The Canterfiction Tales

Take Them- Part 1

(Sorry for the typos)

It's Sunday afternoon and the Frollos have just returned home from their meeting and are now enjoying the nice weather in their back garden.

"Dad! Try and catch this!" Zephyr gives the soccer ball a mighty kick and it rockets toward his father.

"Son wait that's too hard!" Claude shrank back as the ball hurtled toward him. Then as swift as the wind Ica steps between her husband and the ball catching it with ease but not without her hands stinging a bit. She smirks at her husband over her shoulder.

"Nice one Zeph! But just remember to go easy on your ole dad."
"Sorry dad!" Zephyr says trying not to laugh.
"Ica, the boy's going to injure me one day." He chuckles.
"Well you survived with me this long." She winks at him.

"Crazy girl. Now I know why Jo was so insistent on you not going wild with that ball all those years ago on our date. You probably really could have hurt me!" Ica laughs.

"Maybe you should go sit down and rest dad. Mum says that your getting old and can't do a lot of things us 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 people can do." He said dramatically.

"Well your mum isn't necessarily 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈." Said Claude with a sly smile.
"She's younger than 𝒚𝒐𝒖.‟ Retorts his son. Ica and Zephyr stark laughing and hi five.

"Okay you two!" Claude seizes Zephyr by the waist and throws him over his shoulder. Zephyr struggles and squeals. "Not so tough now are you little man!" He said his voice triumphant.

"Mum help he's got me!" Ica runs over and playfully tackled her husband and Roary their golden retriever bounds over not wanting to miss any of the fun. The Frollos laugh and tumble down onto the grass. "Okay dad, I take it back...you may be old but you aren't weak."

"Thank you." Said Claude puffing out his thin chest. Zephyr rolls his eyes.
"Mum, dad, can we get ice cream?
"Actually ice cream sounds good. I could go for a dirt cup from Dairy Queen!"
"Okay! Mum's in." Claude's son and wife turn and look at him. He smiles affectionately.
"Oh alright ice cream it is."
"Yeah!" Both Ica and Zephyr hi five once again. And Claude shakes his head.

"Sometimes I think I have two children instead of one." Suddenly there is a commotion in the kitchen. All three Frollos hear hissing and yowling. "Are the cats fighting?" Said Claude concerned.

"No, Irish and Nixen don't fight. Something's wrong ."

Then like a heard of buffalo armed men burst into the Frollo's back garden kicking open the gate door and breaking glass from their sliding door. Roary automatically goes into attack mode ready to protect his family. Barring his fangs and barking viciously. He goes to lunge at one of the armed men. But one of their boots collided with his ribs and he goes sprawling across the grass with a high pitched yelp.

"Roary!" Cried Zephyr. Ica calls for her son, but instead he runs over to his dog, making sure he's okay. Roary is lying on his side whining softly. Zephyr buries his face in his golden fur crying.

Both his parents rush over to their son. Ica grabs up Zephyr into her arms who still has his hands clutch his dog. Claude stands in front of them protectively holding his hands up non threateningly. "Please, what is this about! Please don't hurt my family!" Flashbacks sized Claude's mind, as he pictures his mum, dad, and brother with the pirate towering over them.

"Are you Jehovah's Witness?!" Said one of the men, in a harsh tone.

"Yes, we are, but could you please tell me what this about!" Pleaded Claude. He risk a glance back at his family. Ica holds a trembling  Zephyr protectively against her chest. She looks at him, a knowing look in her hazel eyes.

"Search the house! If you find any of that extremist literature dispose of it!" Immediately three soldiers run back into the house tearing apart the Frollo's home. Turning his attention back to Claude he says, "Tell me where your other Jehovah Witness friends are and we'll let you go." Claude clenches his jaw and his face resolute.

"I will not." He says plainly. Angered and feeling disrespected the guard grabs Claude by his black tunic with with his yellow gloves. He lifts him up until his feet are no longer on the ground. Roary, still in pain gives a low growl. Ica puts her hand on his head, quieting him.

"Daddy!" Zephyr screamed. Ica flinches and the urge to protect her husband burns within her gut. Zephyr feels her muscles go ridged with tension. The soldiers grip tightens on Claude's tunic  and he yanks him close to his face.

"Look old man, tell me where your friends are or else your wife and kid won't be very happy." He looks back at his wife and she gives a subtle shake of her head. Zephyr is now clutching his head sobbing furiously.

"I will tell you again, I will not." Said Claude his voice level.

"Fine." The soldier's voice is menacing. "Have it your way." He throws Claude down on the ground, and he lands with a hard thump. "Take them." The rest of the men grab Ica roughly by the arms and drag her away.

"Mum no!" More tears stream down Zephyr's face as he sees his mother being taken and shoved into the back of vehicle. Claude goes to reach for his son but he too is picked up and hauled away.

"Zephyr my sweet boy!" Calls Ica. The soldiers still have her gripped tightly and her hazel eyes of full of tears but her gaze is fierce. "Listen to mummy! Say a prayer to Jehovah, tell him to help you be strong. Remember even if me and daddy aren't with you, Jehovah will be okay. I love you my sweet boy!"

"Okay mummy..okay. I'm scared but I will. Sobs Zephyr. He looks over to see his father being slammed into another car. He managed to throw a glance at his crying son and mouth the words, "Je t'aime." I love you in French before the push his head into the vehicle. The vehicles drive off leaving Zephyr without his parents. As the guards close in on him, Roary gives one last attempt to protect him, limping in front of him snarling. But Zephyr touches him lightly signalling to calm. He looks back at his boy and gives a small whine.

"It's okay boy." Says Zephyr quietly. To Zephyr's surprise Irish and Nixen rush outside, their fur is ruffled but otherwise un harmed. He looks around at his three pets smiling as they crowd around him. He wasn't completely alone not yet. He looks up at the men ready to take him and his beloved animals. As the they reach for him, with a strong stern voice he says. "Wait." Then men back off taken aback by the young child's boldness. "Let me say a prayer..before you take me."

"Huh?" One of the soldiers look at his captain with confusion, boss shoul-" His captain silences him. He looks down, studying the eleven year old boy's face amused. He is shaking but his green eyes have conviction in them.

"Very well." Say your...𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 but then you are coming with us. If you try to run, we'll take you by force and kill your pets. Zephyr gives a curt nod. Doing what his mother said, he clutches his dog and two cats close he says a prayer to Jehovah.

𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝑱𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒉. 𝑴𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚...𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒚 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚. 𝑰 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔. 𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆. 𝑰𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒔𝒌 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒏𝒐, 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒅. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒖𝒑.  𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆, 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝑹𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒊𝒙𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆. 𝑶𝒌𝒂𝒚 I 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒘. 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒏.

After he is finishes he stands up, wipes his tears and looks straight at the cruel man. "I'm ready." He looks at his beloved pets. "Stay." He says gently. They watch their boy leave them behind with sad eyes and it breaks Zephyr's heart. The man leads him to the car where he willingly gets  in. They drive off and Zephyr sits silently looking out the window, feeling a calm come over him.