The Night Alarm

It’s been several hours since the alarm first went off.

It was a surprise, unsuspected. Of course planning was in place for it. It had been since the clan came together all those years ago but it was a rare occurrence for it to be used. Unheard of actually.

The shrill of the alarm echoed across the territory. Everything halts - speaking, eating, moving. The heartbeat of your frozen body quickens as you eye those close to you, the same question printed across your faces:

‘Is this really happening?’

The lights go out, there’s hurried hushes as weapons load. That is your answer.

Yes.

Yes, this is really happening.

For the villagers protocol was to close their doors and hide. Stamp out their burning stoves and hunker in. To keep quiet, sleep under, not in the bed and wait for the sun to rise and the monster in the surrounding forest to be gone.

As for the castle… the message was very different.

Over banquet clatter and toasting glasses, frocks of silk and diamonds reflective of the chandeliers above - the alarm rang out. Just as loud as the village one but with a very different sentiment.

“They’re here” Father's voice was hollow. He rose from the head of the table, his armour clattering against it.

“They’re all here.”

His chair made a hideous sound as it dragged out from under the table but not as horrible as what would be heard in the forest tonight.

The siblings all looked at each other wide-eyed as the alarm wailed above them, cutting through them. They all knew what this meant. What they had to do. Everyone looked at each other, everyone apart from her. None of them could look at her in the eye; they knew what she would do tonight.

Although they knew she had to do it - 'it' being her role in this castle, her birth-purpose - it didn’t make it any more… tolerable for them to think of her that way.

It was easier just not to think. And that would be her strategy tonight.

To not think.

They shared torn looks as she moved. She rose nonchalantly, dusting the crumbs from her mouth with her serviette as if it would make a difference - her hands would not be clean by the end of tonight.

They filed from the dining room one by one, turning left to the weapons room. As she passed under the archway, Mother grabbed her arm. Mother's grip was tight but her voice was tighter.

“Kill them” she whispered for only the girl to hear, “Kill them all.”

The girl nodded curtly before pushing on past Mother.

She turned right to the backdoor, towards the forest.