“Captain Crunch!”
“No! Jelly Toast!”
“Captain Cruuuunch!”
“Toast!”
“Capta…..”
“SHUTUP!” mom screams. “Here.” She shoves the cereal box into the oldest child’s chest. “Bread is already out.” mom huffs as she leaves the kitchen and avoids touching her youngest child of 4 with a maneuver that is awkward yet telling.
“Really, c’mon guys.” dad says. “You know mom is not a morning person.”
“But dad, we always have stupid toast for breakfast. I never get to have cereal.” says Chipper. “No huh, we had cereal yesterday.” retorts Sunny. “and now mom hates me.” Sunny starts to cry.
“Awww baby. Mom doesn’t hate you. She just has a hard time waking up in the morning. We need to just bring it down a notch until mom has time to wake up. Now stop crying.”
Sunny sobs “I can eat cereal. Just tell mom to stop being mad at me, ok. It makes me sad.”
“It’s not like that Sunny. She just….just…” dad struggles.
“Once upon a time, there were two very beautiful girls that were loved very much by there mother and father. Before they went to bed each night their father would read them a bed time story followed by their mother singing them a lullaby until there little eyes closed. The mother would gently kiss them on the forehead and tip toe from their room.” “But the kids never fell asleep. Because they knew in the morning their mother would turn into a monster and most likely eat them!” “NOM NOM NOM”
Sunny squealed as her father pretended to eat her with his lip covered teeth.
“Shhh…shhh…hehe…I love you very much and so does your mom. She is not mad. She just needs a little quiet time in the mornings.”
Chipper says “That’s stupid. Here, sign this paper.”
“Ok, but we have to hurry. I have a lot to do today to get ready for my trip.” Dad says
Later that day Mom picks up the girls from School. She is he usual afternoon self of loving, joking and caring. Chipper is not having it. Sunny enjoys this time with her mom.
That night father tucks the girls in bed and reads a story. Mother follows up with a Lulabye.
The following morning is more of the same. Arguing. Storming off.
Dad leaves for his trip and mom drives the girls to school. Not having a good time.
Afternoon arrives and mom picks up the kids. She is upbeat but not feeling well.
No story tonight. Only a lulabye.
Sunny can not sleep. She crawls into bed with mom.
Sunny wakes up in the middle of the night several times. Hearing things.
Mom begs Sunny to let her get some sleep. Mom takes some medicine.
The final time Sunny wakes up at 3:30AM she confuses the back of her mom’s head for her mom’s face. This scares Sunny as she thinks her mom is a monster in the bed. But then rationalizes that it is not a monster. Merely the back of her mom’s head. She does not wake her mom up for this final scare.
Mom gets no sleep. The kids get up and make breakfast. Chipper takes control and forces Sunny to eat cereal. Sunny wants dad. she will even take mom. Why is mom not awake?
Chipper goes to get mom up. She sees the back of her mom’s head. She walks to the other side. It is still the back of her mom’s head.
This scares Chipper. She leaves the room. She tells Sunny what she saw. Sunny explains it is just the back of mom’s head and that she is being silly. and starts to make a lot of noise. Yelling for mom because she assumes Chipper is just trying to get her way. Chipper tries to quiet Sunny.
Sunny runs to mom’s room with Chipper running behind. Mom is covered up. Sunny jumps on the bed! Mom is not in the bed. It’s just the covers.
A shape passes behind them through the door.
The shape catches their attention. Sunny runs after. Chipper trips.
Sunny is in the kitchen. She has lost site of the shape. Then she notices there is toast on the counter. With Jelly. Bloody red Jam and a knife is sticking in the cutting board. “Yay! Toast!” “Eww…this jelly tastes salty. Gross.”
Chipper knocks the toast from Sunny’s hands.
The front door slams shut.
The girls hear someone walking around.
Dad enters the doorway “Oh thank God you girls are ok!” He grabs them and hugs them tight.
“I got home as quick as I could. Are the police here? Are you girls alone?”
Chipper “What’s going on dad?”
“Your mom got hit by a car last night. She was sleepwalking in front of the house. The man who hit her rushed her to the hospital. They didn’t know who your mom was until they got to the hospital and your aunt Cindy saw her. She called me and told me what happened. Then she was suppose to call the police to come sit with you until I could get home.”
“Don’t worry. Mom is going to be OK. I was just so worried about you guys.”
“Hey…who made toast?”