Dominion Read Online Free PDF

drawing her attention. The moment forg otten, she pulled the hot piece of toast from the toaster , dropping it on the counter. From the double-door refrigerator she took out peanut butter, jelly , and milk for the coffee. Childlike tastes, but something she still loved.
    The sound of scraping made her turn just in time to see her coffee cup sliding across the coun ter and off the edge. The porcelain hit the tiled floor and shattered, black liquid splattering at the impact.
    Serenity scream ed and leapt back, narrowly avoiding the boiling liquid splashing her bare feet.
    She stared in disbelief at the mess. How on earth had that happened? Had she accidently hit the cup when she’d turned to the fridge? She must have, though she stood several feet away. What other explanation was there ?
    The shrill ring of the telephone cut through the house, making her jump. With one hand clutched to her chest, once again she found herself trying to catch her breath while her heart hammered.
    “Damn it,” she muttered. She didn’t like feeling like this. They’d been living i n peace for a year , and all of a sudden her old fears and p aranoia seemed to be creeping back .
    She ran to the hall to pick up the phone. Sh e didn’t want to miss it, the call might be important.
    “Hello?”
    “Ms. Hathaway?” A woman’s voice came down the line.
    “Yes, who’s speaking?”
    “My name i s Veronica. I’m one of the guides for St. Agatha’s Girl Scouts . I’ve got Elizabeth with me.”
    Serenity’s heart picked up pace again, but for a different reason. “Oh! Is she okay?”
    “She’s been having some nightmares. Bad ones in fact. More like night terrors. I’ve told her they’re just dreams and can’t hurt her, but she’s worried about her father.” The woman lowered her voice. “To be honest, Ms. Hathaway, she’s scaring the other children. She’s waking everyone up and seems inconsolable.”
    “ Can you put her on the line?” Serenity asked.
    “Of course.”
    She heard a rustle and then Elizabeth’s sweet voice came down the line.
    “Mommy?”
    T he sound melted something at her core. With her attention removed from herself, Serenity felt calmer, stronger. Her focus had always been on her daughter. Elizabeth was the reason for her existence. She wondered sometimes, if she’d not fallen pregnant, would she have made it through that awful, black time after Sebastian left and her whole world had changed.
    “Hey , sweetie. Veronica says you’ve been having bad dreams.”
    “Is Daddy okay? I’ve been dreaming about him.”
    “Yes, he’s fine. I just came down from the bedroom and he’s sleeping.”
    “But I’ve been having those dreams. He’s lost in the dark. He wa s trying to find us , but he couldn’t.” She lowered her voice. “I think something had him. Something ... else.”
    “Your daddy is safe and sound. I promise you.” D espite her reassurances to h er daughter, Elizabeth’s words caused a chill to work down her spine, her skin seeming to crawl up over her shoulders. “Listen to me, Elizabeth. I wi ll always believe you i f you think you had one of those dreams, b ut right now everyone is fine and you’re away on your trip. I want you to enjoy yourself and not worry about us. If anything happens, I’ll make sure I call you. I promise.”
    “No, Mommy!” S he sounded panicked. “I don’t want to be here anymore. I need to be with you and Daddy. It’s importan t. Something is going to happen— something bad.”
    Serenity’s heart sank. She hoped Elizabeth was wrong, but she had also learned to listen to her daughter’s instincts and dreams. While sometimes Elizabeth’s dreams were only dreams, some proved to be a whole lot more.
    “Okay, sweetie. Put Veronica back on the phone, okay?”
    “You’ll come and get me, won’t you, Mommy?”
    “Just put her back on , honey . I love you.”
    “I love you too, Mommy,” Elizabeth replied, her tone deflated.
    There was a pause as she