Fiction work in progress

Chapter 1

The walls of the room were bright white. It came as a stark contrast to the black bars of the cage in the center of the room that resembled something like a jail cell or a fancy home for a massive bird. Unfiltered light from outside the large windows bombarded the room and made it look like the sun itself had come for a visit. The light was harsh but she was used to it now. The blinding light and the pitch black dark of night had become familiar. They helped her mark the passing of time from inside the confines of the cage. She knew she had been in here a very long time but exactly how long, she was unsure. The consistent doses of medication made it impossible to keep track.

At least her captors were taking good care of her. They brought her meals like clock work. She had books aplenty and music to keep her from going completely stir crazy. When she tired of reading and indulging in her favorite musical artists, she had a spectacular view through a big bay window overlooking the manicured grounds and distant pond. It was a picture worthy of being painted by a masterful artist. Occasionally, horses and geese could be seen eating and wandering around the edge of the water. She had probably been in the cage so long by now that she could have learned to paint and recreated the scene herself a hundred times over, but she had no interest in trying.

The only door in the room silently eased open just a crack signaling her morning meal was finally about to be delivered. Her sister, Renee wasn’t that much younger than herself; in fact they were often confused as twins in public. It felt as though she was constantly trying to protect and care for the child that lived in the heart of this beautiful woman with timid eyes and a precious soul. That is precisely what landed her here in this cage. If only she could somehow convince this timid creature of what an amazing person she was, and how much she deserved out of life; maybe then she could stand up for herself and have a life of her own. Knowing the hell this innocent was living through was intolerable. If Renee would not fight for herself then her big sister would fight for her. Too bad their older sister, Deana, had other plans for them both.

A timid peek around the frame of the door brought one big brown eye and a wave of long wavy brown hair into view of the room. She looked like their mother in build and facial features, but softer of spirit; and with a little of their father’s mischief in her smile. It was endearing and infuriating at the same time. She was an imp you wanted to pinch and squeeze at the same time. She stood with her feet outside of the room and her face halfway through the door frame until the voice from in the cage gave her the confidence to come inside.

“Good morning little mouse.” Ella softly spoke to her younger sibling. She dragged her hand from bar to bar on the way closer to the door in a slow cat like saunter. Her fitted black pants softly swishing with each booted step. Casually, so as not to scare the mouse, she shifted her own long dark brown braid over her shoulder and let it trail down her back. The red blouse she was wearing had ruffles at the tops of the short sleeves giving the impression of royalty and of warning. It suited Ella’s personality perfectly. She considered it a small kindness that she had been allowed her favorite shirt to wear in her cell. She had a few changes of clothes and other personal items neatly arranged on one end of her enclosure near her cot on a small section of shelves. A small kindness to be sure but one she was grateful for none the less. All dressed up with no where to go…

“Good morning, Ella.” Renee smiled at the reassuring tone her big sister gave her. She just never knew what mood Ella would be in on any given day since Deana had locked her in here. Somedays she was a protector, or comedian; and other days she resembled Carry in the 1976 horror movie by trying to set the world on fire with a look. It was best to tread carefully in this room until one knew which way the wind blew.

Renee stepped carefully forward and placed a tray of oatmeal, fruit and sausages with a steaming cup of coffee onto the floor and slid it under the bars through an opening. Ella sat down and crossed her legs Indian style and settled herself in front of her breakfast. Taking the napkin first, and placing it in her lap, she then lifted the cup of hot coffee to her mouth. Cream, no sugar. Perfection. Yes, thank God for small favors. She gave her coffee her full attention and allowed Renee time get comfortable on the sofa just out of her reach. They typically spent mornings like this now. One sister on the outside of the bars and one sister on the inside waiting for a way out. Neither of them free to move their lives forward. Neither of them seeing a way out. There was no point in trying. Yet.

Their older sister, Deana, was the one who put Ella in the cage. Her husband, Craig, had helped a great deal, obviously. By the looks of things, Craig had the cage assembled in the lesser used section of the large expansive home without being noticed. It wasn’t a surprise to Ella. Craig was good at building things and he liked to be creative in his twisted way of getting what he wanted. The three of them often argued about what was best for Renee but how could anyone have guessed it would go this far? It was Deana’s betrayal of slipping her the medication that stung the most. Ella had always known Craig couldn’t be trusted; but how could Deana have allowed her to be confined like this? To be caged in her family’s estate was simply unbelievable. Yet here she sat. And for what purpose? So she and Craig could have total control of Renee and the estate? It just didn’t make sense. They had plenty on their own, why did they need Renee’s share too?

