Revenge of Cornelius

Revenge of
Cornelius

Tanya R. Taylor

Copyright© 2015 Tanya R. Taylor

All Rights
Reserved.

No portion of this work
may be reproduced,

copied or transmitted in
any form without the

expressed, written consent
of the Author.

MORE FICTION TITLES BY
THIS AUTHOR

Cornelius
(Book 1 of the
'Cornelius saga')

Haunted Cruise:
The Shakedown

Real Illusions I:
The Awakening

Real Illusions II:
Rebirth

Real Illusions
III: Bone of My Bone

INFESTATION: A
Small Town Nightmare

(The Complete
Series)

Some Upcoming 2016
Titles:

Real Illusions IV: War Zone

10 Minutes Before Sleeping

CARA

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2015 #1
bestseller

"Hauntingly beautiful…"
-
Amazon customer

Released May 22,
2016!

This is going to be one unforgettable
journey across the deep, blue sea.
No member of the crew could
have ever imagined it. Will they survive the upcoming terror or
will they be so frightened that they'd opt to find an easier way
out?

Dellie Hayworth has landed a job with one of
the largest shipbuilding companies after years of unemployment. She
is sent off to sea with her marriage in shambles and seemingly
beyond repair. For two weeks, she will reside in the luxury vessel,
The Caesar, in anticipation of what awaits her when she returns
home. However, neither she, nor any other member of the crew can
fathom what awaits them in the middle of the ocean.

"You might never want to go on a
cruise again after reading this book!" Reviewer

To all my readers,

Thank
You
.

1

_________________

"Rosie, hurry up! We can't miss our
flight," Mira yelled while tying her shoe laces.

"I'm ready now, Mom." Six-year-old
Rosie Cullen entered the bedroom moments later. Her pink and white
back-pack hung sturdily across a pink, short-sleeved blouse with
frilly sleeves. Blue jeans slackly covered her legs and matching
pink tennis shoes snuggled her tiny feet. Her black, medium-length
candy curls glistened from the extra spiff of her mother's oil
sheen. "See, Mom, we look just alike now, except for your blouse—
it's blue. I told you pink is fancier."

Mira smiled. "You're probably right,
Rosie, but Mom didn't have any pink blouse like yours. Sorry." She
stood up. "All set?"

"All set!"

"Perfect! Let's go, then." Mira
grabbed the two carry-ons as Rosie led the way to the front
door.

Abruptly, the little girl stopped and
looked back at her mother. "Is Uncle Wade coming too?"

"I'm afraid not, honey."

"Well, who will I play with at Nana
and Pops' house? I'll be so bored. Why can't Uncle Wade send
Tommy?" She sulked.

Mira crouched down to her daughter's
level. "Your Uncle Wade and Aunt Norma are very busy at the
hospital right now. They couldn't break away to fly up the same
time as we are and they won't send Tommy on the plane
alone."

"So when will we ever see them again?
I miss them!" Rosie's big, brown eyes had a tinge of sadness in
them.

"I'm sure we'll see them soon. Maybe
we'll take a trip down there to The Bahamas one weekend or they can
come here to L.A. How'd you like that?" Mira hoped the proposition
would excite the child.

"That sounds neat, Mom!" Rosie's mood
suddenly elevated. "Okay, let's go." She opened the door and headed
outside toward the waiting cab.

Passing the champagne-colored
Mitsubishi parked in the driveway in front of their white
condominium, Rosie asked: "Why can't we take our own car to the
airport, Mom?"

"Because I don't want to have to yank
my hair out from the hefty fee I'd have to pay when we get back,
honey."

"Good morning, Ma'am." The driver was
standing next to the cab. He was of slim build; had a prickly beard
and dirty-blonde hair tied into a ponytail. Looked like he was well
into his fifties.

"Good morning." Mira smiled back, then
looked at Rosie.

"Good morning, sir," she
said.

"I'll get that for you." The driver
quickly opened the back door and Rosie climbed inside.

"Thanks for coming," Mira said to
him.

"My pleasure." He took the luggage and
placed them in the trunk.

Mira slid inside next to Rosie as the
little girl prissily positioned herself onto the leather
seat.

"You look beautiful, Mom."

"And so do you, my little princess."
Mira tucked back the child's hair.

The cab driver got in and started the
engine. He cleared his throat and glanced back at Mira through the
rear-view mirror. "All set?" He asked.

Mira's eyes met his. "Yes, we
are."

They were on their way.

* * *

"Mom, can I sit by the window?" Rosie
asked excitedly.

"Excuse me," a young man said as he
brushed past Mira and Rosie who had just arrived at their appointed
row.

"Sure honey, you can sit at the
window," Mira answered.

Rosie quickly went through and climbed
onto the seat. After resting her backpack on top of her lap, she
buckled her own seat belt, then eagerly peered out of the
window.

"Those men look like ants down there,"
she remarked.

"No, they don't!" Mira laughed as she
fastened her seat-belt. "We haven't lifted off yet. How can they
look like ants from this short distance?"

"Well, they do to me!" Rosie
returned.

"My goodness… what beautiful hair you
have, little girl!" An elderly lady commented as she was slowly
passing by.

"Thank you, Ma'am!" Rosie shifted
proudly in her seat, pressing her lips together as if she were the
queen of that flying castle.

"She seems rather classy too." The
lady bent down slightly toward Mira; voice lowered.

"She does. Doesn't she?" Mira
grinned.

Smiling, the nice stranger continued
on to one of the back rows.

"Can I put that into the overhead
compartment for you?" a beautifully-attired attendant asked. She
was referring to Rosie's backpack.

"Does she have to take it, Mom?" Rosie
pouted.

"You can put it under your seat
instead. Would you prefer that?" The lady offered.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"I'll take it for you," Mira reached
over and placed it under Rosie's seat as the flight attendant
walked off.

Everyone sat quietly as the plane
revved for the take-off.

"Ready?" Mira asked Rosie who was
looking out the window again. By then, the tarmac was
clear.

"Yes, I'm ready. I'm ready to see Nana
and Pops again. Are you ready?"

Mira could not recall Rosie's smile
being any cuter.

"Yes. We're going to have a great time
there. Mom and Dad are so excited to see you again."

"I'm excited to see them
too!"

As the plane took off and smoothly
elevated into the clear, blue sky, Mira looked over at the ground
below.

"Everything down there looks like ants
now, don't it?" Rosie turned to her mother.

"Yes, honey."

After a few moments, Mira rested her
head on the head-rest. As she shut her eyes, her life in recent
years suddenly flashed before her. Before long, she successfully
blocked it all out and drifted off into a dreamless
sleep.

2

_________________

"Mom! Wake up!" Rosie shook her.

Mira peeled open her eyes, looked at
Rosie, then around at other passengers who were getting ready to
leave the plane. "We're here already?" she asked weakly.