Postnatal Pyre

In 2018 Andre and his wife Tina welcomed their 3rd child into the world. They named her Rachel, Tina suggested it. The two of them had trouble choosing the perfect name for her until they held her in their arms for the first time. The way their daughter looked up at them, wide eyed and innocent, without a care in the world, gave them hope for the future. Tina googled “names that mean innocent” and chose carefully a name that she’d be stuck with forever.

On the way home from the hospital Rachel cooed and giggled as Tina tickled and made faces at her. “Soon you’ll meet your big brothers“ Tina soothed, rubbing her thumb on the silky smooth skin on Rachel’s cheek. “Do you think the boys will be too rough with her? They‘re so far apart in age, I’m worried they won’t understand her fragility,” Tina worried. “Don’t worry honey, the boys and I have already had a talk. There won’t be any funny business,” Andre soothed his wife, smiling at her in the rear view mirror and reaching to Pat her leg in the backseat of their mini van. Tina let out a sigh, she just wanted everything to be perfect. After a long and hard third pregnancy, this would be their last. A law was passed that year, making it illegal for families to have more than three children. Due to overpopulation, resources and food were becoming harder and harder to obtain, causing riots and food shortages all over the country. Tina waited anxiously in the backseat, rocking Rachel and thinking of her boys.

Daniel and Marcus are much closer in age than they are to Rachel. Marcus is 6, and Daniel 8. The two of them were locked at the hip, always playing and joking together. Although they were in different grades at school, they’d always save a seat for the other during lunch period and caught up about the first half of their day as they ate. The boys knew they had a new little sister on the way, but it didn’t seem to register with them yet. Andre pulled the mini van into the driveway and opened the door for Tina and Rachel to exit. Daniel and Marcus met their parents at the door, excited and doting over their baby sister, pinching at her cheeks and tickling her sides. Tina and Andre stood back, watching their three beautiful children. A melodic giggle filled the rooms of their house as the three got to know each other.

That night after dinner Andre and Tina helped the boys wash up and tucked them in to bed. Rachel had a hard time falling asleep her first night at home. Tina stayed up with her, pushing Andre to go to bed himself and assuring him she could handle it. Andre obliged. He was exhausted and had no energy to argue it, so he left her to it. Tina rocked Rachel for hours, drifting in and out of sleep in the rocking chair. As soon as her head would start to fall, she’d jolt awake, looking down to make sure Rachel was still safe each time before drifting to sleep again. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Rachel fell fast asleep. Tina stared down at her, eyes burning, and admired her beautiful daughter. She laid Rachel to sleep in her crib, extra careful not to make any noise. Tina looked down at her daughter in awe one last time before retreating to her own bed.

Tina slid into bed and cuddled up to Andre. Half asleep he wrapped his arms around her. It didn’t take long for her to pass out herself, exhausted from a king and taxing day of raising three young children. Tina was only asleep for a short time before she awoke suddenly to the sound of their front door being broken down. A loud crash rang up through the house and reached the upper floor where the bedrooms were. Afraid and worried for their children, Tina quickly shook her husband awake. “ANDRE! Someone just broke in!” She was visibly shaking in terror. Andre jumped out of bed and grabbed a baseball bat he had propped up against it. Slowly he walked to the closed door of their bedroom. “I love you, I’ll be right back. Stay here.” Andre pulled the door open carefully before disappearing into the dark hallway. Multiple footsteps could be heard from the first floor of the home. Daniel and Marcus were woken up by the loud crash of the door breaking as well. The boys were nervous, but had never had a reason to worry before, and didn’t know any better. They calmly climbed out of bed and headed to their parents room, thinking the sound came from them.

In the hallway Andre ran into Daniel and Marcus. “Go to your mother and I’s room, right now!” He nudged them by the back towards his bedroom where his wife waited in fear. The boys scurried to be with their mother. Andre held the bat close to his shoulder, ready to mess someone up if necessary. He heard the footsteps of 3 or 4 men coming up the stairs. The footsteps were in-sync with each other, creating a drumming sound on the wooden stairs. Andre was still fifty feet from Rachel’s bedroom. He hurried, crouched and in a fighting stance to get his daughter. The footsteps grew closer and closer, before finally approaching the top of the stairs. Andre hid in the shadows and watched as a group of men in black SWAT like uniforms headed straight for Rachel’s room. Andre faultered, unsure of what he should do. If he ran up on them, there was a high chance he’d lose. Four against one was already a disadvantage, but he had no idea what kind of weapons they were carrying. Andre decided to sneak up on them, weaving in and out of rooms as he snuck down the hallway. Covered in a dark doorway, Andre hid and watched as the men exited, one of them carrying Rachel in his arms. Adrenaline sent a jolt up his spine. He jumped out of the doorway and started swinging at the men at the front of the group. The men fought him off, “Let go of my baby!” Andre screamed, swinging the bat around like a crazy man. Their helmets and gear protected them from most of Andre‘s rage filled swings. One of the men pulled something from his belt and pointed it at Andre. Blue and white light lit up the hallway as the man shot a taser gun at Andre, hooking them to his chest and sending a jolt through his body. Andre crippled over in pain before falling to the ground. Andre struggled to get up, and as he did the man shot another set of tasers into his stomach this time. Andre fell, unable to get up. He watched as the men carried his daughter down the stairs and out the front door.

Tina heard Andre‘s groans from the hallway and emerged to find him out of breath and laying in the ground. “Oh my god! What happened?!” She tended to him, looking for open wounds “They took her,” a tear fell down the side of his face. Tina’s eyes widened in horror. She kissed her husbands cheek before darting down the stairs. Tina ran through the empty space where their front door used to be, running after the men who took her daughter. As Tina emerged from the house, the sun shone into her eyes, blinding her for a second. Tina looked around, taking in the horrific scene in front of her. Vans lined her little suburban street, escorted by police cars and busses full of armed men. All of her neighbors were outside as well. Some of them sat in the driveway sobbing on their knees as the men carried out their children one by one and loaded them into their vans. Others were struggling with uniformed men in the middle of the street, all of them losing, either beaten to a pulp or tased into unconsciousness. Fear and sadness filled Tina‘a eyes with tears. Her knees gave out beneath her and she collapsed onto the concrete driveway. Andre, finally able to stand, limped to meet his wife outside. As he walked out of the house, the sun rose higher into the sky, illuminating a day that would shape the rest of their lives.