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herself.
    Merydith shut her door softly and felt herself drawn to her window. She had precious little time to be looking out her window before her mother came in, but for a moment she pulled her shade back to look outside and take note of the garden gate slowly shutting. Whoever it was, he was still in the garden . But who? Her bedroom doorknob slowly turned and she darted back to the bed in a flash.
    Her mother quietly looked in on her, and, sensing all was safe, shut the door again, bathing the room in darkness.
    How can I possibly return to sleep now?
    She lay there, staring into the darkness, wondering. This was the first time something like this had ever happened.
    She rose from her bed and went to her window again. Everything was peaceful for now. Merydith opened the window and basked in the clean, crisp summer air, filling her senses. The night sounds caught her attention—bats squeaked, crickets sang their symphonies, and frogs bellowed. They seemed not the least bit disturbed. After staring a few moments longer, she noticed the first light rising from the horizon. Pale yellow and white light glowed in the distance.
    I’m going to get whipped good if I don’t get some sleep.
    ###
    Within a few hours, morning was in full force and the house was again active. No one had forgotten what had happened during the night, yet there was an understanding between everyone not to talk about it.
    Merydith lay awake in bed as Grandpa closely inspected the perimeter of the house. After that, the garden was next.
    Marion set the table with breakfast dishes and glasses that twinkled in the curtains of morning sunlight. Grandma filled the house with the savory aroma of sizzling bacon and scrambled eggs. The boys occupied themselves out in the yard, playing with toy trucks and airplanes. They watched their grandfather inspect the house. Their eyes lit up as they watched him discover a considerable gouge in the side of the house.
    The boys dropped their toys and walked up to their grandfather without getting in his way.
    “Damn!” he howled as he ran his hands over the gouge. It was indeed something powerful that had made the gouge. The wood itself was completely bashed in. The paint was stripped off, and on the ground was a strange white substance.
    Aaron made a face, his tongue protruding. Tobey hit him to make sure he’d be quiet.
    Simon bent and felt the substance. It was sticky and clung to his fingers like glue. He took a piece of paper from his pocket and got a sample. “Something new to play with in my workshop,” he said to himself, seemingly unaware of the presence of his grandsons.
    He looked up at the damage one last time and then glanced at the garden, his flourishing bounty yearning for another watering. “Later, my beauty, later.”
    The boys stared at him oddly.
    Folding the paper into his pocket, he gave them a wink and headed back inside the house.
    Tobey and Aaron turned and picked up their forgotten toys to resume their play before breakfast.
    ###
    Merydith stretched and felt weak. A sharp pain jabbed the center of her back and shot down her legs. She knew she hadn’t slept well. “Morning so soon, yuck!”
    She rose from bed, rubbed her eyes, and peered in her mirror. “Ah, what a sight.” She didn’t bother to do anything more. Instead, she made a straight line to the bathroom and the shower. The bathroom glowed with the morning sun that would soon be afternoon sun. She really had overslept; she was not usually this late. The smell of bacon and eggs tempted her as she cranked the knob on the shower, letting the hot water slap against her body. It was wonderful.
    ###
    “Tobey, Aaron, Merydith, breakfast!” Marion’s voice was the same as usual. She seemed unaffected by the events of last night. The boys came marching in, their stomachs more important than their toys, but Merydith was still absent.
    “Merydith hasn’t come down for breakfast yet,” Marion remarked with some concern.
    “Merydith