Chapter 4:

Tai didn't spend much time out of the house for the next three weeks. His shoulder was cut deep enough to where it made him temporaily disabled to harvest his crops. He was just able to milk and feed his animals. Lucky for him, he had Celia to help.

"Tai, I just picked the rest of the crops." Celia said, walking in the door with a bunch of vegatables and fruits in her arms. She walked into the kitchen and put the stuff on the table and walked back into the living room. Tai was sitting on the bed, reading a picture book to Jason. He looked up from the book and looked at her.

"Thanks, Honey," he answered. He smile and glaced back down at the book and continued reading. Jason was close to dozing in Tai's arms. Finally, he fell asleep, his head on Tai's arm.

"About time he fell asleep," Celia sighed. "It's late." Celia glaced at the clock. "We'd better get in bed too."

"I'll be there in a little bit." Tai replied. "Love ya,"

Tai walked out the door and walked into the barn. Thunder was already asleep but Kari was watching him with wide eyes. She muttered a moo and Tai walked over to her. He sat down beside of her and rubbed her behind the ears.

"Hey, Kari," he cooed. "How come you're still up?" The Normal Cow mooed and nuzzled Tai's head. Tai smiled and layed his head against hers.

"You know, girl? I came out here to think. But I guess I'll just talk to you. I'm worried that the men who mugged me might have saw where I was headed. I'm afraid they might now where we live and might come and take Jason." He stood up and patted Kari. He told her goodnight and walked out the barn door. Thats when it happened.

Tai saw a man standing in front of his window. The man was peering inside and trying to pry the window off. Tai gasped and he turned angry.

They were trying to get Jason.

Tai ran up to the man and punched him hard in the back. The man wobbled forward. He regained his balance and looked behind his back. He glared at Tai.

"Leave my family ALONE!" Tai shouted. He ran forward and landed a punch in the man's leg. The man recovered quick and punched Tai in the stomach. Tai doubled over, the breath knocked out of him. He fell to the ground and two other men grabbed him roughly. Tai regained his breath and struggled to get away. The man he attacked walked torward him, an evil grin on his face.Tai glared at him and spat in his face. The man frowned and punched Tai in the face. Tai cried out as blood started to drop out of his mouth. The man wasn't finshed. He elbowed Tai in the stomach, hard. Tai doubled over and sputtered. He finally regained his breath and looked up to the men.

"You...cowards," Tai choked. The men chuckled and turned torward the boss.

"Whaddya wannaus to do, boss?" one asked. "Stab him? Strangle him? Hang him?"

"No!" the man shouted. "The 'boss' doesn't want him dead...yet." The men smiled. "Tie him to that tree and knock 'em out!"

The men followed his orders and tied Tai up to the tree next to his house. Tai looked up at the men.

"You lay one hand on my family," he threatened. "I'll hunt you down and kill you, I swear it." They ignored him and grabbed a block from beside his barn. They lifted it over his head.

Suddenly, a loud barking interuppted the scene. Izzy ran out of his doghouse and started biting at the men. He mangeged to bite most of them before being hit in the head with the block.

Tai's eyes widened in horror. "Izzy!" he shouted. Then he felt something really hard fall on his head and he blacked out.

He was running through the forest shouting their names. He ran and shouted until he could no longer walk nor speak. He dropped to his feet and layed his head to the ground and cried.

He had lost it all. He was a horrible father, husband, and person all together. He never should have lived.

He heard someone talking and lifted his head to see he was no longer on the forest floor. He was on the floor of an old, broken down, deserted barn. He looked torward the table at the center and gasped. She was standing there, tied to a pole, crying and screaming.

"He's just a baby! He's just a baby!"

He looked at the man standing in front of her, holding a small baby. It was crying. Then, he noticed the man holding a knife directly over the baby's head. He brung it down and the woman screamed and he blacked out.

Tai jumped awake to find himself still tied to a tree. His head was pounding and something warm was drippling down his neck. It was still dark out and the moon was still high in the sky. Tai looked beside of him to see Izzy laying on his side. Tai gasped and looked at the ropes binding him. He wiggled his hands louse and reached for the messed up sickled in his pocket. It was very dull, but it would work.

Pretty soon he was released from his binds. He ran to his house and jerked the door open. He looked around his house to see that all their belongings were laying on the floor. Apparently a great struggle had taken place. Tai paniced and looked torward his bed. Celia was not there. He looked inside Jason's crib. He was gone. With tears coming to his eyes, he rushed into the kitchen and jerked open the door. It looked the same in here than it did in the living room. He gasped when he saw Celia laying on the floor, a cut down her cheek. He ran over and fell to the ground. She was knocked out. Tai grabbed her hand and held it.

"Celia," he choked, tears rolling down his cheeks. Celia opened her eyes and looked at him. She raised up and her eyes became wide. She suddenly started bawling and Tai held her to his chest, failing to stay strong. He silently cried into her hair.

He had lost their only son.

sniff How sad! Thats horrible! Will Celia and Tai give up on their son or will they fight back and bring there son home? Find out next time! I'm SUCH a cruel person! laughs wickedly Stay tuned!

Sword of Light