Pitch Perfect SpookFest 2022 - Day 1
Fear of the Dark
Summary: Beca and Chloe's daughter, Sophie, is afraid of the dark. One night she wakes up screaming and tells her moms that she heard a monster under her bed. Beca looks under the bed and assures Sophie there is no monster under the bed. However, Sophie doesn't believe it and gets upset.
Two-year-old Sophie Beale snuggled into Chloe's neck as she was carried up to her room.
"Light, mommy," Sophie said as Chloe started to enter the darkened room.
"I know, sweetie," Chloe said, flipping on the light switch. "Look, no more dark."
"No more dark," Sophie mumbled. "Dark is scawy."
"Don't worry, Soph," Beca said. "We'll always leave a light on for you."
Chloe laid Sophie down, and Beca grabbed a book.
"Do you want me or mommy to read to you tonight?" Beca asked.
"Mommy," Sophie said.
"I can't blame you, kiddo," Beca said. "I'd choose mommy every time."
Chloe smiled as she accepted both the book and a kiss from Beca.
"I love you, too," Chloe murmured against Beca's lips.
Twenty minutes later, Sophie was sleeping soundly. Beca and Chloe kissed her cheek and left Sophie's room.
"Are you ready for bed yet?" Chloe asked.
Beca smiled and took Chloe's hands in hers. "Yes, but not to sleep."
Chloe giggled and allowed Beca to lead her to their room.
Two hours later, Sophie sat up in bed and looked around; it was dark in her room. Sophie hated the dark. Her eyes widened when she heard something under the bed. She hugged her stuffed red panda to her.
"Mommy! Mama!" Sophie yelled.
Beca and Chloe both jumped up and ran to their daughter's room.
"What's wrong?" Chloe asked as she entered the room.
Beca ran to the bed and pulled the crying toddler into her arms.
"No dark," Sophie cried.
Chloe ran and switched the light on again.
"How did that get turned off?" Chloe mumbled.
"It's okay, Soph," Beca said, hugging the young girl to her. "Mommy and mama are here."
Sophie cried into Beca's chest as Chloe came and stood next to them.
"Did you have a bad dream, baby girl?" Chloe asked, rubbing Sophie's back.
Sophie shook her head and sniffled.
"No," Sophie said, hiccoughing. "Th-there's a mo-monster under my-my bed. I heared it."
Chloe wiped the tears from Sophie's face and smiled at her.
"Do you want mama to scare away the monster for you?" Chloe asked.
Sophie nodded and looked at Beca. "Mama? Pwease?"
"On it," Beca said, passing Sophie over to Chloe.
Beca kissed Sophie's cheek and then got down on her hands and knees to look under the bed.
"Go away, monster," Beca shouted. "Sophie doesn't want you here, so leave. Get out!"
Beca crawled around the bed as Sophie hugged Chloe and watched. Beca yelled for the monster to leave as she crawled all the way around the bed. She finally stood and went over to Sophie and Chloe.
"He's gone," Beca said. "I promise."
"You sure?" Sophie asked, looking around the bed.
"I'm sure," Beca said, smiling at Sophie. "Let's get you back to bed. It's late."
"No!" Sophie screamed, tightening her hold around Chloe's neck. "Dark is scawy."
Beca looked at Chloe, and Chloe looked back at her. They had a conversation with their eyes and nodded their heads.
"Do you want to sleep with mommy and mama?" Chloe asked.
Sophie just nodded, sniffling as Chloe wiped her tears away.
The little family left Sophie's room and started for Beca and Chloe's room.
"Check monsters?" Sophie asked Beca as they reached the door.
"You want me to check to see if there are monsters in our room?"
Sophie nodded again.
"Okay," Beca said. "You and mommy wait here, and I'll make sure there are no monsters, okay?"
"Kay," Sophie said.
Beca turned on the bedside lamp and made a big show of checking under the bed and around the room as Sophie watched from the doorway.
"We are monster-free," Beca said. "No monsters; I promise."
