In the dead of night,
Silent and peacefully,
I sleep soundly with dreams of pleasurable times with family and friends.
Suddenly the quiet is shattered,
The peaceful rest is snatched from my grasp.
As the sound of the phone startles my mind awake.
Unaware of the message on the other end of the line.
Ringing and ringing with a shockwave of possibilities of terrors,
I quickly grab the monster to relieve my mind.
Listening for the nightmare message to come through this small device in my hand,
During the day,
This beast holds no power over my thoughts,
Salesmen, and friendly chats with family and friends throughout the daylight.
Yet, this evil beast awakens my fears as it breaks through the calm and silence in my slumber.
Are my children safely in their beds?
Is it the dreaded call of losing a parent to death’s cold embrace?
Lord, I pray for a wrong number,
A simple mistake,
A misdialed number from a perfect stranger on the other end.
I answer this cold little beast with a trembling voice and uncertainty.
Waiting to hear the unknown reply…