Night Terrors

The night came quickly — too quickly for Max's liking. Delia had prepared a delicious meal, and afterward everyone sat surrounding the brand-new coffee table, in the brand-new home, in Max's brand-new life. It was a good thing Max had a friend like Anna, or they would've been sitting in complete silence. It wasn't like Max had any fun stories to share, and her emotional instability probably wouldn't be a popular topic either. Jeremy kept looking at Max out of the corner of his eye — not very subtly, but she ignored him. What would he want to hear first? About how Eric Dalton snatched her and ruined her life for years? About how she was once homeless and hungry? How Chris had to basically hold her hand through life because she couldn't make it alone? Somehow she thought he wouldn't enjoy it.

"I am not even kidding!" Delia laughed boisterously. "He thought the incense was a kitchen utensil!" Anna nearly doubled over laughing while Chris chuckled with his head in his hands.

"He wouldn't tell me anything, but after I found him at Home Depot blowing through paint samples and cussing, I needed some answers."

"Mr. R!" Anna lightly tapped Jeremy's shoulder jokingly. "You can't be serious?!"

Jeremy threw his hands up with an embarrassed looking smile on his face. "Why the heck would I know what incense is?! You two are terrible!"

Once again, the room was filled with laughter while Max sat with her mind in another universe.

"Hey, Max!"

She jumped up out of her unsettling thoughts to smile at Anna like she had been listening.

"Hey! Uh . . . what?"

Anna giggled. "Nothing! You just looked a little off in space."

Max laughed unconvincingly. "Sorry . . . I . . . I guess I'm just a bit tired."

Jeremy's face told her that he sensed her stress. He probably suspected she wouldn't excuse herself for fear of being unkind.

"You know what!" He raised his voice. "I am pretty darn tired myself!"

Delia smiled and followed his lead. "Yes, it certainly has been an exciting day!" She got up from her seat on the couch. "I think I'll head out and let you sleep, Miss Redding! Jeremy, thank you as always—"

"Oh please!" Jeremy interrupted. "You cooked us this big, beautiful dinner, we should be thanking you."

Max stood up and headed toward Delia. "Thank you." She put her arms lovingly around her. "Thank you so much."

The embrace lasted a few moments before everyone else said their goodbyes. The night was finally over as the house grew quiet, but before Max left the living room, her dad exited the kitchen with a hesitant smile on his face. "Hey kiddo. How are you feeling?" Max had never enjoyed socializing, but once everyone went to their rooms, including Anna and Chris in the Redding guest room, she realized being alone at night wasn't any better. "I'm okay, I think." She laughed nervously trying to put on a happy face. Her dad sighed and took a few steps before sitting on the couch. "It's okay if you aren't. You don't have to pretend you are, okay?" Her smile turned into a barely visible smirk as she said quietly, "thanks, dad. I am a bit weirded out, but I am happy you found me. All of you." His smile widened. "That's wonderful to hear, sweetie. I thought I lost you for too many years and now that you're here I want you to be happy." Max was about to turn towards her bedroom, but stopped with a question that had been burning inside her since that day at the market. "Dad?" He stood up with his eyebrows raised. "How did you know it was me?" His serious face quickly turned into a light smile. "I'm your dad." Max nodded trying to hold back the tears that wanted to fall before turning around to walk to her new bedroom. She went to bed smiling for the first time in years feeling like there was a light at the end of the tunnel, but the darkness always seemed to find a way in.

As she settled into her new bed, it only took seconds for her smile to disappear. She thought about what was to come and was afraid because she didn't know. She was afraid because no one could, or would, tell her. "Tomorrow is a new day" was usually a serene thought, meant to erase today's misfortunes, but Max had had enough of "new" things.

The middle of the night arrived, and like clockwork the nightmares crept in.

