Building A (Strange) Family

Brutal

"Well, the recipe calls for thighs, but all we have is a whole chicken,"
Joel was complaining to Robert.
Lilly had just walked into the kitchen for soda.

"Oh, here..." She came beside him, grabbing the knife he left on the counter.

"First, cut the skin a little. Then..." She pulled on the leg and they could it pop.
"Find the joint and pop it. That will tell you where to cut."

She easily sliced the thigh from the rest of the chicken,
showing the joint she had just cracked with her hands.

She took the leg quarter and between her hands and ripped the thigh joint from the leg and again sliced through it cleanly.

"Same with the back and the breast; it will tell you where it should be cut-
WHY are you all staring at me like that!?!"

She realized not only Joel and Robert were at the island staring,
but Mark and David had come in as well,
all looking at her with slightly horrified expressions.

"It's just..." Robert tried to start.

"You're so brutal... The snapping and the..." Mark concluded with a shudder.

Her eyebrows lifted.
"Really? YOU guys are squeamish?"

"Hey, we may be vampires, but we don't expect this level of savagery from you," David defended.

Joel looked right into her eyes, haunted.
"You work with animals..."

She finally laughed.
"I've actually used this to help reset joints, not brutalize animals, Joel!
But I learned this because mom used to be a butcher.
She was one of those 'Jack of all trades' kinds. She's done everything."

They were still looking between her and the half butchered chicken in awe.