On the screen, at first, everything seemed normal. Elena was sleeping peacefully, with her favorite doll clutched to her chest. Daniel watched every second intently, his heart pounding like a hammer.
Then, at 2:06, the little girl stirred slightly. Her eyes opened, but she didn’t seem awake. She was staring into a corner of the room, where the light barely touched the wall. Suddenly, she sat up, looking fixedly at that spot, as if someone was standing in the darkness.
– No… don’t touch me… – she whispered.
Daniel felt sweat running down his back. Nothing was visible in the frame. But Elena was pulling her blanket towards her, as if she were defending herself.
– Please… it hurts… – her voice was filled with fear.
In the next moment, the doll in her arms moved suddenly. Very slightly, but clearly. Daniel paused. He stepped back. He looked again. Yes, the doll had moved.
A cold shiver ran down his spine. He didn’t believe in things beyond logic, but there, before his eyes, was proof that something strange was happening.
He ran into Elena’s room, grabbed the doll, and threw it into the garage. He couldn’t think of anything else all day. When evening came, he carefully asked her:
– Sweetheart, who is in your dream? Who is hurting you?
Elena looked at him with wide, wet eyes.
– A lady… in a black dress. She screams at me to stop talking.
Daniel felt his stomach tighten. The black dress. Three months ago, his wife had died in a car accident. The black dress was the one she wore to her grandmother’s funeral.
The next night, Daniel didn’t sleep. He sat in the girl’s room, on a chair, with a dim light on. At 2:12, Elena sat up in bed again. Her eyes rolled back, and her voice was different, as if someone else was speaking through her.
– Leave her alone… please… – Daniel said, standing up.
The little girl began to cry silently, only tears flowing down her cheeks. Then she opened her mouth and uttered a name:
– Maria…
It was her mother’s name.
At that moment, the bedside lamp turned off by itself. Daniel stood frozen, and the room filled with a strange cold. In that thick silence, he felt a familiar scent – his wife’s perfume.
And then he understood. Elena was not haunted by a nightmare, but by the memory of a separation that her little soul could not comprehend.
He picked her up and began to speak to her gently, as he did when she was a baby:
– It’s okay, my love. Mommy loves you. You’re not hurt anymore.
As he repeated the words, the little girl’s body relaxed. When dawn broke, Elena was sleeping peacefully for the first time in many nights.
Daniel opened the window, and the morning air entered the room, smelling of linden and tranquility. He looked up at the sky and whispered:
– Thank you, Maria…
From that day on, Elena had no more nightmares. And Daniel learned that sometimes, the answers are not found in fear, but in the love that remains – even after someone has gone.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to real events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher do not assume responsibility for the accuracy of events or for the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed belong to the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
