The Raging Storm

CHAPTER 2

Tw: There is a bit of gore mentioned because of taxidermy on Milky :]

  The three siblings headed to their cabin. The walk was silent. Soot had gotten her bag with Princess back, but she held onto Milky as well. Once they got into their cabin, Soot started the first call. “Hello?” Soot muttered, making sure it was working.
  “Hi, Soot, how was your hike? You look awful.” It was her stepdad talking. Her mom’s gaze seemed to be fixed on something in the back. Probably Milky.
  “It was… interesting, to say the least.” Soot laughed nervously. 
  Rain pushed Soot aside, “Soot had to rescue Rose and Milky twice!” 
  Rose looked at Rain indignantly. “I didn’t need to be saved! Milky did!” 
  “If Soot didn’t save you, you would have been stuck on that rock still!” Rain retorted.
  “Calm down, tell us about it.” 
  Soot looked at her stepdad, regretting all of her choices. She would probably be yelled at for not being responsible enough for her siblings.
  “We were hiking and went over the stepping stones! Milky fell in and Soot had to swim to get her! We rested for a few minutes and Rose was gone! We found her on a rock near a waterfall! Soot walked over a tree to get her, then she risked her life to save Milky!” Rain exclaimed.
  Soot covered her face to hide her anxious expression. She heard her mom let out a snort of laughter, “You kids and your imagination!”
  “It’s true!” Rose added.
  Soot watched as her stepdad’s gaze flicked toward her. “Soot? Is it?” he questioned.
  Soot nodded, “Yes, but I tried to watch them! I took my eyes off Rose for a second and she was gone the next! The only injuries are the cut on my head and the scratches on Rain from the thornbush, I promise!” 
  “You saved your sister.” Soot couldn’t tell what her stepdad was feeling.
  “I’m sure anyone could have.” Soot muttered.
  “But you’re the one who did.” 
  “I suppose so.” Soot looked at her sister’s dog. Hollowing out the corpse would be the beginning, but she would have to stuff it and make sure it wouldn’t rot. Then she’d have to sew it. The thought of a sewing needle going through flesh scared her a bit. Especially since it would be intentional. 
  “I’ll make sure to give you something as a thanks.” Soot stared at her mother as she eyed her stepdad in disbelief.
  “We need to move on to the next call now. Bye mom and dad.” Soot concluded. She quickly called her siblings’ mother so they could talk to her.

(TW starts here!!)

  “Rain! Rose!” That was all Soot listened to before going to start hollowing Milky out, starting by cutting the stomach open.
  She put on gloves and took the organs out and put them in a bag. She would have them cremated. She cleaned the insides of fluids, muscle tissue, bones, and blood. 
  Soot was glad she brought stuffing. She grabbed some and neatly settled it into the body. Finally she sewed it up. It was unnoticable that the body had been opened. 

(TW ends? here)

  “Bye Mommy!” Rose’s yell was loud. Soot covered her ears as her younger sister continued to yell her farewells.
  “Okay my turn.” Soot muttered, taking her phone and calling her father.
  “Hi Soot,” Her dad began. “How was the hike?”
  “Good.” Soot lied. Her dad wouldn’t be able to tell that she was lying too easily, considering Soot decided a voice-only call would be best.
  “What did you do?” Her dad seemed excited.
  “Walked.” Soot muttered. A smile formed on her face as she said the next bit, “And I went for a couple swims!” 
  “Why?”
  Soot explained what happened and she chatted with her dad for a while. They said their good-byes and hung up. Soot looked out the window. The sun had already set. She glanced at her phone. 9:53pm. 
  “Okay, kiddos. Time to get ready for bed. Brush your teeth, get your beds made, and lay down. I don’t want to see you up a minute past 10:15.” Soot gave the orders softly but sternly.
  Her siblings scrambled around, trying to get to what they needed, then they argued over who would get the bathroom first.
  “Rain, go first. I need to talk to Rose.” Soot sighed. 
  “What is it?” Rose walked slowly toward her.
  “Milky is never going to get better. She’s dead. I made her into a stuffed animal though. You have to take really good care of her, okay?” Soot hated telling her. Rose was obviously heartbroken. She gazed at the floor. Soot saw droplets fall from her face. Rose was crying.
  She took the stuffed dog and ran to her bedroom. Soot wasn’t going to make her do anything else. Soon, Rain appeared from the bathroom and walked to his room.
  Soot walked out of the den area to her room. She sat on her bed and turned on her phone. She opened Discord, her heart lifting as she saw the online icon next to her friend’s username.
  She texted her. “Hey Sappy!” it was a nickname she’d given her. She waited for a reply.
  “Hi you’re up late” 
  “Yeah, I’m on vacation. Parents aren’t here to make me go to sleep. I’m keeping the other two inside tomorrow, so I won’t need it anyway.” Soot texted back.
  “Call?” Soot smiled as she read her friend’s message.
  “Of course!” Soot replied.
  The call started, “Hello?” Soot always started the calls off with that, just to make sure everything was working.
  “Hi, Gogy!” 
  “Sapnap! Oh my god, I have missed you so much! Today, I almost died! I didn’t want the last time we talked to be so soon!” 
  “Are you okay?” Sapnap gasped. 
  “Yes, of course. Though, my siblings cared more about a dog.” Soot turned on her camera and propped her phone up on the wall. 
  Sapnap did the same. Her black hair covered her eyes and she had a hood on. Soot giggled as she imitated her friend. 
  “I just wanna hit the whip and nae nae!” Sapnap randomly laughed.
  “Then do it.” Soot stood up, adjusting her leggings, then walked over to her dresser. She still needed to change. 
  She grabbed a yellow sweater and a different pair of leggings, these ones were black, not grey though. “Be right back!” Soot called, she walked out of her room and to the bathroom, changing quickly. She walked back to her own room and tossed her dirty clothes to her pile of outfits. 
  “Soot, I looked it up, you’re not very far from where I live.” Sapnap smiled. 
  Soot was overjoyed now. She looked at her phone. “Maybe I can come visit you!” 
  “Yes, please!” Sapnap giggled.
  “Oh my god, Violet! There’s something outside!” Soot gasped, using her friend’s real name.
  “Soot, are you okay? Do you need help?” Violet asked worriedly. 
  “Nevermind, just a bird.” Soot sighed.
  “Good, I wouldn’t be able to handle losing you.” Violet muttered.
  “I’m tired.” Soot sighed, mostly to herself. “But let’s play something! Minecraft?” 
  “Sure!” Violet seemed delighted.