Chapter 3

SLAM

Someone had barged inside Betsy's room when she made the final wish. It was Cassie, the most beautiful girl in the village. Cassie would always degrade Betsy's confidence by calling her hideous and incredibly repulsive to look at. Betsy believed it at first but over time she slowly realized that Cassie was just being cheeky. Betsy never understood why her siblings saw her as such a burden. Hiding her in the shadows from everyone else; she figured it out as soon as she had obtained her genie. She was their actual downfall and nemesis since she could destroy the ‘Bunny Storm’. Cassie entered the room in a frantic rush. Her face was filled with fret and worry as she ran towards Betsy's aid who was still on the floor. 'Is that Cassie?' Betsy questioned herself as she saw Cassie approaching with a concerned look on her face.

Cassie would always put up a false front towards the villagers disguising herself as a kind-hearted person. She'd always try to cheer them up by giving them free hunts like deer, fox, wolf, birds, and ox giving them joy and bliss completely unaware that she was the cause of their misery. The Gasyer family would relieve the people's despair while causing it at the same time with the ‘Bunny Storm’. Betsy was the only one who could relieve their distress, and yet no one even knew of her existence. Even so, Betsy had no interest in helping them, unlike Kaleb he had seen the good and bad of the cannibalistic village, yet he still wanted to help them even after they took all he had away from him.

Betsy had the power to destroy the storm. The only problem was that her family would stop her at all costs. So she has never tried to save the people.

Cassie runs up to Betsy and gives her a big hug while a smile spreads across her face and she closes her eyes, seeming like she was trying to comfort her. Betsy didn't hug her back knowing how two-faced her older sister is. One thing that the family had taught her was that you always have to fight fire with fire. Betsy now knows that'll only be adding fuel to the fire. Her family was based on lies. Its main structure and foundation were made out of deception making themselves look like heroes. She didn't want her life to be built the same way anymore. Cassie noticed that she had recovered her eyesight the moment she walked inside the room.

"How are you able to see?" Cassie asks while covering her hand in her mouth. She already knew the answer while she was eavesdropping on their conversation.

Betsy was now determined to see if Cassie would tell the truth.

"Was this a plan to kill me?" Betsy asks brushing off Cassie’s question.

Caught off guard Cassie stops hugging Betsy and lets go. Cassie almost drops the friendly front she puts on, and remembers that Kaleb was in the room. She turns her attention to Kaleb's injuries.

"Oh my… you seemed you were hurt badly. I'll be right back. I'll go get the first aid kit right away!" Cassie exclaims while covering her mouth with both of her hands in worry.

"Tch," Betsy grunted in disgust towards Cassie's behavior. Betsy knew Cassie wasn't going to look for the first aid kit. She was on her way to tell the whole family, that Betsy had somehow gained her sight and speech. Betsy's fists tighten not knowing what to do so she decides to follow Cassie.

“We should leave,” Betsy tells Kaleb after Cassie left.

"Oh really? Why should I trust you of all people? The only reason why you brought me here was to basically "sacrifice" me to your family."

"Now they want to kill us both so we have to run!" Betsy exclaimed trying to warn Kaleb.

Kaleb knew he had no other choice but to follow Betsy's lead if he wanted to survive the eerie house. He followed Betsy from behind at quite a distance making sure she didn't lead him to a trap as she did from the beginning.

The entire family gathered in the kitchen. Amongst all the destruction Betsy and the twins battled. And of course, Cassie was gossiping about Betsy, like always. Kaleb was understandably nervous yet brave. 'I can beat all of them right now if I wanted to… I think.' Kaleb was hurt and exhausted so he stood right at the kitchen entrance so he could turn back and make a run for it.

Betsy stood far from the family waiting for them to finish talking as she fiddled with her fingers.

Kaleb knew the whole family's names and stories; he was a huge fan. Kaleb looked up to them; he saw them as heroes who helped those in need. The Dad Xander was known to be a leader and ruthless, but over time Kaleb saw he was nothing, but a coward. Kaleb knows the amazing stories about the rest, but now seeing what is happening he doesn't know what to believe about his heroes. 

The family has 11 kids however Ada was now dead which now makes 10.

Joshua (19)yr

Milles(18)yr

Jaques(17)yr

Cassie(16)yr

Dasher(15)yr

Danny(13)yr

Asa and Ada (12)yr

Bella(11)yr

Finch(10)yr

Betsy(9)yr

"Hah I knew it, I bet she's the one that can destroy our Storm!" Danny shouted angrily. "We should just kill her right here, right NOW!"

"B-But she's family. I…I don't think I'll be able to go through it." Cassie wept with an angelic voice, while one teardrop fell from her clear white skin slowly. " But for the sake of Ada's death, I'll defend myself if you fight back."

"Wait… why's the kitchen a mess." Milles pondered to himself. He never knew what was going on from all his daydreaming.

"Cassie please, I'm begging you. Do us all a favor and shut up." Finch said in a voice of boredom. "I would rather listen to that bird brain than you," Finch said while pointing at Milles with his thumb

"Hey Finch, don't talk to Cassie like that!" Bella shouted with annoyance trying to defend her big sister.