The day it all happened started like any other. Craig had been screaming at Renee for not getting the laundry and housework done before she went off with her friends again. Renee was in the kitchen crying when Ella found her. It was more than she could stand. She put her arms around her younger sister and promised to get her away from the house and away from their controlling older sister when the drugs kicked in. The medicine hit her head first and then her legs went out from under her. Ella looked at the seemingly innocent glass of water she had been drinking and then over her shoulder at Deana’s triumphant smile before sliding into the kitchen floor. She woke up in the cage; and Lord only knew how much time had transpired while she was unconscious. All that mattered now was protecting the mouse and hoping Deana didn’t kill them both before she made it out of here to freedom.

“So, what are your plans for today?” Ella didn’t make eye contact with Renee. Scaring her wouldn’t gain her any information and she desperately needed it if she were to ever get out of here. She kept her gaze focused on her meal and listened for a response. After giving some consideration to her options, she picked up a brightly colored peach and took a bite. It was so sweet.

“I’m just working around the house today. The laundry is piling up and there are dishes to do. If I can’t get caught up Deana and Craig will be angry again. I don’t like it when they start yelling.” Ella glanced up at her sister. Renee was staring at her hands again. She always did that when she had something more she wanted to say but didn’t feel like she could. By the look of her, she wanted to talk. That was new. Time to gently tug at the thread holding the seam just a little.

Lifting her napkin, Ella dabbed the peach juice off the corner of her mouth and tucked the ends of the cloth into the palm of her hand under the piece fruit to stem the stream of juice now running halfway up her forearm. The peach was perfect and it tasted of summer time. It gave Ella and idea. “Bless your heart, those two run you in the ground all the time. Don’t you ever just get to go out to the barn and ride your horse down to the creek anymore? I bet you haven’t done anything for yourself in quite some time.” Ella took a chance and looked expectantly over at Renee to see her reaction. The plain loose t-shirt lifted and fell with Renee’s deep sigh. Bingo.

“I’d love to go but you know they won’t let me. They do take care of me and it’s the least I can do to repay them by working around here. They pay for this house, my clothes, and almost anything else I need or ask for. I would be out on the street scraping for a job if not for them. I’d rather stay here with my family even if it means doing all the grunt work. They can’t afford to hire help for this place and the thought of getting a job and fending for myself scares me worse than Craig when he yells at me.” Renee’s words lacked conviction. Ella resisted the urge to say anything more and risk losing ground. Better to wait and let Renee come to her again when she felt more comfortable. If there was one thing she had learned it was not to push Renee or she would clam up and stop talking. This tiny display of unhappiness was a vein of gold worth mining.

What if she could convince Renee to set them both free? It was worth a shot but it would have to be done very carefully. After all, Renee hadn’t put her in here but she also had not provided the keys to get her out either. She was obviously scared of Deana and Craig. Poor mouse.

Ella lost her appetite and placed the half eaten peach back where it came from. She kept the coffee but pushed the full tray back under the bars to be taken away. Renee stood up and lifted the tray off the floor. She balanced it with one hand and one lifted knee so she could open the door. Ella had her back turned to Renee when she spoke again, “One of these days I hope you understand what freedom truly feels like, little one. When you do, you won’t ever be scared of anything ever again; except being confined.”

Renee took the tray in two hands and walked out of the open door. From the other side of the doorway she repeated her balancing act and pulled the door closed, locked it, and made her way back to the kitchen.

Ella stretched out on her cot and closed her eyes.

Chapter 2 

It was getting close to dinner time. Deana heard a noise coming from the kitchen that sounded like a scared child in pain. It was a quiet whimper followed by the sharp intake of a sniffle. She picked up the pace and made her way to the brightly lit room. Renee stood by the stove silently stirring small cuts of beef around in a skillet and brushing tears off her cheeks. The smell of dinner cooking had begun to fill the house. Deana watched for a moment as Renee drained the beef by pouring it onto a plate covered with a paper towel and the returned the meat to the pan and added sliced peppers and onions. Next to the skillet, Deana could see a pot of rice simmering. Pepper steak over rice sounded amazing and the smell was making her stomach rumble in anticipation. Renee reached up once more and smoothed a tear off her face and inhaled a big choppy breath.  

