Page 28 of Dynamo
Dynamo
Mike had been gone four hours when I heard the first whimper. I sat up and turned the TV down. Listening intently for a few minutes, I was about to relax when it happened again. It was one of the girls.
Despite my curiosity, I’d not explored Mike’s house. Somehow, I guessed he’d know if I did. The cry echoed, louder, distressed, and I headed for the stairs. Whimpering began as I jogged up them and started looking for which girl was upset. The doors were ajar with a soft light on in the hallway.
I checked the first room and assumed that was Mike’s, as it had a very masculine feel. The roomopposite was a bathroom, and the one next to that contained a sleeping child. The third one I peeked into had Robin, and she was twisted up in her sheets and whimpering. As I entered her room, she broke into full-on sobbing, and her cries were terrifying. Guilt hit me; Mike had mentioned their nightmares had stopped. Had my actions caused this?
Robin released a small scream, and I hurried over to reassure her that everything was okay.
“Robin, hey kid, you’re safe,” I murmured. She screamed, and I stepped back. While everything inside urged me to wake her quickly, I knew that was the wrong thing to do. From my own experience, being roughly woken made shit worse.
“Come on, sweet girl, wakey-wakey,” I muttered, gently shaking her. Robin’s eyes flew open, and I winced at the panic in them. She gasped for air, and I sat next to her, rubbing her back, murmuring platitudes.
A few minutes later her sleepiness cleared, and she gazed at me before breaking down into sobs. Robin crawled into a corner and hid her face from me.
“Your dad had to pop out,” I murmured, unsure whether to gather her up. Heck, I barely hugged Ham, Maci, and Grace. I knew shit about kids.
“Why are you here?” Robin demanded.
“Your dad asked me, he couldn’t get your usual babysitter.” To hell with it. “What was your nightmare about?” I asked.
“The monster came again with the others. They were taking me away to kill me,” Robin said.
“Nobody’s going to harm you, honey; your dad won’t let them,” I murmured as she wiped tears from her eyes. Guilt was suffocating me. Mike had built a safe place for the girls, and I’d destroyed that by attacking him. The kids were innocent.
“The monster comes at night and hides in the closet,” Robin whispered as her tears welled up again.
“Does Daddy know?”
“No. Because he might get Daddy too,” Robin replied.
I got up and sighed. I was about to make an idiot of myself, but it was worth it.
“Hey, monster,” I called. “I’m not scared of you.”
Robin looked up as she wiped her tears away. Her head cocked to one side, and she blinked.
“Come on, fight me, not a little girl,” I taunted, feeling stupid. But Robin was paying attention. “Robin, watch him run like the pussy he is.”
I threw open the closet door and punched the air a few times, and then kicked high enough to have taken someone’s nuts out.
“Get him, Dynamo!” Robin crowed.
I launched a few more punches and then grabbed an invisible throat. “Think you’re hurting now? Come back here, and I’ll put you in a world of misery,” I threatened.
I shoved the imaginary monster away from me and shut the doors and bowed.
Robin broke into clapping and cheered.
“He won’t return,” I said, and Robin nodded.
“Thank you! He was so scared!” Robin cried, and Iforced a smile. I tucked Robin into bed.
“If he returns, tell him to come closer and then kick or punch him in the nuts. Even a headbang there would work.”
Robin nodded, and I stroked her hair away from her face. “Goodnight, kid.”
“Night, Dynamo. Kick him in the nuts,” Robin muttered as her eyes closed. I left the bedroom and spotted Mike in the shadows. Without a word, I followed him down the stairs and into the living room.
