- Chapter 12 -
Little Sister
It was hot and humid in Bethlehem the day Michael Christ Sr. and his wife brought home their fourth child. Mr. Christ laughed and tears streamed down his rosy cheeks and fell like waterfalls onto his burly belly. Evangeline Christ craddled her daughter proudly in her arms, rocking her gently as her two eldest boys came running up the hall, smiling and laughing as the nanny chased their tales, .
"I wanna see her!" Michael said, pushing in front of his younger brothers to catch a peek at the new baby.
"What's her name, mom?" Martin asked, tugging at his mother's skirt. He barely reached her waist and stood on his tippy-toes to get a glimpse of his sister.
"Give your mother some room to breathe, boys," Mr. Christ said amidst burst of laughter, unable to catch his breathe himself. Later, Evangeline had told her kids that she had never seen her husband laugh so much in her life.
Michael and Martin ran to the lavish living room in the west wing, the one reserved for special occasions. Only the oldest child remembered his parents hosting an event in this room - Mr. Christ was a wealthy politician in the big city of Jerusalem - Martin was too young and Malcom was barely a year old.
The two brothers were sitting still when their parents finally joined them by the fire. Martin thought, with the glow of the fire reflecting off her, that his mother ressembled an angel. Yes, she had fair hair and skin white as snow but what really stood out to Martin was her smile and the joy that radiated from that smile. A smile that could warm any childs heart.
Evangeline caught him admiring her and blew him a kiss. She sat on the rocking chair and began to bounce her feet just ever so slightly, rocking gently back and forth. "Her name is Mary" she said, kissing the top of her baby's soft head.
"I love that name, mom!" Martin said, jumping off his chair and running to his mother. She giggled and gently lowered the blanket to show her new daughter to her admiring son.
Mr. Christ was resting against the massive oak mantle piece above the fireplace in his most expensive suit. It was custom to search the closet for the one and only three-piece suit and dust it off before joining your wife at the hospital. His eldest, Michael Jr., was immitating his father. He tried to seem taller by craning his neck and stepping on the tip of his toes.
As much as Martin enjoyed his sister and her arrival, Michael was more excited about having his father around the house again. While Martin was capable of taking care of himself, even at the tender age of six, Michael was unaware of how things worked around the house. He was two years older, yet had little to no knowledge of responisbility and care of one's self. He shadowed his father everywhere he went.
Mr. Christ was just about ready to bring the match to the tip of his cigar when the first of many explosions sounded off in the distance. The kids jolted and their nanny came rushing into the living room with the other baby, Malcom.
"It is the Sicarii, sir. They have opened fire against the Agency" Mabel screamed as she came into the family room, Malcom dangling a little too loosely off her hip. Evangeline gently handed over Mary to her husband and grabbed both the boys by the hands. They cried as she guided them towards the backyard.
"Come on, cowboys, to the backyard" Evangeline half-whispered. Michael seemed calm enough but Martin detected the panic in her tone.
The Christ family was fortunate enough to be born into money and never had to worry about bomb shelters and survival kits. They had everything they needed in their backyard bunker. Michael Jr. was never really aware of the real problems that affected the people outside the walls of Christ Manor. Martin, however, was very much aware of the present danger that lingered in the city streets.
When they reached the back door, the city sirens were blaring loud pulses, warning the citizens of Bethlehem to seek shelter immediately. The Sicarii was a very powerful organization with ties to the Fallen Angel. The Jerusalem War was looming overhead and the arial strike tonight began it all. Nothing would be able to stop the War now. Once begun, it would never cease.
Evangeline finally made it to the bunker. She struggled with the heavy door but was finally sucessful in her attempts to pry the damn thing open. She shooed her two boys in and just then Mabel stepped out with Mary and Malcom.
"Where's Michael?" Evangeline gasped, when she noticed her husband wasn't besides the plump nanny.