“What’s wrong now?” Deana didn’t mean to sound like an unapproving mother, but it was best not to coddle Renee, or the tears could escalate. There was just not time for a full-blown sob fest at dinner time. Craig would get testy. No one wanted that.   

“Craig is mad at me again. Diner isn’t ready yet and looks like he doesn’t want pepper steak. He said it looked nasty. I’ve already started it so I’m going to finish it, but I’m thawing out some chicken to fry for him. Whatever is left over of this will be my lunch, so it doesn’t go to waste.” Renee didn’t even look up from stirring. She would get no sympathy from Deana. Everyone knew that Craig didn’t like roast even if you cut it up and tried to disguise it. Dinner was always supposed to be ready by 5:00 and today she had gotten a later start in cooking thanks to getting sidetracked by a book, insult to injury for Craig. She hadn’t meant to lose track of time, but the story had just gotten good. Katherine Woodwiss had really done a good job on Shanna. No wonder it was her mother’s favorite book. Renee took a second to rekindle the feelings she got from imagining Ruark and Shanna in the jungle by the lake. Romance was so addictive. Maybe one day someone would love her like a fairytale romance and save her.  

Deana saw the dreamy look in her eye and smelled the food cooking. If Renee didn’t snap out of whatever daydream she was in the food would burn and Craig would be mad for sure. Dinner being late was enough to make him ill-tempered, but she could probably slip into something pretty later and pull him out of a bad mood. If he was truly angry there would be no turning that around for a day or so. Best to nip this in the bud while there was still hope. 

“Renee, stir the food or get away from the stove. It smells like it’s about to burn. I don’t have time for you to dawdle. You knew what time dinner would be expected. If it’s late and he’s mad, that’s on you.” Deana watched Renee shrink into herself a little more and lost patience.  

“Just move, I’ll finish this. Go find something else to do.” She pushed Renee out of the way and took the spatula from her hand. With her left hand she pushed the pan forward and lifted it, snatching back she flipped the food like she’d seen pros on tv do. It was fun to pretend occasionally that she could really cook. Maybe Deana should start cooking the meals more often and then there would be less drama, she thought to herself. If things could run more smoothly maybe Craig would be happier. Lately it seemed that Renee was less and less dependable. It was becoming quite a load around here to make sure things were getting done. Doing it herself might be worth the trouble and maybe Craig would smile and be proud of her when things were done the way he liked it. Perhaps that was the key to a happy marriage. It was something to consider. Craig could be so much fun when he was happy. 

 No one could be more generous than her husband. When he was in a good mood, he showered her with attention and affection. When Renee screwed things up, he could be so mean. Deana had learned to avoid his temper, but that girl seemed to try and make him mad. Anyone could see that Craig was just trying to protect Renee. She was so immature it was pitiful.  She wouldn’t last long in the world on her own. Ella just couldn’t understand that Craig wanted what was best for Renee and it had nothing to do with wanting to gain anything from her. He was watching out for her in a cruel world of scary men who would take advantage of someone with such a trusting spirit. Giving her things to do around the house was his way of keeping her occupied and out of trouble but she kept getting distracted and never seemed to keep up with her list of things to do. Idle hands studied mischief, after all, and he was just trying to watch out for the young girl and teach her to be responsible.  

Maybe Deana needed to step in and take over. If he came home to the perfect home and meals on time it would probably make him so much happier. He didn’t have to know it wasn’t Renee who did the chores. If Deana could get everything done before he got home, then Renee wouldn’t get yelled at and Craig would be happy. Yes, it was time for Deana to step in and handle everything and save them all from dealing with Craig’s anger over the lack of attention Renee was paying to her responsibilities. That girl was practically incompetent. She could find something else for Renee to do during the day to keep her busy and out of the way. Lord knew she loved to read and that alone could keep her occupied for hours. She couldn’t get into too much trouble if her nose was in a book, could she? In her mind she saw Craig walking through the front door at the end of the day and smiling at her with approval when the house was perfectly clean, the laundry was done, and dinner was promptly on the table. If he wanted perfection, then she would make sure he got it. Then they would live happily ever after and eventually Renee could just go on her way. It could be just the two of them. That meant doing something will Ella too. That would have to wait for another day. One obstacle at a time. For now, she had to focus on saving the evening at hand. A smile crept onto Deana’s face and as a plan for formed in her mind. Maybe this evening wouldn’t be a total loss after all.  

