Careful What You Wish For…
She'd heard her parents arguing again, arguing about Daddy going away. Daddy flew a big ship, so he was away a lot. Mommy and Phillip were always worried when he went away, and Matthew was too little to worry, but Daddy always came back. He always came back, and he always brought presents, and stories about the places he'd been. She wanted to hear everything, but more than that she wanted to see them. They had funny names: Reach, Harvest, Coat Dasher, Jerko 7, and other names she couldn't pronounce. They sounded like pretty places.
"Pete it's too dangerous! You can't seriously be thinking of considering this!"
Mommy was shouting again. She ran out into the backyard before she could hear more. She hated hearing her mommy and daddy yelling, even though it didn't happen a lot. Usually the only time Mommy shouted was when she was yelling at her, like yesterday when she'd tried climbing the red tree by the creek.
It was starting to get dark outside, but Mommy was still yelling: she could hear even outside. Mommy must have really been upset. She hoped Daddy wasn't getting sent away, it sounded like he might be though. She looked up at the stars that were just coming out.
"Starlight, star bright," she chanted softly. "First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight." Mommy had taught her the rhyme, and now she used it, wishing in earnest: "I wish I could protect my daddy, so Mommy wouldn't be so upset all the time."
Mommy was calling, it was time for her to go to bed. She looked back up at the stars and went inside.
----------------In the shadows, a black-clad figure smiled as he watched the four-year-old enter the house. Definitely the perfect test case, he thought with a smile. He had to have a word with Commander Morisson now, and his wife. They knew where their duties lay.
----------------"Come on, Mommy and Daddy! We're going away!" Her first big adventure. She was so excited! But why were Mommy and Daddy just standing there? And why did they look so sad?
"No, sweetheart. You're going alone. Daddy and I can't come with you." No! They were sending her away! What had she done wrong? She hadn't been that bad of a girl, had she?
The funny men were trying to get her in the funny car, but she wouldn't go! No, No, NO! She ran and grabbed her mother's leg. Don't let the take me away!
"Laura, I know this is hard, but it's for the best. I promise you'll be well taken care of, and Daddy or I will come visit you at times." Mommy was pulling her arms away.
"Promise?"
"Promise." She didn't understand, but Mommy had promised, and Mommy never lied to her. She followed the funny men into the car, and drove away, looking back at her family. She wondered where Daddy was going, and why she was going away, and what was happening.
She had no idea of the horrors ahead of her.