I have a poll on my profile page asking a question I really want to have answered. I'm trying to get as many answers as I can, and very few people visit my profile. I've gotten literally one answer in a week, and that's sad. Please answer, and be honest about it.


I only own my OC's!

Warnings for abuse and neglect. this is pretty much the climax of this kidnapping section!


Old Family Part 6: Saturday and Sunday

I roll out of bed at about eight, and change my bandages on my back and hand, then pull on a pair of white Elmo panties and an Elmo camisole. I then change into a red t-shirt with silver hearts, an elmo® graphic, and long black sleeves with a red heart print, blue jeans with Elmo on the back pockets, white socks, white and pink Elmo velcro tennis shoes, and a denim jacket with a red collar, an Elmo appliqué on the left, and a Zoe appliqué on the right. I put on my makeup in the bathroom, taking special care to cover my black eye and the marks on my neck, then pull my hair up into a ponytail using one Elmo pompom hair tie. I'm going to Grammy's after breakfast, while they're taking Briar wherever they're going. They'll be gone overnight, and I get to go to church with Grammy.

I reach into the cabinet to grab the cereal, only to find his mouth closed over my left arm. I shriek at the pain from his teeth in my hand. He throws my arm down and glares at me. "No breakfast. You didn't earn it! Get your ass over to Grammy's house before I decide you need beat for trying to sneak food!" Stacy just got paid, so they're going to South Bend for the night. They'll get what they need after they're back—if they even have any money left. They're always playing with our bill money…

I run out the door with my backpack and a grocery bag with my clothes for tonight and tomorrow inside. I want to show Grammy what happened, but I know she won't believe me. She never did before, and she seems to think Aaron hung the moon and stars.


I push the back door open and look around. "Grammy?"

"Hey, Sweetheart." She smiles down at me before taking the grocery bag of clothes from me and leading me back to my room here. It's tiny, but at least it's not Elmo. She starts putting my clothes away, managing to find a note I didn't put in there. "Huh, what's this?" She skims over it. "I'm not doing that to you."

"Doing what?" She hands me the note, and I read it out loud, not knowing any better. "The Bitch isn't to have any food unless she works for it. She has been sneaking food." I look up to her. "Grammy, I no sneaked foods! I just wan'ed bweakfast! He no lets me eats!"

"You didn't have breakfast?" I shake my head. "Would you like me to get you some?"

"What time is it?"

"10:30."

"Please? Jus' a li'l?"

"I can get you some corn flakes?"

I smile and nod. "Please?"

"Of course." She pours me a bowl, sprinkles on some sugar, and pours in a little milk before handing it to me with a spoon. "Milk in cup too?"

"Of course."


I spend the day with Grammy, watching TV and drawing on the paper in my backpack. Before I know it, it's time for lunch. Grammy makes tuna casserole for us, and I eat quickly so I can get back to playing. This time, though, I take an old dolly and start playing house by myself, wishing I could be playing with Emily. ~Emily?~

~Hi, Mari!~

~Think you could ask your human Mommy to takey you to Bible Baptist Church in Knox? I wanna sees you!~

~I'll see what I can do! Hold on!~


Third POV

"Mommy, Mari wants to know if we can go to Bible Baptist church in Knox tomorrow so we cans be together."

Jamie crouches to her daughter with a smile, even though her eyes are sad. "We'll do our best to be there, okay?"

"Thanks, Mommy!"


Normal POV

~Mommy said we'll do our best.~

~Good. Is Carrier still there, or is he back here, because I haven't been outside much.~

~I think he's there, Mari.~

~Otay. Thanks. Hot Spot? Where's Carrier?~

~He's over there with Jazz, probably staking out the woods again. How are you able to talk with me? Isn't Aaron watching you?~

~Grammy. Aaron's gone 'til tomorrow. Briar and Stacy are with him.~

~All right, I'll see you later. Hopefully we'll get you home soon. I love you, Little Sister!~


I pass the afternoon playing with my old dolly, and looking forward to getting to see Emily tomorrow. After supper—pork chops and mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy and corn—Grammy gets me into the tub and washes me up before bandaging my ouchies as gently as she can, chiding me for not being careful when really it wasn't my fault at all. After I'm all clean and bandaged, she puts me to bed in my lavender bedroom with purple blankies, and I go to sleep with safe, happy thoughts for the first time since I got kidnapped.


