The White Feather
Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.
"One of the ultimate signs your Angels are with you is finding a feather. Coming across a feather in your path, or finding a feather in an unexpected place is thought to be a message from the Angels."
Prologue
Jacob was on a mission. He crawled across the wooden floor, intent on claiming his prize. His dark eyes were alight with victory. He was nearly there. Just a few more inches and he would be able to hold the white feather in his chubby fist and examine it carefully. It would be a great addition to his treasure trove that he had stashed in the darkest corner of his room. He pulled himself along, one trembling hand reaching out to grab it…but then to his horror his mommy lifted him up and accidentally stepped on his prized possession, squashing it flat. A great wailing ensued.
"There, there, Jake." Sarah cooed as she rubbed her son's back and jiggled him in her arms. "None of that now, sweetheart. We've got a special visitor today, remember. You need to be on your best behaviour because she's rather shy."
Jacob's lower lip poked out and he glared at his mother mutinously. Sarah smiled and tugged on the end of his short ponytail, trying to make him laugh. "Hate shy." He complained.
"No you don't." Sarah carried him into the kitchen and sat him one of the grownup chairs. His head barely reached the table top. Jacob refused to sit in his booster seat because it meant he didn't have to see his nasty sisters while they made fun of the way he ate. He stood up instead and balanced on the chair as he watched his mother move fluidly around the kitchen. She was fixing him his favourite snack. "Her name is Bella." She threw over her shoulder. "She's Charlie's daughter. You like Charlie, right?"
Charlie was the tall man with the big hat and hairy face. He was daddy's best friend in the whole world. Charlie didn't smile much, not like his daddy and mommy. Jacob excluded his sisters in his mind. The twins were always mean and miserable and had scowling faces. Bella sounded like a dumb name. Jacob tried to say it under his breath but he struggled. "Don' wan' Bellies. Don' wan' shy."
"Aww…come on." Sarah returned with some scrambled eggs and placed them in front of her son. She tugged on his ponytail again and this time she got a reluctant smile. "You can show Bella the treasures you keep in your room."
Jacob was shocked. How did his mommy know about that? He had put them in the most secret hiding place he could find. He stopped scooping the eggs into his mouth and turned his mouth down. Sarah pinched his cheeks and laughed. "If the wind changes you'll stay like that." She teased him in a sing song voice. She reached out and made his mouth turn up into a smile with her fingers. "Now that's better."
Jacob giggled. His mommy was silly. But a good silly. Not like his friend Embry's mommy who was always sad. Embry didn't have a daddy, which made him sad too. He began to shovel the rest of the scrambled eggs into his mouth while Sarah watched him in amusement for a few seconds.
"Wait there." She whispered conspiratorially. She went away for a while and came back with a small wooden box. "There you go, Jake." She continued with a secretive smile. "Use this for your treasures. That way no one will find them. It has a key so you can lock it." She demonstrated how the small silver key fitted into the tiny lock. "See. You try."
Jacob was entranced. He abandoned the rest of his food, which was rare for him as he was always hungry, and took the small key from his mother. He had trouble shoving it in the lock as he was too heavy handed, but with Sarah's gentle guidance he managed to get the hang of it. "Mine." He said jubilantly as he clutched the magic box to his chest.
"Manners, Jake. What do you say?" Sarah raised her eyebrows at him.
"Mine." Jacob said again, puzzled.
"Jake, you know better than that." Sarah pursed her lips.
"Thank you." Jacob guessed.
"Good boy." Sarah ruffled his hair. She picked him up and placed him on the floor. Jacob immediately toddled off to his room, eager to hide his precious treasures.
Jacob had his face pressed to the window as he watched the car with the funny letters and flashing lights pull up outside. His mommy had told him that the car was called a police cruiser. Even though he had expressed disinterest in the special visitor earlier, he was curious now. While his mommy was busy preparing more snacks, Jacob had tugged a small plastic chair over to the window so he could climb on it and look outside. He wanted to see what this shy, boring Bellies looked like before she came in. If she was like his scowling, mean sisters then he wouldn't play with her, or show her his most precious treasures. First Charlie, with the big hat and hairy face, climbed out. He pushed his hat up his forehead and rubbed it, before tugging it back into place. Jacob always thought Charlie looked odd without his hat, smaller somehow. Then he watched Charlie walk around to the other side of the car and lift someone out. Jacob strained to see, Charlie was hiding Bellies with his body.
"Are you spying, little man?" Sarah chuckled as she scooped her son up into her arms, breaking his vigil.
Jacob pouted in annoyance. He couldn't see Bellies now. Unaware of the thoughts going around in her young son's head, Sarah carried Jacob with her as she went to greet their visitors. This was Bella's first proper visit with Charlie, and Sarah wanted it to run smoothly for both of them. It had been hard on Charlie being separated from his little girl for so many years. He had been forced to gain access through the courts, but thankfully had now been granted visitation rights three times a year.
"Put on your best smile, Jake." Sarah whispered to him. "And remember your manners." She tugged his ponytail as she emphasised the word manners. Before Jacob could respond Sarah had opened the door and was greeting their visitors. Jacob leaned forward in his mother's arms, eager to get his first glimpse of Bellies. And when he did his world was transformed.
