I vant to cheel

The first night Anonybabe slept in her separate bed, I had a nightmare that the world had been overrun by vampires. In it our family decided to take a big chance by attending a rather large party. That sort of thing wasn't done so much any more, not because you were afraid of vampires secretly infiltrating your ranks, but because they were on the look out for places that exuded light and sound -- good hunting grounds.

At one point, the doorbell rang and a brave volunteer went to answer it. A group of us crouched in the sewing room, peeking out a tinted picture window through a large overgrown courtyard at the front door. We breathed a collective sigh of relief when nothing untoward happened and turned to watch a mom taking her four-year old daughter outside to punish her. Mom had daughter bend over and face the window we were all peeking out of so she could give her a spanking. I had a terrible sense of foreboding as we watched the blue-eyed girl cry at the first smack from her mother, then the tall grass beside them rustled and the girl screamed in pain and horror as some unseen vampire animal bit her on the back of her neck.

I woke up. Felt horrible. Checked Anonybabe, and tried to go back to sleep.

I've had one more nightmare where I'm being chased (this time by some organized crime lord) and countless forgettable dreams. I'm up and down during the night, checking Anonybabe's breathing, wondering if I'll ever be able to stop fixating on her, stop worrying about her. Wondering if I want to.