Watching Me Sleep (14/73)

Just as she had finished her sentence, Jack walked in the room and was now standing right behind her. I instantly jolted back in my seat. I could not breathe, all I could hear was the thoughts screaming in my head, why is he here, why is he here, why is he here, oh my god we are going to die. Still holding my hand with hers, my mother reached her other hand up and took Jacks. I could not comprehend what was happening.

Just 30 minutes before this moment everything was wonderful and now it was not. I no longer felt safe, not one bit. The both of them proceeded to tell me that they were going to get back together and that they were going make sure nothing bad ever happened again. Jack reached out and grabbed my hand and apologised for scaring me, hurting my mother, and wanted me to know that he would never do anything to hurt me. I hoped that he meant he would not come into my room ever again, that he would never touch me again and that he would leave me alone. Unfortunately, that would not be the case. Later that night I awoke to him sitting on the end of my bed watching me sleep in the dark………    

I thought I was dreaming. A nightmare to be exact but he was real this time. When Jack realised that I saw him he slowly started to move towards me whispering ‘it’s okay I wont hurt you’. Once I was sitting up and seemed moderately awake he began to bombarded me with questions.

Did you tell anyone about us? Did anyone ask you about us? Did your mother ask you about us? What did the people ask you where you staying? Did anyone come and see your mother? Are you sure you did not tell anyone? You have to tell me if you did……. So did you?

I shook my head no and asked if I could go back to sleep. After a brief pause where he just stared at me as if he was trying to read if I was lying or not he said yes go back to sleep. Jack got up from my bed and turned off the light as laid back down and pulled the covers up all the way to my neck hoping it would block him from touching me.

He did turn back around after turning out the light and placed his mouth right beside my ear as he grabbed a fist full of my hair and said, ‘that’s a good girl, I will kill them all if you even think about talking. So continue to keep your mouth shut!’. My heart stopped! I thought it was all over! We were safe! Oh my god what is happening, how is this happening! Those were the thoughts that ran thru my head as my paralyzed body laid there praying for him to leave the room. The tears ran down my face in an uncontrollable steady stream as I tried to take a breath as he removed his hand from my head.

As he left the room I pulled the covers right up over my head and squezzed my favorite stuffy ‘Sylvester the Cat’ close into my chest and let myself cry. Which I did for most of that night. I was back in the nightmare, with no way out.