Jordan- 9
It was a late night in the Voight house hold, Hank was at work, Justin was in his room fast asleep and Jordan was on the couch watching tv. She had pretended to be asleep, after checking to see if her brother was asleep she made her way downstairs.
Turning the tv she began flipping through the channels, at school the kids would brag how they could watch horror movies and not be scared. Taking that as a challenge Jordan was gonna do it but her father couldn't find out. Hank was against letting her watch those movies, he didn't want her to get scared and not be able to sleep.
The nine year old found one on, it was Halloween. Jordan cut all the lights off in the house and got settled on the couch. Half of the movie had gone by the whole time the young girl hid her face when the killings took place, by this point she was terrified. Fear had completely taken over her body, she kept looking around her house as if someone was there.
Jordan still hadn't changed the channel she was gonna see this through, she wanted to be like her friends. By the end of the movie the nine year old was petrified she'd kept looking around her dark house wandering if someone was there. Going over to the window she peeked out the curtain to see the street lights on and the street clear.
Heading up to her room the young girl still couldn't help but check her surroundings, when she made it to her room she tried to shake all of that off. Climbing into her bed and covering up she turned on her side and saw her closet wide open, in her young mind she thought the serial killer from the movie was in her closet.
Not being able to take it anymore she ran from her room to her brother's room, Justin was in his bed sprawled out on the bed. Jordan went over and began shaking her brother's arm.
"Justin, wake up. Wake up Justin". Jordan says quickly.
"Hmm". Justin mumbled.
"Justin wake up".
Justin shot awake and looked around in confusion, his vision was blurry he looked over to his alarm clock that read 1:30 am in red bold numbers. He then looked to his little sister.
"What's wrong Jo Jo".
The nine year old couldn't tell her brother that she had watched a horror movie she had to think fast on her feet.
"I...I had a nightmare. Can I stay with you?"
"Yeah come on".
Jordan then got next to her brother she curled into his side as he wrapped a protective arm around her, the elder man looked down to his sister.
"You alright Jo?"
"I'm ok".
"Try and get some sleep".
The young girl rested against her brother she was able to hold some of his shirt in her small hands. At least at the moment Jordan had felt safe with her big brother, she knew that Justin would protect her from anything and everything. After tossing and turning the nine year old finally managed to fall asleep.
By the next morning Jordan began to stir, when she looked around she saw that she was in her brother's room and then it hit her. She watched that movie last night and now she was scared what had really got her attention was the fact that Justin wasn't in his room.
"Justin?" Jordan called out.
Running out of his room to the hallway she looked for her brother everywhere.
"Justin!"
The nine year old frantically checked her room, her father's room, every room on the top floor and there was no sign of her brother anywhere. Fear had quickly filled her body, as fast as she could she ran down the steps.
"Justin! Justin!"
Hank and Justin we're in the kitchen when they heard Jordan yelling frantically. As fast as they could they ran out going to her. Jordan was finally able to breath at seeing her brother, she ran over to him hugging him tightly. The father and son we're confused by her actions.
"What's wrong Jo?" Hank asked.
"I woke up and Justin wasn't there". Jordan replies, quickly. The whole time fear filled her voice.
"I woke up and came down when I heard dad come in". Justin told his sister. Somethin then hit him. "Does this have something to do with your nightmare Jo?"
"What nightmare?" Hank asked looking at his children.
"Jo had a nightmare last night and she stayed with me".
The older father then looked to his frightened little girl. "Is that true sweetheart?"
Jordan had let go of her brother and went to hug her father. "Yeah" She managed to get out.
Breaking from the hug Hank had gave his little girl a gentle. "Wanna tell us what is was about?"
The nine year old couldn't reveal that she had watched a horror movie or else she might be in trouble. She already had learned her lesson she just wished it would be over already.
"I don't really remember it".
"Remember sweetheart, they're just dreams they aren't real it's all made up".
The young girl nodded and hugged her father again, little did Hank know it was much more than that. Later that night Jordan was in her room, getting ready for bed. The young girl had her pajamas on, she kept looking back at her empty closet.
Jordan remembered from the movie how the serial killer hid and attacked people in the closets, shaking all that from her mind the young girl told herself repeatedly, 'It's just a movie. It's not real!'
She then climbed into bed and covered up, as she was getting settled Jordan had heard a creaking noise and fear had quickly filled her body. Her heart was racing in her chest, her breathing became heavy she then heard footsteps and quickly hid under the bed.
