The soft sound reached into her sleep and pulled her through that fuzzy place when you weren’t awake but not asleep, and into her little room lit by the nightlight that looked like a glowing pink star.
In the day house she never heard that sound among the clatter and chatter and TV noise. But in the night house the sound of a foot finding the floor was as loud as a bomb. The two feet down, then the walking steps. She straightened her head so both ears were free and listened hard – was it Mummy or Daddy? She hoped Mummy but it almost never was.
In the pink light she searched until she could see Teddy and Jemimah, looking down on her from the bookshelf. Could they see her tears? Please Teddy, please Jemimah make the steps stop. Make the light stay.
She pulled the quilt as far up as she could without covering her eyes. She needed to be able to see Teddy and Jemimah looking over her. Underneath, her sheet was wound tightly around her. She did this every night now – tight, tight so his big fingers couldn’t find her. She twisted the sheet at her chest around her tiny knuckles. Her hands hurt from holding so tight but she mustn’t let go.
Six steps out into the hall and along to the bathroom. Teddy, Jemimah, make him stop there. She bit her lips together but a little sound got out on its own. Her breaths went faster and faster, even though she didn’t want them to. Seven, eight steps; he would soon be at her door and her pink light would go out.
Her tongue found the gap where her front tooth had been and moved backwards and forwards over the soft gum. Harder and harder until she felt her tongue sting against the edge of sharp tooth with the wobble. The hurt felt good.
A soft click and out went the light. She looked for Teddy and Jemima but they’d gone back into the dark.
