Sleep evaded me entirely that night, despite physical exhaustion pressing heavily against my body and mind. Benjamin’s feeding schedule already fractured my rest into brief intervals, yet Amelia’s strange intensity echoed persistently through my thoughts. Around midnight, unable to silence my growing unease, I rose quietly from bed and walked down the dim hallway toward the nursery.
The house remained silent except for the faint hum of appliances and the distant whisper of wind against the exterior walls. When I pushed open the nursery door, darkness greeted me along with a sight that instantly froze every muscle in my body. Amelia stood beside the crib once again, motionless within the shadows, her small silhouette barely visible against the soft outline of curtains.
“Amelia, why are you standing here again instead of sleeping comfortably in your room?” I whispered, my voice trembling unexpectedly.