"Mort, I'm home!" Alex called happily.  "I got everything done while I was at school today, so I am completely yours for the weekend."  Alex put her things down on the kitchen table and expected to see Mort leaning against the doorway - his hair the unkempt mess she loved and his face adorned with a sweet smile.  However, when she looked up, he wasn't there.

            He's probably working.  Alex walked through the kitchen, then the living room, but before she could go through the partially opened door to Mort's office, she heard Julia crying upstairs.  Something's not right.  She rushed upstairs to her daughter's room and found Julia - her face red from crying for a long period of time.  She frantically reached her arms out for her mother.

            Returning downstairs, Alex very cautiously pushed open the door to Mort's office.  Upon her first glance, it appeared empty.  She took a step inside and saw that Mort's laptop was on the floor - the screen was shattered.  Before doing anything else, she went back to the living room and put Julia in her playpen.

            "Mommy will be right back, angel," she said softly.  Alex went back into the office, the laptop startling her, even though she already knew it was there.  There was a large wooden desk in the center of the room - it blocked a good portion of the floor from view.  A harsh wave of nausea hit her as she stepped closer to the desk.  "Mort?" her voice was almost inaudible. 

            Alex saw the blood before she made her way around the desk.  Let me be wrong…please…  She leaned over the desk and screamed.  Mort was in a twisted heap on the floor, blood pooled around his head…

            Alex jolted awake in bed, sweat pouring from her forehead.  She struggled to catch her breath and immediately began to sob.  The dream had been plaguing her for two weeks…