The Carnell Sisters

1. Where is Edith?

Defiance

Arlene's house has always felt safe. She is so much more like our mom than I am, maybe that's just because she's my older sister, or maybe it's because she has grown into a replica of our mother. Either way, I find myself coming here a lot.

She bought this house years ago as a newly wed, she and James, thought fixing a house into a home would be a fun adventure. I personally loved the faded wallpaper that wrapped the whole first floor, and the bright green carpet that stretched across the living space was certainly a choice. But Arlene had a talent for seeing the potential in things which is why I'm sure she still bothered to even let me continue stopping by.

Tonight, Arlene's house didn't feel safe. I'm not sure there was a place on earth I could run to that would shake the cold from inside my bones. It felt like I was outside of my body, I knew I had driven here and walked in the door. I could hear the murmur of voices in the air but they had to be coming from a different room; maybe even a different house.

"Defiance!" I felt her hands shaking my shoulder's before I made out her worried face in front of me. "You're going catatonic and now is not the time, we need to find Edith!" Arlene never knew how to handle fear, although I guess I really didn't either.

Edith, our sweet little sister. Out of the three of us Edith was the best, and I don't think Arlene would dare to disagree. Edith was gentle and kind, she was the closest I would ever come to meeting nobility at the very least. She and I lived together not far from Arlene, neither of use having partner's or pets to take care, of we were happy to keep each other company.

"Explain it to me again." Arlene said, beginning to pace back and forth over the dull green carpet. It was only then I noticed James sitting a few feet away, an apprehensive look on his face as he watched his nervous wife.

"When I got home I noticed the door was open, as I got closer I realized it was basically coming off the hinges." I could feel the dread reentering my body, as if I was standing at the frame of my home now.

"Inside, the back windows had been broken through, glass was everywhere on the floor but most of the room had remained untouched. As if something, someone, just smashed through the windows, ran through the house, and then rammed through the door." And took Edith, but I didn't think that would be a welcomed assumption.

Edith was a strong fighter, we all were, that was to be expected from the years of training. Although our parents had only even taught us what lurks in the dark and how to fight it off as a precautionary measure; they had stopped hunting years before Arlene was even born. So maybe we weren't as strong as I had naively believed we were, maybe if we had been stronger Edith would be here.

"A robbery?" James speculated, Arlene had neglected to ever explain to him what we had grown up studying. Clearly ignoring something didn't make it go away, I didn't mention that to her either though.

"Maybe Edith found the apartment the same way and went to the police. Who we should be calling, by the way." I couldn't help the growing irritation I felt as he continued to speak.

"Edith wouldn't go to the cops." I snapped, I was right though, Edith wasn't a fool.

"We've been trying her phone for an hour," Arlene added in a much kinder tone. "Edith wouldn't just let us stumble into a scene like that without any warning." Scene, god why does Arlene have to be so exact all the time. Thankfully James took in our responses with a silent nod.

"I'm calling Dad." I said as I stood up from my seat. I could see the way Arlene weighed all our options, being a bit more resistant to the idea of calling our father than I was.