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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Shady Oaks, Virginia
Present day
Miss Parker's bedroom
"Its so obvious. How could I have missed it?" Miss Parker mumbled to herself, kicking the post of her bed. Taking deep overwhelming breaths, she slumped onto her bed and lay there on the plush mattress, staring at the chipped ceiling. Eyes closed, she attempted to close off the world as well. Maybe if she could do that, she could find some peace in her life and just be normal. That could never happen. Suddenly, she was rudely disturbed by an incessant knocking on her door. God, if Sydney thought he could come groveling and begging at her feet on his hands and knees he had another thing coming.
"Its me," came Jarod's voice through the door.
Fighting herself, she tormented on whether or not to let him in until she at last relented with a sharp answer, "Shut the door behind you."
Jarod took this as his cue to enter and did so, following her instructions. He looked at her pitiful self lying on her bed, her whole being exhausted. He took his place sitting beside her.
"Would you rather he had told you before?" he began.
"Yes," she replied immediately, but then paused, "before what?"
He sighed, "Before you were ready. If he had told you two weeks ago, you might have shot him. You would have never listened and have just ignored anyone's attempts to help you. Over this whole, I don't know what you would call this, but you have grown tremendously as a person, into someone your mother would be proud of."
"I suppose, but how could he not have told me? All those times he spent helping me find the truth," she muttered, her eyes opening and stared into his, "how?"
"I don't know. When I think about it though, it does make some sense. I mean, Jacob and Sydney were twins, and the trait was passed on with you and Lyle."
"I always knew that he and my mother were especially close," she sat up and rested against the headboard, "I wonder if my fath-, Mr Parker ever figured it out."
"You know, I hate to say it really, but in all the ways that count, Mr Parker was your father. And there would be nothing wrong with referring to him as just that," Jarod consoled hesitantly with a sympathetic grimace playing about his face.
Miss Parker shook her head, "He wasn't a father. I didn't really have one, aside from the lying sniveling shrink downstairs."
"Hey," Jarod grasped her hand cautiously with a smile on his face, "I know. I know how hard it is to get emotions out of that guy. He tries so hard for our approval, because he cares about us both- whether he's ever going to admit it or not. I've sought his comfort all my life and I'm still waiting."
"Maybe, we're just going to wait forever. We've already come a long way."
"We have, but there's someone that we've left behind. Someone who truly needs your forgiveness. And mine, which I've never truly been able to will myself to give."
"Do it, Jarod. Just do it. Deep down, both of you know already, so just say it and end his torment so you'll both stop whining about eachother to me."
Jarod laughed, "Okay, I will. But only if you forgive him as well."
"Jarod, he's lied to me--"
"Only to protect you!" he interjected.
"But-"
"No. Just think, Parker, think of it from his point of view."
She stared at the floor uncertainly, "I'm not sure I can, Jarod. If you havn't noticed by now, I'm not big on that forgiving concept."
"I've noticed. But, you can do it, I know it. I trust you."
Miss Parker's eyes rose to make contact with his, "Help me."
He nodded, "I will."
*****
Hands tucked under the violet pillow of her bed, Debbie lay peacefully breathing deeply as she slept. Broots watched his daughter, content to stand there forever guarding over her. Sighing he closed the door, leaving it a crack open, allowing a thin beam of light to shine over her innocent face. After all these years, he still checked on his little girl at night and woke her in the morning for school.
After settling down at his kitchen table, he entered the password to his laptop, D E B B I E, and began searching for the irregularities which he was sure would be present. Suddenly his cell phone started ringing in the silent night, save for the humming of his computer modem, causing Broots to jump slightly in his chair. With trembling hands, he reached for his calling phone.
"H-hello?" he answered as if it was a question.
"Mr Broots," the caller stated, "it seems you have returned to The Centre."
"Uh, um, yea, I mean yes, Sir, Mr Raines. I never really left The Centre of course."
"So your disappearance act was just coincidently linked with Jarod, Miss Parker, Sydney, Emily, and others whose names shall remained undisclosed."
"I um, what happened to them?" Broots quivered, biting his nails.
Mr Raines exhaled exaggeratedly, "I believe you already know, Mr Broots."
It always irked Broots when he was referred to as 'Mr Broots,' somehow the professional title signified him as lower than them though usually it meant superiority, ironic, "I assure you I don't know. I mean, why would I risk putting myself and my daughter in danger?"
"Are you questioning my authority, Mr Broots?" he replied with a slightly raised voice.
"Of course not," he murmured.
