Avoid disaster

Chapter two

Elsie makes a double back and reaches up as if to snatch the moon out of the sky.

She smiles and walks back to the house. She stops suddenly and looks back at her stepbrothers.

"Wait!" She runs to them, "Where are you going?"

Liam studies her for a while, "To the market little sister. Have you forgotten today's festival?"

Leo giggles softly, " Yes, a huge celebration is ongoing at the market already. We will get to light the lanterns and make wishes."

Liam looks at his excited brother, " You must have lots of wishes you want to make."

" Yes! A lot! Like this!" He made a gesture with his hands.

They all burst out laughing real hard.

Elsie sighs, the frown has suddenly appeared on her face. Being twenty-three years old, you might think she has seen a lot in life especially with the expression that's always on her face.

"I know you want to go to the market. But can you not do so today?" She held a displeasing expression as she stares up at her big brother Liam.

Liam is the oldest and he's twenty-five while Leo is fifteen.

"Why?" Leo asks sadly. Apparently, he has listed to himself what he would do when he gets to the market.

"I just have a feeling something bad is going to happen. Will you stay at home with me?" She says emotionally and holds onto Liam's hand.

Leo hesitates before he moves beside Elsie, "Can we go tomorrow morning then?"

Elsie looks at Leo and nods slowly, " I will follow you tomorrow morning."

Liam smiles again and nods slowly, "I will do anything for you."

"I can get some lanterns," Elsie started but Liam cuts her off.

" No, let's sleep. We will have fun tomorrow morning," he finishes and started back to the house.

Elsie and Leo follow quietly.

Entering her room, Elsie climbs on the bed and stares out into the darkness through the window.

Elsie doesn't have any power, she was just used to calculating. She had a way to ask the day if things would run smoothly or not.

Once she tried it two years ago when she was going to another town with lots of girls of her mate.

She would take a step forward. Bend slowly and smile whirl she looks up. Then she would double back and reach up into the sky. Then the air would be cleared and she would be able to decide if disaster looms ahead or not.

She told the mothers of the girls back then but none listened to her. Elsie didn't follow them. Three days later, a report came that the girls were kidnapped. They never saw them again to date.

After that day, Elsie has learned to ask her creator before embarking on a journey or doing something.

Elsie's mother died when she was just six and her stepmother has been taking care of her.

Unlike other stepmothers, hers was the true definition of a virtuous woman. She was calm, caring and kind. She took care of Elsie alongside her children. This made the three children so close even after the woman had passed away three years ago.

Only her father lives, already heartbroken and not ready to take in another wife.

There were witches Elsie heard especially in Medgerpines town. She heard that Becky was one and that she still lives somewhere in the town with the mind to get the throne.

The Hudson owns the throne but he only bore two daughters. Becky and Mimi. Mimi was the eldest and the true heir to the throne.

Mimi was the mother of the prince.

Elsie knew all these stories because it was majorly the talk of the market people. She loves sitting down and listening to them as they narrate the story, even knowing that it's a non-fiction story.

Fortunately for her, she works in the market. She's a baker.

Elsie pulls the cover over her head and sleeps off.

Only waking up three hours later. Some people were crying outside. There were wails of tears and gnashing of teeth.

She heard her brother's voice and hurriedly got down from the bed.

She strides out of the room and out of the house. Truly, there were lots of people outside and her father was tending to them.

What happened?

She saw Liam at a corner and rushed to him. Leo was nowhere to be found but she guessed he was still asleep.

"Liam, what happened? Why are they crying?"

Liam sighs sadly and looks down at Elsie, " Thank you, Elsie, thank you so very much," he whispers and Elsie felt some drop of tears on her hand.

But she still quite didn't understand what has happened.

"Why does god have to curse us!" Someone yells and bursts into another round of tears.

" What happened?" Elsie's heartbeat increases as she anticipates what he was going to say.

Surely, it wasn't something good. Women were crying tears of sadness and anguish and regret. Something bad has happened.

But where? At the marketplace?

Realization dawns on Elsie as she stares back at the people still crying while her father is trying to console them.

But what kind of tragedy has befallen them on the night of their wishing festival?

"A beast," Liam started softly, "The beast came to the market. He killed every soul present in the market. He ripped them in two," Liam's voice fails and shakes.

Elsie was bringing out tears too, " Everyone?"

Liam nods slowly, "No one was spared. The beast killed them all."

Elsie's cries have to join others. She didn't even know why she was crying so hard. Was she happy her Brothers didn't go to the market or was she sad that everyone that did had died?

All! All were the reason!