She was in a gas station bathroom with him standing guard outside. Of course he was, because she never had a moment to herself, which was why she loved these stupid gas stations so much. She could lie and go to the bathroom alone and it was her only time to feel like she could breathe. As her bitter, angry mind attempted to feel a sense of calm for a second she heard a scuffle outside. Her head perked up, full of fear. Every time she heard a noise her body froze, waiting for something terrible to happen. And as always, her instincts were right. She heard a muffled scream and a thump against the door, making her jump back. She knew better than to scream. She had taken more than a few beatings for that mistake. Silence boomed from the outside in, then suddenly the door burst open. He was out of breath, blood on his hands, smiling at her.

"Violet." He reached his hand for her to take. "I got us a new car!"

She apprehensively took his hand and followed him to a dark blue SUV.

"Well? Do you like it?"

She nodded her head, confused, and got into the backseat. The windows were heavily tinted, but on the right, one window was down just enough for her to clearly see a man. He was surrounded by red on the concrete, his head turned in a direction it shouldn't be. Tears filled her eyes. In broad daylight, Eric had killed this man over an SUV. Violet was twelve years old, taken one year ago, but the blood still made her body shake.

"You killed that man for a car, Eric."

He turned slowly to face her from the front seat. His face was full of disappointment.

"Violet. Don't you understand by now? I did this for US."

She shook her head feverishly. "No! You did this for yourself!" His eyes grew wide as her voice rose. "Nothing is ever for me!"

As soon as her last word fell, a fist hit her face with enough force to break a wall. She grabbed her face, blood dripping, tears falling.

"You little bitch! You're so ungrateful! Everything I do for you and you side with this stranger you don't even know!"

She could barely see. One of her eyes felt glued shut. "I'm sorry, Eric! Please—"

He punched her again and she cried out with anguish.

"You are going to get it when we get to the motel, you horrible little bitch."

He threw the car into gear and sped off down the highway with Violet sobbing.

"HELP ME!! PLEASE!!"

Max jerked up, her body radiating terror, knowing everyone could hear her screams from the other rooms. She heard a shuffling outside her door and saw shadows of feet frantically moving.

"Mr. R., it's okay."

Max heard Anna speak, her voice like a shadow consuming the air in the hallway.

"What the hell is going on?!" she heard her dad whisper with a fire in his voice.

"Chris is going to take care of this, he knows how—"

"This, Anna? What is this?"

Anna seemed to hesitate, most likely because she was afraid to upset Max's dad, but this was a nightly occurrence. Max knew he needed to understand sooner rather than later.

"She has night terrors . . . she has these bad flashback dreams and she wakes up screaming."

Max could almost hear her father's disappointment settle in as he let out a slow, deep, but loud breath.

"Chris has been taking care of her issues with it for a few years now."

Max heard Jeremy sigh again, wondering if the painful surprises would send him running eventually.

"He will make her feel better, Mr. R. I promise."

Max couldn't hear anyone speaking anymore. She couldn't stop herself from hyperventilating and crying as Chris slowly cracked the door open. His calm voice was telling her everything would be fine, and she really hoped it would be. How would her dad deal with this? Would he try to help her? Could he help her? Chris gave Max a weak smile as he left her bedroom.

"She's okay. I promise."

Jeremy spoke up, sounding exhausted. "Thank you, Chris."

Max was still sniffling, but it was better than the ear-shattering screams.

"Anna, she doesn't have these when you're with her," Chris said quietly, "maybe you can—"

"Of course." Anna's voice was stern. "I'll see you guys in the a.m."

She walked into Max's room, shut the door, and just like in Brooklyn, they both fell fast asleep.

The morning arrived quickly, and Max could feel the exhaustion wafting through the house. She could hear Anna, Chris, and Jeremy whispering, most likely in the kitchen, because the distinct smell of fresh coffee filled the air.

Max's eyes were barely open and she still felt half-asleep, but she had no intention of leaving her room that day. The embarrassment was too great. Chris and Anna had obviously experienced her nighttime shrieking, and they had never made her feel bad about it, but her dad was a different story. She felt like she'd shattered his expectations with her mental issues. That he thought since she had come home, everything would be okay and the fairy tale could start, but what he'd gotten was a monster. And she feared he would realize that soon, and maybe even regret bringing her here. It was the reason she never wanted to come back in the first place.

