The Greek
Most people assumed Ani was the youngest, both for her smaller size and because Athena was the Alpha while Ani was clearly the Beta. Ani was, in fact, a few minutes older. But Athena built with the blocks, Ani watched. Athena ran and blew bubbles, Ani chased. Athena chose the game and named the characters, Ani chose the faded violet dress, knowing the unwritten rule that pink belonged to Athena. People commented on Athena's charisma. Ani was content in the shadow of her twin, as long as they would snuggle together before bed.
When the twins turned 3, Apollo's condition worsened drastically, and three open heart surgeries couldn't save the infant. It shattered the whole family, but it completely destroyed Mom. Dad found spiritual peace among his friends, the twins leaned on each other, but Mom's days steadily became darker until she just wasn't there anymore.
Mom's disappearance happened so gradually that it barely was noticed - or so Dad assumed, and the introduction of their new "family" happened the same way. Soon both families, blended into one, were simply referred to as "the Greeks" and because of how crowded the bunk beds made the one room, they all started looking for moving somewhere with more space.
How lucky they were to find such a welcoming, loving, open-minded community. All adults loved each child as if it were their own. And how wonderful for these children to grow up near nature, together, free to learn from their environment, accompanied by dozens of brothers and sisters. While other children were busy with Donkey Kong, Ani, Athena and their brothers and sisters competed to see who stayed underwater the longest. They built tree houses and spent the night in them, if they hadn't collapsed by dusk.
The Greeks were a close family, with two fathers, one mother, three girls and two boys, with Ani and Athena being the youngest. The adults grew their own food, got high and built things. The children mostly played. Ani, being a natural follower, enjoyed now having two older brothers to learn from. This was when the twins' lives started going different ways: Athena preferred spending time with her oldest sister, Tasia, who in turn preferred to spend time avoiding her.
By the time Santo first approached Ani at the edge of the woods he already knew all he needed to know about her and about the little children of their community. She wasn't the first one. He had Cheetos in his van. He had gum and occasionally Coca Cola. He was a friend who brought treats, but his treats needed to be a secret.
In the beginning he brought chewing gum and they chewed together, weaving wild daisies onto her hair. Santo made Ani feel sorry for him, so lonely with no family, living in a van. He took her into the woods and made up stories about fairies and unicorns. He always had a present for her, because she was special.
He had a habit of massaging his feet, and sometimes offered to massage hers. The fondling didn't take long after that. It happened exclusively in the van, him smelling her hair, always with his eyes closed. She felt in her guts that it was wrong but she couldn't explain to him why. Every time she cried he stopped and started over the next day, from the chewing gum. He made her believe her sorrow came from other places. Did she miss her mom? Were the boys mean? Was Athena? Ani so easily felt comforted by him she came to believe he was the only one who really cared.
In a way, as part of an unconventional household, the taciturn Ani was, simply put, neglected. Observing her older brothers made her more robust and firm with her opinions, but her essence was still silent. Her heart sunk every time she approached the van, but she was familiar with it. Inside the van she knew what to expect, while the consequences of telling sounded terrifying.
Until he asked about Athena.
Ani's head spun when she heard it. She had forgotten the feeling of being second best in the shadow of her sister, and her strength faltered. He kept going, feeding Ani suggestions and plans, slowly his smile turning demonic. Athena being part of their games. Athena having flowers weaved onto her hair. Athena being walked into the woods. Still in a daze, which was how she felt sometimes inside the van, the realization came: Athena must never walk into the van.
Walking back home that evening Ani smelled Santo on herself for the first time, and got sick on the path. She felt itchy and she scratched until it started to burn. She sobbed, and instead of walking home, she walked to a friend's backyard.
Placido was an older boy who had multiple younger siblings back in Malta. He was a responsible lad who acted as a judge to the children, being still young enough to join in their games after all his goats were tended to. Ani didn't plan on walking into his backyard, her feet simply took her there, her subconscious guiding her to a quiet place where she felt safe.
Placido walked out some time later and found her crying against the fence. She told him everything. Placido was old enough to understand, but too young and impulsive still to handle it with serenity. Placido knew the creeper in the van, he had heard stories of him drugging little children and taking them into the woods. He jumped up, puffing, and kicked the fence, pulled it and shook it, while a panicked Ani watched from the ground, regretting having said anything. Placido yelled at her to go to her house and go to sleep, but he didn't look to see that she had gone. He was blind. He walked into his house and came back a while after, holding a wrapped up jacket in his hands. With the daylight slowly fading, he marched down the path, followed silently by Ani.
The only light close to the woods came from the inside of the van, where a radio was on. Ani watched from the woods, wide eyed, with her heart in her mouth. Placido unwrapped his jacket and knocked gently on the back of the van. The radio went silent and Santo slowly opened the door. Ani couldn't see it, but her mind formed an image of Santo's confused face. It was a mirror of Ani's own confusion. Santo's face was in fact, one of terror. Placido shot him twice: once on the chest and once on the face.
Ani dropped to the shadows and prayed not to hear Placido's footsteps get close. All she heard was her own heart. She laid in the dark until she felt safe enough to stand, and after, she watched the van for a while until she deemed it safe enough to walk there. Placido was gone and the light inside the van was still on. It came from a camping lantern Santo had hanging from the ceiling. Ani's legs failed her when she got close enough. Blood was dripping from the lamp, running down the wall. She couldn't see Santo's face, which had hid behind the seat when he fell, but a foot hung on the outside of the van and his pants were pulled down. His groin was a pool of blood.