"Ready to go back to sleep?" Chloe asked as she carried Sophie to the bed.
"Yes," Sophie said.
Chloe laid Sophie down and climbed into the bed with her. She adjusted the covers and placed Sophie's stuffed red panda next to Sophie. Sophie pulled the stuffed red panda to her and moved her head to Chloe's chest.
"Goodnight, sweet girl," Chloe whispered as she kissed the top of Sophie's head.
"Night, mommy," Sophie mumbled and closed her eyes.
Two minutes later, Chloe looked down and saw that Sophie was asleep.
"She's out," Chloe whispered to Beca. "I'll leave the light on in case she wakes up."
"Okay," Beca whispered.
Beca kissed the back of Sophie's head, then leaned up to kiss Chloe.
"Goodnight, babe."
~~ Pitch Perfect SpookFest 2022 - Day 1 ~~
Beca's alarm ringing woke her the next morning. She reached over and turned it off, then yawned and stretched. Noticing the bedside lamp was off, she clicked it on and looked over, checking to ensure she didn't wake Chloe or Sophie. Sophie wasn't there.
"Sophie?" Beca said, lifting the blankets to see if she was hiding under them.
Sophie was not under the covers, and Beca reached over to shake Chloe awake.
"Chlo, wake up," Beca said. "Sophie's not here."
"What?!" Chloe yelled, jumping out of bed.
Chloe grabbed the blankets off the bed, frantically hoping she was just hiding from Beca.
"She's not here, Chloe," Beca said, trying to remain calm.
"Maybe she's in her room," Chloe said, running out of their bedroom.
She careened around the door and into Sophie's room.
"Sophie!?" Chloe cried. "Bec, she's not in here either!"
"I'll check the rest of the house," Beca called out as she ran for the stairs.
Beca was starting to panic as she ran through the house, calling out for Sophie. Not finding her, Beca ran back to Sophie's room. She stopped just inside the door when she saw Chloe sitting on the floor with her back against Sophie's bed, the tracks of her tears visible as she clutched Sophie's stuffed red panda to her chest.
"Sophie can't sleep without this," Chloe said, holding out the stuffed red panda Beca had given Sophie just a few months before. "She had it with her when we took her to our room last night."
Beca's heart broke at the sadness in Chloe's voice.
"Where, um, where did you find it?" Beca asked.
"Right here," Chloe said, patting the spot next to her as she looked down at the floor. "It was just lying here like it fell off her bed."
"Mommy?"
Chloe's head jerked up, and she looked at Beca. "Did you hear that? I think it came from the closet."
Chloe jumped up and rushed to the closet, throwing the door open. "Sophie? Baby, are you hiding from mommy and mama? Sophie?" Chloe was frantic as she looked back at Beca. "She's not here!"
Beca grabbed Chloe just before she collapsed to the floor.
"We should call-"
"Mommy? Mama? It's dark, and I'm afwaid. Where are you?"
Beca stopped and listened.
"Sophie?!" Beca screamed. "Say something so mama can find you?"
"I'm here, mama," Sophie said. "It's dark, and I'm afwaid."
Beca could hear the fear in Sophie's voice and stood and turned in place several times. Chloe remained seated on the floor, watching Beca.
"Soph? I need you to talk to me," Beca called out, moving to stand next to Sophie's bed. "I can't find you if I can't hear you."
"I'm here, mama," Sophie said, crying now.
Beca looked at the wall. She could have sworn Sophie's voice was coming from behind the wall. She stood with her ear to the wall and called out, "Sophie?"
"Mama?" Sophie said.
Beca jerked back from the wall.
"She's in the wall?" Beca muttered. "Chloe, she's in the wall!" she screamed.
"What?!" Chloe asked, scrambling to stand.
"She's in the wall," Beca said, frantically looking for something to break through the wall.
Beca couldn't find anything, so she started punching and tearing at the wall with her bare hands.
"Beca, stop!" Chloe yelled, grabbing Beca and trying to pull her back from the wall.
