𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 | ᵀᴮᴾ

8: Dreaming Of You

Rosita picked up Christina out of her crib and held her. Christina laid asleep in Rosita's arms. Rosita smiled, looking down at her daughter. After a moment, Rosita felt arms around her waist and weight on her right shoulder. She turned her head, and it was Vance. He looked at Christina and smiled. It was rare for him to smile, but when he did, it was so beautiful. Rosita wished he'd smile more. His smile was one of the things that made her fall in love. Christina was blonde like Vance, had Rosita's eyes, Vance nose, and Rosita's lips. She was a perfect mixture of them.

Rosita woke up smiling, expecting to turn over and see Christina or Vance.

"You're awake." A voice said in the corner. Rosita jumped back and saw it was the Grabber. She saw her baby brother still asleep next to her and shield him. Her sudden action woke Robin up.

The Grabber got up and walked to the door. "So what's your name's?" He asked. Robin looked at Rosita, and she shook her head lightly so the Grabber wouldn't notice. "Hm?"

"Hector. Hector Morales." Robin said, looking at Rosita. "What about you, girl?" The Grabber asked slowly. Rosita stayed silent and continued to look at Robin. "Well?" Rosita sighed, not wanting to know what happens if she doesn't answer.

"Rosita," She answered. "What do you want?"

There was no point in lying about her name. It'd be in the papers, on posters, everywhere.

"You're the blonde haired kids, girl, aren't you?" Rosita froze, knowing who he was talking about. "He'd pace back and forth, saying he had to get back to you and someone named Christina." The Grabber spoke, waving his finger side to side. Rosita got mad and disgusted when he mentioned her daughter. The Grabber opened the door and began to walk out. "What a shame he didn't get back in time." The Grabber said, looking over his shoulder and then closing the door.

Rosita ran and pulled on the handle with both of her hands.

She gave up and fell to the floor. She began to cry, knowing if every kid in the basement never came home, her and Robin wouldn't either. One of them had to go home to Christina. She was just 1.

Robin went over and comforted Rosita. All she wanted was for that dream to be real.

Rosita felt a breeze of cold air on her right side. She turned to look but there was nothing. No window, door, nothing. She assumed she was imagining it.

Robin looked around the room for a possible way out. "There's nothing." He said to Rosita, who was looking up at the window. "Come here," She spoke, motioning Robin over. "You think if I give you a boost, you'll be able to reach up and rip that grate off the window?" She asked, looking at the window then at Robin. "Maybe?" She walked the wall and put her hands together to help Robin up. They tried but no use. Robin would get close but would fall.

They tried to figure out other ways to escape. There was none.

They sat on the bed in silence.

They were both fighters.

Rosita only fought when the other person would start a fight. She'd never hit first.

Robin fought when he wanted to. He'd pick fights with people who he thought deserved it.

The door opened loudly. The Grabber walked in, holding something under his arm.

"What did you say your names were again?" He asked, standing in the doorway. The light from upstairs gave him a dark silhouette. "Hector Morales." Robin said. "Rosita." The Grabber threw what was under his arm at them, hitting the side of Robin's arm and falling on the floor.

He picked it up and saw it was a newspaper. Robin opened it, and Rosita looked over his shoulder.

Their names and photos were on the front. "So tell me something, Robin. Why'd you lie? Your sister here didn't. That's something I also questioned." He said, creeping the two out. "Looks like Christina will grow up a poor little orphan."

Rosita wanted to kill the Grabber for mentioning her daughter, but Robin held her back, knowing that whatever she did would get her killed.

He turned around and shut the door. Rosita and Robin laid on the mattress, thinking of more plans.

Rosita ended up falling asleep, and Robin was walking around the room thinking of what they could do.

Robin then remembered he didn't hear the Grabber lock the door. Maybe he was clueless or wanted Robin or Rosita to come upstairs.

Robin didn't think about it much and opened the door to see. It opened.

Now was his chance of freedom. He would kill the grabber, grab Rosita, and escape. He slowly walked up the stairs.

Rosita woke up from her sleep to what sounded like attempted muffled screams. She saw the door was open, and Robin was nowhere to be found.

She shot up and ran up the stairs. She turned the corner and saw Robin being pinned to the floor of the Grabber's kitchen and the Grabber shirtless on top of him.

Rosita ran and tackled him off her brother. She put him in a chokehold on the floor.

"Robin, go!" She yelled. He didn't listen. He didn't wanna leave his sister. The Grabber fought back, and then Rosita was pinned to the floor. She kicked him in his stomach, making him fall to the floor in pain. She crawled over to get up.

The Grabber got a hold of Rosita's ankle and gripped her hard. She used her opposite leg to kick him. She kicked him in the chest, making him let go and gasp for air.

She kicked him in the face and ran to a door. It was locked. She looked around for something to break it.

The Grabber pulled a chunk of Rosita's hair tight and pulled her onto the floor.

Robin punched and kicked the Grabber, and he fell to the floor again.

Robin began to kick him as Rosita tried to break the lock with a switch blade she found in a side table drawer.

The Grabber got a hold of Robin's foot and pulled it, making Robin fall on his back, hitting his head on the floor hard, knocking him out cold.

The Grabber grabbed an ashtray off the coffee table and hit Rosita in the head with it.

He then grabbed her hair again and slammed her head against the wall, knocking her out as well.

The Arellano's attempt to escape failed.

Late at night when all the world is sleeping
I stay up and think of you
And I still can't believe
That you came up to me
And said, "I love you"
I love you too!