Chapter 1: My Mom's Strange Behavior.
Lately, my mother, Kathy Thompson, has been behaving in an unusual manner. Around midnight, she would rise from her slumber, proceed to her bedroom closet to clothe herself before embarking on a mysterious nocturnal journey. Through the dimly lit hallway, then down the creaky flight of stairs, passing through the shadowy living room to reach the closed door. With a silent determination, she would open the door and disappear into the night. In those moments, my father, Henry Thompson, would round up the rest of us - Carly Thompson, my lively 3-year-old toddler brother Ben Thompson, my inquisitive 5-year-old sister Susan Thompson, and my mischievous 7-year-old identical twin siblings, Keith Thompson and Anna Thompson. Together, we would pile into the family Chrysler Minivan, our eyes peering into the darkness as we searched for our wandering mom. Every corner, every street, every alleyway was scoured until finally, we stumbled upon her ethereal presence in the abandoned parking lot of a grocery store. In a quaint town named Canton, my mom was on a mission to find her car in the parking lot. With a gentle reminder from my dad, she hopped into the car, and we drove back to our cozy abode nestled in a lush, secure, tree-lined neighborhood. After a quick breakfast, my siblings and I headed off to school.
Another hour passed before my siblings, and I arrived home from school. After eating dinner, we settled in to watch TV before heading to bed. Later that night, Mom repeated the same pattern: rising from bed, getting dressed, and leaving the house. Once again, we embarked on the search for her, eventually locating her. It fell upon us to guide her back home. During the following nights, mom continued to wander outside, prompting us to search for her each time. Eventually, Dad reached his breaking point and took his wife to the hospital. After a series of tests, the doctors concluded that mom was indeed sleepwalking. Instructed by the doctor, Dad started locking the door every night to prevent Mom from leaving the house. He optimistically believed in the success of his plan, only to be proven wrong when everything unraveled that night. In a swift motion, Mom threw the comforting covers off her body, promptly getting dressed. With determination in her eyes, she retrieved her trusty rolling suitcase and meticulously packed her belongings. As she deftly zipped it shut, she yanked the handle upright and began her journey, the wheeled suitcase obediently trailing behind her. She traversed through the hallway, descended the stairs, and passed through the familiar living room. With a sense of resolve, she unlocked the front door, swung it open, and stepped out into the night, the door clicking shut behind her.
She glided across the front porch, descended its steps, trotted along the front porch sidewalk, and carefully made her way down the front porch sidewalk steps. Moving away from the house, she strolled down the sidewalk, steadily distancing herself from both us and the house. The sun peeked through the curtains as we stirred from our slumber the following morning, only to discover with astonishment that Mom had pulled off her signature surprise once more. Without delay, we devoured our breakfast, swiftly clothed ourselves, hopped into the minivan, and embarked on a quest to locate Mom.
