Smothered(A Gripping Domestic Thriller With An Astonishing Twist)

Restless, Kaden tossed and turned in bed as he subconsciously willed the morning to come so he could talk to Lila, his mind plagued by unsettling thoughts that refused to let him find solace in sleep. As the minutes stretched into hours, he finally gave up on the hope of rest and slipped out of bed. Looking at his mobile phone, he saw that it was just after three in the morning. Padding down the hallway to the bathroom, Kaden sighed heavily, the weight of his worry pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket. The dim light of the bathroom cast by a nightlight plugged in over the small vanity offered little comfort as he splashed water on his face, hoping to wash away the lingering tendrils of his troubled dreams. As he emerged from the bathroom, his ears pricked at the sound of movement emanating from the kitchen. His heart quickened in his chest, the weird, crunching sounds becoming louder as he crept closer, his footsteps barely audible against the floor.

Peering around the corner, Kaden's eyes widened in shock as he beheld Florence standing at the counter, her silhouette outlined by the soft glow of the refrigerator light. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her, a chill running down his spine at the sight of what she was doing. Florence stood at the counter, her back to him, diligently grinding down pills with a mortar and pestle. The soft sound of the pills being crushed echoed loudly in the quiet room, sending shivers down Kaden's spine.

Curiosity mingled with dread, Kaden crept closer, careful not to make a sound. He watched in stunned silence as Florence poured the powdered pills into a plastic pink pitcher that reminded him of the type he had seen in the hospital during all those visits with his grandmother. Florence probably had dozens of them if the medical supplies in the large walk-in closet adjacent to Lila’s room could be judged.  Florence then added liquid from another bottle she retrieved from a shelf in the cabinet, mixing it all with a wooden spoon before placing the jug in the refrigerator. Drawing upon his fortitude, Kaden approached with cautious resolve, his senses heightened as he strained to discern Florence's intentions. His pulse drummed in his ears as he watched her movements, his mind dredging up a myriad of possibilities, each more ominous than the last.

Kaden tiptoed back toward Lila's bedroom, his mind churned with unease, the weight of the night's unsettling events bearing down on him like a suffocating blanket. With each step, the air seemed to thicken, charged with an electric tension that prickled at his skin. Troubled, Kaden slipped back into bed, the events of the night weighing heavily on his mind. His heart pounded with a sense of awareness as he reached for his phone, intent on delving deeper into the mystery surrounding the pink pitcher and the pill bottle he had discovered earlier. Just as his fingers brushed against the familiar weight of his phone to do a quick search on the drug, a sudden noise right outside the bedroom door jolted him from his thoughts.

Kaden held his breath as the sound drew closer with the opening of the door now, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as a presence materialized in the doorway. His heart hammered in his chest, a frantic rhythm echoing the fear that coursed through his veins. A bundle of nerves now, Kaden willed himself to remain motionless, his body rigid with alarm. In the darkness, the person’s features were somewhat obscured, a looming specter casting a pall over the room. Instinctively, he feigned sleep, slowing his breathing as he strained to listen for any further signs of movement. Kaden's muscles tensed as someone hovered by his bedside. To his dismay, he saw that it was Florence when he dared to peek from slit eyelids. Her face was expressionless as she stood as if a statue right next to where he lay, her eyes fixed intently on him without blinking.

Kaden fought to control the frantic rhythm of his heartbeat. His muscles tensed involuntarily, every nerve on edge as he willed himself to remain perfectly still, to mimic the shallow rise and fall of sleep. Beneath the guise of closed eyelids, his eyes darted, betraying the trepidation that coursed through him. He prayed fervently that Florence wouldn't detect the truth behind his facade, wouldn't sense the fear that threatened to consume him whole.

The seconds stretched into agonizing minutes, the weight of Florence's silent vigil a suffocating presence in the stillness of the room. Each passing moment only served to deepen Kaden's sense of dread, to amplify the gnawing uncertainty that gnawed at the edges of his consciousness. As Florence finally turned and left the room, Kaden released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, his mind racing with a sense of unease. With a heavy heart, he resolved to protect Lila from whatever dangers lurked within Florence's grasp, determined to escape the clutches of this twisted nightmare come morning.

***

The morning light filtered weakly through the curtains, casting long shadows across the room as Kaden stirred from his fitful sleep. His body felt heavy, weighed down by the exhaustion that clung to him like a shroud. With a groan, he dragged himself upright, his limbs protesting the movement after a night spent tossing and turning.

Blinking away the remnants of sleep, Kaden's mind immediately flashed back to the events of the previous night. The memory of Florence's unsettling behavior in the kitchen, followed by her disturbing interactions with Lila, sent a shiver down his spine. A deep sense of unease settled over him as he recalled the sight of Lila lying motionless in her mother's bed, her stillness a stark contrast to the chaos raging within Kaden's mind. The weight of his sleepless night bore down on him, leaving him feeling hollow and drained. Restless and plagued by worry, Kaden couldn't shake the feeling that something was dreadfully wrong with Lila.

With a silent determination, he slipped into the hallway and could hear the rattling of pots and pans in the kitchen. The smell of coffee wafted in the air as Kaden quickly snuck a peek, expecting to see Lila in the kitchen since she was falling all over the place to look after Florence. But it was the older woman there, at the stove as she cracked eggs into a bowl and began whisking them together, briskly. Hurrying back towards Florence's room while he had the chance, his heart pounding with each step, the door creaked lightly as Kaden edged it open. Lila lay still in the bed, her peaceful facade masking the turmoil within Kaden's mind as he peeked at his watch, shocked to learn it was after nine-thirty. Lila was usually a very early riser so this was unusual for her.

“Lila,” he whispered urgently, his voice a mere echo in the quiet room but she didn't stir as her form remained still.

With trembling hands, Kaden gently shook Lila's shoulder, his heart pounding with dread as she moaned and rolled over and away from his touch. The air in the room felt heavy with tension as Kaden fought against the rising panic threatening to engulf him. His mind raced with a million questions, each one more terrifying than the last, as he struggled to make sense of what he was witnessing.

His gaze next fell upon the floor where a plastic pail sat, as if someone had gotten sick in the night. He wondered if that’s what had happened and he further noticed the soiled cloths on the nightstand. His eyes narrowed as he noted the absence of Lila's mobile phone amongst the medical supplies littering the nightstand as well, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. And as if on cue, the familiar ringtone of Lila's mobile phone pierced the silence, not from anywhere in the bedroom but emanating from the direction of the kitchen.

Florence must have taken it.

His fists clenched with frustration as he steeled himself to confront her as he reluctantly left Lila’s side and headed down the hallway toward the heart of the house. In the kitchen, Florence's composed facade wavered as Kaden caught her trying to snoop on Lila's phone. She had her nose buried deep into it, a pair of glasses he had never seen her wear before perched on the end of her nose as she peered at the screen of the mobile device.

“What are you doing with Lila's phone?” His voice trembled with suppressed anger, his eyes boring into hers with accusing intensity.

Florence's response was swift and rehearsed even as she jumped guiltily. “I took it so she could rest. I was trying to turn off the ringer,” she explained smoothly, her tone unconvincing. As they stared at each other without speaking, Kaden didn't buy Florence's excuse for a second but didn't say anything as she quickly put the phone down on the counter and he forced himself to remain composed.