✦ GOODNIGHT
[EXCERPT] NO. 0004 Home. Safe and Sound.
You stand outside of the house.
Warm amber light spills gently through its windows, glowing against the snow. Frost clings to the wooden railings and stone chimney while soft smoke curls upward into the cold night air.
The world beyond the trees feels distant here.
Quiet.
Safe.
For a moment, you simply stood there.
Watching.
The house almost seemed alive.
Waiting for you to come inside.
The warmth of the house greets you the moment the door closes behind you.
Soft light spills across the wooden floor while the fireplace crackles quietly from the living room nearby.
And there—
still awake—
is your Father.
Half-covered by a blanket, eyes weary from the long day.
But the moment he sees you, something in his expression eases.
Relief.
“There you are.”
You slip off your shoes near the doorway.
“You stayed up again.”
A tired smile crosses his face.
“Wanted to make sure you got home safe.”
The words are simple.
Real.
Yet somehow, they warmed the room more than the fire ever could.
Outside the windows, snow continued falling peacefully through the night.
“Go get some rest,” he says softly. “I’ll head to bed soon too.”
You open your mouth to protest, but exhaustion is already pulling at you.
Instead, you nod.
“Goodnight. Don’t stay up too long.”
Your Father lets out a quiet laugh.
“Now you sound like me.”
A small laugh escapes you too.
And even as you begin walking upstairs, you can still feel his eyes following you—
just making sure you’re really home.
Back in the living room, his voice quietly reaches you one last time.
“Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning.”
The television clicks off shortly after.
Then silence.
Your Father had finally gone to bed too.
You close your eyes.
Tomorrow, the world outside those woods would be waiting for you again.
But for tonight—
it could wait.
- E1