July 23rd, 2016

Months after December 21st...

Family is the beauty of taste. Betrayal is the beauty of hatred horror.

It had been hot all summer, in Michigan. Scarlett Chase could feel the burning torch on her pale ivory skin, as she sat by the corridor pool, waiting for Jake Fultz. America Ackerman sat beside her, mopping the sweats away from her red face and pushed her loose locks of hair away from her and brought all her hair into a ponytail.

Scarlett could hear small children's laughter and soft splashing of water. Cute, she mumbled under her breath, tearing through People Magazine gossip pages of wealthy stars and star crossed lovers splits rumors. She tried not eage her monthly gossip in one section, at the same time.

"You have to be kidding me," Scarlett said, folding her arms across her chest, and stared down at her cell phone and shook her head.

"What? Justin Lamiber and Selena Gomez are back together?" America asked.

"It's Justin Bieber and no. Zander and Jake are going to be late," turning her head slightly towards America. Scarlett's brother, Asher leaned forward, eavesdropping.

"Held up in traffic?" America asked.

Pulling the sunglasses away from her eyes and onto the darkish roots of her hair, Scarlett stopped and nodded, glancing at her ten-year-old, narrow coconut face, green eyes, and black short hair, mute brother standing there in a soaky tee shirt and swimming short.

"Hey Sport, your buddies are stuck in traffic. They will be here when they can," Scarlett said with a soft smile. She had high spirit for her younger siblings, Asher and Lux to be successful and not end up like their father.

Asher nodded slightly, taking his soaken wet tee shirt off and threw it to the side. He motion his hands, spelling out. "Can I get back in the pool with Lux?"

Scarlett nodded. "Of course. Stay close to your younger sister. Don't let her go underneath the water."

"Hello ladies," Jodie Carson, Scarlett's stepmother said with a warm smile across her round, narrow cedar face. Stepmother, a mysterious and unknown past to others, was tall and long curly dark-brown hair, wrinkles, old fashion clothing and bright blue eyes. "And hello Asher and Lux. Nice day isn't?"

"Yes it is, mother. Where's daddy?" Lux asked.

"He's at work at the moment, dear. He won't be home until later."

"Could you read me a bedtime story?"

"You are too old for bedtime stories," Jodie spoke, showing off her chiseled features and soft ceased. "Eight years old shouldn't need a bedtime story."

"She isn't too old for bedtime stories."

"Nobody is too old for that."

If Scarlett had a wrench, she would use it to bang her stepmother's skull up, for how many times Jodie had said those words to Asher and Lux.

"Really? I was certain that the age limit is lower than eight years and above," Jodie sucked in a breath, unable to move. She was shocked she was wrong, misleaded.

"And who told you that?" America said.

As the smell smoke linger in the air, Scarlett pinched her nose with her thumb and index finger. "Jodie, please put out the cigarette. I can't stand the stench of smoke."

"Please call me mother."

"You are not my mother. Can you please put out the cigarette? I can't stand the reek of cigarettes," her smooth soft voice repeated.

She turned her attention away from her wannabe mother and glanced at her twelve years apart sister, Lux Chase. Her golden hair flows down from her small narrow head to her small shoulders.

"Don't worry Lux. I'll read your favorite bedtime story to you," Scarlett drew in a long, deep breath. Trying to catch her breath through the nervous thoughts that Jake and Zander are dead. It been an hour of no replies from the two brothers. Adopted brothers.

She heard the familiar text message ringtone...Jake's ringtone. Scarlett's nervous thoughts turned into light hearted pleased that they were alive.

"Sorry for my late reply. I forgot to charge it," read Jake's message. "Be there in five."

"Jake texted back?" Jodie glanced at Scarlett's tilted phone protective screen, she couldn't see anything from her doze eyes.

Scarlett nodded. "His phone died, Zander and him are on their way. Is that ok?"

"That's fine with me."

***
Scarlett crouched from the ebony stained chair and brought her knees against her chest, protecting around her medium voluminous boobs and had her arms against her legs.

"Scarlett?" Jake asked.

"In the backyard, watching Lux and Asher swim," she replied to her boyfriend.

"There you are," Jake planted a kiss at the top of her head, the kiss was soft but a nervous one.

"What wrong? That was a nervous kiss that is. rarely used. Everything alright?"

Jake nodded. "Yeah. Sorry about the nervous kiss."

"Nothing is alright, Jake. We almost hit a kid with your vehicle."

Zander's voice echoed in Scarlett's head as her eyes faced Jake.
"Almost hit a kid."
"Almost hit a kid."
"Almost hit a kid."
"Almost hit a kid with your vehicle..."

Scarlett pressed a hand to her chest. "Jake..."

But her boyfriend didn't answer. Which was unusual for Jake not to answer.

"Jake!" she screamed.

"Yes?" Jake asked,

"Is it true?" Scarlett didn't know what to say or react. All she could do was ask if it was true. She was speechless, her head turned to her siblings. She wasn't speechless that the kid almost got hit, she was speechless that it could had been her siblings.

"true about?" Jaked asked.

"What Zander said. Almost hit a kid?"

"It was inches away from hitting him. I promised him not to tell anybody."

Jake was older than Zander, but he was taller and bigger in his shoulders, whereas Zander was small for his age. What Zander knew about his brother, Jake had a tough childhood. He'd also never been camping or hunting. He'd never once slept under the stars in the woods, instead he spent his days isolated in a dark room, that kept him away from reality and had him curled up in a ball on the cold floor in an abandoned warehouse. He had to face the monsters, his nightmares, drug dealers alone in the rundown warehouse.

"Scarlett, he had a tough childhood. Give him a break, just this one time. Please," Zander said.

Scarlett cleared her throat. "Let's go inside," she stood up and placed her feet at the soft green grass.

"Asher, last one in's a rotten egg. You know I'm going to win, booger snot," Lux said.

Everybody's eyes caught their attention on Lux taking off in the wind, leaving Asher behind in a flash.

"Doesn't she run for her school track team?" America asked, taking her eyes off the addicting and gripping magazine, and her eyes laid upon Scarlett.

Jodie nodded. "She's does. At her age, it is impression."

"I was asking Scarlett, Ms. Carson."

Jodie gave a subtle nod and eyes followed Jake pacing back and forth on the white-silver granite.

"Only eight year old and already better than me," Scarlett said.

"She is better than when I was eight," Jake stopped pacing and stood by his brother. "I was worried over the cries of wolves or any meat-eating animal that would eat me alive in the rundown warehouse, leaving my bones behind."

"Did you attend school?" Jodie asked, turning her attention to Zander.

"Of course Ms. Carson. I attended school to get an education and for my brother. I taught him everything I knew, what they teached me. Who else would had kept him safe, alive, put food on the table for him? Nobody would."

"They? Who they?" Scarlett asked.

"That's a story for another day. I would fix dinner and get on my bike, travel to the abandoned warehouse that was miles away. We heard the cries of wolves each night I visit. I was the youngest brother and only family member would visit and protect Jake. Everybody thought he was dead, except for me."

"Dead man walking," America mumbled under her breath.

"Not funny, Annabelle," Scarlett brushed her hand down Jake's clothed back and gave a slight smile, staring at her stepmother. "He gonna need somebody tonight. He going to stay here, Jodie."

"He got me, Scarlett. No need for making room for Jake," Zander said, clearing his throat before speaking again. "It up to you, Jake."

Scarlett pressed her hand to her chest. "Jake..."

But her boyfriend didn't answer. Instead a gunshot blasted into the air, and chilling screams filled her ears. Screams that seemed to go on forever.
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