No…wha…huh

Middle C, G

NO! I bolt upright from the bed and look at the clock. It says 2:30, just like yesterday. I look over and Anastasia is sleeping soundly.

Middle C, G

Shit! It's happening again. I slip quietly out of bed, grab my iPhone, and head downstairs, right to the music room. After turning on the light, I see that the keyboard is uncovered. I thoroughly scan the whole room. No one is here. Walking to my right, I thoroughly check every chair, bookcase, table, every piece of furniture, all the way around the room. Nothing else has been moved, as far as I can remember. No one is here. While I stand there and ponder this, a sudden draft of cold air blows through my hair. What the fuck?

I look up at the ceiling, looking for the air vents but there are none up there, just a ceiling fan, the blades of which are moving almost imperceptibly. This is making no fucking sense at all. I go over to the windows to see if they might be slightly ajar but no, each one is securely locked.

I debate calling Taylor but since nothing is visibly wrong, I decide not to wake him. In a few hours, after my workout, I'll go over the video tapes with him, although I suspect they'll show absolutely nothing. Scanning the room again as I walk to the door, I assure myself again that no one is here and leave.

As I did last night, I make a stop by Teddy's room and verify that he's okay. There's something so reassuring about watching my son sleep in his crib. Just the very fact of his existence somehow makes me feel that everything will be all right. I kiss his little forehead and tuck his blanket in a little better.

Back in bed, Anastasia's still asleep but I lay back on my pillow with my hands behind my head and stare at the ceiling. What the fuck is going on here? Am I the only one who hears the notes? They've obviously not wakened Anastasia, and women, especially new mothers, are supposed to be much lighter sleepers than men. I'd say it's some new type of dream or nightmare but the uncovered keyboard somewhat negates that idea. It's possible Gail's forgotten again but I really doubt she'd do that twice, especially after being called out on it. And I definitely haven't played in the last twenty-four hours.

Then I think of yesterday, when I thought I felt something brush my neck, and just now, when I felt the cold draft. If I were so inclined, I could say they were some kind of ghostly manifestations but I never believed in that sort of mumbo-jumbo. I've always been extremely pragmatic, a true believer in science and that which can be empirically proven. There's got to be an explanation. While this house is not that old, there are still bound to be some strange airflow patterns, considering the size of the place.

With these thoughts whirling around and around my brain, I eventually get sleepy. I turn on my side and snuggle up to my wife. Whatever's going on here, as long as she and my son are safe, that's all that matters.

As expected, when I review the tapes with Taylor, no one shows up around the premises. He also shows me that the interior motion sensor did not go off last night, unlike the night before. I'm thinking of asking him to set up a camera in the music room but decide against it. Also as expected, when I ask Gail about the keyboard, she assures me that she closed it. Gail's not a liar; she wouldn't be in my employ if she were. This is feeling more like something to do with my mental state and if that's the case, a Flynn session is in order.

In spite of all the things happening at the office, I do something today that I haven't done since my college days – I take a nap. After all the drama of the morning, both at home and here, and an excruciatingly long and boring lunch with two city council members, I just need to close my eyes for half an hour. I lock the door to my office, tell Andrea to hold my calls, and lie down on the couch.

I no sooner close my eyes when I wake up on the floor with Taylor standing over me and shaking me. "Wake up, sir!" he's telling me, "You were having a nightmare." Shit! So much for afternoon naps. He tries to help me stand up and I angrily brush him off. I see Andrea standing in the doorway with a couple people behind her and I bark at her to get out and close the god damn door. Fuck! The fact that Taylor's here could only mean that they heard me screaming and called him. Shit! Shit! Shit! No one outside my immediate circle has ever known about my night terrors. If word of this leaks out to the gossip rags I'll have everyone's head on a platter. Just one of the reasons I make employees sign an NDA.

As if this day couldn't get any worse, I get a call from Anastasia; she's got some big author meeting tonight and won't be home until very late. When she tells me this, I bark at her too and immediately apologize. I've got to get a grip! As soon as I hang up I call Flynn and set up an appointment for tomorrow. I don't know what's going on with me but I'm hoping the wise doctor can give me some insight.

When I finally get home after the interminable afternoon, I tell Gail that Teddy and I will have our dinner out on the terrace. She offers to help feed him but I decline. Sitting outside in the cool evening, with the beautiful view of the Sound in the distance, and my son cooing happily beside me, I feel the day's stress roll off me and out to sea. Teddy and I talk about how our days went but it's pretty much a one-sided conversation.

After dinner I decide to take the walk that I didn't take yesterday. I pack Teddy into the Baby Björn, grab my walking staff, and head across the lawn to the trail. I'm very careful climbing down (the main reason I use the walking staff) and take off at a brisk pace when we get to the water's edge. The weather's great, the water's calm, the whole ambiance makes me burst into song and I start singing The Happy Wanderer, much to Teddy's delight. It's just me and my buddy out for an evening's hike.

After going out for about half an hour I turn back. While I'm still moving along at a good clip, my pace isn't as brisk as when we started. I look ahead at the top of the cliff where the house is, and it looks like Anastasia's standing there. I wave but she doesn't wave back. Strange. I look down to watch my steps on the path and when I look back up, she's gone. Very strange.

Perhaps she had as shitty a day at work as I did and decided to come home earlier than planned. When I get back to the house I look for her on the terrace but she's not there. I go into the house and call for her but she doesn't answer. I call Taylor and ask if he knows where she is; he takes a moment, then tells me she's still at Grey Publishing. Sawyer's there and told him she hasn't gotten out of her meeting yet. What the fuck?! Taylor asks if I want him to relay a message to her and I tell him no, that's okay, I was just checking.