Betsy was getting more and more intimidated by all the bickering. She looked back at Kaleb who was still behind her from a distance, she gave a small and subtle nod, this was her assurance to Kaleb to stay where he was. He couldn't stop smiling before Asa noticed.

"What?… What?" Asa grimaced at the sight of Kaleb's happiness "What are you smiling about? Is this entertaining to you? You just killed my sister. "

"Your sister was a monster." Kaleb spat his words in hatred. "She tried to kill me… You, all are monsters. You're the ones who start the Bunny Storm. You all are killing thousands of people with the storm and, yet you let it run rampant. You were all once my heroes no-"

"We are???" Cassie rudely interrupted Kaleb's speech, "Oh my, I believe we should spare them, Mother."

"I knew she was dumber than Milles" Finch protested.

"HEY!" Bella tried to argue back with Finch but didn't know what to say.

"Oh wow, Ada's dead? I didn't know that," Milles said with a surprised look on his face." Who killed him?"

"It's a 'HER' Milles. " Dasher explained while rubbing his forehead with frustration.

"Who?" Milles asked in confusion.

"Ad- Nevermind there’s no point" 

The group kept getting sidetracked from the real question at hand. After plenty of bickering and arguing, Joshua broke it up with a suggestion, he raised his left hand and everything went silent. A smile spread across his face. "How about we put a vote on it? If we get rid of both them em or-."

"I want to remain anonymous." Cassie interrupted. "I don't want to see what the others have chosen because then I would feel guilty if things go awry."

"For once I agree with Cassie," Finch commented.

"I'll second the motion as well," Dasher said

"YEAH, whatever Cassie said." Bella protested

"Alright then hurry up you slow pokes! Milles are you even listening?" Danny shouted, rushing them all for an answer.

"Hm?" Milles responded with a puzzled look on his face, finally snapping out of his daydream. "I pick whatever Joshua says"

"Well, I have to agree with Cassie on dis one. Anonymous." Joshua said happily. "It looks like Jaques isn't here though."

"Who cares!" Danny shouted once again, getting impatient from all the waiting.

"Alright…DANNY? If you're in such a rush how about you go get paper, pencils, and a box." Dasher demanded firmly, he was up to his last straw with Dasher's screams and demands. "I think Asa's vote should count as two people since she was the closest with Ada."

"Oh yes, poor dear, where is Asa?" Cassie said in a high-pitched, worried voice." Since Jaques isn't here to vote she should count her as two people. We should also support her in this times of need." Cassie suggested while twirling her soft hair as if it was her idea, to begin with, but Dasher shrugged it off, exactly what Cassie expected.

 Meanwhile, Asa left to see Ada again. She didn't touch or sit down near her, instead, not knowing what to do with herself she stared at the frozen wendigo body from a distance. Betsy didn't know what to do with herself as well. She had killed one of her sisters for Kaleb.

She helped a stranger, a thief more specifically, and chose his life over her sister's. She thought what she did was wrong, picking someone else's life, over her flesh and blood just made her disappointed. She didn't know if she made the right or wrong decision. When Dasher finally went to get Asa, and Danny came back with paper, pencils, and a small box they began the voting process. Everyone was silent, eyeing each other and signaling what they were going to pick right in front of Betsy and Kaleb. Jana and Xander, the two parents, sat back and watched their children's democracy. Jana watched proudly with a smile, and Xander's jealousy would creep in. 'I was the one who used to give orders around here.' Xander thought to himself.

Kaleb was anxious about the results; he couldn't just wait around while they voted on whether they should live or die. On the other hand, Betsy was as calm as the deep blue sea.

While everyone was voting and giving each other threatening glares, Betsy couldn't help but think about the results. 'Milles wouldn't have the slightest idea what is going on so he'd choose to let me live. Cassie was a wild card, but she would rather for me to be dead than alive, but maybe, just maybe, this wasn't the right moment. Bella was with the wild card, she would pick whatever Cassie chose. Danny's choice was obvious for me to be dead, because he's threatened by me, and so is Finch. Joshua will let me live just so I can be his punching bag again. Dasher isn't threatened by me as well, but I'm still not sure. The way Joshua is glaring at him he would probably let me live. Now Asa would let me live so she can fight me herself, I'm certain of that. So the votes would turn out to be… eight to two, or six to four since Asa's vote counts for two.' Betsy had plotted everyone's vote in her head and was extremely confident.

Finally, the excruciating moment everyone has been waiting for. Everyone placed their votes inside the box and told their Mother to reveal the votes. 

"The first vote says… Milles." The Mother said in a disappointed tone.

"What?" Dasher asked.

"It says, " Jana repeated angrily. "Milles you were supposed to vote sweetheart."

"Vote for what?" Milles asked in complete confusion. "Ooooh the paper? I didn't know what we were doing. I thought we were doing some kind of raffle and whoever's name you pull out wins a prize."

"You were supposed to vote whether you'd want your sister to live," Jana explained to Milles. "It's too late now."

Betsy was wrong, she had overestimated Milles's intelligence.

"I will just go by quickly since I see you're all on the edge of your seats," Jana said, while pulling out multiple pieces of paper, and began flipping over the ripped pieces of paper. "Alive, Alive, Alive, Alive, Alive, Alive, Alive…Alive. Ta-da." Jana placed the paper back into the small box.