As soon as they got back from Mr. Scaredy Cat’s house, Dad went to meet Auntie Elizabeth and Uncle Michael at the ice skating park so he could ask Emma some questions. He’s been gone for at least an hour. Mom keeps checking on me. And she keeps checking out my window. She turned the Christmas tunes up really loud to drown out her mumbling, but I can still hear her. She’s worried about the little girl next door, upset by Mr. Fletcher. At least she knows how I feel now. I’ve tried to sleep, but I can’t seem to turn the video off in my head. I keep seeing little Max at the fence, the man stomping up behind him and dragging him back inside. I don’t want to have nightmares. I can’t live with the idea that the boy is all alone over there. All I want is for the police to come so the boy can go home and I can get some sleep. I can’t figure out why Mom hasn’t called Auntie Liv. Or maybe she did. Every time I close my eyes, I see the big man take the little boy with the heartwarming giggle away from me, retreating back into that house like a rat into its hole.