Deana was so lost in thought at the stove preparing dinner that she didn’t even notice when Renee left the room. Renee had been so hungry and excited about what she was cooking for dinner until Craig came in and ruined it. She wasn’t even hungry now. Feeling rejected and useless all over again, Renee went back to her room to pick up where she left off with her book. She was creeping down the hall trying to avoid attracting attention and stopped by the laundry room to scoop up a load of laundry and dumped it in the washing machine on her way. No sense getting yelled at for that too. At the end of the hall, she opened the door and stepped into the bedroom that had been hers since childhood.

She was in her early twenties, but this room was still decorated in peach ruffles on the bed and curtains like it was when she was twelve years old. It was nice and comforting.   Renee flung herself across the bed and covered her eyes for a moment. She truly missed her parents. Her mother had been all business just like Deana. Her dad was full of mischief and fun. She could close her eyes and she was back on a horse riding at a full gallop while her father watched from the back porch and laughed with pride at her play. He had given her so much courage in her life. Without him she was lost. Maybe should try and be more like her mother, but she wasn’t sure she had it in her. After all, her mother rarely looked happy about carrying most of the responsibility around the house. Now that Renee was doing all the chores, she could understand why her mother always looked tired. The beautiful life of Shanna crossed her mind again. To live a romantic life on an island with a kind strong man was a fantasy worth having. With that last thought she reached over and picked the up the worn book once more and her imagination put her back in the glow of love and passion. It was such a nice place to be.  

In the dining room, Deana set the table and lit candles. She dimmed the overhead lights and stepped back from the table. It was perfect. She knew Craig was already hungry and waiting on dinner and she didn’t want to keep him waiting any longer than necessary so she ran as fast as she could for her closet. Quickly, she changed into a low-cut dress in his favorite shade of blue. With a smile, she left her panties on the floor and checked her reflection in the mirror. This dress would never see the light of day outside this house if Craig wasn’t with her. He made sure of that.  She reached up and took her hair down from the messy bun she often wore to keep her hair out of her way while she worked around the house. Using her fingertips, she shook her long curls out, so they fell in beautiful waves down her exposed back. Craig loved her long hair so she would show it off tonight. There was always one sure fire way to improve his mood and it would be worth the effort just to see him smile. There was a little bit of fun in the challenge of trying to swing his mood back to happy from whatever negative emotion he was in at the time. Mad about dinner? Challenge accepted.

She walked back through the house to the living room where Craig sat watching tv in his favorite chair. Deana deliberately walked between Craig and the television straight through his line of sight to get his attention. Her hips gently swayed so the skirt danced back and forth with each step.  

“Dinner is ready,” she said with a smile as she paused by his chair waiting for him to look up at her. He didn’t. His gaze never wavered from the football game he was watching. He was missing the game she had started. She felt a little frustration and decided to try again and get his attention.  

“It’s about time. I’m starving. What are we having?” he spoke but he never looked away from the television screen and the game he was absorbed in. Men in the south worshipped three things: God, football, and sex. She tried not to let it bother her that he still wasn’t looking at her. With one hand she lifted the hem of her dress just a little to brush her hand down her thy. It worked. He glanced over at her exposed leg and then up at her face. “Why are you so dressed up?” 

“There’s fried chicken and your favorite sides. I thought we could have a nice dinner and then slip away somewhere more private for dessert.” Her intentions were obvious, and she smiled while looking into his deep blue eyes. A quick adrenaline spike of anticipation gave her a chill and ran goose bumps up her skin. He smiled back at her and reached over to run his finger across her leg where her hand had just been. The contact of his rough hands with her soft skin gave her a fresh wave of chill bumps. His hand stopped after just a few inches and he turned back to once again watch the game. Seconds ticked by while Deana stood there playing with her own fingernails before he finally reached for the remote and paused the game.

Feeling a tiny bit of relief and little triumphant, Deana walked ahead of him into the dining room and stood by her seat so she could see him when he came into the room. Dinner looked wonderful and the lighting was perfect. It was such a romantic setting, and she was proud of the way it all turned out. She waited expectantly for the look of happy surprise she hoped to see on his face. She was quickly disappointed.  

