The hilltops looked close in the late afternoon sunlight as David pulled the car up to the porch about twenty minutes later. As he got out, he scanned the woods in a long, slow circle, but nothing moved except the tips of the branches swaying in the wind. He opened the trunk of the car and gathered the groceries in his arms.

“Let’s get inside,” he said.

Helen nodded, taking Jessie’s hand and leading her up the steps to the front door, where she waited for him.

He shifted the bags in his arms and slipped the key in the lock, swinging open the door. The house was fairly dark, as the sun had moved down in the west, and so he reached around and hit the light switch on the inside wall. The living room flooded with light.

He kicked the door shut against the wind, muffling the sound. It swirled and spun about the eaves of the house, as if searching for a way in. Screw you, he thought bitterly as he put the bags on the floor and stripped off his jacket and gloves. Winter was getting to him. It was March now, and they had yet to see any sign of spring.

While Helen sat with Jessie on the living room couch, he began an extensive search of the house, carrying a heavy piece of wood from the fireplace for security. It was important, he decided, to show Jessie that they were taking her seriously. He moved cautiously from room to room, checking every shadow and closet, under every bed, feeling a little silly. It reminded him of when he was a little boy and frightened of monsters. His father would come in every night before he went to sleep and check his closet for him. David could never quite leave it at that, though. He always ended up checking it himself, more afraid of not knowing than he was of the monsters themselves.

The closets were empty, the space under the beds populated solely by dust balls.

Finally, after ten minutes of searching, he returned to the living room where his wife and daughter waited patiently.

“I’ve checked and locked every window and door, looked in everyone’s room,” he said. “Everything’s okay.”

Jessie remained silent, staring up at him with eyes as large as saucers.

“Let’s unpack the groceries,” he said. “And maybe try to eat something.”

As they put the supply of food into the refrigerator, the sun sank below the horizon. David started the fire, which had gone out while they were in town. He was quickly becoming an expert at it, building on balls of newspaper, kindling, then small logs with the skill and delicacy of an artist. They had hot dogs and salad for supper, but nobody ate much. Afterward, they all went into the living room and sat where it was warm.