Violet McGraw as Charlotte Shelby

"Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred. Ready or not, here I come," A childish voice called, disturbing the peace of the household and echoing around the still room. The silence of the room didn't seem to bother the young girl who had spoken. Instead, it only seemed to egg her on, a wide grin crossing her face as she started began to run out of the room, her mid-back, brown hair trailing behind her and swaying wildly with each step.

"I'm gonna find you, Finn!" She called again, her voice reverberating off the walls, and she listened for any sound—from as small as a mouse scampering across the floor to as loud as a sneeze—to give her a sign in direction, her footsteps slowing down to a stop.

She didn't want to give away her spot.

She had learned from experience, and from the help of her older brother, that if the hider didn't know you were close, they were more likely to slip up. Just as she was listening to find them, they were listening to her. Finn had already won two rounds and there was no way she was going to let him beat her.

A small tapping sound bounced from near the grandfather clock in her hallway and her head snapped towards it, a giggle escaping her lips. She tried her best to tip-toe towards the grandfather clock but stumbled as her foot caught on an uneven peace of wood, her hands thrusting out in front of her in case she fell. She was quick to settle herself, not wanting to deal with her sister or her auntie's reaction to her ruining her stockings. She had already ripped a majority of the ones she owned and her sister, Ada, had just bought her a new pair just last week.

A sharp huff escaped her lips as her balance returned and she continued her journey towards the the clock. There was no doubt in her mind that Finn was hiding around there, why else would there have been a noise? Peering behind the grandfather clock, she frowned at the small gap between the wall and the back of the clock.

"Hmm," She quietly hummed to herself, her eyes darting around for any other place Finn could've been hiding. She gasped as her eyes caught sight of the curtains pulled to either side of the window, the floral fabric wavering slightly.

Creeping towards the swaying fabric, she slowly reached forward and grabbed the rough fabric before ripping it back.

"Found you!" She exclaimed, her voice stopping short as she stared at the wall. Her brows furrowed together in confusion and she looked down, a pout crossing her lips as the small, round glass object started up at her mockingly.

Bending down, she reached out and grasped the marble, the cool glass contrasting greatly against her warm palm. She couldn't stop the scream from leaving her lips as a loud thud sounded from behind her, her heart racing as she whirled around and her blue eyes wide with fright.

"You lost, Lottie." Finn's teasingly said as he leaned against the banister and crossed her arms, a cocky look on his face.

"You weren't supposed to come out," Charlotte retorted, mimicking his crossed arms, "The game's called hide-and-seek. I have to find you."

"You were taking too long," Finn shrugged, "I was getting bored."

Charlotte blinked at him, "Can we go to John's house, then?"

"No. Arthur told us we had to stay in, remember?" Finn said before making his way towards the kitchen, Charlotte trailing after him.

"But there's nothing to do here." She whined as she clambered onto one of the chairs that was near the fireplace and rested her arms on the table, "We can't even play with the ball."

"Maybe that's because you broke a vase last time we played inside," Finn sated as he sat down at the head of the table, nearest to the fireplace. Charlotte felt her face grow hot at Finn's words and she frowned.

"I wouldn't have broken a vase if you hadn't thrown it at me," Charlotte grumbled.

Finn opened his mouth to retort but it quickly closed as the front door opened before slamming shut, the loud noise echoing around the house and causing the two siblings to look at each other. They both weren't worried. They knew that nobody dared mess with them or their family, or else their brothers would beat them up.

Instead, they were curious to see who entered the house.

Sharing a look with Finn, Charlotte slid off the chair and made her way towards the kitchen door, opening it. Peering out into the living room, a smile crossed her face when she saw her eldest brother, Arthur, pacing angrily around the room. Charlotte closed the door, not wanting to anger her brother any more than her already was, and walked back towards her chair, climbing back on it.

"It's just Arthur," Charlotte said, noticing the curious look on Finn's face, "He's in a bad mood."

The kitchen door flung open and slammed against the wall, almost as if to prove her point. Charlotte could practically see the steam coming out of Arthur's ears as he stalked into the kitchen, muttering under his breath as his fist continuously clenched and unclenched.

The two younger siblings turned in their chair to watch their brother, both sharing a confused—yet intrigued—looked. Charlotte didn't have any doubt in her mind that her other brother, Tommy, had done something to piss off Arthur.

"I swear, I'm gonna fuckin kill him when I see him," Arthur angrily muttered under his breath as he yanked the long, deep green curtains aside and opened the navy doors that led to the family's business open.

Charlotte kept her eyes on her eldest brother until the doors slammed shut. Meeting Finn's dark blue eyes, she shrugged before looking back into the fire, her attention catching on the white stick between Finn's fingers.

"What's that?" Charlotte asked, leaning forward to get a better glimpse and Finn proudly held it out for her to see.

"A fag," Finn bragged, "I snatched it from Aunt Pol's purse before she left."