“What’s all this?” he stood just inside the doorway and looked around. Fried chicken, homemade mashed potatoes, southern fried okra, and mac n cheese were all arranged in pretty serving dishes at the center of the table. The white tablecloth covering the table was carefully set with the dishes reserved for special occasions. Candlelight from her mother’s silver candlesticks flickered and danced in the center of the table and cast soft shadows from the water and tea glasses set near each plate. It was obvious she had gone to a lot of trouble. It was the perfect romantic dinner setting. He should have smiled or something. Instead he just stood there and looked a little uncomfortable and confused. 

 “I just wanted to do something nice for you since you work so hard for us. I thought we could sit in here and spend some time together. Just the two of us.” Deana reached out and pulled her chair away from the table and sat down. She lifted the blue cloth napkin from her place setting and draped it in her lap thinking Craig would come and sit in his seat by her at the table. When he didn’t, she looked up at him again to see him hesitate and then slowly step forward.

He placed his hand on the back of her chair and leaned down to place a kiss on her cheek. Then he stood and lifted his plate from the table.  “Baby, this is really pretty but the game is on so I’m going to eat dinner in the living room, but after the game we can talk about dessert.” He winked at her, piled his plate with food, and left the room to go back to his recliner.   

Deana sat for a moment looking at all her hard work. Suddenly, her appetite was gone. She could feel the tears creeping into the corner of her eyes and start to sting. This was not the place for crying and she would not be like Renee and cry over food. Besides, Craig wouldn’t like it if she cried over something like this. Not wanting to push him back into the anger she was trying so hard to pull him out of, she carefully placed her napkin back onto the table, slid her chair back and carried the serving dishes of food back to the kitchen. No longer did she want to attract his attention. It was time to go find a place to collect herself where his eyes wouldn’t see her disappointment. 

Once the food was safely into the oven to stay warm, she made her way back through her bedroom and into the comfort of her bathroom. A few minutes later she was neck deep in bubbles and hot water with her long hair bound back up on the top of her head. She filled her mouth from a can of whipped cream while her favorite heart break song played on repeat. The pretty blue dress lay in a heap on the floor where it mocked her. She closed her eyes and sank a little deeper into the tub with a cold can of consolation safely held above the suds. 

Chapter 3 

Deana sat in the car outside a local fast-food chain. The drive through line was taking forever but it would be worth the wait when she was finally able to dive into her favorite breakfast. It was such a relief not to cook this morning. She needed to make a quick stop by the grocery store for cleaning supplies and ingredients for dinner tonight and then she would head home to get the house cleaned up. She pulled forward to the last window and smiled at the young girl who held a bag of food out to her. The coffee followed and she was on her way to the store. She sat in the parking lot to enjoy her meal. There were still things to be decided on and there was no better time than sitting alone in a car to gather one’s thoughts. She pulled the sun visor down and looked at herself in the mirror before opening the bag.  ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

The footsteps coming down the hall were much too loud to be Renee. Ella recognized the echo of her sister’s dress shoes coming closer so she stood up and walked to the end of the cage and waited for the door to open. Deana had some real nerve coming back in here. She had only visited one time since locking these doors. This would make the second time they would speak face to face. She couldn’t help but be a little curious as to what had prompted the visit. Sarcastically to she waited to throw an old cliché’ at her sister. She didn’t have to wait long. The door swung open wide, and Deana walked in carrying Ella’s breakfast in one hand.  

“Long time no see, sis. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” Ella smiled and cocked her hip to one side and braced a hand at her small waistline. Her southern accent gave her words a deceptive note of sincerity. 

Deana instantly picked up the duplicity. She knew she was less than welcome in this room. She dropped the bag of fast food on the floor without care and slid it under the bars with her foot. With a smile big enough to match Ella’s, she reached out and offered the coffee through the bars. Her hand passed inside the cage all the way up to her wrist in a bold move that demonstrated her lack of concern for anything Ella could do to her. Ella stood there a moment before taking the coffee. Looking at the white skin of her sister’s wrist gave her visions of snatching Deana hard enough to bounce her head off the bars. If she did that the coffee would spill. Why spite oneself and not enjoy a cup of Joe? She took the cup from Deana’s hand and removed the lid off the paper cup to examine the contents. It looked good enough, so she took a careful sip and closed her eyes to savor it. Coffee from home was good but coffee from her favorite junk food joint was great. Deana lost no time at the bars and confidently walked over to plop onto the nearby sofa.  

