The monitor crackled softly in the corner of the nursery. Micah was fast asleep, wrapped snugly in his sleep sack, <\/p>\n
his chest rising and falling with tiny, peaceful breaths. I was in the hallway, folding laundry, when I heard it.<\/p>\n
A whisper.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s not okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t loud. In fact, it was so faint I almost convinced myself I\u2019d imagined it. But the sound sent ice down my spine. <\/p>\n
I froze, staring at the monitor screen as if it could explain what I\u2019d just heard. My heart thudded against my ribs. The house was silent \u2014 too silent. <\/p>\n
No creaks. No movement. Just the echo of that chilling voice in my mind.<\/p>\n
Without thinking, I snatched up my phone and called Irina.<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t even get halfway through my panicked retelling before she cut in.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake my son and run to the car. Lock it and call 911!\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t ask questions. I didn\u2019t waste a second. I grabbed Micah from the crib \u2014 still warm and drowsy \u2014 and bolted down the stairs barefoot. My mind was spinning. Had someone broken in? Was it some sort of glitch? Or something far worse?<\/p>\n
The night air smacked me in the face as I stumbled out the door, my adrenaline pushing me forward. I strapped Micah into his seat, my hands trembling so hard I could barely get the buckle closed. Then I locked the doors, curled my fingers around the phone, and dialed 911.<\/p>\n
\u201cMa\u2019am, stay calm. Officers are on their way,\u201d the dispatcher said gently.<\/p>\n
But calm wasn\u2019t even in the realm of possibility. I stared at the house, half-expecting a figure to appear in the window. Every shadow twisted into something sinister. Every second stretched impossibly long.<\/p>\n
Red and blue lights finally washed over the driveway. Two officers with flashlights moved toward the front door, one more approached my car and knocked on the window.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you okay? Is anyone else inside?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust me and the baby,\u201d I whispered, gripping the wheel like it was the only thing keeping me grounded.<\/p>\n
They moved inside. Ten long minutes passed before one of them returned.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo signs of forced entry. Doors and windows are locked from the inside. But we\u2019ll check again to be sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded, still too rattled to speak.<\/p>\n
Then Irina pulled into the driveway, looking like she\u2019d aged five years in five minutes. She flew out of the car and pulled Micah into her arms like she was afraid he\u2019d vanish.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to tell them,\u201d she said quietly. \u201cAll of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She recounted everything \u2014 how her ex, Dorian, had started stalking her. The calls, the messages, the sudden appearances in public places. <\/p>\n
She\u2019d filed for a restraining order. But then last week, someone had tried to break into the house. No proof it was him, but in her gut, she knew.<\/p>\n
The officers exchanged a look.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid he ever have access to the baby monitor?\u201d<\/p>\n
Irina\u2019s breath caught. \u201cHe gave it to us when Micah was born. I didn\u2019t even think\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll confiscate it,\u201d one of them said, already jotting something down. \u201cIf he had remote access, we\u2019ll find out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hours passed. Statements were taken. The police left. But neither of us slept.<\/p>\n
By morning, the detectives confirmed it \u2014 Dorian had installed remote access to the monitor\u2019s camera and mic. They traced the activity. He\u2019d been watching.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The monitor crackled softly in the corner of the nursery. Micah was fast asleep, wrapped snugly in his sleep sack, his chest rising and falling with tiny,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38655,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n