Lost in the Moment

I woke up to a horrible amount of screaming that seemed to be coming from downstairs. It was the kind you’d expect to hear in a horror movie, the kind that made your heart skip a beat and begin beating faster than ever before. I sat up straight and took a look at the small white clock that sat a bit more crooked on the nightstand. It read a bit past midnight. There was more screaming, which made me start to tremble with fear. I closed my eyes as I took in a deep breath. Once I opened my eyes, I began to walk out of my room and down the creaking and old staircase. I stopped on the few middle steps and sat down as I watched what was going on in the living room through the spindles of the staircase. I saw my mother on her knees and tears rolling down her rosy and slightly freckled cheeks. In front of her was a man with a red ski mask that only displayed his eyes and lips, and he held a gun in his hand. Once I realized who the gun was pointed to, my heart began beating faster.

The man spoke in a rather deep voice, “I’m sorry, but you know I have to do this.”

“No you don’t. Please don’t, I have a daughter, please.” My mother pleaded through her sobs.

“I know you have a daughter, Theia. I am doing this for her benefit.”

“What do you mean?”

“If one thing changes in the timeline, it means I could be with her. Of course you wouldn’t get it, so let me just put you out of your misery. I am sorry, Grace.”

With that, he shot my mother. The only other person who helped me throughout my life. The only person who I truly loved. She was gone and I would never see her again. Uncontrollable tears rushed down my face as I let out a scream that was beyond my control. The man in the red ski mask jerked his head in my direction as I sprinted back up the stairs into my bedroom. I locked the door and sat in front of the closed door. I buried my head in my knees as I continued to cry. I soon picked my head up as I felt a presence of someone else in the room. I pulled myself off the floor and looked over at my bed. My eyes went big.

I noticed someone sitting on my bed and I couldn’t bring myself to start screaming again. It was a man. He wore a red ski mask that only showed his lips and his chocolate brown eyes. I swallowed hard as he began to walk towards me. This man was the man who shot my mother. I started to grind my teeth in pure anger as the man soon began to approach me.

“Theia? Are you scared of me?” He asked. His voice made me want to melt, but I stood my ground.

“How do you know my name? You also mentioned it before you-” I asked.

“I know a lot of things you don’t. Here.” He tried handing me my mother’s necklace that had the word joy in silver. I snatched it out of his hand, not saying thank you.

“What’s your name?” I said with fear building up in my voice.

“I can’t tell you that, doll.” He cupped my cheeks.

“Don’t call me that.” I pull myself away from his grasp, but he was much stronger than me.

“That’s not what you said in the future.” He looked deeply in my eyes.

“I don’t even know you.”

“Soon enough, Theia. Soon enough.” He came close to my face and began to kiss me...

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“NO!” I shout as I sit straight up.

It was a just a dream. That is what I keep having to tell myself everyday when I wake up. It was just a dream. There was something more strange about this dream than the past few nights. That man in the ski mask. There were a lot of questions circling in my mind and I didn’t have the answers. I looked over at the empty space on the other side of the bed and sighed. I start messing with the necklace that was once my mother’s as I get up and grab one of my boyfriend’s hoodies. I put it over me and my growing stomach.

I started to walk out of our bedroom, taking my time with each step. As I walk throughout the hallway, I start to stare at the many pictures we hung up over the past year. A slight feeling of happiness fell over me. I looked at one that was taken the day after my mother had died, and when I moved in with one of the police officers who also was Oscar’s mother. The picture was of me and Oscar with a snowman that we had built to make me forget about the past day’s events. I wanted to smile, but I just couldn’t. I looked at the next photo which was the most recent ultrasound of our baby girl. It had been 6 months, today. I tried smiling again at the thought of having a baby, but yet again I couldn’t. The next picture was of me and Oscar when we had graduated from our small college, not too far away. That was the day where I found out that I liked Oscar, it was also the day where he told me his feelings for me.

I wanted to smile at all I have been through to get to today, but the past just hovered over me. I soon found my way into the kitchen and started to make some hot chocolate. I found a note next to the mason jar filled with Oscar’s homemade cocoa mix. I picked up the folded in half notecard and recognized the handwriting immediately.

Theia, I just wanted to tell you I love you and hope you have a great day at work. I am going to be home earlier than usual today so I could get everything ready for our usual Friday night date. Love you tons! Oscar

I began heating up some milk for the hot chocolate and went into the walk in pantry to grab the bag of jumbo marshmallows, shoving a few in my mouth as I walked back to the stove. I took the pot of milk off the stove and poured it into a mug with my initials on it. I then poured in a good amount of the hot chocolate mix. I took out a spoon and began to stir the hot drink as I walked into the living room. I sat down on the corner spot of the couch and wrapped a blanket on my lap. I took a few sips of the drink. I began to think back about Oscar to try and get me to smile.

After my mother had passed, the cops had rushed into my house. One of the cops found me hiding in my closet and helped me out. That cop was Oscar’s mom. Soon we left the crime scene, while I held tight onto the necklace the man in the ski mask had given me. We went into her car and she drove me to the station. She tried talking to me but I wasn’t in the mood. I had sat on the bench in front of the captain’s office. I was listening in on their conversation for I could not help it. Soon Oscar’s mom came out of the office with the captain on her heels.

The captain crouched down in front of me, “You will be living with Detective Garza, here, until we can find a foster home for you.”

I nod my head and the captain stood up. I followed Detective Garza into her car and the whole way to his house it was quiet. It wasn’t a peaceful quiet or the awkward one, it was the kind that you knew was there but shouldn’t acknowledge kind. I was greeted by her family which consisted of two boys. One of them was Oscar...

I snapped back into reality and noticed I had started crying. I wiped the tears away and put the steaming cup of hot cocoa on the coffee table. I threw the blanket off of me and began to get ready. I straightened my naturally curly hair. I wore minimal makeup, which meant mascara and light lip gloss. I searched through my shared closet and dug out a long grey dress which I threw onto the messy bed. I took out a white cardigan and threw that next to the dress. I put the outfit on myself and dug underneath my bed for a pair of white flats. I put on my mother’s necklace and a small watch. I grabbed my bag and left the house, just as quiet as it was before.