Chapter 5

Because of that drawing, I was taken to the police station.

They didn't believe my explanation at all: "Stop making excuses! If it was really a dream, why do the blue pajamas and pink window in the drawing match my home exactly? We never made these details public."

This was indeed a doubt I couldn't clear up.

Killing in dreams—I couldn't understand it myself.

But I was certain that in reality, I hadn't killed anyone.

I provided my home surveillance and the complex's surveillance:

"On the two days your children were killed, I had solid alibis! Although your children bullied my Jessica, I'm not deranged enough to kill them over that!"

After the police verified my evidence, they finally released me.

After returning home, I didn't dare sleep at all.

I was afraid I would have that strange killing dream again.

But when I stayed up until 3 AM, my eyelids still closed uncontrollably.

I had another dream...

In the dream, I kidnapped all the children who had mocked Jessica during the day and locked them in an abandoned underground parking garage.

Their sobbing and crying viciously stimulated my heart, and I woke up because of it.

But then I discovered something even more terrifying—

Jessica was gone.

My husband and I searched every room but couldn't find her.

She had vanished like she'd evaporated.

Just as my husband and I were about to go out looking for her, the police and a group of parents rushed into our home.

"Nina! Did you kidnap our children!"

"Nina, give us our children back!"

I instinctively defended myself: "It wasn't me! Jessica is missing too!"

As soon as I finished speaking, someone discovered a drawing by Jessica's bed.

"You still want to deny it? Your evil deeds have all been drawn by Jessica! You really did kidnap our children!"

Everyone surrounded me demanding an explanation.

Lily's mother rushed up and started hitting me:

"Stop making excuses! Lily only had a conflict with Jessica. Who else could it be but you!"

I was powerless to resist. That drawing seemed to seal my guilt completely.

To investigate the case, the police still took me to the station.

I said it was just a dream, but they didn't believe me.

They forced me to reveal where the children were being held, but how would I know?

When I appeared in the dream, I was already in that abandoned underground parking garage.

Although the police didn't believe my "dream theory," they still patiently guided me:

"Right now, this concerns the lives of over a dozen children, possibly including Jessica. Our only lead is you and that so-called dream. Think carefully again—did that underground parking garage have any distinctive features?"

I closed my eyes and recalled that bizarre dream once more.

Five minutes later, I opened my eyes wide:

"I saw writing on the underground parking garage... it said Riverside... it's Riverside Complex."

After I provided this lead, the police immediately dispatched people to Riverside Complex.

After thirty minutes of searching, we finally found the 15 missing children in a storage room.

I wanted to rush over and hug Jessica, but she retreated in fear:

"Mommy... don't come near me. I'm scared."

Then the other children burst into tears the moment they saw me:

"Bad person, go away! Bad person, go away..."

Lily's mother rushed over and slapped me:

"The children all say you're the one who kidnapped them. What else do you have to say! Why did you kill Lily... give me back my daughter's life..."

My eyes were full of tears. I could only weakly explain over and over:

"I really didn't hurt your children. It was just a dream. I really don't know what's going on..."

Katie threw an identification report in my face:

"The fingerprint report from Zack's body is out. It matches your fingerprints exactly! You're the killer who murdered them!"

Looking at that report stamped with a red seal, my heart sank to the bottom.

The police had already handcuffed my wrists.

But the next second, I spotted critical information on the identification report:

"Officer! I'm not the killer. I already know who the real killer is!"