The girl stomped her feet onto the first steps she wanted to knock and beg desperately to let her in. Before she could do anything Kaleb yanked her off the steps and they began walking away. The girl slammed her foot into the top of the steps, but it didn’t creak not even the slightest noise.

BANG BANG!!!

Xander goes inside his son's room slamming the door wide open. The petrifying look on his face says the state of emergency.

"Jaques lost all of my rations for the storm!" Xander yells at his favorite child in panic.

The 3rd oldest, Jaques Gasyer. Jaques is short for his age. His eyes are yellow and white hair just like his father. Jaques is sealing all the windows with wooden planks around the house. 

Jaques, who was boarding up the windows in his room, dropped his hammer in surprise and sighed.

"Where did you lose the water supplies?"His eyebrows furrowed causing wrinkles on his forehead.

Xander whispered, "Let's keep this between us son. I was taking care of your little sister Betsy and I just lost track of it. You know how much care she needs." Xander pleaded his case to Jaques in a worried tone.

"Betsy?” At this point, Jaques knew Xander was lying through his teeth. Ada and Asa just took Betsy outside to teach her how to hunt. “Mother will request the rations to make dinner. We'll just say we found out Betsy took the rations thinking it was hers and accidentally spilled it outside. Now to solve the situation... we'll...y'know."

"Very well then… Even if they don't believe it... they won't have a choice."Xander approved while nodding

As Xander looked for his wife, Kaleb peered through an open window that hadn't been boarded up yet. Once he opened it, the window was covered with wooden planks from the inside. This one had a gap that looked like he could squeeze his through. He slipped in unnoticed and fell inside quietly. He then helped the girl as well. 

She took off her gloves and began to feel the wooden floors, “This is my room!” The girl gasped in relief. 

Her statement made Kaleb roll his eyes. “We broke in here,” Kaleb muttered. His eyes widened in surprise as she began taking off her shoes and socks. ‘Wow, she must feel at home’ Kaleb thought to himself.

The weird girl began dragging her feet against the wooden floor as she made her way to the bed. The wood acted like a map showing the way as she read what the patterns told her. She stopped right in front of it before hitting it with her knees. Kaleb followed right behind her to get the sheets to warm himself. Kaleb wrapped himself in the warm blanket he let out a sigh of relief.

“If you move this bed there’ll be a small cellar where you can sleep, eat, and read as well.” The girl mumbled shyly while pointing at the floor.

Without protest, Kaleb began moving the bed to the side he had every single doubt that there was no underground room. Lo and behold there was indeed a cellar. “Oh?” Kaleb was certainly confused now there was a cellar door under the bed. He didn’t know whether he should trust her, but the answer was staring at him in the face. “It has a lock,” Kaleb growled. If looks could kill the girl would’ve been six feet under. The cellar had a square door on the wooden floor. And it had a keyhole along with it.

“I have the key,” Betsy said handing it over to him. She was expressionless and very hard to read. She was sure that if she mentioned the cellar and had the key he would trust her. But once she heard the tone in his voice she knew there was still no trust between them. 

Kaleb took the silver and gold key from her hand and opened the cellar door. Once Kaleb saw that the door could be opened from the inside and outside it calmed him down a bit. “I’ll be taking this while I’m down there,” Kaleb said without worry.

The girl didn’t protest and nodded. Kaleb jumped down making it look effortless, landing like a feather. It’s only been three minutes down the cramped cellar and Kaleb began twisting and turning. He was getting impatient by the second and couldn’t imagine his time down the cellar for another three minutes. He continued to move around trying to find a comfortable spot where he could rest, but the room was just too small. As tossed his back around he knocked some old books into the floor. Three small books fell on the floor and it barely made a noise.

She was on her bed trying to get a short nap. Hearing the slight commotion she sat up on her bed putting both feet on the floor. She stomps the floor with one foot and politely asks "Can you be a little less noisy down there?" The girl asks in a polite tone making sure not to anger him.

"I didn't even do anything," Kaleb mumbled while rolling his eyes to the back of his head. "It's all these old books you keep in here." 