Hours went by with Max staring at her wall, doing her best to stay silent.

"Shouldn't someone check on her?" She heard Jeremy ask for the hundredth time. "I don't want her to feel unwelco—"

He was cut off by a phone ringing in the kitchen.

"You have to be the only person on earth who still has a landline."

Max smirked hearing Anna giggle at her own joke, but Jeremy was not laughing. Max remembered that the landline was for emergencies — very few people had this number. She quietly jumped off her bed and tip-toed to put her ear up to the door.

"Hello?"

A few moments passed before she heard her dad sound uncharacteristically rude.

"How did you get this number?"

Jeremy made a small "mhm" sound. Each passing minute gave Max more anxiety because she knew the phone call had to be about her.

"What is it you want, Detective?" He sounded stern, almost angry.

"Mr. R.? Everything okay?" Max heard Anna ask with concern in her voice.

"Who exactly are you?" Suddenly Jeremy's voice changed and he squeaked out, "Oh, okay. Look, Detective Logan, I think I know what this is about and honestly, she has spent one night here after being gone for seven years and she won't even come out of her room."

There was silence from her father.

A detective?! Max shouted at herself internally.

"Well . . . how would we do this? How would it go?"

Max started shaking. This has to be about Eric.

"I guess that would be fine, but I can't guarantee she will be okay with any of this. Bye, Detective."

Max's dad slowly placed the phone back on the receiver with a click.

Anna said cautiously, "Mr. R.? What's going on?"

"Anna . . . that was a detective from the FBI."

Max cracked her door open quietly, listening to Anna get louder. "No, no, no! I can't believe they're trying to do this! She's only been here one night, I can't believe they're calling her NOW—"

"Who is calling?"

Everyone jumped around to see Max standing in the hallway.

"Who called, Dad? What's going on?"

Her eyes darted from face to face, waiting for her answer. Growing more agitated by the second, she raised her voice. "Guys! Stop being ridiculous! What is going on?"

Jeremy took a step forward and hesitantly began to speak. "Max . . . that was a detective."

Max's felt the blood drain from her face and the room closed in. "What do you mean?" But she knew.

"He said he needs you for a case and—"

"Oh my god . . ."

"He is coming by tomorrow."

"What?!" Max's voice was now at full volume. "How could you let him come her—"

"I didn't have a choice, honey. He gave me no choice. He was quite rude, actually." Jeremy rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed with the man.

"Max," Anna started toward her friend. "It's going to be okay. Do you remember what I said?"

Max stood frigid, her eyes felt glued to the ground.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to. You will NEVER have to do that."

Jeremy and Chris smiled, nodding their heads.

"If that man comes and you want to tell him to screw off, we will support you."

"Maybe don't say screw off SPECIFICALLY," Jeremy interjected, and let out a small laugh. "But, I will ask him to leave."

Max nodded her head slowly. "Okay . . . thank you. And I'm really sorry about last night, Dad. I jus—"

"No sweetheart," Jeremy swiftly responded. "You have nothing to be sorry about. We will take one thing at a time, together."

He looked at Anna and Chris. "All of us."

For the first time since she'd returned home, Max couldn't hold her smile back.

"I thought you might regret bringing me here," she laughed nervously as Jeremy walked to her and took her hands.

"I will NEVER regret bringing you back here. In my entire life I have never been so happy. You have given me a reason to exist again, and I don't mean that to put pressure on you. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, don't you ever feel bad. I love you, Max."

She looked at her father in disbelief. How could she, someone so broken, make anyone feel that way? She had no idea, but she realized that her father was in this completely and she could begin to try and let go of her anxiety. Her heart softened as she shook her head before throwing her arms around him.

"I love you so much, Dad."

She felt his arms around her as he said kindly, "I love you, kid."