"Mr Broots, I assume that you will be at your desk tomorrow morning promptly and will return to routine."
"Yes, Sir."
And that was the end of that conversation when Broots heard the clicking of the phone on the other line. Breathing a sigh of relief, he continued to search on his laptop, covering all of his virtual tracks clandestinly. Eventually he came upon something causing him to reach for his cell phone once again.
"What?" came the reply, lacking the bitter taste he usually received.
"Miss Parker?"
"Well, did you expect Santa Clause?" she replied sarcastically.
"You have to leave the cabin," he scrolled up the screen as he spoke, "they're right behind you and should be there soon."
"Calm down, don't get your panties in a bunch, Broots. How soon?" she demanded.
"I uh, can't be certain. The team has already been dispatched."
"Great," she muttered, "that's just great!"
Once again, Broots heard the opposite phone click and he pressed end on his own. He needed a Pop-Tart.
*****
"Thanks, Molly, this is much better," Emily stated when she appeared from the bathroom with new attire.
"No problem. Its my sister's," Molly replied with a smile.
"Now, explain something to me, please. I didn't think that Miss Parker had any sisters. How did you come into the picture? No offense of course."
Molly smiled kindly, "None taken. I was lead to her and your brother when they were escaping The Centre by my friend, Angelo. They took me along with them and we discovered our bond. Did you know that you were Jarod's sister the whole time?"
"Yes," Emily replied, twirling her hair distractingly, "I've known all my life. Its just that I had never met him before this year. He saved my life and then he just disappeared again, for my own protection I'm sure."
"I see," she whispered, "It must have been hard on you. Growing up I mean, this is all you've known."
"Well, I'm the lucky one. I never had to grow up in that awful place like you all did," Jarod's sister shrugged her shoulders. Molly didn't reply, but was saved when Miss Parker burst through the door.
"Pack quickly, don't leave a trace. One hair on your pillow could mean one bullet in your head," Miss Parker ordered, her bold Centre streak glimmering.
"They're coming already?" Emily asked, voice webbed in fear.
"Yes, hurry," Miss Parker replied before barging out the door to find Jarod and Sydney. Jarod already knew since he had been there when she had received her call. Quickly pacing down the hall she stopped short when she reached the living room, sapphire eyes wide, she stared onward calmly and took deep breaths.
"Hello, Angel."
Present day
Miss Parker's bedroom
"Its so obvious. How could I have missed it?" Miss Parker mumbled to herself, kicking the post of her bed. Taking deep overwhelming breaths, she slumped onto her bed and lay there on the plush mattress, staring at the chipped ceiling. Eyes closed, she attempted to close off the world as well. Maybe if she could do that, she could find some peace in her life and just be normal. That could never happen. Suddenly, she was rudely disturbed by an incessant knocking on her door. God, if Sydney thought he could come groveling and begging at her feet on his hands and knees he had another thing coming.
"Its me," came Jarod's voice through the door.
Fighting herself, she tormented on whether or not to let him in until she at last relented with a sharp answer, "Shut the door behind you."
Jarod took this as his cue to enter and did so, following her instructions. He looked at her pitiful self lying on her bed, her whole being exhausted. He took his place sitting beside her.
"Would you rather he had told you before?" he began.
"Yes," she replied immediately, but then paused, "before what?"
He sighed, "Before you were ready. If he had told you two weeks ago, you might have shot him. You would have never listened and have just ignored anyone's attempts to help you. Over this whole, I don't know what you would call this, but you have grown tremendously as a person, into someone your mother would be proud of."
"I suppose, but how could he not have told me? All those times he spent helping me find the truth," she muttered, her eyes opening and stared into his, "how?"
"I don't know. When I think about it though, it does make some sense. I mean, Jacob and Sydney were twins, and the trait was passed on with you and Lyle."
"I always knew that he and my mother were especially close," she sat up and rested against the headboard, "I wonder if my fath-, Mr Parker ever figured it out."
"You know, I hate to say it really, but in all the ways that count, Mr Parker was your father. And there would be nothing wrong with referring to him as just that," Jarod consoled hesitantly with a sympathetic grimace playing about his face.
Miss Parker shook her head, "He wasn't a father. I didn't really have one, aside from the lying sniveling shrink downstairs."
"Hey," Jarod grasped her hand cautiously with a smile on his face, "I know. I know how hard it is to get emotions out of that guy. He tries so hard for our approval, because he cares about us both- whether he's ever going to admit it or not. I've sought his comfort all my life and I'm still waiting."
"Maybe, we're just going to wait forever. We've already come a long way."
