Okay, first off I'm new to this section...but not new to writing. If I screw up in anyway please drop me a U2U.


Come Back to Us
by Alexandra Spears

Chapter 1

Adora Hawkins stood just outside the back door of the house on Cape Cod. A gentle breeze lifted her long golden hair just a little bit. The sky was a brilliant blue and a few clouds drifted lazily. Birds were chirping merrily, which made the situation seem all the more chilling.

In the back yard, Adora's four children were playing. Ten-year-old Margaret, a beautiful young girl with red-gold hair and turquoise eyes, was pushing her younger sister, seven-year-old Melissa, on a swing, which hung from a bough. Melissa's golden hair, so like her mother's, was streaming out behind her as the little girl pointed her toes to the sky and urged her sister to push her higher.

The girls' older brothers, twelve-year-old Jeremy and fourteen-year-old Randolph, were helping their father, Cedric, with the brand-new houseboat that he'd just bought. Adora was from a wealthy family, so money had not been an object.

Cedric and the two boys walked along the dock that was near the boat ramp. "We need a break, Adora," said the handsome, red-haired, bearded man.

"I suppose you'll be wanting something to drink," Adora said with a bit of a chuckle. "Well, you boys sit down and I'll bring it out."

Cedric sat down at the patio table with his two sons. Randolph, or Randy as he was called, was like a miniature version of Cedric, having the same red hair and green eyes. Jeremy looked more like his sister Margaret with his reddish-blond hair and sea-colored eyes. Both boys were strong young men--and they needed to be strong, with what potentially lay ahead.

"Are we really gonna sell the house and everything?" Jeremy asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, we are, pretty soon," Cedric replied. "Trouble's ahead. We're going to give some of the money to the church, and the rest will be in that safe I just put in the boat. Pastor Worthington gave me a list of contacts up and down the East Coast."

"So much for land of the free," Randy snorted.

"It's been a long time coming, and you know it," sighed Cedric. "You two boys need to protect your sisters. There are too many people who wouldn't give another thought to doing them harm."

"We're going to live on the boat?" Jeremy asked.

"How many times have you asked that?" Cedric laughed as he tousled his younger son's hair. "As soon as the house is sold. Besides, I love the water. My friends used to call me Sea Hawk when I was younger--after that Errol Flynn movie."

Adora came out with a pitcher of lemonade and six glasses on a tray, which she set down on the round patio table. "Margaret--Melissa--lemonade!" she called.

Melissa jumped off the swing, and she and Margaret ran eagerly to the table, where ice-cold lemonade was waiting. The two little girls sat down. Melissa's blue eyes were shining excitedly; she loved swinging.

Adora poured them all lemonade, and the family drank and talked about their plans.

***

"We knew this time was coming," said Adam Freemont, Adora's twin brother.

It was now night time. The four Hawkins children were in bed, fast asleep. Adora and Cedric were on the sofa together while Adam sat in an armchair. Adam's wife Tina was home with their three children.

"We saw it coming for a long time," Adora sighed. "Christians have been persecuted for the last couple of thousand years. We just got a break in America for a little over two hundred."

"You can't even quote the Bible without it being called a hate crime," Cedric added. "So what are you and Tina going to do, Adam?"

"We're going to take our motorhome and hopefully find a place," Adam replied.

Adora sat there and hugged herself as she stared into the fireplace, watched as the fire licked at the logs. She could not let those memories back, she could not--

"Adora, are you all right?"

Adora jerked her head up, looked at the concerned face of her brother. "I'm fine, Adam," she managed to say.

"Adam, I think it's time Adora and I went to bed," said Cedric.

The blond man nodded. "I understand," he said quietly. He got up from the armchair just as Cedric was helping Adora to her feet, and he went over and hugged his twin sister. "Good night, Sis," he said.

"Tell Tina and the children I said hi," said Adora.

Adam left, and Cedric and Adora went upstairs to the master bedroom. "I just hope you don't start having those nightmares again," Cedric said as Adora changed into a pink nightgown.

"I'll be fine," Adora said as she knelt down next to their king-sized bed and assumed her usual prayer position.

