Prologue – Sleeping through my fingers.

"Mommy, I had a bad dream" Emily opened her eyes and saw her daughter's little angelic face wet from the tears. Her little body trembling and shaking horribly. Emily's heart broke at the sight of her daughter.

"Oh, Gracie come here." She opened her duvet to leave the little girl in her bed, hugging the trembling girl tightly as she whimpered.

"What was in in your dream" she asked softly so not to wake her husband, Pete.

"There was a man in my wardrobe, standing with big teeth and smiling at me." Gracie said and Emilly kissed her forehead and wiped the whisp of the red curls of her face.

"Tonight, you will sleep in my bed and tomorrow daddy and I will go and check the closet and see if there is anyone inside alright" Emily said hugging her daughter tight.

What Emily did not know was that there was someone in the closet, his heart beating in his chest scared that someone would come in and find him there.

He closed his eyes as he could hear his heart pumping in his chest. He covered his mouth as if his breathing could be heard miles away. His eyes bulged open to see if there was any movement in the darkness or lights turning on. He was listening for any signs of footsteps. He could feel his face staring to get moist with perspiration as he stood there, a nervous wreck.

He cursed at himself as he was so close to getting what he wanted, he almost felt it in his fingertips, but he was too slow too scared. To hesitant and now the whole plan has gone to shit.

He has been planning for months now. Since he has heard that little high-pitched laugh in the ice cream shop. He turned and saw a perfect little girl with red bouncy curls and bright blue eyes and a smile that can melt anyone's heart. It surely melted his. That is when he knew he needed her, she was going to be his.

He has been watching the family, studying their every move watched them mesmerized as the happy girl thrived in her home.

He studied at their home when they were not there. Checking for any weaknesses so he could get into the house and to his delight (like it was destined to be) the little girl's bedroom window was so easy to open it would be a crime not to break in.

And tonight, it was as the night he would do it. He got everything ready, and he climbed the girl's bedroom window when the house was empty and stayed there for hours and listened as the family was blissfully unaware of just living their lives.

His breath hitched as mother and father came into the bedroom and put the girl into bed, he looked through the slit of the doors as they read her a bedtime story. The girl was happy, with a sleepy smile on her face and he smiled at her. She was so beautiful, like a doll. Like a porcelain doll.

"Good night, Gracie" he heard the mother say and he smiled. Gracie, what a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.

They left and the girl was falling asleep, this was his moment, he opened the door, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight, his heart pumping with anticipation. He was so close that he could not believe it was happening, he would call her his own.

He left the confines of the closed stepping gingerly, so he does not make a sound. He looked up from the group and saw her sitting upright on the bed, her blue eyes meeting the green of his own.

She looked like a deer caught in headlights tears starting to fill her eyes, her breathing had stopped and so did his.

She leaped of the bed and run out of the room, and he fell against the closer wall and sat on the floor,

He was sure he would be busted he was sure this would be the end of it, but no one ever came, the house was quiet once again.

He slipped out through the window and ran to the woods that were next to the house. His legs felt like jelly, and he fell to his knees. His stomach quivered and he emptied the content of it. The sobbed as the stress of the whole situation was leaving him. It was so close for him to be caught and for this to be over, he was given a second chance and he would not mess it up.

This time he waited outside of the house, he waited until all the lights were off and they were off for hours. He felt like the world stood still in that moment. He slipped through the window once.

He went straight to her bed and looked at her. He was so close to her that her scent entered his nostrils, and he closed his eyes in delight. It was sweet just like her.

He waved his wand and put the girl into a deep sleep so she would not wake up. He picked up her little form effortlessly and he smiled triumphantly as she was finally in his arms, where she belonged. He left through the windows and disappeared into the night,

When Emily woke up the next morning, she went to her daughter's bedroom to wake her up for the day but found the bed empty and cold. The window wide opened. Her heart sank to her chest as panic rose in her body.

She creamed bloody murder, and her husband ran into the room with his two sons.

"What happened." He panicked and Emily pointed to the bed.

"She's gone, She is gone!"