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SAMPLE CHAPTER
Prologue
“All of you, get into the closet—now!” the man yelled, trying desperately to push the door closed. The wind lifted small items in the living area off the floor until they began whipping around the room, knocking down pictures and breaking glass, making it very difficult for Christian Seekers to close the front door. With a sudden burst of energy, he slammed his body into the door just enough for it to latch.
“It’s almost here; it’s nearly on top of us! Quick, Eliza, take these!” he hollered, tossing cushions from the sofa and the chairs toward his wife. She hurriedly packed them into the closet under the stairs.
“Christian, what are you doing? Get in here now! Can’t you hear that roar? It’s just outside!” Eliza yelled at him, her eyes wide with fear.
“I will, honey, just hold on. We need at least one mattress to protect the children. I’ll be right back!”
“Christian!” she yelled after him, but to no avail. He had already run to the staircase and was shooting up the stairs. Eliza began grabbing the cushions and tossing them to her older children who were already packed tightly together inside the small closet. She was afraid; more than that, she was terrified for her husband, but her children needed her too. The growing roar outside of their home had grown deafening, and told her that the monstrous tornado had arrived. Just as she got them situated inside of the small closet, she heard the windows shatter all over the house. Her ears popped, and everything around her seemed to be shaking or flying throughout the house.
“Christian!” she screamed, doubting he could even hear her over the deafening noise. Her heart started pounding as the roof began bouncing violently up and down. “Christian!” she screamed again, much louder this time. Suddenly the closet door jerked open and a mattress was shoved inside, nearly knocking her over.
“I’m here honey, I’m okay,” he said, cramming the mattress into the closet and setting it on top of the kids. “Oh, no,” he whispered. The mattress would not fit into the closet and still allow him to get inside and close the door.
“Christian, look!” screamed Eliza, pointing upwards.
Her husband looked up just as the roof lifted up and flew off the house. Above them swirled an enormous cloud of dirt and debris, which stretched up into the sky as far as he could see. Christian looked back into the closet at the frightened faces on his children, then back at his wife. They both knew there was not enough room in the closet, and there was no time to take the mattress out; nor was there time for goodbyes. Looking into his wife’s eyes, he managed a brief warm smile, conveying with a simple look, in a brief speck of time, the thoughts and feelings that take a lifetime to form and to share. He then slammed the door of the closet shut, just as the house imploded.
Chapter 1
The Chicken Hawk
Six months later….
The chicken hawk sat motionless, as if made of stone instead of flesh, carefully studying its prey. Perched high up near the top of a towering poplar tree that stood next to Earl Seeker’s house, the hungry raptor studied the activity on the ground far below him. Around the cluster of bird feeders erected a hundred feet below, a number of Carolina chickadees gorged themselves on the lavish banquet provided by the feeders. The predator perched high above them watched and waited, still looking over the menu, trying to decide.
Unaware of the presence of the hungry hawk, Jessie Seekers sat on the porch of her grandfather’s home, watching the chickadees dart to and fro, moving with ease between and around the feeders, which stood atop several poles about four feet high.
“You want to know something, sweetheart?” asked her grandfather, who had crept up silently behind her.
He had startled her, so she involuntarily jerked away a little before relaxing and then smiling. Jessie nodded, saying nothing, causing her grandfather to grimace slightly at the silent response. To him it felt like an eternity since he had last heard his granddaughter’s sweet voice. He looked back up at the small birds fluttering around the feeders.
“Can you tell me what kind of birds they are?” he asked, pointing toward the host of restless tenants that fluttered all around the yard. He waited patiently for her to answer, while maintaining a healthy dose of lowered expectations. The entire family had suffered a great trauma and felt a tremendous sense of loss, but it was hardest on the children, who had lost their father only six months earlier. He sighed, stroked his gray beard, and smiled softly when the girl simply nodded again instead of answering.
“You always have been such a bright girl, Jessie! You’re absolutely correct, they are Carolina chickadees. But can you tell me who named them that?” he asked, gently pulling her to him so she could sit on his lap after he sat down. The girl shook her head. “They were named by a fellow named John James Audubon, who lived over 200 years ago, not long after the Revolutionary War; now isn’t that something?” he asked the girl, who now beamed brightly as she studied the beautiful birds in more detail.
The door opened suddenly and Rachel stepped out onto the porch, joining her sister and their grandfather. She sat down close to Jessie, trying to follow her little sister’s fixed gaze.