Cedric knelt down next to her. "Who can be against us?" he asked.

Chapter 2


The following morning, eggs and bacon were frying on the stove, the toaster was toasting bread, and the coffee maker was running, and in the center of all this kitchen activity was Adora, clad in a short-sleeved, button-down white blouse and knee-length blue skirt, which were protected by a frilly blue apron. Cedric and the children were upstairs getting their morning showers and getting dressed.

Once everything was cooked, Adora transferred the food to a serving plate and took it to the adjoining dining room, where she set it down on the table, which was already set for six. She looked up and saw Randy and Melissa entering.

"Morning, Mommy," said Melissa.

"Morning, Mom," said Randy.

"Good morning, you two. Where are Jeremy and Margaret?"

"Taking their sweet time as usual," Randy said as he sat down in his seat.

Cedric came in and gave Adora a kiss on her cheek, and soon after that Jeremy and Margaret came in and sat down.

Once everyone was seated, the family said grace and Adora began serving her family their breakfast. At that moment, the phone rang.

"I'll get it," said Cedric. He got up and went into the kitchen. "Unknown," he called out, obviously looking at the Caller ID screen.

"I wouldn't answer it then," said Adora, looking nervous.

"Why not?" asked Margaret.

"Is it--them?" Randy asked slowly.

"You leave my wife alone!" Cedric snapped into the phone before slamming it down.

The four children looked at each other. Ever since their mother's abduction a few years back and her subsequent rescue, she kept getting those calls--and their phone number had been changed several times over the past four years.

"Well, we'll be moving soon...it won't be very long now," Cedric sighed as he sat back down. He looked over at his wife and placed his hand over hers in a loving gesture.

***

Later that morning, after her children's morning homeschool session, Adora was sitting on the dock out back, gazing out at the horizon. She felt a chill go through her, but it wasn't from the breeze that was blowing.

Times like this she wished that they had killed her. Then she'd be in heaven now, instead of healing from the ordeal here on Earth. But then, her husband and children would have missed her, and she realized that she was still needed on the mortal coil.

One of her regrets was that she could no longer have children, due to the extensive injuries she'd sustained there. Cedric was always quick to point out that they had four children and that his love for her was not based on how many children she could have.

Adora sighed. She wondered if he really understood. There was something about being pregnant that was satisfying somehow, knowing that a little life was growing inside her. She remembered when each of her children was still growing within her, and it was amazing to think that they were so big now.

"You okay?" asked a masculine voice from behind her.

Adora turned her head and looked up, saw Cedric standing behind her. "I'm fine," she said.

He sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. "The children are doing their lessons," he said as he kissed her gently. "Want to try out the houseboat?"

Cedric stood up and helped Adora to her feet, and he stooped down and lifted her into his arms. Adora clung to him as he carried her on board the houseboat and into the boat's master bedroom. "Needs decorated yet," he said as he set her down on her feet.

"That can wait a little bit," Adora said. She sat down on the bed and kicked off her shoes. "This bed is very comfortable."

Cedric grinned as he kicked off his shoes.

***

"Why is Mommy so nervous?" Margaret asked Randy as they sat in the bedroom that had been set up as a classroom, doing their lessons.

"Mom was kidnapped a few years ago, remember?" Randy said. "Melissa was about three at the time. She was gone for weeks, and Dad and Uncle Adam managed to find her. They hurt her really bad."

"Who kidnapped her?" asked Margaret.

"Some cult or something," said Jeremy. "And I think those are the guys that keep calling here."

"What do they want with her?" asked Margaret.

"They want her back so they can hurt her some more," Randy said tersely as he slammed his math book shut. "Now I really don't wanna hear any more about it, okay?"

Just to let y'all know...the story's all going to be in this thread. I'm not going to start a new thread for each chapter.

I'll be working on chapter 3 soon.

Chapter 3


Adora lay on a table, and it was pitch black. For the past several weeks she had been abused in every way possible. She constantly prayed that she would either die or be released from this hell. Her husband and four young children were always on her mind.

She was being barely kept alive, and she wondered if her captors wanted to stretch this out as long as possible.

The door opened and one of them came in; then the door closed. The man merely laughed as she screamed in pain.