Third POV, with Prowl

Prowl sighs from where he's watching the little girl through the window, and reaches up to his comm. "Red Alert, Inferno. Mariposa is coming to your area with her grandmother tomorrow. Alert Bobby to action. You should not have too much, as Mariposa is safe with her grandmother at this time, but you need to remain vigilant even so."

Red Alert is the first in the group communication to speak up. "Alert and prepared, Prowl."

Inferno sighs softly. "Where's the meetin' point, after this is over?"

"Meeting point is Grissom Base. When I sound the alert, anyone without a role is to return to the Base and await further orders. I have reason to believe this will not take much longer for him to drastically injure Mari, as she had bruises and a burn on her neck today. Ethereal will be kept with Mariposa at all costs—even if you have to go along, Smokescreen. Bluestreak, you will take over your team if that happens. Lead the twins to Grissom. We will return with Mariposa and Ethereal."

Bluestreak sighs softly, almost sadly. "Her human parents are okay with this?"

"She has been told that the child comes with us. She is sad, which was expected, as she loves the child, but she is fine with us taking our child back."

Smokescreen gasps. Prowl left a battered child in the same situation? "But Prowl, she was battered…"

"Her guardian's girlfriend, Smokescreen, not the girl. The guardian has since broken up with her significant other, and has kicked her out. Ethereal is safe and sound for tonight, same as her sister."

"Good. I was worried about the little one."

"Ah'll come by an' check with everyone in a li'l bit, an' make sure we all know our places for when this goes down. Prowler's gotta comm the police station in Tranquility and make sure he's go' 'til Tuesday as we believe."

"I will be on the phone tomorrow morning, so you will have to contact Jazz or Ironhide for emergencies, and comms will be down on our end. Prowl, out."


Sunday, September 9, 2007, normal POV

Papaw wakes me up and carries me into the kitchen, where Grammy is waiting with her newspaper. I get a bowl of fruit loops with milk and start eating as quick as I can, snagging the comics when Grammy's done. As soon as I'm done eating, I carry my dishes to the sink, pop an energon drop into my mouth, and head to my room to get dressed for church.

I change my underwear—no pull-ups here—put on a new Elmo camisole, and pull on a white short sleeved dress with a red waistband, a rainbow polka-dot skirt with an Elmo graphic, and a red pleated hem and tie the red belt before pulling on my red tights, and light pink Elmo print Mary Jane shoes. I French braid my hair as well as I can—Carrier had me help him for the last week, but I still can't do it very tight. I tie the ends off with red hair ties, then walk out to Grammy with my red ribbons. "Can you tie on ends, please?"

"Of course!" She ties them into pretty bows, then looks at my hair. "Who taught you how to do that? It's pretty!"

"My real Mommy did." She knows they found me in a pod in the woods, and had helped them create a cover story so I wouldn't get taken away by the government. I run into my bathroom to put on the makeup Aaron insists I wear—foundation, blush, lipstick, eye shadow, and mascara—followed by twisting my earrings so they can heal around the earring and leave holes. I step back into my room and pull on a white button up sweater before slipping on a white straw hat with red trim on the brim and a red ribbon on the crown, then go back to Grammy. Now she's in a pink shirt and black skirt.


I ride in the back seat of a blue Buick to the church, where I climb out and head inside to the Sunday school classrooms. Since Papaw drives the church bus, he didn't see my pretty dress. He's wearing a pink dress shirt with a black suit today.

I run into Grammy's class and take a seat. One of the other girls hands me a coloring picture as my spark flares. I look up and smile when I see Emily at the door. "Hi!"

"Mari!"

"Who's Mari?"

I turn to Grammy. "Me. I'm Mari. I'm not Sheyenne."

"Sheyenne." She sighs and shakes her head. She leaves discipline to Aaron, which means I'm getting a bad beating when I get home tonight.

~She's gonna tell Aaron, and Aaron's gonna beat me bad tonight…~

~What about school tomorrow? I wanna sees you!~

~We'll have to see. I love you, Theri.~

~Theri?~

~Nickname. You call me Mari, I'll call you Theri.~

~Otay. I loves you too!~

Grammy starts reading out of a book while we color our pictures, and class ends sooner than we want it to. We're shuffled down to the basement for junior church, where we sing a few kids church songs—none I really like, though—and listen to a child-centered sermon from Papaw.