Leaning back, Charlotte crossed her arms and raised her brows, "If you get caught, you're gonna get in a lot of trouble."

"Well, I won't get caught," Finn stated. Charlotte watched as he reached his hand towards the fire, his hand dropping towards the embers on the log. The cigarette glowed orange as it sparked to life and Finn was quick to retract his hand before he could burn himself. Bringing it to his lips, Charlotte watched with wide eyes as he took a deep inhale.

Rough coughs racked Finn's body and Charlotte cackled as his face twisted with disgust, his lungs expelling the smoke.

"Shut up," Finn grumbled before he took another drag, this time it was much shorter.

Charlotte watched curiously as he calmly blew the smoke back through his lips, only lightly coughing after he exhaled.

"Can I try?" She asked, her icy blue eyes blinking innocently as she reached her hand forward and freezing when Finn jerked his hand back.

"Are you kidding me? Tommy'd kill me if he knew that I let you try it." Finn exclaimed and Charlotte frowned.

"He doesn't have to know," Charlotte argued and Finn shook his head.

"No way. You know that Tommy always figures everything out." Finn stated, "Plus, you're only seven."

"You're only ten!" Charlotte shot back, her hands clenching into fists at Finn's argument. She hated when her family used her age against her. Yes, she knew that she was young, but it wasn't like Finn was that much older than her.

"I'm three years older than you," Finn said, taking a shaky drag.

"So," Charlotte sassed, crossing her arms and leaning back in the chair.

"So, that means I get to do more things that you," Finn stated, about to take another drag but freezing at the sound of the front door opening. Charlotte only smiled when she saw the panic rise in Finn's eyes.

There was no doubt in either of their minds of who had just walked through the front door. Auntie Pol, Arthur, and John were all downstairs and Ada was out with some friends—but Charlotte highly doubted based on how giggly she was when she came back home. Ada's behavior often reminded her of how Martha would act when she got a letter from John.

Charlotte looked towards the kitchen door as it opened while Finn tossed the cigarette into the fire, and Charlotte watched from her peripherals as it fell lamely to the floor. Charlotte rolled her eyes at how blatantly obvious Finn had been, Tommy stopping and watching the entire exchange.

"Finn?" Tommy called, stalking towards the two children and peering into the fireplace before looking at his youngest brother, who was resting his arms on the back of the chair and looking up at him.

"Arthur's as mad as hell," Finn said, and Charlotte knew that he was trying to divert the attention to their eldest brother instead of the cigarette that rested on the floor, still smoldering.

Charlotte watched as Tommy bent down and picked up the stub of a cigarette, before holding it up in front of Finn. He was silently telling him that he had seen what he had done and wasn't impressed with his actions. With a flick of his fingers, the cigarette rested against one of the burning logs and Charlotte watched as it folded in on itself before disappearing into black ash.

Tommy's harsh blue eyes on her brought her attention back to her brother and she nodded, trying to emphasize what Finn was saying.

"He said that he was going to fucking kill you when he saw you," Charlotte added and she winced when Tommy's eyes flashed dangerously.

"What have I told you about swearing, Charlotte," Tommy said, and Charlotte lowered her head in shame. While Tommy's voice always remained relaxed and passive, it was his eyes that told her that he was disappointed. The icy blue hard and harsh in the light.

"I was only telling you what he said," Charlotte defended, and Tommy smirked at his sister's antics.

It wasn't unusual for Charlotte to try and swear every chance she had. Whether it was something she had heard from one of them or a word she heard on the street, she was sure to mimic it the moment she had a chance. Pol had explained to the family that she was trying to test her boundaries—trying to see how far she could go without getting in trouble.

"What does a ten-year-old know about hell, eh?" Tommy asked with a raised brow as he turned his attention back to Finn.

"I'm eleven Sunday." Finn shrugged and Charlotte watched as a rare smile crossed Tommy's face. Reaching a hand out, Tommy gently knocked Finn's head before ruffling Charlotte's hair, the two beaming up at him.

"Tommy," Charlotte called before her brother could leave, and he looked over to her, "Can we please go visit Ada? Arthur said we're not allowed to leave but it's so boring here."

"Go ahead," Tommy's gruff voice responded and Charlotte was quick to thank him, glad she could finally get out of this stuff house.

Turning in her chair, her light blue eyes trailed after her brother as he pushed aside the forest green curtains and open the navy door. She was not allowed inside the family business yet. She had tried to follow Auntie Pol on multiple occasions, trying to stay concealed behind her dress, and when that didn't work, she tried to slip in behind Ada or Arthur. John and Tommy were the hardest to get past. John was used to having kids running behind him so he always seemed to know where she was and Tommy seemed to always know what she was up to.

