He was strangely quiet, gripping the steering wheel a little too hard. I assumed he was just worried. When we got home, my mother-in-law greeted us with uncharacteristic warmth.
She fussed, fluttered, and insisted on helping Collins get me upstairs. They tucked me into bed, pulled the blankets up, and told me to call if I needed anything. I truly felt grateful.
But as they stepped out, I heard it—
Click. The door locking. “Hello?
Collins?” I called out, confused. No reply. A knot formed in my stomach.
I grabbed my crutches, hobbled to the door, and pressed down on the knob. Locked. My breath hitched.
“Hey! Why is the door locked?” I shouted. Silence.
I looked around for my phone—gone. Then I remembered: it was still in my bag downstairs. My heart thudded painfully.
I knocked, then pounded. “Collins! What’s going on?”
Nothing.
Then I heard muffled whispers outside. Collins’ voice: “Just keep her inside. It’s safer.”
His mother hissed back, “It won’t be long.
She’d panic if she saw it now.”
Saw what? Fear crawled up my spine. I backed away from the door and scanned the room for anything useful.
The windows were latched. The bathroom had no other exit. My knee throbbed, but adrenaline kept me upright.
Minutes felt like hours. Every so often, I heard shuffling in the hallway… and once, something heavy being dragged across the floor. My imagination ran wild.
Finally, footsteps stopped outside my door. A shadow shifted beneath it. Then a piece of paper slid through.
My pulse hammered. With shaking hands, I unfolded it. “I’m sorry.
I didn’t want you to be scared. – C.”
Not helpful. Not comforting.
Not normal. Tears blurred my eyes as I stared at the door, unsure if I was supposed to scream or whisper. Then, suddenly—
A sound I will never forget.
A baby’s cry. Soft at first, then louder. Higher.
Angry. But we had no children. “Collins?” I croaked, but my voice cracked.
Footsteps thundered up the stairs. The doorknob rattled violently. “Open the door!” Collins shouted.
His voice was raw, frantic. “I CAN’T! It’s locked from the outside!” I yelled back.
I heard my mother-in-law shriek, “It got out!”
Cold terror gripped me. What got out? Before I could ask, the lock scraped.
The door burst open and Collins rushed in, wild-eyed. Behind him, my MIL held a blanket tight in her arms, something squirming inside it. “What is going on?” I demanded.
Collins cupped my face. “Honey, calm down. It’s not what you think.”
My MIL gently pulled back the blanket.
Inside was… a puppy. A tiny black-and-white border collie pup, crying and wriggling. I blinked.
“A… dog?”
Collins let out a shaky laugh. “Yes! I was going to surprise you tomorrow.
We adopted him from the shelter as a ‘get well soon’ gift. But when we brought him home, he escaped the crate and started running around the hallway. Mom panicked and locked the door so he wouldn’t jump on your injured leg.”
My MIL huffed.
“He chews EVERYTHING. You’d have tried to stand, and with that cast—absolutely not.”
I sagged back in relief, half laughing, half crying. “You two nearly gave me a heart attack.”
The puppy licked my hand, tail wagging furiously.
Collins kissed my forehead. “Surprise?”
I sniffed. “Next time… maybe don’t lock me in a room.”
We all laughed—shaky, breathless, but together.
And just like that, fear turned into the sweetest chaos I’d ever experienced. Note: This story is a work of fiction inspired by real events. Names, characters, and details have been altered.
Any resemblance is coincidental. The author and publisher disclaim accuracy, liability, and responsibility for interpretations or reliance. All images are for illustration purposes only.
