Animals

Chapter 1: Mark's POV

I just lie down in one of the tents with Layla hoping for nothing to jump in and take her. I lost my wife. I can't lose her too.

That's when my seven year old son, Tommy runs in.

"Mommy! Daddy!" He shouts quietly.

"What's wrong, honey?" Layla answers calmly. "Is Max and Hannah okay?"

"Yeah. Hannah is with Max." He replies still scared. "But I just had a nightmare."

Hannah asked to sleep Max instead of Tommy, even though they're twins.

"You want to sleep with us?" Layla asks him.

"Yes please." He says already getting in the bed.

I feels so bad for him and his sister. Growing up in this madness. It was rough for Max too. Tommy falls asleep instantly, so I she that time to talk to Layla.

"It's so hard for them." I tell her.

"I know." She replies back. "We try our best to make it as easy on then as possible."

"There has to be a way. A way to make it easier on them. A way for them to not be afraid of eggs, or spiders!" I shout, forgetting that Tommy is still asleep. All he does is turn the other way.

"I know. Don't you think I try? Not even just me. We try our best for every one of these kids." She tells me with a tear in her eye.

I bring her in a hug and hold her close. And there's no way I'm letting her or the kids get taken away. That's when Hannah runs in.

"Mommy! Daddy!" She shouts the same way as Tommy did.

"What's wrong?" I ask while Layla rubs her face.

"They took Max!" She tells me half crying.

That gets both mine and Layla's attention.

"What happened?!" Layla asks her. "What did the animal look like?"

Hannah just stands there crying.

"It's okay, Hannah. It'll all be okay." Layla says hugging her. "Just tell us what took Max."

"Who." Hannah answers in between her sobs.

"What?" Layla and I ask at the same time. She must be as confused as I am.

"It was-" Hannah starts crying even harder.

Layla and I both know she's not going to talk anymore by herself. So I try talking to her.

"Layla, I know this is hard, but you have to be strong. You are strong. You can do this." I tell her. "Where's Max?"

She stops sobbing long enough to talk to us.

"A man." She tells us. "A man took Max."