Beca slunk down to the floor with Chloe holding her. Beca held her hands out as she sobbed, tears streaming down her face.
"She's in the wall," Beca mumbled as Chloe held her and stroked her back. "I can hear her in the wall."
"It's okay, baby," Chloe murmured. "We'll get someone to get her out, okay?"
Beca sobbed louder. Sophie needed her, and she was failing her and Chloe.
~~ Pitch Perfect SpookFest 2022 - Day 1 ~~
Several hours later, after a trip to the ER, Beca was back home with both hands wrapped in bandages. She immediately ran to Sophie's bedroom to find several holes in the wall where Chloe had convinced the firefighters that had come because of her 9-1-1 call that they could hear Sophie in the wall. The firefighters began tearing into the wall as Beca was taken away to the hospital.
Chloe let Beca go to Sophie's room while she slowly made her way to their room. She lay on the bed and hugged the pillow as tears streamed down her face.
Meanwhile, Beca remained in Sophie's room.
"Mama!"
Beca stepped over some of the debris and stood staring at the wall.
"Mama! Help me!"
Beca felt so helpless. Her baby needed her, and she couldn't do anything to help her. Beca let out a frustrated scream and dropped to her knees.
Chloe covered her ears with the pillow so she couldn't hear Beca's screams. It was taking all she had to hold her own screams in.
"Mama!"
Beca could hear the fear in Sophie's voice. She was frustrated and looked for something to throw. She picked up one of Sophie's toys and let out a primal scream as she threw it at the wall. But, instead of hitting the wall and bouncing off, it disappeared into the wall.
"What the Hell?" Beca said, standing and wiping her eyes.
She went over to the wall and looked at it. She ran her hand down, and suddenly it disappeared into the wall. She pulled her hand back and dropped to her knees to look at the spot on the wall.
The toy suddenly came flying back out, just as Sophie's voice called out to her.
"Mama?"
"Mama's here, baby girl," Beca said. "I'm coming to get you. Stay where you are. Mama's coming."
Knowing she had to go after Sophie and unsure of what to expect, Beca bent down and stuck her hand through the wall again. When she reached in as far as her arm would go and nothing happened, she leaned down and put her head through the wall. It was dark and cold, but she pushed on, and soon her entire body made it through the wall.
Beca stood and let her eyes adjust to the dark as best she could. It was difficult to see anything more than a few inches in front of her. She could hear whistling and clicking noises. She shivered and looked around as her eyes adjusted to the dark.
"Mama!"
"I'm here, baby," Beca called into the darkness. "I'm here. Call out again so I can find you."
"Mama!"
Beca held her arms out in front of her and moved in the direction she thought Sophie was calling from. She jumped and screamed when her hand bumped into something.
"Sophie?"
"I'm here, mama!"
Beca pulled her hands back when Sophie's voice came to her from a distance. She inhaled sharply and kept moving through the dark, hoping she was moving toward Sophie.
"Mama."
Beca kept moving and calling out for Sophie. After what seemed like an eternity, she called out once again for Sophie.
"Mama," Sophie responded, and Beca knew she was close.
Beca reached out, and suddenly Sophie was in her arms. Tears fell down her cheeks as she hugged Sophie to her.
"Mama!" Sophie cried, hugging Beca as hard as she could.
"I got you, Sophie," Beca cried. "Mama's got you."
"I want to go home," Sophie cried. "It's dark, and I'm scawed. I want mommy."
"I know, baby," Beca said. "Just close your eyes and think of mommy. Mama's going to get you home to mommy, I promise."
Beca looked around and still couldn't see more than a few inches in front of her. Then, suddenly, a small point of light showed off in the distance.
"There's a light, baby," Beca said. "We're going to go to that light and find mommy, okay?"
"Kay, mama."
~~ Pitch Perfect SpookFest 2022 - Day 1 ~~
Chloe followed the same routine she'd followed for the past two years. She wrapped her robe around her and shuffled down the hall, stopping at the door to Sophie's room. She pressed her palm against the door before opening it and looking inside. Everything was exactly as it had been for the past two years.