Whenever she asked why she couldn't go in yet, Arthur, Tommy, and John always gave her the same answer: she was too young. But, when she asked Ada, Ada would roll her eyes and say it was because her brother's were sexist pigs—whatever that meant. Auntie Pol told her it was because she was the youngest and her brothers wanted to protect her for as long as they could. Charlotte guessed that that made sense. Her older brothers had been drafted for war when she had been three and Finn had been five. She didn't remember much of them from her childhood and since their return, she had been getting used to her 'new' brothers.

It wasn't like she didn't know anything about them, though. Auntie Pol and Ada had made sure to keep them a constant in her and Finn's life. Whether it was shoving them the photos of Arthur, Tommy, and John before the war or telling them stories of when they were younger, the idea of her brothers was a constant.

Charlotte barely got a glimpse of the betting room as Tommy walked in. The rushed workers always blocked her view of the actual shop. Slumping in the chair, Charlotte sighed and brushed a long strand of her light brown hair out of her eyes.

"Should we go visit Ada now?" She asked, looking over to Finn, who nodded. Jumping to the floor, Charlotte opened the door and headed outside, her Mary Jane's noiselessly tapping against the ground.

The harsh winter breeze stung her face and caused her eyes to well up with tears. She would've gone back inside to get her coat, knowing full well that Auntie Pol and Ada were going to scold her for going outside unprepared, but she shook the thought off. The longer she stood outside, the less it felt cold and the less she felt the need to grab her coat. The door behind her clicked shut and she looked up at Finn with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Where were you?" She asked as they began to make their way towards the dress shop they knew Ada liked to stop in before she came home.

"You'll never guess what I found," Finn responded as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek black handle. Charlotte felt her heart begin to race and she couldn't tell if it were from fear or excitement.

"Where'd you get that?!" Charlotte gaped, her eyes trailing up and down the gun in Finn's hands as they turned the corner.

"I found it on one of the betting tables," Finn said, his voice holding the same amount of excitement that Charlotte felt, "I'm pretty sure it's John's."

Charlotte furrowed her brows and looked up at Finn, "Why?"

"Because," Finn began matter-of-factly as the two turned down the last corner and approached the dress shop, "That's the table John normally works at. Do you think it's loaded?"

"Probably," Charlotte stated, "It is John's."

"Charlotte, Finn?" Ada's soft voice cut through the two's conversation and they looked up at their older sister. From the way she was staring at the two of them, there was no doubt in Charlotte's mind that she had seen the gun in Finn's hand. "What've you got there?"

"I found it in the shop," Finn waved the gun around playfully and Charlotte saw fear cross Ada's face, "Do you think it's loaded?"

But this point, Ada was rushing towards them, her eyes focused on the gun in Finn's hand. Charlotte couldn't help but wince as Ada grabbed her arm and pulled her close to her, her grip painfully tight and Charlotte thought her arm was beginning to go numb.

"Ada, that hurts," Charlotte said as she tried to pull her arm out of her sister's relenting grasp. Ada either didn't seem to notice or didn't seem to care because she ignored Charlotte's cry. Charlotte continued to try and pull her arm out of Ada's grasp as Ada talked to Finn in a hushed whisper.

"Finn, put that down before you hurt someone," Ada demanded and Finn gave her a confused look.

"Why?" Finn asked, "It's not like it's load-"

A sharp scream let Charlotte's mouth as the gun fired, Charlotte feeling the heat of the bullet whip past her face as Ada pulled her close and out of harm's way as the bullet impaled itself into the brick building behind them. The whole incident was over in the blink of an eye: Finn staring dumbly at the gun, Ada clutching Charlotte to her, and Charlotte silently letting tears fall down her cheeks, too shocked to make a sound.

"What in the bloody hell just happened!" A shout called and the three Shelby's looked up to see their Aunt stalking towards them, her eyes ablaze as she trembled with anger. Finn seemed to snap out of whatever shock he was in and threw the gun to the ground.

"I didn't know it was loaded," Finn began and Charlotte could see the tears beginning to build up in his eyes, "I didn't know."

Auntie Pol didn't respond; instead, she snatched the gun off the cobblestone road and shoved it into her purse. Charlotte watched as Auntie Pol's eyes roamed over each one of them, making sure that they were okay, and stopping on Charlotte's shaking form, her eyes hardening.

"I think it's time we head home. Finn, go straight to your room. Charlotte and Ada, go straight to the kitchen," Pol ordered and Finn only nodded his head before scampering off towards the house.

"But Auntie Pol," Charlotte began, not wanting Finn to get in trouble for something he didn't mean to do, "He didn't know that it was-."

"It doesn't matter," Her Auntie cut her off, her voice hard, "He shouldn't have been waving that fucking gun around anyway. They're not toys, Charlotte, and he needs to learn that."

Numbly nodding, Charlotte allowed Ada to pull her towards the house. She was still shaking and the tears had yet to stop, but she knew that everything was going to be okay.

It always was.