Free Revenge of Cornelius by Tanya R. Taylor Page B

I could use a little."
Mira's eyes met Bobby's. He winked at her and she abruptly followed
her mother inside the house.
     
    Mira spent the majority of the
afternoon catering to her father's every need. She sort of took
over from her mother, wanting to do as much as she possibly could
for him. However, the fact of the matter was that Michael did not
appear to need much of anything and the constant 'checking up' was
beginning to aggravate him. That's when Mira gave it a rest and
decided to retreat to her room, if only for a while.
     
     
    3:13pm
     
    The phone rang and Mira picked up
right away.
    "We just got back, Mom!" Rosie said
happily. She went on and on about the fun they had at McKerry's and
how Mrs. Benjamin was getting ready to mix the cupcake batter
now.
    "That's wonderful, honey. Glad you had
such an awesome time. Are you behaving yourself nicely?" Mira
asked.
    "Yes, Mom. Alex's mom says that I'm a
nice, little girl with good manners."
    "Yes, you are." Mira
smiled.
    "How's Pops?"
    "He's fine. Watching TV, as
usual."
    "Well, tell him I'll be back soon and
we'll watch TV together for the rest of the night since I had to go
out, okay?" Rosie instructed.
    "Okay, honey. I'll tell
him."
     
    After speaking with her mother, Rosie
joined Andrea and Alex in the kitchen. Andrea had the mixing bowl,
eggs, flour, sugar and several other ingredients lined off on the
kitchen counter. Theo was in the adjacent family room near the back
patio watching a ball game on television.
    The children thoroughly enjoyed their
time helping out in the kitchen and their absolute, favorite part
was licking the large spoons and bowl—dirtying their fingers and
faces with what remained of the creamy batter. On Andrea's
prompting, they soon headed off to the bathroom to wash up while
Andrea placed two, long trays of their handiwork into the
oven.
    "I'll be upstairs getting the toys
ready!" Alex exclaimed before racing upstairs. Rosie was still
washing her face and hands in the bathroom.
     
     
    4:25pm
     
    "Mama, where's Rosie?" Alex had dashed
downstairs into the living room where his mother was
resting.
    Andrea leaned forward. "I thought she
was with you."
    "No, Mama. She was in the bathroom
washing up and I was waiting for her in my room, but she never came
up."
    "Did you check the
bathroom?"
    "She's not there. I looked everywhere
and I don't see her," the boy replied.
     
    Andrea immediately got up and went
through the house in search of the child, checking every room.
Rosie was nowhere to be found. She called out to her repeatedly,
but there was no response.
    "Where's your Daddy?" she asked Alex,
who was trailing behind her.
    "I don't know," he
answered.
    "Theo!" she cried. "Rosie!"
    No answer from anyone.
    "That's strange. Where could they have
gone?" Andrea muttered.
     
    The two went outside to check around
the house. Alex instantly spotted a dark shadow figure making its
way around the side of the building.
    "Mama…"
    "What, honey?"
    The boy froze and stared at the area
in question.
    "Someone's back there." He
pointed.
     
    Deciding to ensure Alex's safety,
Andrea took him back inside, turned off the oven, then returned
outside to further investigate. Jogging around to the side of the
house, she didn't see anyone, but called out to Theo and Rosie
again numerous times. Again—there was no answer.
    The yard had a sickening silence
around it—one that she had felt inside the house many times,
especially at night. There was a light mist in the air as well,
which was hugely unusual for that time of day. Then approximately,
seventy-five feet near the edge of the property that led into an
area of land densely populated by fruit-bearing trees and overgrown
brush, she saw Theo advancing.
    His white shirt was muddied with dirt
and his short, black pants were darted with tiny prickles. He was
sweating profusely.
    "Where have you been?" Andrea asked
curiously. "And where's Rosie?"
    The closer he got to her, Andrea could
see that the pupils of his