“What are you both so fascinated with, Jessie?” she asked, wrapping an arm around her little sister.
“She’s watching the little chickadees eat at the feeders,” said the grandfather, answering for his youngest granddaughter while checking on the flurry of activity around the feeders. “She’s been watching them for a while; it seems that she’s taken to them.” He stopped watching the chickadees and turned to face his eldest granddaughter. “So, Rachel, how have you been, and how’s school? Aren’t you supposed to be graduating from high school in a few years?”
“Yes, Grandpa, I graduate next year.”
Her grandfather beamed proudly. “Well, isn’t that something—my little granddaughter, Rachel, leaving the nest and going off to college. That’s just wonderful, sweetheart, I’m so proud of you!”
“Thank you, Grandpa.”
“Do you know what you want to do yet when you get out of college?”
“No, I’m not sure yet. I’ve thought about law school, but I can’t decide.”
“Law school? There have certainly been times when I needed a lawyer around. Do you suppose you might be my lawyer should I ever need one?”
Rachel smiled at the question. “Sure, Grandpa.”
They sat there for a moment, watching the others.
“How are the others holding up, Rachel?” he asked her, with a furrowed brow. Rachel grimaced slightly.
“Well, you know that Jessie still won’t talk. Hopefully that will change since she’s going to turn thirteen next month, and will be starting seventh grade when school starts the following week.”
“Yeah, I noticed she was still not talking,” her grandfather answered, with a trace of sadness in his voice. “What about Michael and Eli—are the boys hanging in there okay?”
“Yes, sir, all things considered. Michael’s taken it pretty hard; you know he and Dad were pretty close.”
“Yes, I know,” he answered solemnly. “And Eli?”
“I’m really not sure about Eli, Grandpa. He doesn’t talk about it, but sometimes when he gets mad about something, I think it might be related to what happened. I don’t know.”
“What about school?”
“Michael is fifteen so he’ll start tenth grade when school starts back. Eli’s five so he’ll be starting kindergarten.”
Her grandfather turned to smile at Rachel. “I’m very impressed, Rachel, with the way you’ve stepped up and helped with the others. I know your mother’s taken it pretty hard as well, and with her working so much, the others have really needed you. I couldn’t be prouder of you,” he added, reaching over to give her a hug. After embracing her for several moments, he stood up. “I have to run to the store, sweetheart, to pick up some milk and bread, along with a few other things for dinner. Would you mind keeping an eye on your sister and your brothers for a while, just until I get back?”
“Sure, Grandpa, of course not; no problem,” Rachel answered. “Will you be gone long?”
Her grandfather grimaced for a moment as he struggled to rise from his chair; the arthritis in his knees once more reminded him who was in charge.
“No, not too long, sweetheart,” he answered once up on his feet. “I have a couple of other errands I need to run as well while I’m out if that’s alright, but I should be back in a few hours. You’ll be okay until then won’t you? I can wait until your mother gets here if I need to,” he added.
“There’s no need to do that, Grandpa, that’s okay. Don’t worry about us; we’ll be just fine. You just go ahead and run your errands, and take your time,” she answered.
He nodded his head, turned, and walked down the three steps to his front yard. Rachel and Jessie each smiled and waved goodbye to the elderly man as he made his way toward his truck. He smiled warmly at them as he slowly climbed in, fastened his seatbelt, and waved goodbye once more before driving off.
Jessie watched as their grandfather drove away. Their father had been his only son, so they looked a lot alike, the age difference notwithstanding. Their grandfather’s home, located an hour from the closest large city, had served as a place of refuge for the children, a place where they could relax and feel close to their father again. They had frequently visited the elderly man when their father was still alive. Since his passing, and with their mother working now, they had been spending more and more time with their grandfather, especially during the summer months and on weekends.
Jessie’s face tightened as she struggled in vain to hold back the tears; images of her father flooded her mind. She recalled the many vacations they’d had together at the beach, sharing presents at Christmas time, and holding his hand as they enjoyed one of their many long walks together.
Suddenly she could hear his voice as clearly as if he were standing next to her, and she could feel his arms wrapped around her, as they so often were when he was still alive.
Rachel glanced down at her little sister, expecting to find her still engrossed in the chickadees. Instead, she saw Jessie was crying. Rachel pulled her close and held her tightly, gently running her hand along the back of the little girl’s head.