Hank was on his way to check on his children before he went to work, first he had checked in on his son. Peeking in on his eldest child he chuckled at seeing Justin passed out on the bed he then went to check on his little girl. Jordan remained under the bed, she remembered from the movie the killer went up the steps and began searching the rooms.
At this point Jordan kept telling her self over and over in her head, 'It's not real! It's just a movie! It's not real! Not real!'
She heard the footsteps getting closer and closer to her room, her hand were glued firmly to her mouth so she wouldn't make a noise. Jordan didn't know if it was her father, brother, or someone else. When Hank didn't see his youngest in her bed he was insistently confused, she wasn't with Justin, she wasn't in his room, he checked her closet and wasn't there then he thought of another place. He looked under her bed.
"Jo, sweetie why are you under your bed?" Hank asked.
"I...I like it under here". Jordan lied.
"Come on out from under there sweetheart, you're gonna mess up your clothes".
Taking her time she finally came out and brushed herself off, Jordan then launched herself at her father catching him way off guard.
"Do you have to go to work?"
"Yes sweetheart I do".
"Can you stay home? Please".
Looking down at her face he saw the fear in her eyes, what had his daughter so frightened all of a sudden? This couldn't have been all over a simple nightmare if it was she'd been over it.
"Jo is there anything you wanna tell me?"
"Can you please just stay home? Just for tonight?"
"How about I stay just until you fall asleep".
Jordan felt her heart race faster, her blood ran cold, she didn't want her father to leave. When she was younger he had told her that he'd keep all her nightmares away. Hank gently rocked her to sleep just like he always had, the nine year old felt herself slowly falling asleep she tried to fight her sleep but after a few minutes sleep took her over.
The older father held his baby girl as she slept peacefully in his arms, he wondered why she was afraid all of a sudden. What caused this? Had someone threatened her into keeping quiet? He was gonna find out. Once he knew his little girl was in a deep enough sleep Hank carefully laid her in the bed covering her with the blanket, he kissed her head and quietly made his way out of her room leaving the house.
Hank locked his house up before going to work, he hoped whatever was bothering Jordan would go away.
About an hour after Hank left, Jordan was still asleep in her room a few minutes later she began tossing and turning in her sleep. A moment later the young girl awoke with a start, she began looking around frantically. The nine year old didn't see her father around, she began looking around her pitch dark room she was still scared from the movie. Her eyes were locked firmly on her closet, she waited as if someone was gonna pop out.
Justin awoke from his sleep and headed to the bathroom, from her room Jordan heard footsteps coming from the hallway. She felt her blood run cold, fear was filled in her body. The nine year old wanted to go check but she felt safer in her room at the moment.
After finishing his business Justin headed back to his room and went back to bed, not being able to take it Jordan had bolted from her room to her brother's. Without a warning she jumped on his bed and latched onto him, Justin was scared out of his sleep and felt small arms wrapped around him. Turning his lamp on he saw his little sister, Jordan had clung to her brother tightly with no chance of letting go.
"Jo Jo what's wrong?" Justin asked concerned.
She didn't say a word the young girl was still to scared all she did was stayed glued to her brother the whole time. When Justin looked at his sister he saw complete fear all over her face.
"Was it another nightmare?"
Jordan nodded and stayed with her brother, the elder Voight knew his sister wouldn't sleep after a nightmare. He was rocking her to sleep as he rocked her, he brushed her hair back and after a couple of minutes she was right back to sleep. Justin looked down at his sister's face it went from having a fearful look to being peaceful, he had an idea on what was bothering his sister.
Over the next couple of days Jordan was completely scared and became a bit paranoid, everywhere she went she'd frantically look around confusing everyone in her life. When she was at home she stuck to her father and brother like glue, she knew she'd always be safe with them around.
Justin was at home with his sister, she was doing her homework on the floor while he was watching tv. He cut it off and set the remote down then gently tapped his sister's shoulder. The young girl had jumped about ten feet in the air and turned facing her brother.
"Why'd you do that?" Jordan asked a bit angrily.
"Jo ain't no way you're still scared of a nightmare you'd be over it by now. What's really going on?" Justin replies.
"Nothing".
"Liar, kiddo I know when you're lying and clearly you're lying".
"No I'm not".
"Really? Then why are you so scared and jumpy all of a sudden?"
Not being able to take anymore of it Jordan decided to confess. "If I tell you please don't tell dad. He'll get really mad at me".
"That depends on what you tell me".
"I watched a horror movie the other night".
A confused look was now planted on Justin's face. "No you didn't".
