CH9: Night Terror

Monday morning and Philip was prepared for his work. He dressed with his everyday work attire. However, Daniela was finely sitting on the cushioned sofa near the crib where the baby was finely sleeping.

"Ringgg..."

The telephone rung as he opened the door. Daniela and Philip's attention were caught  by that sound that suddenly made their heart pumped very fast. They both averted their gaze at the telephone and they looked at each other after a moment of pause. Seemed that they knew what was the meaning of that sound.

Daniela did not waste any time and she immediately stood. She quickly took a couple of stepped toward the center table which the telephone located to know the news that it could tell to them.

Daniela held the phone, but before she answered the call, she took a deep breath.

"Sigh." She sighed and she looked at Philip who stopped next to the close door.

"Hello?" Daniela uttered to get the attention of the caller in the other line.

"This is police officer Eleazar. And together with my team, we searched for the identity of the baby and  we consider her age and sad to say..." The police replied.

"Tot...toottt...tooottt..."Before the police officer ended up his words, the connection was lost that made Daniela to think something negatively.

From the last word that the police said to Daniela, she felt strange feeling. She don't know if it was bad news for them because the police did not ended up his words due of connection failure.

She averted her gaze to Selene who was peacefully sleeping. Her eyes speaking and Philip felt the sadness that Daniela have which burdened on her expression.

Philip bring down the attache case that he holding for a moment and he dragged himself to the chair near the front door.

But everything was changed as the police officer spoke again in the other line.

" Sorry Mrs. Montreal if we lost our signal.But I wanted to tell both of you that the baby is not the resident of your local town. There was no baby that born three months ago. We searched every hospital here but we  failed. It mean that the baby named Selene was abandoned by her parents that live afar from your town."

At that moment, Daniela couldn't speak. She looked like a statue that nailed on the floor as she heard the words of the police.

"Daniela, what's now?" Philip sadly asked his wife. However he could not receive any answers  from Daniela. He felt curious and he stood to get the phone in the hand of Daniela who let the phone to him.

"Hello? Can you please clarify what you talking about?" Philip uttered to know what the other line wanted to say.

I repeat sir. The baby that you found have no parents here in your town. Which means that the baby is abandoned by her legal parents.  And we hoped that you both will be the parents of the baby until everything is alright. But if you don't, we can get the baby from you and take her in the children's department." The police said with authority.

As Philip heard that kind of words from the police, he could not move. He saw in his peripheral vision that Daniela smiling at him.

"So she might knew that the baby will be with us? That's why she looked like happy like the way I did!" He muttered as he realized how Daniela looked happier at that moment.

"Stump"

"Stump"

"Stump"

Daniela walked toward Philip carrying the innocent baby.

"Philip..." Daniela uttered briefly which Philip caught what she meant to say. Philip happily stared at his wife with giggled on his mouth.

"Daniela maybe this thing make you happy." Philip uttered that made Daniela to feel worried again.

"Ahmm. Philip what if her parents look for her for the moment that we have intimate relationship to her? What shall we do?" Daniela asked suddenly as she thought about Selene's real parents.

Philip stretched his hand and he slowly tapped the shoulder of his wife to make Daniela comfortable.

"Don't think about that. The important is Selene is with us." Philip replied to make his wife happy.

"Sigh.  You are right. All I can do for now is to be happy and think how to become a mother for her."  She uttered wearing a smile on her face.

Hour passed and the couple still in the moment of happiness. They could not imagine how they become a temporary parents of a beautiful young girl. Philip who was the head of the family could not restrain in thinking of the things that he needed to do to make his family become better.

Same as Daniela, she looked like floating in the cloud nine as she thought how good would be if she become a mother even Selene was not her blood and flesh.

Time passed and the minutes become hours and the hours turned into days, the days turned into week and week turned to months but even the shadow of Selene's   real parents were nothing and Philip and Daniela were become a real mother of Selene. They took care for her like there were no other baby in the world like their adopted child, Selene. 

However, every night,Philip still bothered by the mysterious man that he saw a months ago in his dream. He tried to tell it to Daniela but unfortunately, his wife laughed at her instead of believing him.

***

"Philip! wake up!" Daniela shook the body of her husband. 

"Huh!" Philip shouted in his pale face. He grabbed his chest as he felt the trembling of his heartbeat.

"Are you okay?" Daniela asked worrying about her husband situation. She caressed her husband as he sat on the bed.

"T..the hollow man! I saw him again!" Philip uttered trembled in fear. Daniela stared at Philip while tapping the both cheeks of Philip.

"Calm yourself honey" Daniela uttered while calming her husband. Philip nodded his head as he heard his wife's voice. Daniela jumped on their bed to get a glass of water for Philip.

"Drink it first." Daniela uttered holding a glass of lukewarm water. Philip grabbed the glass while fidgeting because of the nervous that he felt as he woke up. He drunk and empty the glass from the moment that his lips touched its led.

After a moment of pause, Philip seemed to be alright. Daniela got her time to ask Philip what's was going on.

"Philip, are you dreaming for the same nightmare like before?" Daniela asked seemed like she knew that Philip had his nightmare again.

Philip stared at Daniela while he holding the empty glass tightly.

"Daniela! We need to be careful about the three of us. I know that that nightmare is not just a bad dream but it is a warning to us. That man always comes to my dream every single night and I think we need to... " Philip muttered that made Daniela to shrug her shoulder. But before he ended up his words, Daniela suddenly jumped for a conversation.

"Come on Philip. It's already year 2023. Don't be childish who believe for nonsense dream. Maybe you experience again the night terror because of tiredness." Daniela replied seemed she did not believe on what Philip told to her. Instead, she believes that everything happened at Philip was just  part of his personal problem and tiredness at work.

Philip shook his head as he spoke. 

"Believe me or not, I'm telling the truth." He firmly said. Daniela rolled her eyes and she took a deep breath.

"Okay...Okay. What if it is true? Then what?" Daniela replied while laying her body on the bed slowly.

Philip averted his gazed to somewhere and stared back to Daniela.

"We will move to somewhere far from this place." Philip uttered that made Daniela to shock as she heard that words coming from Philip. She quickly raised from the bed and retorted.

"What? Are you dead serious? We are living here for only a month and then you will say that we will move again to another? We spent a lot of money in this home, maybe you are out of your mind!"

Daniela could not stop herself to make an argued because of the things she heard at that moment. However, instead of making an argument, Philip put the glass on the table near their bed and he hold the hand of Daniela as he spoke gently.

"I'm so sorry Daniela but please listen to me okay because I felt bad for my situation. That man in my dream always telling me the same thing and I think he have the reason why he always bother me. And I think moving away from this place makes me feel comfortable."

Sighed

Daniela took a deep breath. She shrugged her shoulder and replied. 

"If you wish...then do it. I'm not on your position to talk..." And before Daniela ended up her words, Philip suddenly grabbed her body and embraced her. She felt the warmth of Philip's body.

While their body was linked together, Daniela felt the heartbeat of her husband. She felt worried as she thought that Philip might have sleep disorder that's why he always experienced the night terror to be called.