Three year old Jacob Ephraim Black was lost for words. He couldn't speak. His voice was gone. There was an angel in his house and he didn't know how to act around her. He stared at the angel with the long brown hair and wide, scared looking eyes. She was so skinny and pale; he could see a few freckles dotted along her nose. He tried to count them in his head, but got his numbers all mixed up.
Sarah prodded him. "Say hi, Jake." She prompted him.
Jacob opened his mouth but nothing came out. He clamped it shut again as his cheeks turned rosy under his tan skin. The angel was peeking at him from beneath her bangs. He heard his mommy sigh. "Now who's the shy one?" She took his hand instead and led him back inside the house. Charlie and the angel followed.
"Would you like a drink?" Sarah asked the angel as she bent down so she was more on her level.
Jacob saw the angel look up at Charlie. He was stunned to see his daddy's friend smile encouragingly at the angelic girl. "Go on, Bells." Charlie said gruffly. "It's okay."
The angel grabbed a lock of her brown hair and sucked on it. "Yes, please and thank you." She said faintly.
"I'll get some juice." Sarah smiled kindly as she stood back up. She pushed her star struck son forward. "This is Jake by the way. He's not usually this quiet. The cat must have got his tongue."
Sarah and Charlie laughed at this statement but Jacob and the angel exchanged a frightened glance. Was there an evil cat lurking around? Jacob opened his mouth and tugged on his tongue with his fingers. It was still there. He felt confused. A small glimmer of a smile lit up the angel's face and Jacob was entranced. He smiled back. The angel put her fingers over her lips and giggled. Jacob did the same. His mommy was teasing. There was no evil cat.
Sarah returned with two small glasses filled with orange juice. She handed one to Bella and one to her son. She was glad to see that the children were both smiling. She motioned to Charlie. He looked relieved. "Bella will be fine with us for a few hours. You go on in to work, Charlie." Sarah assured him.
"Thanks, Sarah. I wouldn't be going in if it wasn't an emergency." Charlie replied in a low voice. He didn't want the children to overhear.
Sarah's good mood vanished. She glanced down at Jacob and Bella. They were sipping their orange juice and seemed content enough. Sarah steered Charlie away from them. "Have there been more animal attacks?" She whispered.
"The remains of two hikers were found about five miles into the forest. We think they must have entered the forest from where Highway 110 tails off into a dead end. We found an abandoned truck parked there." Charlie told her as he picked up his hat and put it on his head.
Sarah's blood ran cold. She shivered involuntarily as if someone had walked over her grave. She glanced back at the children again. Jacob and Bella had finished their orange juice and now her son had taken Bella's hand and was leading her off to his room. It looked like he had gotten over his nerves. Sarah turned back to Charlie. "It's getting too close to home." She said to him.
"We'll catch them, Sarah. Don't worry." Charlie patted her shoulder awkwardly. "Say hi to Billy for me. If he's up for some hunting then let me know. Harry is already on board."
"I bet he is." Sarah thought to herself. "I'll tell him." She said aloud to Charlie. She walked him to the door as she saw him out. "Don't worry about Bella. She'll be safe here with me." She promised.
Except she wasn't...
Billy Black arrived home early from work to be greeted with a world of chaos. He knew something was wrong when he saw his front door hanging on its hinges. It creaked eerily as it swung back and forth in the light winds. He hurried inside, calling Sarah's name. There was no response. Not from her, not from anyone. The front room was a mess. Furniture was scattered everywhere, some broken into pieces. It was like a storm had blown through the house and left carnage in its wake. Had there been a burglary? It wasn't like they had any valuables to steal. Where were Sarah and the kids? In a blind panic Billy grabbed the landline and called the police. As he spoke hurriedly to the operator he saw a single white feather float through the air and land at his feet.
Jacob didn't know what he would do without his angel. Her fingers were in his silky black hair which had come undone from its elastic band. It fell around his face in a satin wave. His angel had a finger resting against her lips as she urged him to be quiet. He was trying, he really was. But he was a ball of sweat and couldn't stop shaking. They were hiding behind some bushes. On the other side scuffling sounds could be heard. Jacob was scared. He wanted his mommy but she was on the other side of the bushes with the bad people, the ones who had come into the house uninvited and taken them all hostage. His mommy had screamed at him and his angel to run. The bad people didn't follow. They had their prize.
There were a few seconds of quiet, followed by a feral snarl. Then a heartbeat later an agonised cry rent the air. Jacob shook like a leaf as he heard his mommy's cries. His angel covered his ears and held his hot, trembling body as she shielded him from the worst of the sounds. Frightened tears coursed down her pale skin as she crouched beside him, biting on her bottom lip so she wouldn't make a noise and attract the bad people's attention. Jacob whimpered. "Shhh…." She whispered in his ear.
An hour passed. Jacob felt a light breeze ruffle his hair. His face broke out in a cold sweat as he raised his head to gaze at his angel. She had stopped crying but looked very upset. "I wan' my mommy." He sniffed.
His angel looked sadder than ever. She didn't speak but instead raised her beautiful face up to the heavens. Jacob copied her. The sun filtered in through a gap in the tree branches above, bathing his angel in sparkly light. She looked more unreal than ever. He noticed a single white feather floating down from the sky. His angel held out her hand and the feather fell into her opened palm. She bent down and gave it to him. "Your mommy says goodbye." She said in a soft voice as he began to cry.
A/N-thanks for reading!