Chloe crossed her arms and leaned her head and shoulder against the door jamb. She couldn't believe it had been two years ago today that she lost the two people who were her whole world.
As Chloe stood there, her mind wandered back to the week after Beca and Sophie had gone missing.
"What did you do to your wife and daughter, Mrs. Beale?" the detective asked. "Where are they?"
"I didn't do anything to them," Chloe said, her voice monotone as she held her head in her hands. "They just disappeared, and I don't know where they are."
"People don't just disappear into thin air," the detective said. "Things will go easier for you if you just tell us where they are."
"I don't know," Chloe cried. "If I knew where they were, I'd be with them right now."
Chloe shivered at the memory. If it hadn't been for her best friend, Aubrey, she would probably be in jail. Or a psychiatric hospital.
The police had no evidence of foul play in the disappearance of Sophie and Beca Beale, so Aubrey threatened to file a harassment suit against the LA PD if they didn't leave Chloe alone. After that, they had no choice but to send Chloe home and mark the case as unsolved. To this day, it was still unsolved.
Chloe prayed every day that Beca and Sophie would be found and brought home, but she was starting to give up hope of that ever happening.
Chloe shook her head and chuckled lightly. Home. It wasn't a home without Beca and Sophie; it was just a house. The two loves of her life were what made it home, and they were gone.
"Still," she muttered.
Chloe sighed and reached to close the door. She often felt bad that the room was in such disarray, but she couldn't bring herself to do anything about it. So she kept the door closed, hoping to hide the memories of the last place she saw her wife and daughter.
"Mommy?"
Chloe froze with her hand on the knob and listened. Her mind must be playing tricks on her as she thought she heard Sophie calling for her. She shook her head and started to pull the door closed.
"Mommy?"
The voice sounded closer, and Chloe shoved open the door, causing it to hit the wall.
"Sophie?" Chloe said as she heard a rustling sound near the head of Sophie's bed and looked over.
Chloe gasped; she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Sophie seemed to appear from thin air, coming from the wall and running toward her. Chloe dropped to her knees and grabbed Sophie to her; she was crying and laughing as she peppered Sophie's face with kisses.
"Oh, my baby," Chloe cried, hugging Sophie tight to her.
"Chlo?" Beca's voice pulled Chloe out of her joyful reunion with Sophie.
Chloe looked over to see Beca standing near the wall in the same spot Sophie had just come from.
"Oh, my God!" Chloe yelled. "Beca!?"
Chloe stood, still holding onto Sophie. She rushed over to Beca and grabbed her arm, pulling her into a hug.
"I did it, Chlo," Beca said, squeezing Chloe and Sophie as tight as she could, her hands clenching the back of Chloe's robe as tears ran down both their faces. "I got our Sophie back."
Chloe smiled the first real smile to adorn her face since Beca and Sophie went missing. She hugged Beca and Sophie tighter and kissed Sophie's cheek.
"I've missed you both so much," Chloe cried. "It's been the longest two years of my life."
"Two years?!" Beca cried, pulling back from Chloe. "That can't be right."
"It's true," Chloe said. "You and Sophie have been missing for two years, Beca."
"No," Beca said, confused. "Look at Sophie. She hasn't aged a day. And I still have the bandages on my hands. I swear, it feels like we were only gone for a couple of hours."
Chloe looked closer at Sophie and realized Beca was right; Sophie looked exactly as she did when she disappeared down to wearing the same clothing. Clothing that fit the two-year-old perfectly.
"This doesn't make any sense," Chloe said, tears continuing to run down her cheeks. "I swear to you, Beca, I've been in a living hell for two years, not knowing where either of you were or when, or if, you'd be coming back."
Beca shook her head as she looked at the wall that transported her and Sophie to some weird dimension where about two hours had passed for them, but two years had passed outside the wall.
"I know this probably goes without saying, but we're moving," Beca declared.