Daisy sat up and stared at the figure at the foot of her bed. A soft glow from the bathroom nightlight filtered into the master bedroom but it was still too dark to see the figure clearly. "Who's there?"

"Help me." Barely a whisper.

"What? Who's there?"

"Help me, Daisy."

The hairs on her arms and neck stood on end as she recognized the voice. "Mom? Mom, is that you?" She squinted in the darkness as the figure reached an arm toward her. The mouth moved but no words came out. "What's wrong?" Her mother started to disappear. "Mom!" Daisy tried to move from the bed but hands stopped her. Invisible hands. She fought the hands, slapped at them, but they wouldn't let her go after her mother. Angry, she prepared to use a trussing spell.

"Daisy! Stop that! Wake up."

"Wha--huh?" She opened her eyes to see a dark figure leaning over her in bed.

"You were having a nightmare again." Noah pulled her close and wrapped arms around her. "You're trembling. Are you okay, hon?"

She swallowed. "I saw mom, Noah. She was here. She said she needed help."

"There's no one here. Your mom's gone, honey. It was just a dream." Perky whined from his floor pillow. He wasn't allowed on the bed. "Lay down, boy." The dog made a snuffling noise then grew quiet.

Mom's been gone nearly six years now. Why am I dreaming about her like this? Daisy snuggled against her husband as they lay in the darkness, feeling guilty that she'd awakened him. Damn nightmares. Just when I started sleeping again at night. "I'm sorry. I'm okay now." She pulled the sheet up over him. "Go back to sleep, babe."

"You sure you're okay?" Noah sounded like he was already drifting off again.

"I'm fine. Go back to sleep." She pulled from his embrace, turned on her side, and fell asleep listening to his soft snores.

She sat up in bed, not certain whether she'd heard a noise or simply dreamed it. All was quiet in the house, except for Noah's light snoring. She could just make out Perky's dark figure on his floor pillow. I must've been dreaming again. She lay back down, determined to get a few more minutes of sleep before the alarm sounded.

Something shattered from another room and the dog yipped. Adrenaline surged through Daisy's body and sudden awareness replaced grogginess. That was no dream. "Noah?" She scrambled from beneath the sheet and yanked on a waiting pair of pajama bottoms as Noah got out of bed. No way am I getting caught in panties and tee if there's an intruder. "Did you hear that crash?" She stumbled to the trunk at the end of the bed, where she kept an emergency flashlight. Thankfully, the batteries still worked.

"Yeah." Her husband had managed to get into his pajama bottoms and he came to her side. "What was it?"

"Dunno." He took the light from her and she laid a trembling hand on his arm when he started to lead the way out of the bedroom. "I should go first." Don't really want to, but Noah's got no magick. He started to protest then nodded and gave her back the light. She waited while he grabbed his little league bat from the closet. It looked small in his adult hands but could still do some damage.

She kept a trussing spell ready as she crept down the hallway with Perky under one arm and Noah close behind. The dog didn't seem the least bit upset now. The Mexican tiles grew cold against Daisy's feet but she ignored it and kept her voice low. "I think it came from the office. Or maybe the guest room."

Noah kept a protective hand on her shoulder as they peered into the office, probably ready to pull her back if they encountered an intruder. The crash didn't sound like it came from the attic library, but Daisy motioned Noah to stay and guard the winding staircase as she crept up to peer in. No one. Just magick books, Noah's spare computer, and other stuff they stored up here. She slinked back down the stairs and shook her head. They checked the hall bath just across from the office. The clear glass doors hid nothing in the bathtub. Empty.

They continued to the guest room, and Daisy peered in with Noah pressed to her back to see--not a soul. Her flashlight reflected off something on the floor. A relieved sigh escaped and she explained the obvious to Noah. "Mom's picture fell." Then she remembered the dream she'd had in the middle of the night. Coincidence? Perky gave a lick to her chin as she took a step toward the broken glass but Noah's hand stopped her.

He leaned close to her ear. "Let's check the rest of the house first. Just in case."

She nodded. Always the sensible one. Lucky for me. I've been off my game lately. They went back down the hall and took a left into the family room. Since this room opened right into the kitchen, they had a good view of most of the main living space. Daisy didn't see anyone.

Noah checked the patio slider and quietly opened the blinds that hung between the glass panes. It was still dark out but the lights around the pool gave off a soft glow. "Locked," he mouthed. Next, he crossed to the window and opened the shutters. He shook his head to let her know the window was also secure. Together, they stepped lightly to the kitchen and peered around the island. Nothing here, either. Or in the adjacent laundry room. The door to the garage was locked, security bolt in place. A couple steps more put them in the archway that separated the kitchen from the front room. It was designed as a living room but they were informal people who preferred a more useful space. Noah's vintage pinball machines stood quiet.

He motioned for Daisy to stay put while he checked the front door and windows. "Locked up tight." He stepped to her, relief clear on his face, placed hands on her shoulders, and steered her back into the kitchen. He flipped on the overheads and she clicked off the flashlight, thankful it was only a fallen picture that had frightened them. The dream of her mother kept nagging at her.

"You okay, hon?"

"Yeah. Just spooked I guess. Kinda strange that I dreamed about Mom asking me for help just hours before her picture fell."

"Freaky, yeah. But she's dead Daisy. At peace. Why on earth would she need help? I think you're reading too much into this. Besides, you told me yourself the same or previous generation isn't supposed to contact living relatives from their own line. Makes it easier for everyone to move on. Right?"

"Yes. They're not supposed to make contact directly." But they can get messages to us through other dead relatives. She studied him and suddenly felt foolish. I'm reading way too much into this. "Yeah, you're right. I'm being stupid."