Chapter Three

Our Blood, Corrupted

The sun was rising behind them, lazily, even though it shared no warmth. Victor and Ethel stood, side by side, in front of the door of the small, but obviously comfortable, house. It looked like a home. Next to the door, on a small stone engulfed by the wall, it could be read -LaFontaine. Three children passed through them, running and laughing.

This small, quiet and quaint little town seemed much more pleasant than the environment they both grew up in. Victor couldn't help but feel glad, almost relieved, for their little sister seemed to have gotten better fortunes than them. A sad but beautiful sound was breathing out of the small house. It was an enchanting music, almost hypnotizing - the soft whispers of a violin.

"It's sublime," Ethel whispered.

Victor stepped closer to the door and knocked. The music stopped instantly and, in its stead, the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard. Soon, the door was opened and, standing at the entrance, stood a graceful young woman, clad in a long, humble dress. She looked younger than Victor and shorter than both of them. Her skin was the same pale tone as her siblings, her hair the same raven color, long and straight and carefully combed. The most striking physical difference between them would have to be the eyes - hers were alluring and bright, a stunning shade of green. Victor couldn't help but feel slightly shaken, for he wasn't expecting her to resemble their mother in such a way.

Her eyes were not the only difference between her and her older brother and sister, though. Victor could feel it. Her smile was genuine and pure, if a bit shy, and she emanated life and radiance. She looked innocent, cheerful and delicate. Selina couldn'tfeelmore different to her siblings.

"Good morning." She timidly smiled at them, her voice gentle but energetic. "Can I help you?"

Victor understood that she didn't recognize them. "Selina..."

Her face turned to one of confusion. "Excuse me, do I know you?" Her tone was careful.

"Oh, my dear Selina!" Ethel quickly walked to the younger girl and grabbed her cheeks. "You've grown into such a beautiful young woman."

"Who are you?" She carefully walked backwards, away from Ethel. "How do you know me?"

Ethel shamelessly walked into the house and sat comfortably on the closest couch, like it was something she naturally did, every single day, smiling wide. "Sweetie, we've known you since you were born." She then changed her attention to her nails, as if this was the most casual of occasions. "I used to comb your hair one hundred times before we went to bed." She pointed at Victor. "He used to put lizards and spiders in our most beloved dolls."

Selina immediately understood and, as a result, her eyes widened and her hands flew to her mouth, caught in the shock of such unexpected news. Victor slowly entered the room as well, closing the door behind him.

"Ethel?" she whispered and the oldest woman nodded. Then she looked at Victor, as if looking for confirmation. "Victor?" He smiled at her in confirmation. Selina felt a rush of many things getting to her at that moment, but the strongest was definitely happiness. She ran to her brother and hugged him with as much strength as her slender arms possessed. He looked surprised at her reaction, clumsily trying to return the gesture, but looking as if he had no idea how to do it properly.

"I've waited so long for you to find me." She removed her face from his shoulder to stare him in the eyes. "I never lost hope of seeing the two of you again."

She then let go of her slightly awkward brother and turned to her sister. Ethel already stood there with open arms, awaiting Selina with the most joyous of smiles. "I missed you so much," Selina spoke against Ethel's neck. When she finally let go, she was radiant, with a smile as warm and wide as she could give. "I can't believe we're together again, the three of us. It feels like such a good dream!" She took a long breath, as if to calm herself, before excitedly speaking again, "We have so much to talk about! I want to know everything that happened to you throughout these years. Please, sit, make yourselves at home. I'll get us something to drink and eat, you must be hungry and tired and-"

"Thank you, sweet Selina, but we'll have to leave that for another time," Victor told her, taking his hat off.

"Why, but... Are you in a hurry?"

"Yes, we are leaving as soon as possible."

"But you've just arrived." She seemed disappointed and confused. "Youmuststay for a few days. After such a long separation, you can't just leave. I'll take care of everything, I'll make all the arrangements-"

"No, Selina, you don't understand." Ethel laughed. "We'releaving. As in, you're coming with us."

Selina felt sudden relief. "Oh, I will, of course I will. I just want to be with you again. Together, the three of us, like it's meant to be." She looked at them with beaming excitement before her face quickly turned into one of confusion. "But... where are we going?"

"We are going back," Victor explained.

"Back? Back where?" This time her expression slowly turned to fear and hesitation. "Surely you don't mean..."

Victor grinned wide. "St. Agnes, yes." It was as if the name of the small city gave him pleasure, like he knew a secret joke that he wouldn't share with anyone else.

"No, why... Why would we go back there?" Selina looked astonished. "I really don't think we should. Let's just stay here, this town is lovely, we could be happy-"

"We could never stay here, Selina," Victor interrupted her and his tone and eyes were suddenly cold, "Not when there is so much to do at St. Agnes"

"So much to do?" she repeated.

"Things were never supposed to be this way," Victor kept his cold expression, talking as if more to himself than to his sisters, like it was something he said often to himself, "our lives weren't supposed to be what they are now. We weren't supposed to be what we are. We should've never been separated"

"What are you saying?" Selina asked with a slight tremble to her voice, like she could see what was coming and it frightened her, but kept a small, hopeful smile anyway.

"I'm saying that we're going back and make things right again."

"Make things right?"

"Don't you feel it?" Victor stepped closer to her, his tone darker than ever, speaking with something that resembled urgency, like he wanted more than anything to make her understand, "The burning need to do something? To make them pay?"

"Make them pay?" Selina's voice got weaker by the moment.

"Yes, dearest." Ethel gently caressed Selina's hair. "Get revenge," she said it with the same tone Selina would've expected her to use when speaking to a child that wasn't getting something that was painfully obvious and true.

Selina stepped away from Ethel as if scared of her, she looked at both her siblings like she had never truly seen them before. "No, I... I don't-"

"They deserve it. They deserve what they will get." Victor was back to his composed stance, a small smile creeping back into his lips. "They shall suffer for what they did to us. To our father, our mother... They will suffer for tearing us apart. For destroying our family and our lives." Ethel applauded and laughed with excitement.

Selina slowly let herself fall into her couch, her hand again on her mouth, her eyes wide with doubt and worry. "Are you mad?" she asked them, "What happened to you?"

Ethel sat beside her sister and put her arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry," she spoke in a soft, motherly voice, which only made it more sinister when she said, "It will be alright. We will have so much fun together! Just like in the old days."

Selina looked at Victor and then at her sister. "Youaremad, both of you."

Victor only grinned at this, and Selina shuddered when she noticed how wicked it looked. "Don't worry, Selina. I assure you, this is the right thing to do." He seemed sincerely certain of what he said. There was no doubt that he truly believed it.

The dark eyed man put his hat back on his head and his smile grew even wider, more devilish than ever.

"Let the hunting begin."

Author's Note - Wohoo! *ears the sound of echo* Anybody there? *waves*

Hey! Sorry if you've already read this, I thought this way it would flow much better. Like I said, still figuring out a few things in the first chapters.

If you're just reading this for the first time (or second, or third), thank you so much for doing so. I just have a little, tiny thing to ask you: if you liked it, could you please be so kind as to vote and share your thoughts with me? If you didn't, could you tell me why? Please? With a pink elephant on top? I'll get my drunken squirrel to stalk you if you do, promise! Though, now that I think about it, why would anyone want that I have no idea. Hey, a girl can dream, right? And that's pretty much all I have to offer... That's, really, all I have. A drunken squirrel and a pissed off penguin...