House Onyx, Virginia, 1944
Cornelius holds Agnes’ hands as their child screams to life. Cornelius looks into Agnes' eyes as she speaks in a daze, “Amber-“ Her eyes roll back, “Agnes?!” They roll forward and she shuts her eyes, “This one has no gold in her.” She whines as she struggles to get it all out, “She’s rotten.” The EKG flatlines, doctors crowd her as Cornelius shouts at little baby Amber, cursing her size and her worth. The only rotten egg Agnes ever made, besmirching the family name, on Agnes’ legacy.
Later that night, Cornelius holds her in his arms, just feet away from the fireplace. “You murdered her, you filthy girl.” Wendell kicks open the doors to his study and shouts, “Don’t you fucking do it!” Cornelius turns and dangles Amber next to the fire by her foot as she wails and screams, “She took your mother away from us! This rotten fucking child has no place here!”
Wendell growls, then forces on a straight face, to suggest an equally horrid idea, “Why do that when we can punish her?” Cornelius huffs and puffs, the flames’ light reflect off his eyes as he looks towards the fire, “Agnes Onyx miscarried and the man of prestige, Cornelius Onyx, buys a peasant girl to raise to be a butler.”
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He turns and drops baby Amber onto the ground and turns to Wendell, "She must die, Son!" Wendell shouts, "She's only a child!" "She's dirt!" Wendell snarls, "If you kill her, I will destroy everything you've done to spite you!" Cornelius quickly draws his revolver, “You know the price of what you’re asking?!” Wendell grits his teeth, “I do.” Cornelius takes aim with a shout and with a pull of the trigger, Amber screams as a bullet tears through Wendell’s kneecap.
He collapses and Cornelius then shouts, “Get up!” Wendell screams and forces himself to his feet. He huffs and puffs as he uses his one leg to stay upright, “TWENTY trophies by yourself. GO!” Wendell groans, “I’m never leaving Sanol, Father.” Cornelius shouts as Wendell hops out the door on one leg, “You fucking come back with twenty- VERY hard earned trophies! You fucking hear me?!”
Cornelius growls and throws his revolver against the wall, then raises the crying rot by pinching by it's big toe, “Amber- Peasant girl. As Wendell and I have pledged, I will make you wish I cast you into the fire, this very day.” He throws her with all his might towards the couch. He then plops down behind his desk, rubbing a gold coin aggressively to the sound of her crying. "Maybe Bullet does deserve everything. Not ever a bad word out his damn mouth." The crying doesn't stop and he grumbles.