“You miss him, don’t you, Jessie?” asked Rachel. The younger girl cast her older sister a sad and despondent look. Turning back to watch the chickadees as they continued to feed, she just nodded in reply, trying in vain to take her mind off her father.
“That’s okay, Jessie. I think that’s what we should be doing now, thinking of Daddy, missing him. That way we’ll never forget him and he’ll always be with us; don’t you agree?” asked Rachel. Jessie shrugged her shoulders before nodding in response moments later.
“Hey, are you two okay?” Their brother Michael opened the screen door behind them and stepped out onto the porch. “What’s going on; is something wrong?” he asked after seeing Jessie crying.
“No, we’re okay,” answered Rachel, mouthing the word ‘Dad.’ Michael just nodded his head in an understanding manner. After all, hadn’t such tears from each of them been a common sight over the last six months?
“Where’s Mommy?” asked little Eli, coming up from behind his big brother, Michael.
“Mom had to work today, remember?”
“Oh, that’s right. Where’s Grandpa?” the inquisitive five-year-old asked.
“That’s a good question, Eli. Where is Grandpa, Rachel? He was here just a few minutes ago,” echoed Michael.
“He had some errands. He said that he’d be back in a few hours,” she answered.
Jessie was still watching the chickadees jockey for position all around the feeders when she suddenly picked up some movement out of the corner of her eye. A blur had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and was rapidly moving toward them. She quickly raised her hand and pointed to the sky. The same chicken hawk that had been perched high up in the top of the tree had finally decided to make his move when he saw the chickadees cluster tightly around the feeders. It leapt from the branch and made for the unsuspecting chickadees like a dive-bomber. Silently it raced toward its prey, as if already tasting its next meal in its mouth as it neared the feeders. The predator was closing in on one of the larger chickadees, extending its talons so it could snatch its prey and fly back to its nest. Then—it disappeared.
The four children, all of whom had located the hawk in the sky when Jessie pointed in its direction, stared in disbelief. The bird of prey had mysteriously and inexplicably vanished, as if it had suddenly been blinked out of existence.
“Michael, did you see that?” Rachel asked him after several moments, as if she doubted what she had just witnessed.
“Yeah,” he replied, “I think so. That is, if you just saw a bird disappear into thin air.”
“That’s exactly what I saw!” Rachel then turned to Jessie. “What about you, Jessie. Did you just see a bird disappear too?” Her little sister nodded vigorously in response.
All four children continued staring toward where the chicken hawk had vanished, as if by doing so the mystery would be revealed. One by one, they began to notice something strange about the location where the bird had disappeared. Floating above the ground, just beyond the bird feeders, was…something. It was difficult to see outside in the bright noonday sun, let alone make out what it was they were looking at, but they could all see it. The bird had flown into a distortion of some kind, a shimmering, vertical wave of energy, similar to what happens when the heat of the sun bears down on the pavement in the summer. Michael studied the glistening phenomenon, which resembled a very thin pool of clear water, except that it stood vertically instead of horizontally, and at times was nearly impossible to see. He puzzled over the bizarre anomaly, which twinkled slightly in the light of the sun.
“What do you think, Michael? What in the world is that thing—and what happened to the bird?” Rachel asked him, looking to her brother for some clarity, her eyes wide with fear.
“How should I know?” asked Michael, “You’re the one that’s going to college next year. I’m just a musician, remember? Whatever it is though, it’s freaky!”
Rachel stood up, fixated by the beauty and radiance that emanated from the unusual glimmer. She forced herself to look away from it long enough to make sure everyone was safe. Michael stood to her left. On the other side of Michael stood little Eli, his face peering at the glimmer through the railings on the porch. Rachel then turned to find Jessie, and recoiled in horror at what she saw. Her little sister had already left the porch and was nearly to the glimmer.
“Jessie, get away from that thing, do you hear me?” she screamed, leaping from the porch and onto the grass without even touching the stairs. She raced across the yard and toward the glistening pool, followed closely by Michael, who held tightly to Eli’s hand, even as the smaller boy struggled to keep up. By this time, Rachel had closed the gap between her and Jessie, but the younger sister had already made it to the glimmer. Jessie reached out her hand toward the shimmering wall that stood in the middle of her grandfather’s back yard, and touched it just as Rachel, Michael, and Eli arrived behind her. As soon as she reached Jessie, Rachel turned and looked back toward the house for a moment, just as the house, the yard, and the bright blue sky somehow melted away into darkness.