Crossed Destinies

Prologue

Melissa Bearings sat down on the grass. Her young daughters, Calina and Elizabeth, played loudly in the yard before her. She held a book open in her hands, but couldn't bear to tear her attention away from her girls.

"Melissa! Darling, I need your help for a moment." Jason Bearings screamed from behind the house.

"One moment." Melissa screamed back. She turned her attention back to her children.

It would only be a moment, she reasoned with herself. The neighborhood was safe and had very little traffic.

"Calina, darling." Melissa began.

The young seven-year-old looked up to her mother. "Yes mommy?"

"I need to go help Daddy for a minute. Can you keep an eye on Elizabeth?"

"Of course!"

"Good girl."

Melissa quickly walked back to behind the house where Jason was working. Scrap pieces of wood, tools, and paint buckets covered the backyard.

"What do you need, Jason?" Melissa asked, bouncing impatiently. She didn't like the idea of leaving her kids in the front yard, even though they have done it countless numbers of times.

"Can you hand me that toolbox next to the bush? I can't get to it."

Jason pointed to the red toolbox that was near her foot. Melissa leaned down and picked it up. She carefully made her way through the maze of objects. She handed her husband the toolbox. A loud scream caused Melissa to hurry back to the yard.

Another loud scream echoed through the neighborhood. Melissa collapsed to her knees, sobbing violently. Jason quickly ran out to the front yard.

"What happened?" He asked, worriedly.

"E-E-Elizabeth." Melissa managed to say through sobs.

Jason looked up, confused. Realization clicked into place as he realized only one of his daughters were in the yard.

"Calina, where is your sister?" Jason asked. His voice was even and held authority.

"A man took her." Calina sobbed. Her arm had a bruise on it in the shape of a hand.

Jason struggled to stay calm. He ran into the house and called 911 to report a kidnapping. Within minutes, the police swarmed the tiny neighborhood in order to try to help the poor family who had just lost their daughter.

Young Calina was scarred with the memory of seeing her younger sister, whom she was supposed to be looking affer, get snatched away from her.