Chapter 3: A brothers worst nightmare

Angel sat up to find total darkness in his room. He looked over to the clock which read 3:30 in the morning. Why had he woken up so suddenly and why at 3:30 in the morning? Angel sat there trying to remember why he had when it dawned on him that Dakota was screaming for him. He ripped back the covers and ran out of the room, crashing into the door frame on his way. He raced down the hall with Jack, Jerry and Bobby behind him. He came to her room and found her huddled under the covers. He slowly sat down on her bed and pulled back the covers. She looked at him with those innocent mismatched eyes. She just sat there staring at him before suddenly bursting into a fit of giggles. Angel looked at his brothers who looked back at him with just as much worry. Was their little sister going crazy?
"I... I.. drea..dreamt!" Dakota stuttered. She looked at Angel with determination to tell him what she dreamt about. "Ab..bout.. cl..clowns. They ch.. chased us and one, ju..jumped on Jack!" At this point, Angel, Jerry, Jack and Bobby had also started laughing. Dakota was laughing so hard, not realizing that her speech was much better. "Then, one gr.. gr.. grabbed me and, it st..st..stared at me! It got ra..ra..razor sharp teeth and I th.. th..thought it was going to eat me. Then it la.. laughed and went po...polly want a cra.. craker?" Dakota finished and just laughed more. Angel looked at his brothers then to her and they all started laughing. Then it dawned on Jack what had just taken place. His face turned slowly from just pale to shocked then excited.
"Guys!" He exclaimed. Blood started to race through his vein. Excitement boiled inside of him.

"..."

"Guys!" Jack screamed again. His brothers and sister looked at him like he was strange. "Dakota baby, do you realized you just spoke? You stuttered all through it but you talked! And in sentences!" Angel just stared from Jack to her and back to Jack before letting out a whoop and scooping her off the bed. That morning not one single Mercer slept, the remainder of that morning was spent celebrating the fact that Dakota had talked.

A Year Later

Angel, Bobby, Jack and Jerry all sat in the living room watching TV. Angel started throwing chips at Jerry and they began play fighting. The four brothers were so caught up in their games that they didn't hear their little sister.
"AHHHHH!" A now 11 year old Dakota screamed. She was not in the mood to be ignored right now. Jerry dropped Angel onto the floor, Bobby jumped up from the couch and Jack choked on a skittle. They looked directly at their little sister who smiled like she did nothing wrong.
"Thank you she said. This is Mikey and his sister Amie. They go to the local elementary school! I WANNA GO TOO!" She exclaimed pointing to a tall blonde haired boy and a short red haired girl. Her brothers looked at each other, knowing some day this might come.

"No! I'm sorry! With us havin' jobs, she'd have to ride a bus. They get off at four around here and that'll leave her alone for an hour before any of us get home! Someone could kidnap her or her dad could come back since he just got out! Naw, it ain't workin' with me!" Angel and Bobby both said. Dakota looked at them with tears in her eyes.

"I HATE YOU!" she screamed. She ran out of the house and into the mild fall air. Mikey and Amie followed. Bobby and Angel looked at each other, both obviously hurt by Dakota's words.

"Come on guys! She didn't mean it! She's just a kid! She just really wanted to go to school." Jack said. He looked as shocked as the others did but understood that Dakota was growing up.
"Exactly Jack, she's a KID! Just a little kid! And she's our little sister at that!" Angel said. Bobby continued looking at the floor. He looked up suddenly. He looked straight at Jack.
"No fairy boy is right! She just really wants to go to school. How nice would that be? Then when people hear the name Mercer they won't just think of us a group of bad people. Let's just let her go! Its good for her!" Bobby said. Angel looked at Bobby. He knew not to argue or reason. Bobby was usually the hot headed one and the most protective, if he said Dakota was going to school, she was. Jack smiled and jumped of the floor. He ran to the door and looked outside. Not seeing Dakota right away, he panicked. She knew she wasn't allowed to leave the front yard.
"Kodi!" He yelled as he searched frantically for her. No answer came and he found himself running outside.

"Dakota Mercer!" he said more firmly this time. She still didn't come. He was about to run into the house when he heard little footsteps. He turned around to find Amie running towards him.

"Some man came and took Dakota!" she exclaimed. Her small voice held much fear for her new friend. "He said he was her daddy and that it was time for her to go home!" Jack felt the color in his face drain completely and his blood ran cold.

"Look, you and your brother get inside and stay there! Tell your mom what happened and ask her for help!" Jack spoke softly, he watched the little girl run off before turning into his own house. Bobby, Angel, Jerry and Sofi all looked up to see Jack standing there with a pale face.

"What's wrong Jackie?" Angel asked. He stood up from the floor and walked over to his brother. Jack just looked at him and then to the others. He felt the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.
"Sofi, call the cops! Dakota's father just came and kidnapped her right off the front lawn!" Jack finally spoke. It took a minute for his words to sink in. In a flash everyone was up, Sofi ran to the kitchen, Bobby and Angel ran upstairs to get their guns and Jerry and Jack stood staring at each other. In seconds Jack, Jerry, Angel and Bobby were piled into the car, Amie's mom came over and told them the type of car Dakota's father was in and where he went. Apologizing one last time, she stood back and watched them speed off down the road.

TBC