Journey to Destiny
The wind had picked up on that warm Miami day, and a beautiful young woman looked out the window at her children playing in the yard. The 7-year-old girl was playing inside a small playhouse, opening the windows occasionally. The woman sighed when she noticed her 8-year-old son walking around the yard staring at his feet. He had been doing it a lot lately and she was worried. Her husband walked into the room, adjusting his tie. He noticed her staring at the children and he walked up.
"He's doing fine!" he reassured her. "You worry too much Steph."
"He's only eight," Steph said simply. "He shouldn't have to go through this, Brian."
"He has been dealing with his OCD fine," Brian said. "Ryan is a strong and smart kid, he understands what it is and he can handle it."
"I still can't help but worry," she said.
"Well look at it this way, at least we will never have to get on him about cleaning his room," Brain said, attempting humor. Steph smiled, but didn't move from the window. The children were running around the yard together now and she looked back at her husband, who was drinking a cup of coffee.
"I am going to be working late tonight," Brian stated. "We have a big project we are finishing up and I want to make sure it's shipped out tonight."
"Do try to be back sooner than midnight," said Steph.
"I will do my best," he said, finishing his coffee and giving her a kiss on the cheek. He walked over to the back door, sliding it open. "Bye kids!"
"Bye," they both said, stopping for a second before continuing to play. Brian closed the sliding door and then headed out the front. Steph checked on the pancakes she was making, putting the finished batch on a plate for the kids. She put the plates on the table and poured them each a glass of milk before calling them in for breakfast.
"Ryan! Rachel! Breakfast!" she called to them from the door. They both ran in and sat at the chairs they always sat at.
"Rachel, what happened to your headband?" she asked noticing that it was missing.
"I dropped it over the fence," Rachel answered. "I think the wind blew it by the car."
"Well let's go get it, before it is gone for good," said Steph taking the girl's hand and leading her out the front door. "Don't move, Ryan."
"Okay!" he shouted back. He took his glass of milk and set it on his left side and put the syrup on the right. There was a loud bang that came from the front yard and he dropped his fork on the ground when he heard his mother scream. Another loud bang echoed through the yard and the sound of a car speeding off. Then it went silent. Ryan got out of his chair and headed to the door. He heard someone else scream which made him stop.
"Call 911," he heard one of the neighbors yell. He ran to the door and stopped when he saw the mangled bodies of his mother and sister.
"MOM!" he yelled trying to run to her, but he was stopped by their elderly neighbor Mrs. Wilson. She pulled him back and sat in the grass with him. Tears rolled down his cheeks as Mrs. Wilson held him there. He could see the blood on both of their bodies and despite his young age he knew what it meant. His mother and sister were gone.
The police arrived and Mrs. Wilson talked to them about what she had heard. Ryan sat alone on the front steps of the house watching as the investigators examined the area. A man walked up to him and sat down, but Ryan didn't move.
"My name is Leo, I'm a police officer. Do you know what happened?" he asked Ryan.
"Somebody killed them," he answered, looking up at the officer. "I heard it."
"What did you hear?" Leo asked.
"I heard a bang and then momma screamed, then another bang and a car drive away really fast," said Ryan looking back at the investigators. "What are they doing?"
"They are trying to find anything that will help us find the people who did this," Leo explained.
"They can do that?" Ryan asked, looking up curiously.
"Yes," he said, amused at the young child's curiosity. "Sometimes when a bad guy hurts someone, they leave something behind. We can use whatever is left to find them."
"What are they doing on the road?" Ryan asked, noticing one of the CSI's measuring the tire tracks.
"You said the car drove away really fast, so they left marks behind," Leo explained. "We can measure the marks and find out what car is was."
"Really?" Ryan asked amazed looking back at the crime scene. Leo smiled at the child. He could clearly see the sadness in the young boy's eyes. Hearing his mother die would have a lasting effect on him.
"Your father is on his way back here," Leo stated.
"Okay!" said Ryan, distracted by the investigators. Leo sat there next to Ryan while they waited for his father to show up. Ryan watched in awe as the investigators looked through the scene.
"Do you help a lot of people?" Ryan asked Leo suddenly.
"Yeah, we do," Leo replied.
"That's what I wanna do when I grow up," he stated. Leo smiled as Ryan's father pulled up.
"It's a good job," Leo replied. "You need to be very focused."
"I could do it," said Ryan, firmly. Leo laughed.
"Good to hear, Mr. Wolfe," said Leo.