(7)-Jackie's Warning.

One Hour Later...

Clare sat in a chair, thinking about everything that had happened within the last three hours, as well as everything that was happening right now. An hour had passed since she arrived here at the police station, making it three hours since the disappearances. Tommy was still missing...millions of people had disappeared off the face of the Earth...all kinds of chaotic events were sweeping the planet...people were dying left and right. Either by their own hands or someone else's or in accidents that resulted in the vanishings.

What in the world was going on?

People didn't just disappear out of their clothes and shoes.

What happened?

All sorts of theories were swimming around in her head. Such as UFOs...Spontanious Combustian...thermal radiation...and...the Rapture.

She then started thinking about what Jackie had told her last year when she had taken Tommy over to her house for a visit.
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Chicago, Illinois-(1994)

Clare came into the house through the front door, entering into the livingroom, after talking with Irene on her cellphone.

"Hey." Said Jackie, who was sitting on the sofa while Tommy was sitting on the floor beside her.

"Hey, guys." Said Clare.

"Whatcha doin?" Clare as she closed the door.

"Oh, Tommy and i were just chat'n here, we're just talkin' a little bit." Said Jackie.

"Oh. What are yall talkin' about?" Said Clare as she walked over to a sofa-like chair and sat down.

"The Rapture, Miss Jackie was telling me about the Rapture." Said Tommy.

"The Rapture? Really? Jackie, i thought we agreed you were gonna wait until Tommy was older to talk to him about this." Said Clare.

"He just saw the book i was reading and asked me about the word Rapture and-"

"The book? If you wouldn't read those stupid books when he's around, maybe he wouldn't ask so many questions." Said Clare.

"Well, i'm sorry you feel that way, Clare, but this is important. I feel this is very important." Said Jackie.

"I'm really very uncomfortable with this." Said Clare.

"He was just flippin' through the TV and heard a guy say something about the Rapture on TV and...he saw the book, i gotta tell him the truth." Said Jackie.

"Why couldn't you wait, like we agreed?" Clare asked.

"You know...we didn't agree on that. That's something you wanted to do." Said Jackie.

"Well, he already has nightmares. He'll never get to sleep tonight." Said Clare.

"Alright, i'm sorry. I'm sorry, i'm not trying to 'cause you nightmares, and i'm not trying to get you upset, but this is such an important issue. We've gotta face this. And i think we've gotta face it very soon." Said Jackie.
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"Oh, Jackie." Said Clare sadly while lost in her thoughts about what Jackie had said to her. If this event was indeed the Rapture, then chances were she was gone too. She had to find out. Clare reached into her purse, got out her cellphone, called Jackie, and the phone rang for a few minutes.

"Hi, it's Jackie. Leave a message." Said the answering machine before the #BEEP# sound.

Oh, how Clare wanted to. She wanted more than anything to leave a message for Jackie. But she knew it wouldn't matter, as it was very likely that she was among the missing. She thought about calling Irene to check on her, Raymie and Chloe, but something told her she would just be wasting her time with that too. After all, the disappearances had hit Chicago as well, and chances were Irene was gone too. Raymie would be 12 years old now, and since all children under 13 had disappeared, it was likely he was one of them.

She then decided to call some of the kids she had placed in good homes over the years. Unlike other CPS workers, Clare had stayed in contact with the kids she was placed in charge of. She had been doing this since she started her job in 1980.

Clare dialed a number and waited for someone to pick up. "Come on. Somebody pick up. Pick up!"

"Hello?" Came a female voice on the other end.

"Hello, Emily? It's Clare Dunning."

"Oh. Hi, Clare. Haven't heard from you in a while. What's up?" Said Emily Hudson, the 16-year old daughter of Mister and Mrs. Hudson.

"Is Grady alright?" Clare asked.

"Yeah, he's upstairs in bed. I couldn't sleep, so came downstairs for a midnight snack. Why do you ask?" Emily said.

"Go check him." Said Clare.

"Why?" Emily asked.

"Just do it" Clare instructed.

"Alright." Said Emily.

During the silence on the phone, Clare thought about Grady and if weather he was still at home or not. Grady had been placed in her care in 1993 and was placed in a loving home that same year. He was 10 years old at the time. If Clare's calculations were correct, he would 12 years old now. Meaning he would be gone, just like all the rest of the children under 13. She hated doing this. Calling these families to check on their adopted kids, only to find them gone, leaving behind the clothes they had been wearing. But they were gonna find out about the disappearances eventually. If not tonight, then deffinitly tomorrow morning. So it was better for them to find out now. It wouldn't make it hurt any less, but at least they wouldn't be unprepared like she was.

"He's okay. He's sound asleep in his bed." Said Emily.

"Where are you now?" Clare asked.

"I'm by the doorway of Gray's bedroom." Emily answered.

"Go into his room and see if he's still there." Said Clare.

"Clare, you're scaring me. What's going on?" Emily said.

"JUST..." Clare sighed. "Just check!" She ordered.

"Okay." Said Emily. The moment of silence on the other end of the phone was suspenceful, to say the least. And then..."AH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Emily screamed.

Clare then ended the call, knowing what Emily's screaming meant. Grday was gone...just like all the other children under 13.

She put her cellphone back in her purse, not even bothering to call any of the other families of the adopted children she had placed in their care over the years. She now knew that two kids were missing. Tommy and Grady. She didn't want to add anymore worry to her emotions...if that was even possible.
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