Raised by a Hidden Storm Backstory

Meeting the Ones in the Barn

A tiny girl, about the age of five, was in her room playing with the few Barbie dolls she had. Small strands of dusty brown hair were plastered to her forehead as the rest was pulled back in a messy bun.

Footsteps silently started from down the hall and soon stopped at her bedroom door. "Princess?" a man's voice sang, knocking once at the opened door.

The girl looked up and smiled, her blue eyes sparkling as she stared at the man before her. "Yes, daddy?"

Her father stepped through and sat across from her. "Do you remember me talking about robots? That came from a different planet?"

"Of course, daddy!" the girl smiled more, crawling to be in his lap. "I remember everything you tell!"

The father smiled down at his daughter. "Will you be scared if I showed you one or two?"

"No!" the girl gleamed, standing up immediately. "Let's go! I want to see them!"

Dad nodded, standing up and following the bright eyed girl to the front door before picking her up. Starting for the garage or barn they had that stored his prized, pitch black tow truck and the 1996 silver camero, he looked to the girl in his arms and remembered the first time this happened with someone he loved but resulted with the love of his life leaving him and never finding her again.

"Why are we going to the barn?" she asked, gripping onto his oily white shirt. 

"That is where you will meet them," her dad echoed and gently rubbed her back.

Walking into the barn, the girl saw the two vehicles. She looked up some and saw that the roof had been recently built a bit higher than usual. 

"Daddy?"

"It's alright, Princess," dad whispered and sat her down on his workbench. "Alex, sweetheart," he said, kneeling to be eye level. "If you get scared, just tell me, okay?"

The dark blue eyed girl nodded, looking around.

He seemed to relax some and gently took her hand, looking at the engines and nodded as to give a signal. The vehicles seemed to come alive at once. Gears shifted and squealed as the automobiles stood up straight, tall, and proud.

"Alex," her father stated proudly. "These are the robots I told you about. We call them Transformers."

The girl was star strucked at the metal beings before her. "Do you have names? Can you talk?"

The one that transformed from the tow truck, kneeled in front of the two humans but kept his distance to not to scare the little girl. "Yes, young one," it said, taking a male's deep voice. "I am Chains and my companion is Hardrim. We are pleased to finally meet you." 

Alex grinned at him, letting everything sink in. "You look really cool, Chains! And you, Hardrim!"

Her father grinned. "These two are our guardians. They have been with me since before you were born."

Grinning with excitement, she turned to her father. "Does this mean I'm allowed in the barn now?"

"Yes, princess," dad replied. "You are."

Alex turned to the transformers before her again. "Are there more of you out there? Are they friendly?"

Hardrim kneeled next to Chains to get close to the girl. "Yes, dear one," it said, coming out as a woman's voice. "There are more like  us. Not all of them are nice or ever will be to you and your father."

Alex bowed her head, understanding the robot said immediately. "I'm glad I got to meet you two," she smiled at them. "Can I see you tomorrow?"

The metal beings looked over at her father, almost pleading in their blue orbs.

Her father nodded. "You can see them anytime you wish, princess. They will always keep you safe."