"I just put them there, since I don't read books," She whispered hoping he didn’t hear her. Her voice was soft but squeaky allowing anyone to hear her even if she was mumbling. 

"Why not?" Kaleb asked.

"Because I'm blind..." She says embarrassed by the question

There was a moment of awkward silence. Only the stormy winds can be heard from outside. This left one question inside the boy's head and most importantly it also changed the subject.

"Why didn’t they let you in?" Kaleb asked, sitting up straight, eager to hear her answer. 

"What do you mean?" She asks trying to deflect the question, but it fails. 

Kaleb then responded "You know what I mean Asa and Ada didn’t let you in your own home” Kaleb didn’t believe this was her house let own her family, he just wanted to know why she was lying. 

"Because they’re annoying," she answered with a vague statement that doesn’t explain much. She wanted to change the topic but didn’t have the heart to say it to his face so she tried to do so subtly. “How did you know their names?

"Who doesn’t? They are well-known hunters, they keep this dump alive,” Kaleb said annoyed

"I wish I was able to help people and be useful to others," Betsy responded with a soft sigh and a sullen look on her face. She was looking up as if the boy was right in front of her talking. “Instead we give just to take more again.”

The boy was confused by her answer and wanted to ask what she meant by that. Just when he was going to ask her, she interrupted his thought.

"What is your name?" She asked out of pure curiosity, “My name is Betsy, but I didn’t hear your name when you were talking to my sisters.”

There was a moment of silence before he answered her.

"Reggy."

"Reggy?" Betsy asked, doubting his answer with a puzzled look on her face. 

"Yeah!"

The boy's name wasn't Reggy. It was Kaleb Quaker and he was trouble. The type where you'd find all your belongings missing. The name is as well known or even more known than the Gasyer Family. Everyone knew who he was. When he had lost his Mother he began stealing and destroying a year later which was one reason why no one lent the poor boy a hand in his hard time. He had his kind of reputation as the "Mourning Bandit" inside the village with two of his friends. 

This is why he lied about his real name. It wouldn't be wise to tell the person letting you live with them, that you're a thief. Betsy asked another question to break the silence.

"Do you have a Mom? Dad? Sisters? Brothers?" Betsy continued to pry into the lonely boy’s life.

Kaleb began to get defensive at this point because it was a personal question to him. He didn’t have any of those which only angered him even more. It sounded like she was bragging to him about having a family unlike him. "How is that any of your business?!" Kaleb shouted annoyed at her meaningless bragging.

"Oh, sorry." Betsy apologized feeling sorry that she had hit a nerve.  

Even though he was staying at her house he wasn't willing to be friends with a weird girl. Betsy at this point was also done talking as well. As the silence grew so did the angry tension between them as well. It was almost dinner time and there was still food in the fridge but all the water supplies were gone. It was now the Mother's duty to make sure the rations lasted throughout the whole storm. She looked for the water supply everywhere but couldn't find it. Room by room she looked and had no luck, eventually reaching Betsy's room. Jana Gasyer, Betsy's mom, knocks on her door and lets herself in. 

"Hey sweetie, I was just looking for your father. Have you seen him? He's the one with the water supplies and I can't find him." Jana asked while holding onto the door in front of her. 

Betsy sat up slowly looking directly at her mother then shaking her head no with a warm smile. There was a moment of silence before Jana answered her question. 

"I guess not... Why do I always hope you will say something... anything? Maybe you can call it false hope, but I will never stop believing that one day you will have a voice and talk to me one day. It would truly be a miracle… dinner will be ready soon just wait a little longer." She said speaking slowly and sweetly. Every word she said was covered in honey, sweet and bright filled with hope that her daughter would have a voice one day.

Betsy nods her head to assure her she will be up for dinner. Jana smiles at her and closes the door softly. 

Kaleb confused about the conversation asks Betsy a question, “What was that?" Kaleb asks out loud. 

Just then someone else opens the door and lets themselves in. Betsy didn’t say anything back as the person who barged in walked towards the window to close it up with a plank. Jaques had hurried footsteps when stepping in but stopped right in front of drenched footsteps leading to Betsy. He ignored it and stepped in front of the window to seal it up. He covered up the gap in silence not even glancing over at Betsy and left as if he was never there.

