Mommy is sle eping on the couch. She’s still wearing all her clothes and her jacket and her head is leaning back
and her mouth is open and she looks so tired.
Dan is asle ep in a chair in the living room. He has a blanket over him.
Amanda is asle ep on a second couch near the chair. The baby’s crib is near her.
Daddo isn’t back yet.
He called Mommy and Mommy sounded real upset and k ept asking if the police did this or that and why didn’t
they find anything and you better come back here, Russ. But Daddo told Mommy he was going to the police
station for something and he might be late.
He’s late. It’s late.
The world is dark outside and everyone is sle eping exc ept me.
I ke ep hearing a sound that worries me. It’s the sound someone makes before they talk.
The breath they take in, I think.
It’s probably Amanda or Dan or Mommy or the baby sle eping but I went up to each of them and put my ear by
their mouths and they made different sounds than the one I ke ep hearing.
There it is again.
Like someone is about to say something. Like someone is in the room and is about to say something.
I took Mommy’s phone in case Daddo called, but he hasn’t called so maybe I should call him.
The police didn’t find anything bad at our house. But what does that mean?
There’s that sound again.
It’s not a little breath. It’s like someone is about to say something. I ke ep expecting someone to say something.
Is someone here? I whisper.
I wish I didn’t ask it and I go under the blanket Dan gave me and I hide because I don’t want someone to answer
me.
I want Daddo to come back and tell us everything is okay, the police got rid of Other Mommy. The firemen got rid
of Other Mommy. The mailman took Other Mommy away.
O! There’s that sound again!
I lower the blanket and I wish I didn’t.
But I just see Dan sle eping. And Amanda on the couch.
And the baby.
Mommy looks so pale.
I wonder if being scared makes you tired.
But I’m not tired.
I call Daddo on Mommy’s phone.
It rings.
And rings.
And he sends Mommy a text message because he thinks it’s Mommy calling.
All good, he writes. Just filing a r eport. How is Bela?
I put the phone down and I listen.
Amanda snores.
Dan snores.
Mommy is looking at me.
I almost scream.
Did you use my phone? she asks.
Yeah.
She takes it. She reads what Daddo wrote.
She nods.
Good. Thank you.
She pulls me in tight to her. She’s trying to ke ep her eyes open.
But they close again.
Daddo isn’t on his way yet and— O! There it is again.
That sound.
That breath.
I look to Mommy because maybe she heard it but her eyes are still closed.
But I heard it.
From the entrance to the living room.
I heard it there.
Like someone taking a breath before they say something.
Don’t, I whisper.
I stare at the entrance to the living room and I can’t stop staring.
Hello? I ask.
I pull the blanket over my face. I can’t look anymore.
I just want Daddo to come home.
O! I say.
Because I heard something move. Something crossed the room.
I lower the blanket and I see Dan is sitting up. He’s looking over his shoulder to the entrance to the living room.
He says, Who’s there?
I pull the blanket back over my eyes because I don’t wanna see this, I don’t wanna hear this, I don’t wanna be here
at all.
Who’s there? Dan asks again.
Mommy is sle eping beside me.
But Amanda wakes and says, Who are you talking to?
Her voice is sle epy.
I don’t know. Is Russ back?
I didn’t let him in. Did you?
No.
I lower the blanket.
Amanda and Dan are staring at the entrance to the living room.
Dan raises his finger.
You hear that?
No. Amanda says.
No, that wasn’t it.
What did you hear?
It was like... breathing or something.
They’re quiet for a little while. Staring.
I snore, Amanda says.
They’re quiet again.
You do, Dan says.
Mommy’s phone lights up next to me and Mommy wakes up and we both read the text from Daddo: I’m back. I’m
outside.
Mommy tells Amanda and Dan that Daddo is back and Dan gets up but he pauses at the entrance to the living
room and he reaches to the wall and he turns on the light.
Nobody’s there.
He looks to Amanda and he says, I’ve never been so glad you snore. I might’ve gone insane if I didn’t have an
explanation.
For what? Mommy asks.
Just thought I heard something, Dan says. I don’t mean to scare you, Ursula.
What? What did you hear?
He heard me snoring, Amanda says.
We’re all on edge, Dan Says. We’re all— But Daddo knocks on the door and we all jump at the sound.