Syd rolled over in the unfamiliar bed and watched the green numbers on the
digital clock turn from 01:59 to 02:00. She was still at the safe-house,
but Vaughn had been called back to work because of some kind of emergency
there. He hadn't told her any of the details, except to reassure her that
it had nothing to do with her or her father. Suddenly feeling lonely, she
wished she could safely call Vaughn at work.
Instead, she dialled the number she had so recently memorised. Her tired sounding father answered on the third ring.
"Dad? Did I wake you?" she asked "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called at this time of night."
"Syd? Is something wrong?" he asked immediately. His voice was filled with concern.
"No, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to talk to you." She said quickly before he could start worrying too much. She fumbled around in the dark for a minute before she found the lamp. She switched it on and sat squinting in the light until her eyes adjusted.
He was silent for a moment, then he said "I've been worried about you." Sometimes, she thought that he could read her mind. She smiled at the thought.
"You don't have to worry about me." She said, a little more sharply than she'd intended to.
"I know, but I still do." He sighed heavily. "See you at the house tomorrow?"
"Yeah. I. goodnight Dad." Sydney said. She had been about to say that she missed him, but hadn't been able to say the words.
"Goodnight, Syd." He said and put the phone down with a quiet click. She stared at the quiet phone for a moment before she put it back and switched the light off. This long, lonely night had to end sometime, she thought.
Knowing that she wasn't going to sleep anytime soon, she got out of the warm bad and went to the kitchen to make herself a drink. As she waited for the kettle to boil, she opened the fridge to see what there was left to eat. She found a can of peaches and took them out. She opened and drained them, then put half of them into a dish, which was put back into the fridge. She kept the rest out to eat. On the kitchen table was a note from Vaughn. She smiled as she picked it up. It said:
Sleep well, Syd! If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call me! See you in the morning. Oh, and by the way, you're cooking breakfast tomorrow- all I con do is pancakes! Love Vaughn.
The kettle boiled and she made herself a cup of hot chocolate, which she carried through to the den, along with the bowl of peaches. She set them down on the low table in the center of the room while she found a throw blanket in one of the cupboards. She settled down on the big couch with the remote control. After flicking through at least twenty channels, she found a program worth watching. It was a movie about a young deer that she'd seen a hundred times before, but she liked it. When the film finished, some 52 minutes later, she went back up to bed, leaving her bowl and cup in the dishwasher for the morning.
Instead, she dialled the number she had so recently memorised. Her tired sounding father answered on the third ring.
"Dad? Did I wake you?" she asked "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called at this time of night."
"Syd? Is something wrong?" he asked immediately. His voice was filled with concern.
"No, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to talk to you." She said quickly before he could start worrying too much. She fumbled around in the dark for a minute before she found the lamp. She switched it on and sat squinting in the light until her eyes adjusted.
He was silent for a moment, then he said "I've been worried about you." Sometimes, she thought that he could read her mind. She smiled at the thought.
"You don't have to worry about me." She said, a little more sharply than she'd intended to.
"I know, but I still do." He sighed heavily. "See you at the house tomorrow?"
"Yeah. I. goodnight Dad." Sydney said. She had been about to say that she missed him, but hadn't been able to say the words.
"Goodnight, Syd." He said and put the phone down with a quiet click. She stared at the quiet phone for a moment before she put it back and switched the light off. This long, lonely night had to end sometime, she thought.
Knowing that she wasn't going to sleep anytime soon, she got out of the warm bad and went to the kitchen to make herself a drink. As she waited for the kettle to boil, she opened the fridge to see what there was left to eat. She found a can of peaches and took them out. She opened and drained them, then put half of them into a dish, which was put back into the fridge. She kept the rest out to eat. On the kitchen table was a note from Vaughn. She smiled as she picked it up. It said:
Sleep well, Syd! If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call me! See you in the morning. Oh, and by the way, you're cooking breakfast tomorrow- all I con do is pancakes! Love Vaughn.
The kettle boiled and she made herself a cup of hot chocolate, which she carried through to the den, along with the bowl of peaches. She set them down on the low table in the center of the room while she found a throw blanket in one of the cupboards. She settled down on the big couch with the remote control. After flicking through at least twenty channels, she found a program worth watching. It was a movie about a young deer that she'd seen a hundred times before, but she liked it. When the film finished, some 52 minutes later, she went back up to bed, leaving her bowl and cup in the dishwasher for the morning.