"Yes I did. I waited till after dad went to work and after you went to bed. I came down and watched the movie with all the lights off".
"What made you do that?"
"Kids at school said they watched them and didn't get scared".
"So you thought if you watched one, you wouldn't get scared".
"Yeah. It didn't work, I'm really scared Justin".
"Jo Jo there's absolutely nothing to be afraid of, those movies aren't real. They're just made up".
"I keep thinking he's gonna find me and get me".
"Jo it's not real, those movies are fake. They're made to scare people that's it".
"It scared me real good, I shouldn't have watched it".
"What did you watch anyway?"
"Halloween".
"That would do it alright".
"I keep thinking he's in my closet".
"Jo Jo nobody is ever gonna get you or hurt you, wanna know why".
She nodded as Justin brought his sister into a side hug. "Nobody is ever gonna get you or hurt you with dad and I around, we'll always be around to protect you from anything and everything. Nobody is gonna mess with my little sister as long as I'm around and if they do I'll have to teach them a lesson".
Jordan giggled as she held her brother tighter. A few minutes later the front door opened and Hank walked in to see his children, when he saw the look on his youngest it no longer held fear but happiness.
"Jo you alright now sweetheart". Hank spoke.
"I'm fine dad". Jordan answered.
"She watched a scary movie that's all". Justin said.
"Justin!"
"You knew he was gonna find out sooner or later".
The older father then went and sat down across from his little girl. "When did you watch this movie?"
"The other night, I waited till after you went to work and Justin was asleep. I turned out all the lights and watched it".
"What have you learned from this?"
"To never again watch any movies like that late at night again especially with the lights off".
"And".
"When you say not to watch something I won't watch it".
"And"
"I promise to never do it again".
"Normally I'd ground you for something like this but I think you went through enough so I'm not grounding you".
"Really?"
"Really. But no tv for two weeks".
"Dad!"
"I never said you wouldn't be punished, I told you I didn't want you watching those movies for this exact reason and you went behind my back and did it anyway. So no tv for two weeks".
"He gave me the same punishment". Justin told his sister.
Hank then looked to his oldest. "You still never learned your lesson as soon as I let you watch tv again you watched yet another horror movie and got scared".
"I didn't get scared".
"You had the hallway light on for almost two months".
Jordan giggled and Justin playfully grabbed her giving her a noogie causing her to laugh more all Hank did was watch his children, seeing his children happy, smiling, and laughing was enough to put a smile on his face.
Later that night Jordan got ready for bed, she was in her pajamas, she still couldn't help but look in her closet shaking all that from her head. It was all in her head, not real. Justin had tiptoed into his sister's room as quietly as possible and snuck up on her.
"Boo!" Just says loudly in her ear.
"Ahh!" Jordan yelled.
She dove in her bed hiding under her covers, Hank ran in his daughter's room to see his son laughing and his daughter hiding her her blanket. Going over to his son he gave him a sharp slap upside the head.
"Don't scare your sister like that". Hank told his son.
"I didn't think she was still scared". Justin replied, rubbing his sore head.
"Go to your room now".
Justin then headed to his room for the night, Hank sat down on his daughter's bed and gently pulled the covers from her. He saw that her face was once again full of fear and terror.
"There's no reason to be scared honey it was just you're goofball of a brother". Hank tells her gently.
"Justin said that those movies aren't real". Jordan replied.
"He's right, they aren't. It's just someone's imagination as a movie".
"I keep thinking he'll come".
Hank took a hold of his little girl and held her close as he smoothed her hair back. "Baby, nobody won't ever come get you or hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you or you're brother not as long as I'm around if anyone tries anything they'll have to answer to me".
"Can you stay with me just until I fall asleep?"
"Of course I can sweetie. I'm not going anywhere".
Jordan rested against her father's chest as she held onto one of his arms, sleep was slowly taking over the young girl. Hank was gently rocking her and soon enough she was fast asleep, he held onto his little girl tightly he rested his cheek against her head.
As long as he was around nobody with ever mess with either of his children, Justin may have been grown and able to defend himself but that still didn't stop the older father from worrying. Then his innocent little girl, Jordan was at the age of learning how to defend herself but between him, Justin, Erin, and everyone else Jordan will always have people defend her no matter how old she is.
Eventually Hank had fallen asleep with his baby girl in his arms, he held her in a protective hold all night. For the first time in days Jordan was able to finally sleep without nightmares, the young girl curled up against her father as long as she was with him or her brother she was safe. She was with her protectors.