It seemed as if she had been lying in the darkness for an eternity.
She turned her head and checked the soft green glow of the bedside clock: 12:17. Other than the rustle of her own fidgeting she had heard no other sound for more than an hour. Although she had promised herself she would wait until 12:30, she felt as though she would explode if she remained where she was even one minute longer.
Sliding out from under the covers fully clothed, she carefully arranged the pillows and blankets, then pulled a backpack from under the bed. She slipped on a jacket that had been hanging on the handle of the closet door before shrugging the backpack into place. Even though the floor was carpeted she felt compelled to tiptoe as she stole across the room to the door. After listening intently for sounds emanating from the house beyond her bedroom, she slowly opened the door and peered out. Upon confirming its emptiness she stepped into the hallway and quietly closed the door behind her. By the illumination of a nightlight she made her way past the bathroom and her brothers' bedroom, toward the stairs, all the while focusing her attention on the door of her parents' room at the far end of the hallway.
When she reached the staircase she began to creep down. After descending five steps she grabbed a rail in either hand and swung herself forward, landing lightly onto the seventh step in order to avoid the invariable creak of the sixth. At the bottom of the stairway she turned right and tiptoed into the kitchen. Instead of flipping on the overhead light, she opened the refrigerator and used its illumination to first take a bottle of orange-flavored milk from inside, then a package of crackers from the pantry. She reached over her shoulder to unzip the top of her backpack and dropped the items into it. She had started to zip it closed when a sound behind her stopped her cold.
"Rina?" a small voice called.
She whirled around to find a pajama-clad boy sleepily gazing up at her.
"Nicholas!" she hissed, adrenaline flooding her body. "What are you doing up?"
"I need a drink," he replied, rubbing one eye.
As she tried to calm her pounding heart, she turned to take a cup from the cabinet. Filling it with water, she whispered, "If I get you a drink will you go straight back to bed?"
"Yeah," he answered a bit too loudly for her comfort.
"Shhh!" she hissed again, handing him the cup.
He drank it greedily and gave it back. "Where are you going?"
"Nowhere," she replied, stashing the cup in the dishwasher.
"You're wearing your coat," he pointed out.
She looked down at him with growing annoyance. "Look, if I give you a piece of candy will you go back to bed without waking anyone else up?"
He nodded eagerly and she reached for a glass bowl sitting on top of the refrigerator. Feeling around for something she could unwrap quietly, she finally settled on a tiny Tootsie Roll which she also hoped would be chewy enough to keep the little boy's mouth busy.
She handed the candy to him and he popped it into his mouth.
A slow smile lit up his face. "I love you, Rina," he slurred, brown juice trickling from the corner of his mouth.
Shaking her head, she smiled affectionately and planted a kiss on his round upturned face. "I love you too, Nicky." She wiped his chin and turned him around so that he was facing the stairs. Giving his backside a firm pat, she whispered, "I'll give you another piece of candy tomorrow if you go back to your room without waking anyone up." As he took a step forward, she grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. "But you only get it if you don't tell anyone we were down here tonight. If Mom or Dad find out we'll both be in big trouble. Promise?"
He nodded happily and she kissed the top of his blond head. "Good-night, Nicky."
She watched until he disappeared at the top of the stairs and waited a moment longer to make sure he didn't return. Turning back to the kitchen, she closed the refrigerator and quietly made her way to the door that led to the garage. Opening it few inches she squeezed through and closed it again. Trailing her fingers down the side of her father's sedan, she cautiously guided herself through the inky blackness. Three steps past she fumbled for the knob of the door that led outside. The rusty squeak of its hinges made her cringe as she slowly opened it. She patted the outside pocket of her backpack to make sure she had her house key and then relocked the door before closing it behind her.
After a quick glance over her shoulder to confirm that her parents' bedroom window was still dark, she inhaled the cool air deeply and then shuddered with anticipation before setting off into the night.