside you,” he repeated, “I’m not going to leave you, Dana.”
“Stay with me, please. I need you.”
“Please wake up, Dana. Please.” His voice broke on the second ‘please’.
Is he crying? What the hell for?
“Please wake up,” he whispered again.
I’m trying to, Colin!
* * *
When I woke, I was safe in my bed. Moonlight streamed through the windows, bathing the room in a soothing glow. Then I realized that it wasn’t moonlight, but my LED nightlights, which were once again working.
What a freaky dream. It sounded like Colin was right here in the room with me.
I got up and checked the light switch and confirmed that the power was on. My laptop sat on its table beside the bed, closed and shut off, just the way I had left it. I opened it and pressed the power button.
The digital clock beside the bed said 4:25.
Wait a minute.
The clock wasn’t blinking. I looked at my computer and confirmed that it was indeed 4:25 am. Colin wouldn’t be up for at least another
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