Page 43 of Daddy's Muse
I smiled into the dark of my car, running my thumb over the carved edge of my phone case. “Mmm… probably,” I agreed, letting my voice carry that warm, steady reassurance he craved. “But you’re safe now, baby. No one’s going to touch you while Pappa’s here.”
“Can you stay on the phone until I fall asleep?” he asked, small and hesitant, like he was afraid it was too much to ask.
“As long as you need,” I said instantly. “I’ll be here every night if that’s what it takes. I’ll always be here, Colby.” I let my tone soften even more, picturing him curled up in bed, clinging to my voice like it was the only safe thing in the world. “Closeyour eyes for me. Let your body get heavy. Imagine I’m sitting right beside your bed, brushing your hair back, keeping watch.”
His breathing was uneven, still quick from fear, but I could hear the slight slowing. “That sounds nice.”
“Good,” I whispered. “Because one day, I won’t just be a voice on the phone. I’ll be in your bed, holding you. I’ll wake you in the morning and keep you warm and safe at night. You won’t have to be scared of shadows anymore, because the only shadow will be mine, and that’s a shadow that guards you, not hurts you. You need Pappa to protect you, don’t you, kanin?”
A faint hum of agreement. He was slipping.
I kept going, letting the fantasy roll off my tongue, because I knew it was also planting something in his subconscious. “You’ll move in with me, and then no one else will ever see you when you’re like this—soft, sleepy, needy. You’ll be mine to take care of, mine to keep. I’ll make sure the world stays very far away.”
There was no reply for a moment—just the quiet shift of blankets, the faint catch in his breath. I pictured him sinking into the mattress, eyes fluttering shut.
“I’d like that, Pappa,” he whispered finally.
Oh, he would.
“Rest now,” I murmured. “Pappa’s watching over you.”
Even when you don’t know it.
Over the next few nights, I continued my quest. During the day, I kept our regular schedule: showing up at his workplace and popping by campus for chats. But once he thought I’d left, gone home for the night, that was when Loki came out to play.
One night, I had stood just across the way from his residence hall, far enough into the shadows that I could watch without being seen. The lights from the lobby illuminated him as he arrived home after a late shift. He had glanced over his shoulder once, twice, but never toward me.
Good boy. Still not looking in the right places.
As he disappeared further into the building, I kept my position, eyes locked on his window, waiting for the lights to switch on. I’d already slipped the small note under his door earlier, folded into a neat triangle. No name, no signature—just five words in block letters:
I LIKE WATCHING YOU SLEEP.
I waited as his blinds twitched, and his silhouette appeared against the glass. He stared out into the dark for a long time. I knew he couldn’t see me, but I held still anyway, letting the night thicken between us.
It didn’t take long after that for him to call me.
It was becoming a habit, it seemed.
His voice was shaky but trying not to be. “Pappa.”
“Is everything alright, little one?” I feigned ignorance.
“S-someone left a note under my door,” he squeaked. “I’m scared.”
I made my voice low, concerned. “Read it to me.”
He hesitated before whispering, “…No. I don’t want you to know what it says.”
I let a beat of silence stretch. “Kaninen min,please.”
He sucked in a breath and stammered, “It—It says ‘I like watching you sleep.’”
“Oh, Colby. That’s awful,” I gasped.
“Do you think it’s real? What if—What if—”
“Take a big, deep breath for me, sweetheart,” I instructed, listening to him gulp in air. “Good job. Okay. Here’s what I think. I think it’s probably just some mean kids playing a prank on you, but… it could also be a real threat. Make sure your door is locked for the night. You should report this to campus security tomorrow.”
