The Strangest Dream (part 7)

She was so excited the next day, her grandparents lived on a farm, so that meant she could play with the baby goats. The trip felt shorter than she remembered.

When they arrived, they were greeted with smiles and lots of hugs."I made your favorite Evie, hot apple pie," her grandmother told her. "I knew it, grandma, because I smelled it all the way in my dreams!" Autumn and Evelyn's grandmother Marie looked at each other like - we will talk later.

Evelyn couldn't wait to explore and play with the animals on the farm.

"YOU GOT A DOG! She exclaimed. Her grandpa then said, "Evelyn, this is Charlie... Charlie, this is Evelyn. Now that you are properly introduced, he can accompany you on your great adventures." He was a big grey and shaggy white sheepdog, and when they were walking off, they could all hear her tell Charlie that he could call her Evie.

That night after dinner, Evelyn was asked to get ready for bed, she begged them to let Charlie sleep in the room with her, so not seeing any harm in it they all said yes, but her grandpa Dunken felt that he needed to warn her of something.

"I don't know if you want to let him sleep with you, dear." he said, and when she asked why he told her "because he snores pretty darn loud!" They all laughed, and she went off to her room. It was her mother's old room from when she was young. It was filled with pretty things, old pictures, and toys.

The adults sat in the living room and talked for a while. They had a lot of catching up to do, but The subject of Evelyn's dreams came up, and that Autumn was sure something was terrorizing her at night. "Welp," Dunken said. "This is my cue to exit myself from this conversation" He walked over to the icebox and took out two beers and said to Clyde, "Come on, son, I want to show you something in the shed," and they both left.

Autumn went on to tell Marie that she genuinely believes Evelyn is experiencing more than just bad dreams. "That mark on her face was from an adult hand," she told her. Marie sat there for a moment, wringing her hands, looking like she was trying to figure out how she was going to ask her something so delicate "Are you sure you weren't just frustrated and a little bit stir crazy being all alone with just Evelyn every day? It happens to the best of us, dear." "Of course not," she answered, "And even if I were stir crazy as you say, I would never hit my child, and you know me better than that, you all do!"

Marie heard the despair in her voice. She told her to wait while she got a number out of the desk. "This is someone who might be able to help." She sat down next to her on the couch and put the folded up paper in Autumn's hand, "Now, I was never allowed to use her because Dunken doesn't believe in this stuff, but I heard that she is good." It brought Autumn comfort to know that help was out there.

All the goodnight kisses were shared, and the house was silent.. only the sound of an old ticking clock in the living room and the faint sound of Charlie snoring coming from Evelyn's room. Just then breaking the quiet, Charlie's barks and growls echoed through the household, followed by Evelyn's screams. Her parents shot straight up, and Clyde was first to enter her room.

Fearing for the worst, and ready to fight anyone who might be in there hurting his little girl, he just stood there in shock at what he was seeing. His little girl was on her back, gripping the mattress while her leg was in the air being pulled towards the foot of the bed, lifting the bottom half of her. Autumn made it to the door behind him, pushing him forward, followed by Dunken and Marie.