PROLOUGE

The ice was cold against Max's cheek, and it nipped her like a thousand little daggers pressing against her skin. Her tears were almost frozen against her face. She watched as her mummy and her sister fought on the frozen lake, where she'd always been told not to go. She had just watched her father be brutally murdered by the one person she thought was perfect in her whole family. Ester wasn't an alcholic, or a backstabber, or an attention seeking loser, like her brother. But Max always knew that Ester was bad news; especially when she killed Sister Abigail, that day by the road. Max's eyes filled with tears again. She tried to block out those hideous memories, but they stuck like glue. And now she watched as her mother and Ester fighting and she knew that at least one of them would die. And although her Ester was half her mother's height, she wasn't sure which one would win. And if Ester won, she'd be coming for Max next.

Kate and Ester were circling one another, both holding a knife. Max couldn't look anymore; she turned away and that's when she saw it.

A gun.

A gun that her father kept in case of emergancies. A gun that Max was told to never ever touch. But surely it was okay to touch it, at a time like this.

Max picked up the gun and began to cry even more, making no sound whatsoever. She crept down the hill, covered in snow. Her bare feet went numb under the crushed sleet on the ground. She shivered and slipped a little. She skidded down the small hill and carefully stood up. Her mother was losing. She had no choice.

If she was silent, then Ester might not hear her. She held the gun tightly in her hand and pointed it towards Ester. She only had one shot. This had to work.

BANG!

Max flew back due to the force of the gunshot and landed on the frozen hill. She watched as the bullet went through the ice and collapsed underneath the weight of Ester and Kate. They disappeared into the murky water. Max stopped crying, just for a split second and watched carefully. She had meant for the bullet to hit Ester, but instead she may have sent her own mother to a watery grave.

Suddenly, Kate's hand shot up from the ice hole and she pulled herself up. Max began to cry again but Kate shushed her, telling her it was okay. And Max believed. Kate started to crawl across the ice when a hand shot up and grabbed her foot. Kate yelled and Max's eyes widened in shock.

It was Ester. She wasn't dead.

"Please. Don't let me die, mommy," said Ester softly. For a second, Kate looked like she was considering it. Then, her expression changed completly.

"I'm not your fucking mommy!" she screamed and kicked Ester right in the face. Ester let go and sank into the water. Kate stood up and limped over towards Max and scooped her up in her arms.

"Shhh," she whispered. "It's okay. It's all okay now. She's gone. She's gone."

And Max believed.