Chapter 39: Manipulate

"I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men." —Leonardo da Vinci

"He who joyfully marches to music rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, senseless brutality, deplorable love-of-country stance, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be part of so base an action! It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder." —Albert Einstein

"When the Fox hears the Rabbit scream he comes a-runnin', but not to help." —Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs

***

The fact that Volcom killed a person in front of them and then proceeded to eat the flesh of the person he killed did not bother the kids. They were all unhinged. It must be because of how messed up and chaotic the island has been since last night. Also, they have way more other things they should be thinking about.

Xenia has been with Arlan and Thaniel this whole time, but he hasn't told them that their parents died. Or has he and the siblings not shed tears nor shown their grief about losing their beloved parents?

Either way, they were calmer than before, knowing that Volcom who turned into a werewolf could protect them from other people running rampant, killing people for fun and for the sake of thrill.

Having been transformed into a werewolf, Volcom's senses were heightened and he could clearly see in the dark while the three kids began to adapt to the dark environment. The blood moon acted as their lamp inside the darkness, enveloping everyone with despair and lamentation.

The damage on the island was irreparable, considering the calamities that struck Balmack Island. Moreover, once the chaos subsides, Xenia doubts that the island will still have its occupancies—residents that will live in it despite the damages done to it.

In the midst of this chaos, where hope and salvation seemed to be impossible, the triplets found themselves together once again. No one would believe them if they ever told the story of how they reunited once again, but their "gift" bestowed upon them by a god watching over the island brought all three of them together. With the guidance of their abilities, Pack, Mack, and Jack met each other in the middle of the woods where bodies could be found not so far from each other. Corpses of people without heads laid dormant while footsteps from across the forest echoed. Voices from people could be heard, helpless faint calls for someone bothered their minds as mind-boggling transpiration going on at the moment.

"Fancy meeting you guys here," a familiar voice spoke behind them, soon revealing themselves.

Pack's face brightened upon learning that Zeb and Franzia who were both covered in blood and were carrying deadly weapons mysteriously appeared. Mack and Pack, on the other hand, harbor ill feelings toward the siblings who were also their friends.

It must be their "gifts" acting up when sensing a pair of bloodthirsty killers. With the triplet's abilities linked to each other, Pack quickly noticed the cautiousness of her brothers.

Worriedly, she checked up on her brothers.

"Is something the matter?"

"Yes, is there something wrong, Pack and Mack?" Zeb approached the triplets with much confidence without even hiding the grin on his face.

"Stand back, Pack. They are not the Zeb and Franzia that we know."

"They are fakes. Copycats."

"Ehhh? You two knew? That's no fun. How are we going to play with you now that you know our little secret?"

Franzia flexed her weapon handling in front of the triplets. Each step they took was heavy for the triplets. They felt like thudding on a wooden plank and every step could break the planks so easily.

"Who are you two?!"

Guarding Pack behind, Mack and Jack stood in front of their sister who seemed confused about the situation. They were wary of Franzia and Zeb who were slowly heading towards their direction without any hint of stopping.

"Don't you see? It's us! Franzia and Zeb! Your friends! Have you already forgotten, Jack?"

But Jack and Mack were not buying any of it.

"Screw you! You two look like monsters to me!"

"J-Jack, Mack, why are you two being so rude to Franzia and Zeb?"

"Don't be fooled, Pack! They are clearly not our friends! They killed Xenia's mother and three little sisters!"

"Ohhhh, so you've seen us. Quite unfortunate. Really, really unlucky."

Franzia uttered while clicking her tongue in disappointment.

"Stop right there!"

"Or what?" Zeb did not flinch at Mack's brave words. "Are you gonna kill me? My sister? Hmm? Tell me. What will the three of you do to us?"

"Tell us!"

Freakishly, Franzia charged toward them with her knife and deliberately attacked them. However, her knife was deflected by an unknown force surrounding the triplets. She flew back away, falling on her back and letting go of her weapon.

"Aww! Why did you guys hurt me? I--I was just trying to greet you!"

After she attacked the triplets, Franzia had the audacity to act foolish and friendly when her actions were crystal clear.

"B-But you tried to inflict harm upon us, Franzia. Why would you do it?"

"No, no, Pack! Listen to me! I was uh just trying to keep you safe from those tricksters! They are not your real brothers! I saw their bodies a hundred meters go from here! They were dead! I don't know who those two are but they are not your brothers, Franzia! You have to listen to me!"

Franzia was a lunatic and was trying to manipulate Pack into breaking away from her brothers. She immediately caught on to how the protective barrier between them works.

"If I could just pull her away from them, I can kill all three of them!"

However, Pack does not seem to be buying her act and her words.

"Why should I listen to you when you are lying straight to my face?"

"I'm not! Oh, they already brainwashed you! You poor kitten! Those fakes will kill you!"

Several rejections were all it took for Franzia to finally break character and reveal her true personality in front of the triplets. Her face expressed so much angst and temper, continuously cursing in a language they barely understood. She flew into a rage, picking up her knife, then persistently insisted on stabbing through this invisible shield protecting the triplets from any harm.

"I'd kill all three of you! I'd feed on your flesh and organs and I'm gonna skewer all of your head and do a parade of them! I swear if I just break this... damn barrier!"

Zeb watched his sister struggle helplessly against the impregnable shield that was keeping her away from harming the triplets. In his mind, he was observing and figuring out the trick behind the invisible barrier and if there was any way he could break it.

"They don't fully know their abilities yet. All three of them are snuggled up together because you can't reach them, sister. Move back a little bit and patiently wait for something to happen."

"Did you figure it out?"

"Not yet, but we will find out."

~