My Captivator

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter 17:

Kairyn:

My legs were tired and I was starving. I had already eaten half of a granola bar that I packed in my bag before we left the house. I did my best to only take a few sips of my water every now and then. I sat down next to a large tree and leaned up against it. It was such a relief to finally sit down after hours of walking. The sound of the river waved through the air about half a mile away and a soft, warm breeze blew across my face. Sunlight slipped through a small break in the trees above me and I relaxed as I let my eyes close. It really was a peaceful place when rogue agents and bears or wolves were not after you.

I let my thoughts drift from Merrick, to Caleb, to my family, to my friends at home, back to Merrick and then to Caleb again. He was my brother. I had a twin brother. I was a twin. I had never had a brother. So many times I wished for a little brother or sister. My parents said that I was their miracle baby, that they were not able to have any more kids. Of course when I was younger they told me I was more than enough for them; it was easier for a five year old to understand. I wouldn't have understood the fact that my mother couldn't have children. That should have been a sure sign that I was adopted, but it never occurred to me that was what they were trying to tell me. Now, I have a brother, one who was easily persuaded to the 'dark side'.

He was still my brother though. And even if he dishonored his own sister, everyone deserved a second chance. I prayed my entire life for a brother or sister and now that God had finally given me one, I disowned him and turned him away at the first mistake he made against me. He had no right to do what he had, but I've made mistakes as well in my life. "Let anyone who has not sinned throw the first stone." I quoted Jesus' words he spoke to the Pharisees. I am most definitely not without sin, so no stone throwing for me.

Glancing up, I prayed. "Lord, don't let me hate him. Don't let me hate any of them. My parents were only trying to protect me, Merrick was doing the same, and Caleb . . . Lord, Caleb was looking for a father. He needs a father, God; one that will lead him away from sin and help him to become a better man. Lord, he needs a father, he needs you. They all do . . . and so do I." I whispered as a simple tear traced down my left cheek. A sudden peace filled the air as a yawn escaped my mouth. Soon the world around me distanced and sleep took over.

~~~~~~~

Caleb:

Normally, waking up to the sound of water is relaxing; however, when you find yourself aching all over on the side of a river bank, you find it a bit overwhelming. The back of my head pounded and I could taste blood in my mouth. I coughed up water and held my stomach. Feeling my head, a large knot protruded out of my scalp. I winced at my own touch and groaned. I was confused beyond measure. What had happened and where was I?

Sitting up slowly, I rubbed my eyes, scratching myself with the small pebbles that stuck to my wet skin. All around me, trees danced in the small breeze that sent chills through my worn body. I slowly stood to my feet but quickly fell with a gasp of air. Pain raced through my ankle and up my calf. Reaching out to touch my calf I paused; it was badly bruised and swollen, possible that it broke from the fall. How had I gotten here? The last thing I remembered was a hard hit to my head. Had my father done it? After all the work to get us back as a family, would he have disowned me because I let my sister fall to her death? Had she even died? If I had made the fall, then would she have made it? And then that leaves question for that spy. Had he made it too? Vile slipped up my throat splattered out my mouth. It was mostly water and mucus, but vomiting was the last thing I needed in the predicament I was in.

I couldn't stay here. If I wanted to find help, I needed to move. I tried again to stand up and this time finding a large stick, I stumbled up and leaned my weight against it, using it as a crutch. That's when I saw the foot prints. Two sets of them heading northwest. One set was smaller than the others and that could only mean one thing, Kairyn and Agent Stone had survived the fall. I decided on following the foot prints. It seemed a better idea than walking through the unknown forest. Behind me, water raged. I was surprised I had survived the fall myself.

The foot prints led on for hours and my ankle continued to swell. It was mid-day by the time the prints led to the forest then stopped. "Great." I sighed, "More trees." I glanced behind me and then at the forest. If the foot prints had been hers then she was in this forest somewhere. That spy was probably with her. That was dangerous for me, especially if he were emotionally unstable, but I had to find my sister. I had to make things right. If we couldn't be a family, then we could at least try to settle on being acquaintances.

I limped into the forest and the grass was mucheasier to walk on then the pebbly sand. Small animals ran around and I hopedthey would be the only animals I came in contact with. The last thing I wantedwas to be bear or wolf food.