Kaleb waited a few minutes after Jaques left and picked up a book when his eyes finally adjusted in the dark. He wanted to ask plenty of questions, but the way he left things off meant it wasn’t the right time. The tension would only grow even more if continued to interrogate her. He felt bad about how things ended and decided to read a book out loud for her since she’d never read them.

"My Diary 1898

By 

Warren Gasyer"

Betsy's interest peaked and listened as he read the old book. History and old people were scarce in the Buick village so hearing old tales about the village was something special. 

"I started writing this diary because this might be one of my last voyages. I lived in Buick Village for the longest time. I overheard the conversation of my peers, friends, family, and even strangers talking about their next meal. We are currently in winter, there is nothing to eat or drink and so it became clear to me they were discussing bringing cann-"

Kaleb pauses for a second and looks at the book with saddened eyes. He clears his throat and starts to read the book once again. It was hard to read because of the horrible handwriting.

“ Cannibalism to the table once again. Those weak-minded bastards! After all, I've done for them, after all, I've done to keep them alive and maintain their hope and sanity, they've finally chosen to kick out their last hope of survival. I'll leave tonight before they can find me, and eat me alive, they'll never catch me. I'd rather die than let those idiots live without me.” 

“Do you want to leave the room?”

Betsy interrupted the reading. Confused, Kaleb said yes, Betsy got off her bed and grabbed the ends of it. She started to drag the heavy bed as far as she could to get to the basement door. She then started to drag her feet onto the creaky floor trying to find the door. She couldn't locate it at this point, so she told Kaleb to bang on it. He did as he was told. The door was still under the bed.

 She once again moved the bed and felt the door’s lock on her feet. “Now you can open it,” Betsy said giving Kaleb the okay to open the door. With a loud clank, The cellar door flew open. Kaleb got out of the cellar with one big jump and with his strong and small arms in one move.

Betsy then stretched out her hand as if to shake his hand but Kaleb wasn't quite within arm's reach. so he asked, “What do you need?"

“You can open and lock every door with that key, don't lose it. You have to use the bathroom now. Don't get caught or they will immediately kick you into the storm. You have to go straight until you find the kitchen. Whatever you hear, see or smell do not panic. There will be two doors, one on the left, and one on the right. The one on the left is the bathroom. The one on the right has a snake skull. You have to make sure the door on the right is closed. When you go inside the bathroom DO NOT turn on the lights or you'll alert someone that you're in there. Once you're done, you have to quickly open the door on the right. turn on the lights and lock the door to the bathroom, but make sure you're outside to make a run for it and hide. You'll have to sneak your way back in here. ” Betsy explained the exact way he had to use the bathroom. She urged him to be careful and follow the directions to the point while giving him the key.

Everything that Betsy said went through one ear and out the other. Kaleb's head was spinning from all the talking he couldn't keep up.

Kaleb wasn't worried about getting caught, he was more worried about how he could follow the instructions. She was very vague about why he had to use the bathroom in a certain way. Being sneaky and not getting caught is what he was made for, but following instructions to him is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. He slumped his back and groaned loudly. It was as if he was disappointed that he couldn't wander around the house. “Fine”  Kaleb howled loudly, 

Leaving the room he sees a corridor, along a passage that leads into other rooms, he notices all types of animal heads on top of each door. Except for Betsy's door. Some of the doors were opened and the others were closed. Betsy slams her door closed making a loud bang. Startling Kaleb, he makes a run for it and freezes right in the middle of the passageway. He hears footsteps and 2 to 3 voices coming around the corner in front of him. He is completely in the open, so he breaks into one of the closed doors and closes it again quickly.  Lucky for him it was unlocked.

Xander Gasyer and two other voices can be heard through the door. Kaleb presses his ear against it. He can't make out what they're saying but the mumbling sounded agitated and fast. The group sounded like they were getting closer by the second. Kaleb starts to step away from the door, walking backward and staring at the door right in front of him, The footsteps from outside the door begin to get louder an indication that they are close.