"He took up arms in the front lawn. Says he will fight back" Mabel answered, in her usual broken english. She handed over the infant Malcom and baby girl Mary over to their mother. Evangeline placed them down gently in the makeshift cribs and looked severly at her two eldest children.
"Stay here. Don't make a sound. And make sure nothing happens to Mary." She warned them. Fear had now found and nestled itself in the bottom of Martin's stomach. His mother seldom talked with such a shaky voice. She was going to find their father. And something in her tone foreshadowed her fate. Evangeline Christ was leaving them in the bunker to find her husband, and she didn't think she was coming back.
She turned around to mask the tears that were rolling down her cheeks and gave out her last order to Mabel before shutting them all up in the bunker and sealing the door off to the rest of the world. She placed two fingers to her lips and then glided them over the solid metal door.
"Goodbye my loves" She said to herself in the midst of the explosions and the ear-splitting sounds that eminated from the bombs. She spun around and ran through the house to join her husband.
Mr. Christ was resting against the massive oak mantle piece above the fireplace in his most expensive suit. It was custom to search the closet for the one and only three-piece suit and dust it off before joining your wife at the hospital. His eldest, Michael Jr., was immitating his father. He tried to seem taller by craning his neck and stepping on the tip of his toes.
As much as Martin enjoyed his sister and her arrival, Michael was more excited about having his father around the house again. While Martin was capable of taking care of himself, even at the tender age of six, Michael was unaware of how things worked around the house. He was two years older, yet had little to no knowledge of responisbility and care of one's self. He shadowed his father everywhere he went.
Mr. Christ was just about ready to bring the match to the tip of his cigar when the first of many explosions sounded off in the distance. The kids jolted and their nanny came rushing into the living room with the other baby, Malcom.
"It is the Sicarii, sir. They have opened fire against the Agency" Mabel screamed as she came into the family room, Malcom dangling a little too loosely off her hip. Evangeline gently handed over Mary to her husband and grabbed both the boys by the hands. They cried as she guided them towards the backyard.
"Come on, cowboys, to the backyard" Evangeline half-whispered. Michael seemed calm enough but Martin detected the panic in her tone.
The Christ family was fortunate enough to be born into money and never had to worry about bomb shelters and survival kits. They had everything they needed in their backyard bunker. Michael Jr. was never really aware of the real problems that affected the people outside the walls of Christ Manor. Martin, however, was very much aware of the present danger that lingered in the city streets.
When they reached the back door, the city sirens were blaring loud pulses, warning the citizens of Bethlehem to seek shelter immediately. The Sicarii was a very powerful organization with ties to the Fallen Angel. The Jerusalem War was looming overhead and the arial strike tonight began it all. Nothing would be able to stop the War now. Once begun, it would never cease.
Evangeline finally made it to the bunker. She struggled with the heavy door but was finally sucessful in her attempts to pry the damn thing open. She shooed her two boys in and just then Mabel stepped out with Mary and Malcom.
"Where's Michael?" Evangeline gasped, when she noticed her husband wasn't besides the plump nanny.
"He took up arms in the front lawn. Says he will fight back" Mabel answered, in her usual broken english. She handed over the infant Malcom and baby girl Mary over to their mother. Evangeline placed them down gently in the makeshift cribs and looked severly at her two eldest children.
"Stay here. Don't make a sound. And make sure nothing happens to Mary." She warned them. Fear had now found and nestled itself in the bottom of Martin's stomach. His mother seldom talked with such a shaky voice. She was going to find their father. And something in her tone foreshadowed her fate. Evangeline Christ was leaving them in the bunker to find her husband, and she didn't think she was coming back.
She turned around to mask the tears that were rolling down her cheeks and gave out her last order to Mabel before shutting them all up in the bunker and sealing the door off to the rest of the world. She placed two fingers to her lips and then glided them over the solid metal door.
"Goodbye my loves" She said to herself in the midst of the explosions and the ear-splitting sounds that eminated from the bombs. She spun around and ran through the house to join her husband.
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