"Did you like church?"

"Yeah, but it's kinda long…"

"I knows, but we getta learns 'bout God."

"True. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." She sighs sadly as Grammy leads me away. ~I hope…~

"You too…" I glance back at her sadly. ~I hope. Pray for me, Theri. God listens to kids better than adults sometimes…~

~I will. Love you!~

~I love you, Theri.~


Grammy's House

I follow her inside and head into my room, where I take out my ribbons, put the hat aside, and change into a purple long sleeved T-shirt with an Elmo graphic and blue jean overalls with an Elmo graphic on the bib part. I pull on white socks and my Elmo tennis shoes, then change the plain red hair ties into the Elmo pompom ones.

I run into the kitchen and slide into my seat as Papaw pulls in with the bus. Grammy serves us roast beef with mashed potatoes, gravy, beef and noodles, and corn. I eat quickly before turning to my room to pack

"Daddy's running late. He asked me to keep you until supper."

"All right." Stay of execution. "Can I watch TV?"

"Of course you can."


suppertime

Grammy doesn't usually cook supper on Sunday, but because she's got me, she makes fried chicken and mashed potatoes—what's left from lunch—with the rest of the corn and a jar of chicken gravy for me and Papaw, since she hates chicken. She warms up some of the beef from lunch for herself.

I eat as quickly as I can before helping Grammy load the dishwasher, then run over to watch TV again.


10:00 PM

My stomach clenches as I hear Aaron and Stacy's car pull in. I run to my room under the guise of packing my stuff to go home while Grammy tells Aaron what had happened at church. I'll be lucky to make it to school tomorrow.


Aaron drags me home by the wrist and throws me on the couch. "CLOTHES OFF, NOW, AND FACE DOWN ON THE COUCH! WHY THE F*** ARE YOU STILL INSISTING YOU'RE SOMEONE ELSE'S KID!?" He starts whipping me with a Weeping Willow branch. They're not thick, but they're like a whip, which hurts worse than being beaten with a stick. "THEY SENT YOU AWAY! THEY DIDN'T WANT YOU! YOU'RE SHEYENNE RAYNE MCANALLY!" He stops. "Stand up and tell me your name."

"Marianne Rachel Tranquilli." He whips me across the legs with the branch. "Marianne Rachel Tranquilli." He grabs a fly-swatter and beats me across the back with it, bringing tears to my eyes. "Ma-Marianne R-Rachel Tr-Tranquilli." He beats me across the back again with the flyswatter. "Mar-rianne R-Rachel Tr-Tranquilli."

"Fine. You won't give me the right answer?" He picks up a two-by-four with a handle. "Tell me your name."

"Marianne. Rachel. Tranquilli." He slams the board into my behind. "Marianne. Rachel. Tranquilli." He slams it into my butt again. "Marianne. Rachel. Tranquilli."

"Fine. I'll use the belt." He pulls his belt out of its loops. "Tell me your f***ing name right this time."

"Marianne. Rachel. Tranquilli."

He slams the belt's buckle into my back with each word. "SHEYENNE. RAYNE. MCANALLY."

"Marianne." The buckle hits my back. "Rachel." He beats me against the back again. I can feel my back starting to bleed. "Tranquilli."

He slams the belt buckle into my back at least twenty times, then grabs a beer bottle. "SAY IT RIGHT OR I KEEP GOING!" He slams the beer bottle into the back of my head twice, hard enough to do damage but not hard enough to break it.

"Sh-Sheyenne."

He stops wailing on me with the beer bottle. "Sheyenne what?!"

"R-Rayne. Mc-McAnally."

"Say it without crying or I start over."

"Sheyenne Rayne McAnally."

He throws the belt down. "Was that so hard?"

"Yes." My legs give out, and I hit the floor. He pulls me up by the wrist and drags me into my room. I can feel it pop, and it starts hurting really bad, but I can't make a sound, or he'll do worse than he already has. "GET YOUR ASS DRESSED AND GET TO BED BEFORE I BEAT YOU AGAIN! YOU SAY THAT NAME ONE MORE TIME AND I'LL KILL YOU!" He throws me into my room. My head hits the bedframe, and everything goes dark.