Supposed To Be

p r o l o u g e.

Alyssa cuddles her ten-year-old twins against her in the bathtub as the thunder outside intensifies, causing her daughter to let out a frightening scream.

"I'm scared!" Arielle screams into her mother's shoulder.

"It's okay, baby. Mommy's here," Alyssa consoles her daughter. Another clap of thunder sounds off throughout the house and a flash of lightning follows shortly after, causing Alyssa to pull her twins closer.

"Mom?" Cameron looks up, his golden hazel eyes holds fear in them.

"It's going to be okay, babies," Alyssa consoles again, trying to console herself.

The winds outside whip against the house harder and harder and another clap of thunder sounds out. Another flash of lightning flashes as the wind continues to pick up, the pressure from the wind shattering a glass window nearby.

Arielle lets a bloodcurdling scream escape her lips before untangling herself from her mother and brother only to run to the stand-in square shower. She gets in the corner and pulls her knees to her chest.

"Ari!" Alyssa calls after her daughter, Cameron still latching onto her as if he were an infant again. "Cam, go to the shower. Quickly!"

Cameron only releases his mother to do as instructed and runs to join his sister, Alyssa right behind him. Once they're all together again, Alyssa cradles her daughter once more, kissing her forehead.

"Mommy, I'm scared," Arielle repeats, her face buried into her mother's shirt. Another whip of wind hits the house, this time lightning following it instead of thunder.

Alyssa clutches her daughter closer with one arm while the other wraps around Cameron and pulls him in closer. She places a reassuring kiss to his temple.

"I'm going to keep you two safe," she promises. "I promise you that."