"See anything you like?" I asked and poked Callista's rosy cheek. She jolted in surprise and looked up at me in barely concealed fear. "Callista?"

"Nothing, sorry. You startled me. Let's go," she brushed it off and picked up Elise.

"We have enough money to stay a little while," I explained as she tugged Juno by the wrist. Both of them were complaining about not getting to go inside.

"No. We should save it and go home," she clenched her jaw and set off towards where we lived. Had something happened? Maybe I shouldn't have left them alone.

"Callista, what's wrong?" I asked and placed my hand on her shoulder, she swayed me away and set her lips in a thin line.

"Nothing is wrong, we should just leave before it gets dark," Callista insisted, even though there was still a lot of time before sunset. I narrowed my eyes but decided not to push her. She'd tell me if it were important.

It was probably just the village boys. They were nasty little runts who picked on her because our parents were dead. They called her the orphan girl and said she was... dirty. I hated them for it because Callista couldn't see how amazing she really was. She blamed herself for a lot of things that weren't her fault.

I sighed and took Juno's hand in mine.

"We can come back tomorrow and get you both something nice," I promised, besides I had the blueberries, they'd be excited about that for a time.

"But I want to stay, now," Juno whined and set her lips in a pout.

"I know, but you just have to wait a little bit longer," I reminded her patiently. But she just frowned deeply. "Cheer up, I have a special surprise for everyone after dinner."

"What is it?" Elise asked and laid her head on Callista's shoulder. She still sucked her thumb, despite our efforts to stop her. As presented now. She must be tired.

"Well you'll just have to wait and see," I grinned and pinched her round cheek. She stuck out her tongue at me. "That is only if you can stay awake."

"I'm not tired!" Elise declared and waved her small fist at me.

"Sure, sure," I put my hands up in surrender, only for her to yawn a few minutes later.

Callista hardly spoke a word the entire trip. Save for when Elise fell into a bout of coughing that woke her up. Yeah right, not tired.

When we arrived at the shack I tucked Elise under the blanket while we prepared dinner. She slept soundly with her thumb in her mouth, Juno played pretend with the little figurines she'd made last spring. It was just some twigs tied together with string, but they were her world.

I pulled out the blueberries and washed them in a shallow bowl of water. Callista sat beside me and cubed a few potatoes.

"Will you tell me what happened?" I whispered, not looking up from my task. She didn't respond. "Was it those awful little boys again because-"

"No, Kellen, I'm fine, nothing happened," she sighed with a tone of defeat, something I rarely ever heard from her.

"You're not acting like it, though. I'm certain something happened while I was gone. Why won't you just tell me?" I pleaded and finally looked at my sister. Her head was down but I could see the creases in her face from the frown on her lips. Her mouth was a thin line and I saw that she wanted to cry.

Callista never cried.

Not when we moved away.

Not when our mother died.

Never.

But here she was, trying desperately not to let it show.

"Callista-"

"I love you, Kellen, you know that don't you? I love a-all of you," her lip trembled, I felt anger boil inside me. Not at her, never at her, but at whatever caused this change.

I wiped my hands off and opened my arms to her. Callista embraced me and pressed her face into my shoulder. She breathed heavily and tried to hold back the sobs. I rubbed her back and held her tightly.

Something was very, very wrong.

And Callista wasn't going to tell me. I wasn't even away for that long. Juno sat in the corner and fidgeted. She put down her toys and wrapped her arms around Callista too. We rocked back and forth in silence until Callista's breathing steadied and her grip loosened.

"Why don't you go get some more snow to melt so we can boil water," I whispered to her, she needed a few minutes to herself.

Callista nodded and left with a dented pot for the snow.

"What's wrong with Callista?" Juno whispered and looked like she was about to cry as well.

"Come here," I murmured and stretched my arms out to her. She sat on my lap and I cradled her close to my chest. "Callista just had a rough day is all, she'll tell us when she's ready."

Juno's lip trembled.

"Is it because the bad soldiers were mean to her?" She whispered like someone was watching.

"What? What soldiers?" I asked and felt my heart rate pick up. Those insufferable bastards. If they did anything to her I'd kill them myself.

Juno looked mortified and clamped her hands over her mouth.

"I'm not supposed to tell," she mumbled and shook her head. "Callista told me not to."

"It's okay, you can tell me, I'm sure Callista will forgive you," I assured her and ran my fingers through her tangled brown hair. Juno glanced take the door with worry written all over her face.

"Elise ran across the street and Callista was trying to go after her. But then the soldiers came and yelled bad, bad things at her," Juno shook her head and scrunched her face up in a frown. "She told us not to tell you."

I was furious.

"Oh Juno, it's okay, I'll talk to her," I whispered in a soothing tone, "I'll make sure she's alright."

"I don't want Callista to b-be sad," my sister frowned and I gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"She'll be alright Juno, you don't need to cry," I cooed and hugged her tightly. "Be a big girl now."

"O-okay Kellen," she hiccuped and rubbed the tears from her blue eyes.

"Why don't you cut up those potatoes for Callista, hmm? I'm sure she'd appreciate it very much."

--------------------

For the first time in a long while, I felt full and... content. Elise immensely enjoyed the blueberries, as they were smeared all over her round cheeks. She knew nothing of the Callista incident since she'd been asleep. I thought it would be better that way, I didn't know if I could handle another crying sister.

Callista seemed better now, she held Elise on her lap and told her all about our parents. Elise didn't remember them very well, but she loved to hear about them.

I laid on my back and stared at the ceiling. The monster had told me to stay out of the woods, but why? I would have expected it to let me die rather than warning me. I shut my eyes and blocked out my thoughts. I didn't need to be thinking about it now. Not with my sisters in company.

Without even realizing it, I let Callista's soft voice lull me to sleep.

Hours later, the fire was in mere cinders and cast very dim light around me. I scrunched up my face and rubbed my eyes. What had woke me? I sat up and felt Juno and Elise curled up to me under the small blanket, but Callista was gone. My brows furrowed as I eased out from under the warmth and stumbled about for her. She wasn't inside the drafty home. Maybe she went to relieve herself?

But I was worried nonetheless, she didn't usually wake up through the night. Had it been a nightmare? I hoped not, it was one thing for her troubles to plague her in the day, but it was cruel for them to deprive her of sleep as well.

She probably just need to get out of the cramped shack.

Yes, I was sure of it.

I reluctantly wiggled back under the blanket and tried not to rouse the little ones.

I should have told Callista about the woods. But then she'd ask where I learned of the warning and I definitely didn't want her to know about my encounter. I shuddered and banished it from my head for the millionth time. It was only when my muscles began to relax and my eyelids began to droop that I heard noises.

Callista...

But I couldn't be sure. After a minute of silence, I gathered the nerve to check.

Only before I could, the door was knocked off it's poorly made hinges. Elise and Juno jolted awake as I shielded them.

In the absence of the door stood the monster. It was just the same as before, with dark auburn curls and the confident gait.

But what horrified me most was that it had Callista by the arm. She shot me a terrified glance as the monster grinned down at me.

"I do believe I'm owed."