The Rhyklen Project

Chapter 1

It was 2:00 in the morning when they came.  I'm a light sleeper, so I woke with a start when I heard the door bell ring.

I laid listening for my parents, to see if they had heard it and woken up too.  Nothing.

The doorbell rang a second time, followed by knocking.  I was starting to get a little freaked out. I lived in a pretty secure neighborhood, but no one knocks on your door at two in the morning to sell girl scout cookies.

This time I heard my parents move, and when my dad spoke, he seemed equally as wary as I.

"Holly, is someone at the door?" he mumbled almost illegibly.

"I think so.  Are you gonna get it?" my mom whispered back.

After a second, my dad answered, "Let's see if they go away."

But they didn't.  After two more episodes of knocking and ringing the doorbell, my father got up.  He turned the hallway lights on and said to my mother, "Keep your phone out and ready to dial."

Ok, I was SUPER freaked out now.  I counted the steps my dad took walking down the stairs.  Nine...  Ten...  Eleven...  Floor.  I quieted my breathing to listen for what happened next.  I heard the door creak open and my dad say, "Hello?"

The voice that responded was deep and authoritative.

"Hello Mr. Black.  I am agent Haldry."

I heard my mother gasp and drop her phone.  I sat up straight in my bed and turned the light on.  Did they do something to her?

Then I heard my father whisper, "Please, not yet.  How can she be ready?"

Agent Haldry responded with, "She isn't, which is exactly why we need to take her now."

I heard the footsteps of three men entering the house.  After a moment of silence, agent Haldry asked, "Where is she?"

Where is she?  Who were they talking about?

"What should we pack her?" my mom asked.

"Nothing" agent Haldry responded.  "We have everything she needs."

I heard my dad slowly say, "I'll go get her."

What on earth is going on?  I heard my father's footsteps slowly and deliberately walking up the stairs.  I counted down with each step.  Three...  Two...  One.

As he stepped into my bedroom, his brow was furrowed and his eyes were red.

"Gina, there's something I need to tell you."

---

My father sighed and said, "Sit down."

I sat down on my bed, trying to figure out what was going on.  My dad sat next to me, looked down at his feet, and started talking.

"I really don't know where to start, but I'll try my best.  You know Holly and I got married sixteen years ago right?"

I nodded.  I was fifteen, and I was born a year after they were married.

"Well we wanted a child more than anything, but my job had me traveling all the time.  We were worried that if we ever did have a child, we wouldn't be able to raise it right.  Now you know I worked for the government.  I handled mostly business and money, but I was still sworn to secrecy on everything.  Well one day I was approached by an agent.  Someone thoroughly connected to the US government.  He said that they had a child that needed a family.  Of course I wasn't sure if Holly and I were fit to raise a child.  Then they said that if we took in this child, I could retire now and I would still get paid as if I was working.  Without hearing anything else I said yes.  Holly and I met the child, a beautiful baby girl, and fell in love.  But right before we left for home the agent told me one last thing.  He said that when the time comes, we might have to release the child back to the government.  This seemed silly and Holly and I didn't worry about it.  We kept the child for years and loved it as our own.  They never came, so we assumed it would never happen.  But-"

My dad was cut off by a tall muscular man wearing a dark suit, standing in the doorway.

"Gina, it's time to leave."