NOCTURNAL NOISES

"Red, Red, wake up I heard I again."

Reluctantly Red Forman opened his eyes. Kitty's menopause was over for a few years now. "Oh God." He thought to himself. "Maybe it has come back."

Red took a deep breath. "Go back to sleep Kitty, it's nothing."

"No, no Red." Kitty exclaimed as she rapidly shook him. "I hear it every night about this time."

Sighing Red sat up and looked at his wife. "Look Kitty, I think you have some of those happy pills left. Do you want one?" Red had a hopeful expression on his face as he was about to rise from the covers.

"Red Forman, don't you talk to me like that. There is nothing wrong with me and every night I have been hearing noises about this time."

Red swung his legs over the side of the bed and looked at the well-used alarm clock on his night stand. "Kitty it's twelve thirty. Most likely Laurie or Steven has come home."

No Red listen to me. I know what it sounds like when Steven comes home, this is different. Maybe someone is trying to steal our babies?" With that said Kitty threw off her covers and jumped out of bed.

"Now, now Kitty come back to bed. If anyone wanted to steal Steven, they'd bring him back trust me."

Kitty turned on the light. "Laurie Red, what about Laurie, what if someone wanted to steal her? Remember she lives here now."

At the mention of his beloved daughter's name Red snapped to attention. "You're right, let's check her room."

Knocking softly, there was no reply. Kitty the slowly opened the door and peered in. "Red! She's been stolen. Laurie is not here."

Quietly and slowly Red and Kitty inched their way down the stairs. Upon reaching bottom Red played his flashlight over the walls everything was as it should be; front door locked and the windows locked. To make sure Red walked up to the window by the door and tried to raise it. "Nothing here Kitty."

Just then they heard a noise in the basement. "Oh Red they're trying to steal our Laurie out through the basement door."

Swiftly and Quietly Red and Kitty walked down the stairs into the basement. The basement was quiet and undisturbed. "Kitty you're just hearing things there is nothing to be seen here."

"No, no Red you look outside and see if they are dragging Laurie into the woods. I'll make sure that Steven is Okay."

"Whatever Kitty." Red opened the basement door and walked out to just to make his newly again menopausal wife happy.

Kitty opened the door to Steven's room her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh no, no this can't be. "Red will kill Steven if he finds out." Raced through her mind.

Slowly Kitty backed away from the site of Laurie wrapped up in Stevens arms. To make it worse she spied Laurie's night gown folded neatly across the chair. Kitty had her hands at her mouth making the Shhh noise, as if she was invisible backing out. Suddenly she backed into an unmovable object.

"A wall maybe, she prayed." Turning around she stared into the grim visage of her husband. "Oh Red." She pleaded. "Please don't kill him, He's like a son to us, and, and maybe it is not as it seems, you know it could be Laurie sneaking down."

Red took Kitty's arm and led her out of the room. "Come on Kitty we don't need to be here."

"Oh honey, I'm so relieved, you're not going to kill Steven."

"Of course not Kitty, I'm just going to congratulate Steven on his new engagement."

"When did they get engaged honey?" Kitty looked up at Red with a puzzled expression.

With a smile Red replied. "They're not engaged, but they will be engaged by breakfast. Let's go to bed."

On his way to bed Red smiled to himself and thought "At least she isn't in bed with kettle head. And Steven, well Steven reminded him of himself. Laurie could have done worse."

THE END