"We have, but there's someone that we've left behind. Someone who truly needs your forgiveness. And mine, which I've never truly been able to will myself to give."
"Do it, Jarod. Just do it. Deep down, both of you know already, so just say it and end his torment so you'll both stop whining about eachother to me."
Jarod laughed, "Okay, I will. But only if you forgive him as well."
"Jarod, he's lied to me--"
"Only to protect you!" he interjected.
"But-"
"No. Just think, Parker, think of it from his point of view."
She stared at the floor uncertainly, "I'm not sure I can, Jarod. If you havn't noticed by now, I'm not big on that forgiving concept."
"I've noticed. But, you can do it, I know it. I trust you."
Miss Parker's eyes rose to make contact with his, "Help me."
He nodded, "I will."
*****
Hands tucked under the violet pillow of her bed, Debbie lay peacefully breathing deeply as she slept. Broots watched his daughter, content to stand there forever guarding over her. Sighing he closed the door, leaving it a crack open, allowing a thin beam of light to shine over her innocent face. After all these years, he still checked on his little girl at night and woke her in the morning for school.
After settling down at his kitchen table, he entered the password to his laptop, D E B B I E, and began searching for the irregularities which he was sure would be present. Suddenly his cell phone started ringing in the silent night, save for the humming of his computer modem, causing Broots to jump slightly in his chair. With trembling hands, he reached for his calling phone.
"H-hello?" he answered as if it was a question.
"Mr Broots," the caller stated, "it seems you have returned to The Centre."
"Uh, um, yea, I mean yes, Sir, Mr Raines. I never really left The Centre of course."
"So your disappearance act was just coincidently linked with Jarod, Miss Parker, Sydney, Emily, and others whose names shall remained undisclosed."
"I um, what happened to them?" Broots quivered, biting his nails.
Mr Raines exhaled exaggeratedly, "I believe you already know, Mr Broots."
It always irked Broots when he was referred to as 'Mr Broots,' somehow the professional title signified him as lower than them though usually it meant superiority, ironic, "I assure you I don't know. I mean, why would I risk putting myself and my daughter in danger?"
"Are you questioning my authority, Mr Broots?" he replied with a slightly raised voice.
"Of course not," he murmured.
"Mr Broots, I assume that you will be at your desk tomorrow morning promptly and will return to routine."
"Yes, Sir."
And that was the end of that conversation when Broots heard the clicking of the phone on the other line. Breathing a sigh of relief, he continued to search on his laptop, covering all of his virtual tracks clandestinly. Eventually he came upon something causing him to reach for his cell phone once again.
"What?" came the reply, lacking the bitter taste he usually received.
"Miss Parker?"
"Well, did you expect Santa Clause?" she replied sarcastically.
"You have to leave the cabin," he scrolled up the screen as he spoke, "they're right behind you and should be there soon."
"Calm down, don't get your panties in a bunch, Broots. How soon?" she demanded.
"I uh, can't be certain. The team has already been dispatched."
"Great," she muttered, "that's just great!"
Once again, Broots heard the opposite phone click and he pressed end on his own. He needed a Pop-Tart.
*****
"Thanks, Molly, this is much better," Emily stated when she appeared from the bathroom with new attire.
"No problem. Its my sister's," Molly replied with a smile.
"Now, explain something to me, please. I didn't think that Miss Parker had any sisters. How did you come into the picture? No offense of course."
Molly smiled kindly, "None taken. I was lead to her and your brother when they were escaping The Centre by my friend, Angelo. They took me along with them and we discovered our bond. Did you know that you were Jarod's sister the whole time?"
"Yes," Emily replied, twirling her hair distractingly, "I've known all my life. Its just that I had never met him before this year. He saved my life and then he just disappeared again, for my own protection I'm sure."
"I see," she whispered, "It must have been hard on you. Growing up I mean, this is all you've known."
"Well, I'm the lucky one. I never had to grow up in that awful place like you all did," Jarod's sister shrugged her shoulders. Molly didn't reply, but was saved when Miss Parker burst through the door.
"Pack quickly, don't leave a trace. One hair on your pillow could mean one bullet in your head," Miss Parker ordered, her bold Centre streak glimmering.
"They're coming already?" Emily asked, voice webbed in fear.
"Yes, hurry," Miss Parker replied before barging out the door to find Jarod and Sydney. Jarod already knew since he had been there when she had received her call. Quickly pacing down the hall she stopped short when she reached the living room, sapphire eyes wide, she stared onward calmly and took deep breaths.
"Hello, Angel."
