Dear Daddy,
Last night I had the worst dream. It was about the bad man like usual, but this time it was different. I was sitting at the table, coloring a picture of my family. It had me and Mommy, Angel, Uncle Bailey and his daughter Frances, Uncle George and Rich, Auntie Grace, Morgan, and Jason and I was in the middle of drawing John. John was talking to Mommy in the background. She was cooking and John was laughing a lot. I turned around to see what was so funny, but something was in the way. I stood up and the bad man was there beside the counter. He was laughing while he stirred something in a drink. And he bent down to my level and whispered, "Don't tell Mommy that Daddy's here now." Then, he turned and walked away. I didn't see Daddy anywhere and I didn't know what he meant. Before I knew, John had picked up the glass and had taken a drink. John fell to the ground and he stopped breathing. Mommy started to scream and I cried, but it didn't help. I woke up after that and Mommy was there, with Angel standing behind her. They both hugged me and asked if I wanted to talk about it. But I was worried about John. He might not be okay. So, I asked Mommy if I could call John. She didn't know why I wanted to talk to him and I didn't know what to tell her. That I was being a baby about my dream? I didn't say anything and that gave Mommy reason enough, I guess. She nodded at Angel and she brought me the portable phone. Mommy dialed the number and whispered that she hoped he wasn't asleep at two thirty in the morning. I waited and waited and waited as the phone rang. It rang six times before he picked up. He didn't sound very nice when he answered either.
"What do you want at 2 in the morning?"
"John?"
He stopped then and didn't say anything. Finally, he stopped being so quiet.
"Chloe?"
"Yeah. Are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm fine. I was asleep."
"Are you positive that you are okay?"
"Yes, I am. Chloe, what's wrong? Is Sam okay?"
"Mommy's fine. I had a bad dream."
"Why did you call me?"
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Did something happen to me in your dream, Chloe?"
John sounded nice again. He was just cranky that I woke him up I guess.
"Mhm."
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
"The bad man came and he did something to your drink. And then you went away like my daddy did."
"Sweetheart, I'm just fine. I won't let the bad man do anything to me. Or your Mommy or Angel or you. You know that, right?"
John had never called me sweetheart before. He always called me Chloe. Sometimes I think he doesn't like kids. He didn't seem to know what to do with me at first. He doesn't always treat me like a kid, sometimes he treats me like a grown up. I like that. No one does that. I'm just a little kid to them.
"Mhm."
"And Bailey won't either. In fact, the entire VCTF would do anything to keep you safe, Chloe-Girl."
"I'm sorry I woke you up."
"It's okay. Really. I don't want you to worry about me anymore. Nothing's going to happen."
"You promise?"
"Yes. Scout's Honor."
"You were a boy scout, John?"
"Well, no. But it's a saying. Chloe, it's late. Why don't you let me talk to your Mom for a minute and you go on to sleep again."
"Okay."
So I handed Mommy the phone. I wish I could hear what John was saying, but I couldn't. Mommy said Um Hm and Yeah, I know. Then she said Thanks for your help, John. I'll see you tomorrow morning. And she hung up the phone. Mommy tucked me in tight and made sure Pancake was comfortable next to me. She left my lamp on for me before kissing my forehead and leaving with Angel. They whispered for a little bit in the hallway before they turned out the lights and went back to bed. I couldn't sleep after my dream, though. I was still scared. I wish the bad man would just go away.
Love,
Chloe Waters
Last night I had the worst dream. It was about the bad man like usual, but this time it was different. I was sitting at the table, coloring a picture of my family. It had me and Mommy, Angel, Uncle Bailey and his daughter Frances, Uncle George and Rich, Auntie Grace, Morgan, and Jason and I was in the middle of drawing John. John was talking to Mommy in the background. She was cooking and John was laughing a lot. I turned around to see what was so funny, but something was in the way. I stood up and the bad man was there beside the counter. He was laughing while he stirred something in a drink. And he bent down to my level and whispered, "Don't tell Mommy that Daddy's here now." Then, he turned and walked away. I didn't see Daddy anywhere and I didn't know what he meant. Before I knew, John had picked up the glass and had taken a drink. John fell to the ground and he stopped breathing. Mommy started to scream and I cried, but it didn't help. I woke up after that and Mommy was there, with Angel standing behind her. They both hugged me and asked if I wanted to talk about it. But I was worried about John. He might not be okay. So, I asked Mommy if I could call John. She didn't know why I wanted to talk to him and I didn't know what to tell her. That I was being a baby about my dream? I didn't say anything and that gave Mommy reason enough, I guess. She nodded at Angel and she brought me the portable phone. Mommy dialed the number and whispered that she hoped he wasn't asleep at two thirty in the morning. I waited and waited and waited as the phone rang. It rang six times before he picked up. He didn't sound very nice when he answered either.
"What do you want at 2 in the morning?"
"John?"
He stopped then and didn't say anything. Finally, he stopped being so quiet.
"Chloe?"
"Yeah. Are you okay?"
"Yes. I'm fine. I was asleep."
"Are you positive that you are okay?"
"Yes, I am. Chloe, what's wrong? Is Sam okay?"
"Mommy's fine. I had a bad dream."
"Why did you call me?"
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Did something happen to me in your dream, Chloe?"
John sounded nice again. He was just cranky that I woke him up I guess.
"Mhm."
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
"The bad man came and he did something to your drink. And then you went away like my daddy did."
"Sweetheart, I'm just fine. I won't let the bad man do anything to me. Or your Mommy or Angel or you. You know that, right?"
John had never called me sweetheart before. He always called me Chloe. Sometimes I think he doesn't like kids. He didn't seem to know what to do with me at first. He doesn't always treat me like a kid, sometimes he treats me like a grown up. I like that. No one does that. I'm just a little kid to them.
"Mhm."
"And Bailey won't either. In fact, the entire VCTF would do anything to keep you safe, Chloe-Girl."
"I'm sorry I woke you up."
"It's okay. Really. I don't want you to worry about me anymore. Nothing's going to happen."
"You promise?"
"Yes. Scout's Honor."
"You were a boy scout, John?"
"Well, no. But it's a saying. Chloe, it's late. Why don't you let me talk to your Mom for a minute and you go on to sleep again."
"Okay."
So I handed Mommy the phone. I wish I could hear what John was saying, but I couldn't. Mommy said Um Hm and Yeah, I know. Then she said Thanks for your help, John. I'll see you tomorrow morning. And she hung up the phone. Mommy tucked me in tight and made sure Pancake was comfortable next to me. She left my lamp on for me before kissing my forehead and leaving with Angel. They whispered for a little bit in the hallway before they turned out the lights and went back to bed. I couldn't sleep after my dream, though. I was still scared. I wish the bad man would just go away.
Love,
Chloe Waters