Thirteen

Kai,

I wake up to the sound of Stella's distressed cries and her restless movements in bed. The nightmares have been plaguing her ever since she encountered that awful professor at school. It has been a struggle to convince her to go to school every day. We constantly remind her that she only has a few weeks left before summer break, when we will all escape to the Bahamas. Hopefully, being away from him for a while will provide some relief.

"Stella, wake up, sweetheart. You're having another nightmare. Come on, get up," I gently coax her.

Stella abruptly sits up, fear etched on her face. "He's after me," she sobs. I wipe away her tears and guide her back down onto my chest. "Baby, we've discussed this. He won't be able to harm you as long as I'm here, protecting you."

"You shouldn't make light of this, Kai. He's a monster. He's capable of anything, even hurting you," she warns.

"Okay, you have a valid point, but let's not dwell on that this week. You have prom comin