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THE PREY OF THE TERRIBLE (Isaiah 49:25)  By Tessa Harvey     Abbie was feeling sad. She wanted to go out with David, but granny and gramps had said "stay in the garden."      The garden was lovely. There were trees and swings, a safe trampoline and climbing frame, but she felt restless and shut in.     Then Ainslie and Jack emerged from the house, loaded with water bottles, sandwiches, and fruit - lots of fruit - strawberries, apples, blueberries. "Come on kids," Jack called, "let's go fishing!"     No!" cried David, "leave the fish. "We mean fishing for fun," shouted Ainslie exuberantly.      The grandparents watched them go, boisterously, smiling. They were bonding well. Now it just needed the parents.....     Later David came to see Abbie.  He was, as usual clutching his favourite toy. He looked up into his sister's dark eyes, so like his own. The little boy was unsure how his parents saw him. But he knew...
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THE PREY OF THE TERRIBLE (Isaiah 49:25)  By Tessa Harvey     6 MONTHS LATER     Ainslie looked at Jack. They spent a lot of time together trying to catch up on what had been lost. Ainslie felt she could never forgive her parents, but Jack wasn't so sure. " If you don't forgive, you stay locked in time. You don't have today, you don't have tomorrow, and yesterday has gone from you."     His sister considered his words. "Perhaps we would have fought all the time," she suddenly laughed. "After all, I am smarter and prettier and I was born first. I got all our inheritance." They were both laughing, enjoying the moment. Their dad was working hard, mum had a job and their grandparents loved them so very much.     "Let's go and fix a picnic," Ainslie suggested. "It's such a great day and we can take the little ones."     Jack agreed, his heart soaring as he realised afresh he was no longer alone. He could share his hope...
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THE PREY OF THE TERRIBLE (Isaiah 49:25)  By Tessa Harvey     Next day, Jessie Wilkes came to visit Sylvie who was sat out of bed gazing out of the window. She had just placed her breakfast tray on the bedside table.     "Why did nobody tell Ainslie and Jack they were twins?" Sylvie asked abruptly. Jessie answered, handing her a carefully wrapped package. "Because you both changed your surnames and disappeared," was Jessie's calm reply. "Our son probably didn't want to pay maintenance - not that it would have mattered to us."     "And I couldn't cope," Sylvie's eyes filled with tears. "Couldn't you still have told Ainslee?"     "After you disappeared, Ainslee would not talk. In fact it was nearly two years before she said one word. The doctor advised against giving her more loss to deal with and I am sorry we didn't tell your daughter as she grew older. Was the father of your younger children kind to you?...
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THE PREY OF THE TERRIBLE (Isaiah 49:25)  By Tessa Harvey     PART 2: GOD FIGHTS OUR BATTLES FOR US     Sylvie was angry and resentful. She did not like her husband's parents. Worse, she felt they did not like or approve of her. When Mark had taken, no stolen, HER son, he had threatened to take both her children from her.     Now her doctor had advised the Children's workers to put her two youngest in care for a while. They said she was showing signs of relapse. Deep down she was ashamed. In anger and pride she had refused contact time with her older children and bitterly regretted this.     Tomorrow she would have to face Ainslie and explain to her she had a twin. It was too much, she thought.      Suddenly she had a stunning revelation. What if some of this mess was in fact some of her fault? Sylvie tried to bury that thought, but it persisted. My parents brought me up wrong......it was Mark's fault, his parents rigidity. Thei...
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THE PREY OF THE TERRIBLE (Isaiah 49:25)  By Tessa Harvey     "Why didn't you hurry?" Ainslie raged while her dog slumped near the fire, half-tired, half-afraid. "You were so slow and now he's gone. He could have fallen and drowned!"     "Someone came for him," her grandfather stated firmly. "I couldn't get near because of the tide, but I could just see enough to know he was being pulled up and climbing as well."     "Well, why didn't you follow them?" the young girl demanded.     "And what right have we to do such a thing?" her diminutive grandmother interrupted. "Calm down and don't be so rude."     Ainslie burst into tears. "Why haven't you ever told me about my family, my real family?" She saw the older couple wince at that remark and thought, good. "That boy looked just like me. You said it was getting dark, but how many people have bright orange hair in very tight springy c...
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THE PREY OF THE TERRIBLE (Isaiah 49:25)  By Tessa Harvey     Jack felt compassion for his father as his story unfolded. He realised his dad was struggling and made them both a cup of cocoa.     Checking the tall corner cupboards Jack found some crackers and sliced some strong cheese from the fridge. The fragrant smell of the cocoa felt welcoming and eased the tension. Unconsciously, father and son edged closer together, both to eat and to hear each other.     Jack already knew his mother's name was Sylvie. What he didn't know, as his father opened up in an uncharacteristic raw frankness moved the boy to tears. He had rarely seen his father so vulnerable.     Mark, his dad worked as an accountant with a local finance company. At weekends there was homework for Jack and sometimes Mark brought home accounts from the office. But they did go out to eat together, or on trips fairly often, but Jack often felt lonely.     "I was abusive," h...
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THE PREY OF THE TERRIBLE (Isaiah 49:25)   By Tessa Harvey     Sylvie was slowly climbing a hill. Her four children were with her, the two older ones racing ahead, excited, then peeling to return back to her - happy as lambs in spring sunshine. Reaching a safe flat level, she sat them all down, sharing the food and drink, then asked them what they could see and hear.     "Fairies," said her littlest girl, the dreamer, "and I am a princess on this big rock." She jumped up onto a small flat grey rock. The eldest ones were warned not to jeer or laugh as their mother gently put her finger to her lips.     "A giant puddle!" yelled the smallest boy, "down there! I walked my hardest, bestest getting up here." He stuck out his little chest proudly.  "I hear birds and sheep," yelled her older boy, "and see a boat on the lake too."      But suddenly a mist came down swirling round them, touching them with damp and chilling tendrils like ...
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