Episode two

Dad opens the boxes while Mom goes through her list, double-checking the order. After she proclaims the meal satisfactory, we sit down to eat.

But I can’t.

“There are green balls on my fish.” I pick one up with the edge of my fork.

“Don’t be silly, Keira.” Mom says, nibbling on something that resembles a weed. “That’s a caper. They’re delicious.”

Visions of creamy macaroni and cheese dance about in my head, causing my stomach to growl. I decide to make the best of this moment and practice my sleuthing skills. While Dad shows Mom his latest data-crunching report, I convertly slip the slimy tomatoes into my napkin and shove them under the edge of my plate.

I’m flicking my capers one by one over my shoulder as inconspicuously as possible, when Dad’s fork and knife clatter on the table. His shoulders droop, and then he trumbles off his chair, crashing in a heap on the floor. Mom screams. She bends down, reaching for him, but then she, too, collapses, dropping at his side.

“What are you guys doing?” I say, completely mystified.

“Is this a new game or something?”

They don’t answer. I set down my fork and peer under the table. They both are so still. As if they were passed out. Or dead.

“Dad! Mom!” I jump out of my chair and dive under the table.

I kneel and grab Mom’s hand, searching for a pulse. My breath cathches in my throat and it’s hard to even breathe, let alone concentrate on what to do next. My ears ring as I press my fingers to Mom’s wrist to find a pulse. That’s what they trained us to do in PE class. But I can’t find her pulse. Every fiber of my being flies into a numbing panic.

Until Dad starts snoring. I pause, confused, stare at him. His chest rises and falls. Suddenly, my throat opens up and I’m able to breathe. Beneath my fingers, the gentle thump of Mom’s pulse throbs, telling me she’s going to be alright. A slight smile curls on her lips and her long blond hair lies about her as if she’s pretending to be Sleeping Beauty and having the most wonderful dream.

“You’re sleeping?” I say in a chocked voice.

I shake Dad and tell in his ear, trying to wake him, but he continues to snore. What’s going on? I don’t understand why they’re sleeping. I lie on the cold linoleum floor between then, burying my face in my hands, my mind whirling.

The front door squeaks. Footsteps clomp through the living room toward the kitchen. Someone is sneaking through our house! My eyes flutter open and I clutch Mom’s hand so tightly it nearly turns ashen. I don’t move. Through the kitchen chair legs, two sets of boots appear at the kitchen’s entrance. My eyes trace up the fingers. The boots belong to two men, dressed in black, one wearing a green baseball cap. My chest stutters and I clamp my eyes shut. I should run, hide, but it’s as if my body has forgotten how to move.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***