Before it's too late

Not good enough

BEFORE

Hunting was something that unlike Prudence, Hector and Drake, Agnes didn't thrive at. She wasn't good at the hunt. They started with targets that were stationary and Agnes was less than satisfactory.

"She is terrible Prudence" Hector said softly as Agnes took aim on her bow, the arrow fell out of the bow three times before Drake helped her keep it in and shoot.

"She just needs to learn" Prudence argued.

"She has been with us for over a year and she still can't hunt to save herself."

"Well lucky for her she has me to save her." Hector rolled his eyes back to the barn.

"You were about 9 when dad told you of what was in the barn." He said softly, knowing Agnes wasn't ready, he didn't think she would ever be ready.

"I know."

"And Agnes is almost 8"

"She has a whole nother year and I was a special case. Dad wanted us all to wait until we were 13 remember?"

"You should have picked-"

"You like her" she said harshly but a sense of calm washed over her, they all liked Agnes, they all loved her.

"Yeah"

"Then stop saying I should have picked someone else because we all love her now." With that Prudence marched off placing a small dagger in Agnes' small soft hands. These were not the hands of a killer, not the hands of a monster, these were the hands of an innocent child.

"Try this one, the bow is hard you will have plenty of time to learn when you are bigger." Agnes nodded as Drake took the bow out of her hands. Her arm had slashes from where the bows string had hit and she cringed at the sight.

"It's okay" Prudence cooed as she wrapped Agnes up in a jacket.

"It hurts" Agnes stated upon touching the wound.

Prudence never wanted anything to hurt her Agnes, ever. She knew the people in the barn were not to blame for this but they were the people that she was going to take her anger out on. She was going to let out all the pain and rage she felt about Agnes not being the perfect warrior, about her getting hurt while they were trying to make Agnes into them. She was going to hurt them after her brothers did the hunt.

"Don't worry it won't hurt for long. Now try this." Prudence threw the knife and it hit the target effortlessly. "Now you try." Agnes looked down at the dagger in her hand and threw. She hit the far edge of the target and Prudence shrieked with joy scooped Agnes up and kissing her. "Brilliant!"

"Daggers are my specialty" Drake said as he went to gather more knives for her to practice with. Prudence rolled her eyes with announce, she was going to train Agnes, she was going to make Agnes into a warrior.

By the age of 9 the Durr's were all in agreement that when Agnes was 13 she would be ready. But for now they continued to teach her how to hunt and shoot. Her knife skills had improved immensely since their first session and although she was small she had a fiery rage inside her, Hector saw it, Drake saw it and Prudence welcomed the rage that would one day turn her into their perfect monster.

NOW

Even with Coleman in a cage, Saoirse on the table, and Irons outside about to come in and take Drake down Coleman felt no peace because Drake had a knife to Saoirse face and was tracing its blade alone her body tearing at her clothes and her flesh.