Chapter 7: Lamb to the Slaughter.

A few hours had passed since the run-in with Mathew. Three-Finger's wound had already healed and the three brothers were seated at a table, wondering what to do next. They were hungry and frustrated. Sitting in a corner, trying to make herself as small as possible, was Ebony.

"They're gonna find me." She frantically pondered. "They're gonna find me and drag me back to the Church. Then Father Simon..."

One-Eye noticed Ebony's nervous fidgeting and crept closer to the little girl. Ebony looked up from her knees to face him but couldn't and lowered her head down again.

"I'm sorry." She rasped quietly. "It's my fault your brother got hurt."

One-Eye softly grunted as he gently placed his hand on Ebony's head. She stiffened but didn't resist. Three-Finger and Saw-Tooth got up from the table and sat next to the little girl.

Ebony looked up once again. She could see it in their eyes. They wanted to know who that man was and why he tried to take Ebony.

"My parents died when I was four." Ebony began. It was a car accident. I survived but my face got messed up." Ebony rubbed her fingertips against the shatter-like markings on her face. "I didn't have any close family so I was sent to an orphanage. It's not a very nice place. They never really let us play over there. Just eat, pray, chores and Church."

Ebony took a deep breath and continued.

"One day I was asked by Matthew to get something from the Church office. When I went to get it, I saw the head of the orphanage, Father Simon with one of the boys and he was..."

Ebony trailed off as a look of disgust and fear overcame her face. The three brothers shared a look of concern as the girl couldn't seem to get past the last word of her sentence.

"I know he saw me." She said. "And I know what happens to kids who see him."

Ebony remembered a boy who used to claim that Father Simon was evil. One day he just vanished. The adults said that he had been adopted but Ebony knew better.

"He would have killed me sooner or later. So I ran. I figured taking chances out in the wilderness was better than waiting for him to kill me." As Ebony choked out those last words, she suddenly burst into tears.

One-Eye and Saw-Tooth were at a loss of what to do but Three-Finger walked toward Ebony and laid his three-digit hand upon her head, patting it. Ebony ceased crying and surprised the mutant with a hug. For a few brief seconds, everything seemed like it would be ok.

And then the sound of a window smashing rang through the house.