Chapter 1

"9-1-1 ... What's your emergency?"

"My Mother just shot my Dad ... DADDY? ... I don't think he's breathing ... Hurry, please Hurry!"

Let's go back a few years...

The Poindexter family was unique. David and Mary, the patriarch and matriarch of the family, never raised their voice in anger.

Steven and Julie, their two children, were a parent's dream. They both were 'A' students, involved in a few after-school activities.

They had breakfast and dinner together every weekday without fail.

That shouldn't be unique, but in this day and age, the Poindexter clan, all care for one another.

Steven is 16, Julie is 15 — they attend Sacred Heart Catholic School, for grades one thru twelve. Among the usual school routines, they attend Religion class each day.

The boys all have crew cuts, wear white button-down shirts and either brown or black slacks ... jeans aren't allowed.

The girls wear a white or light grey blouse, with a choice of two designs of a skirt. The skirts could be no higher than three inches, above the knee.

Every class began with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Steven would often ask to say the pledge. He was also a Boy Scout leader of Troop 38.

Despite having his driver's license, Steven had barely driven as his mother and father insisted on taking their children everywhere. They lived only six blocks from their school, so they walked to school and back every day.

Their conversation was usual...

"Anything interesting happen in any of your classes today, Julie?"

"There is a new boy who started. His name is Jeff Lloyd. He's kind of cute."

"Don't let Dad hear you say that, or he may call you a jezebel, Sis."

"I spoke to him. He said he had a step-sister starting today as well, did you meet her?"

"Yeah, she was OK, not as pretty as you though."

She stopped. "You think I'm pretty?"

"Yeah, most of the boys in my classes think so, so do I!"

"What is the name of Jeff's sister?" Julie asked.

"Jolene. She's younger than me. Blonde hair just like you ... green eyes, not as pretty as your blue eyes. She has a pleasant figure but nothing great."

This time their conversation had strayed...

"Is that your way of saying that I have an unpleasant figure, Steven?"

"That's not what I said at all. You're prettier than she is — that's the point I'm trying to make. The difference is that she's not my sister."

"So she's pretty enough for you, since she is not your sister?"

"Now you're putting words in my mouth, Julie. Well, you could say that. If you weren't my sister, I would probably ask you out on a date."

"Really?"

"Sure. There are rules that keep us from dating!"

"Like?"

"We're brother and sister. That alone keeps us from doing anything with one another."

"Why?"

"Julie! It's plain as day in the Bible — Genesis 20. The story about Abimelech and his sister?"

"What about Genesis 19? Zoar, and his daughters. They both 'lay with their father' and even had children with them!"

"That doesn't mean what you seem to think it means, Julie. If I thought for even a moment we could be more than brother and sister, I would be willing to talk about that with you."

Julie moved her books to her right arm allowing her left hand to grab Steven's right hand as they walked the remaining distance to their home.

They walked into the house together. Their mother saw them and watched as they still held hands going upstairs to change from their school clothes.

She worked on the dinner meal for a while, and then headed upstairs. She knocked on her son's door opening it and seeing him working on his homework. She went to Julie's room, knocked and peeked in to see her typing on her computer.