Suddenly, the door flew open, and in came Adam and Cedric. "Get away from my wife!" he yelled as he jerked the man away from Adora.

Adora was crying as Adam freed her from her bonds. He had a blanket with him, and he wrapped it around her naked body. "Celina told us you were here--she was the one who betrayed you," Adam told her.

Adora woke up with a start. Next to her, Cedric was still sleeping. She hadn't had that dream in a long time.

Celina had gone to Pastor Worthington's church. It had turned out that she was a false sister, and she'd been denouncing the church members to the anti-Christianity group. Apparently she'd still had something of a conscience left.

It had taken Adora quite a while to heal from her horrifying ordeal in the group's lair. She felt fortunate that Cedric had been understanding during that time. She'd been so afraid that Cedric wouldn't want her anymore, after what had been done to her, and she'd been devastated upon learning that she would no longer be able to have children.

She felt blessed now. Cedric loved her no matter what, and she cherished her four children.

The phone rang. Cedric mumbled something as Adora reached across his body and picked up the phone. "Hawkins residence," she said pleasantly.

"Adora--this is Adam," said the voice on the other end.

Adora glanced at the clock--it was four in the morning. "Adam--what's going on?" she asked. His voice sounded urgent. She remembered that Katherine, the middle child and older daughter, was sick and in the hospital. Suddenly she knew. "Is it Katie?"

"We don't think she'll make it," Adam said.

"I'll be there," said Adora.

***

Adora was in the hospital by five that morning. She had left a note for Cedric and the children.

Adam, Tina, and their other two children were in the ICU room where Katherine lay. Twelve-year-old Simon, a blue-eyed blond like his father, was comforting his youngest sister, eight-year-old Marilee. "Please don't die, Katie," the little red-haired girl sobbed.

Adam got up and hugged his twin sister. "Adora, would you take Simon and Marilee to the cafeteria? They need something to eat, they've been up all night," he said wearily.

"You two go with your aunt," Tina said distractedly. "Your father and I will keep Katie company."

Adora gave her sick niece a kiss on her forehead. Then she turned to Katherine's siblings. "Let's go," she said.

"Dad says it's that stuff in the air," Simon said to his aunt as they headed for the cafeteria. "That's what made Katie sick, he thinks."

"He may be right," Adora sighed.

The two children and their aunt picked at their breakfast in the cafeteria. Afterward, Adora led them to a waiting room, where they lay down on a couple of couches and fell asleep. She was just coming out of the waiting room when she encountered Pastor Worthington.

"We've been praying for Katie," he said soberly. "The Lord answers our prayers, Adora, though the answer may not be what we want it to be."

"I know, Pastor," Adora said quietly.

They went towards Katherine's room, and they were just approaching it when Adam and Tina came stumbling out.

"Adam," said Adora.

"Adora--your niece is gone," Adam managed to get out.

Tears were streaming down Adora's cheeks as she hugged Adam and Tina. "Katie is in Heaven now, Adam," Adora reminded him. "She's at peace."

"I know," Adam whispered.

"You have to forgive them, Adam, Tina," Pastor Worthington told them quietly.

"I need to be alone for a few minutes," Adam said as he gently disengaged himself from his wife and sister. He looked at Adora. "Keep Tina company, would you?"

"Of course," said Adora.

Adam walked down the corridor. Adora led Tina into the waiting room, where her two surviving children were sleeping, unaware yet that their sister had just died.

***

Cedric was just waking up when the phone rang. He picked it up. "Hawkins residence," he yawned.

"Cedric--did you get my note?" Adora asked.

"What note? Adora, where are you?" Cedric asked as he sat up.

"At the hospital. Katie just died," Adora said, her voice sounding flat.

"Oh, no," he said.

"Honey, why don't you get the kids breakfast first, then bring them over here?" Adora asked.

"All right, I'll do that," said Cedric. "When do you think I should tell them?"

"Whenever you think is best," Adora replied.

"All right--well, I'll get a shower, get them up, and get them breakfast," said Cedric.

They hung up. Cedric got out of bed and sighed. He wondered how to go about telling his children that their beloved cousin had just died.