Teddy's starting to get restless so I take him upstairs for his bedtime. After bathing him and putting on his jammies, I sit in the rocking chair and sing Brahm's lullaby to him. Before I even finish the song, he's out, sound asleep, and I tuck him into his crib. I turn on the baby monitor, turn out the light, and head down to our bedroom. Halfway down the hall, I hear it again.

Middle C, G

Fuck! I go racing downstairs to the music room. It's nighttime now and the room is dark. I switch on the lights and look around. The fucking keyboard is uncovered again but there's still no one here. As I did earlier this morning, I walk a complete circuit around the room. Nothing's out of order. I stand by the piano but don't feel any air currents, cold or otherwise. I slam the keyboard cover down. I think I am seriously losing it and wonder if maybe I should call Flynn now for an emergency session. After mulling that over for a few seconds, I decide a glass of scotch might be a better option right. I go to the door, turn out the lights, and take a step.

Christian

I jump, flip on the lights, and spin around, all in one quick move. No one's here. No. One's. Here. But someone said my name. Maybe Anastasia's home and she's calling to me. I rush out of the room, calling her name, but there's no answer. Once again I call Taylor. He assures me that she's still at the meeting.

It's definitely scotch time right now. After checking on Teddy again and getting the baby monitor, I go to the sideboard in the living room, pour myself a couple fingers of Dalmore, and head out to the terrace. I start a fire in the fire pit and pull a chaise longue close to it. Sipping my scotch, thoughts of the last couple days creep into my mind and I chase them out. To help me do that I take out my iPhone and text Ana.

**love you xxx**

I go through the pictures of her and Teddy that I have stored and in a few seconds I get a text back.

**love you too, be home soon xxx**

The scotch and the fire are taking effect; pretty soon I'm feeling cozy warm, inside and out. As I recline in the chaise I look up and contemplate the stars. Life is just so good right now; yes, there may be some shit going on, but I'll get it sorted out. I always do.

Fingers touch the top of my head and I almost jump out of the chaise. I hear a familiar giggle and am instantly calmed. I must have dozed off since I didn't hear her approach.

"Mrs. Grey, you almost gave your husband a heart attack."

"Mr. Grey, with all the working out you do, you must have a heart of iron by now." She comes around, I pull her on top of me, and give her a long wet kiss.

"Mmmm, you feel so good after such a crappy day," I murmur in her neck.

"Mmmm, you do, too," she murmurs back, "shall we continue this upstairs?"

"Let's," I reply as we get up. I extinguish the fire, finish my scotch, and take her hand, carrying the baby monitor in my other hand. After entering the living room, I firmly lock the doors behind me. Taylor usually does a security check around eleven-thirty but it doesn't hurt to make sure. Before we go up the stairs, I tell her to wait a second and I go into the music room. The lights are still on, like I left them, and the keyboard cover is down. I almost feel like taking a picture of it, just to reassure myself if events repeat themselves. She gives me a puzzled look when I return. "Just making sure I didn't forget anything." She seems reassured and we continue on our way to the bedroom.

Once we're there and I've closed the door, our hands are all over each other. We're acting like horny teenagers getting hot and heavy in the back of the Chevy. We just about rip each other's clothes off and fall on top of the bed. It's no-holds-barred raw, carnal sex. She sucks me, I eat her, we morph into sixty-nine, her on top. Just when I'm getting close she rolls off me and lies on the bed spread-eagled.

"Fuck me, Christian! Hard!" she growls at me.

"Yes, ma'am!" I'm all too happy to oblige. I plunge into her and start with a slow grind but it doesn't stay slow for long, soon I'm pounding her pussy like a piston and she's matching me stroke for stroke. Finally, I hear the magic sound, the one that thrills me every time.

"Christian!" I look and see her in the throes of orgasm and feel her cunt grab my cock and I follow her into that moment of ecstasy.

"Anastasia!" And it feels like it goes on forever but I know it doesn't. The after-spasms continue for a little while and then abate. As I lie there on top of her, I feel her heart beat. I wonder if she can feel mine?

Just when I'm about to ask her, we hear a cry from the baby monitor. We separate in an instant; as we roll off the bed, she grabs my shirt and I grab my pants and we run to the nursery. Teddy's crying up a storm and she picks him up to try to calm him down. It works, immediately.

"What's the matter, big boy? Did you have a nightmare?" She's feeling his diaper but it looks like that's not the problem.

"Do babies have nightmares?" I ask.

"I have no idea," she answers, "I hope not. Do you think we were too loud?"

"Ana, there's no way he could have heard us in here."

"Well, whatever it was, he's fine now. Look, he's back asleep." She lays him back down in the crib and tucks him in.

Back in our room, we clean up and get back in bed.

"Good night, Anastasia. I love you."

"Good night, Christian. I love you, too." I turn out the light and fall asleep.

Middle C, G

I'm instantly awake. The alarm clock is at the familiar 2:30 and I feel like I'm in some weird re-enactment of Groundhog Day. As I did yesterday, I grab my iPhone and head downstairs. I go straight into the music room and turn on the lights. The fucking keyboard is uncovered, again, and I snap a picture of it. What that'll prove, I don't know, but I can at least point to time and date of when this is all happening.

Once again, I do the tour of the room. Once again, nothing is amiss. This is getting fucking irritating. I close the keyboard and stand there. No drafts, no brushing against my neck, nothing. I check the windows, then walk to the door and turn out the lights.

Christian

I whip my head around and see her between the window and the piano, a petite woman with long dark hair. Anastasia? I rush over and reach out and she evaporates right in front of me. What the fuck?! And all at once, my heart is seized by a cold, hard dread. No, it can't be! She was upstairs! We made love just a few hours ago!

I run out of the music room, screaming at the top of my lungs.

"ANASTASIAAAAA!"