So, it was to be a chat then? Ella leaned over and retrieved the bag from the floor and skeptically looked inside. Fast food coffee and a breakfast burrito with two paper napkins may not have sounded like much to most people but it was one of Ella’s favorites. Deana knew that. Now what was Deana up to coming in here with treats?  

“I suppose I should thank you for bringing me such a feast but it would be completely unnecessary to burden yourself with the task if you would just let me out of here. Be a dear, would you, and give me the key?” Ella unwrapped the burrito and took a bite. The melted fake cheese was wonderful. She stood in the middle of the cage watching Deana on the couch while she chewed. This must be good. The suspense was killing her. By the second bite of burrito Ella was starting to lose patients.  

Deana saw the muscle at the corner of Ella’s eye tighten slightly and knew her sister was about to say something mean. Time to get this over with. “I just wanted to check on you. I realize that putting you in here was a little drastic, but I hope in time you can forgive me and maybe even understand why I did it.”  

Ella took a long draw of hot coffee and swallowed the bite she had been chewing on. Something was definitely up. “Thanks for your concern. It’s heartwarming. How are things going out there without me? Tell me, is your life everything you hoped it would be?”  

That stung. Deana shifted in her seat. The small muscles of her jaw began to clench and release. The look in her eyes gave her away. Ella choked a little on her burrito trying to stifle a laugh. She coughed a couple of times and took another big gulp of coffee before regaining her composure. Deana stood up and walked over to the large picture window to look out over the pond. It was still early in the day so the light was soft and the mist was still rising over the pond. Just outside the glass a honeybee kissed several roses before flying off to some unknown place. It was such a beautiful view.  The crinkling of the paper bag behind her brought her back to why she was in this room. She turned and managed a pained smile for her sibling. Too bad it had all come to this but Ella just could not bring herself to cooperate and Deana needed peace in her life. This was the only way to stop the boat from rocking.  

“You know if you had just kept your mouth shut and let me handle everything, we wouldn’t have to resort to this. These bars don’t bring me any joy, Ella. I had hoped that we could work together once upon a time. You’ve made it very clear that you refuse to listen, and someone has to slow you down from wrecking our family. You’ll be happy to know that I have decided to take responsibility for the majority of the responsibilities that were placed on Renee. She’s free to read all the books she wants so long as she stays out of the way. She can have her own private fantasy land.” Deana paused and waited for Ella to say something. She hoped it would give Ella some measure of peace to know that Renee would be taken care of in the only way Deana knew how. It was a win-win. Renee would be safe, and Deana would get the acceptance she craved from her husband. Maybe that would be a triple win and eventually, Ella would finally be happy too. 

 Ella downed the last of the coffee with a little regret. It would have been nice to have a bigger cup so it would have lasted longer. The caffeine was just starting to buzz in her veins when she felt something else swim around in her head. “Still being sneaky I see,” Ella walked over to her cot and eased herself down before the medicine could kick all the way in. “What are you so afraid of, Deana? Why keep me locked in here? Are the meds really necessary?” It was odd to feel all the chemicals at once. The pills won over the caffeine and Ella closed her eyes as the door to her room was once again opened.  

Deana stood silently watching Ella fade away into oblivion. Just before Ella was completely gone she spoke with some regret in her voice, “I just need you to trust me, Ella, and you will never be satisfied that I can manage everything on my own unless I show you. You always have to butt in and make everything so much harder than it has to be. For once, you’re going to have to do this my way. Renee will be fine. I promise.”  

Ella didn’t even hear the door close as Deana locked it behind her and made her way back out to the main living area of the house. Time to put her plan into action. There was a lot to do and time was ticking by. 

Chapter 4 

The music was loud. Renee could hear it all the way into the back of the house where she was hiding in her room. Deana warned her not to come out today and she was doing her best to follow directions, but she was growing curious about all the old rock and roll music currently vibrating the walls of the house. It had her wanting to dance. She began to wiggle back and forth to the beat of the music and spinning in a tight circle in her room. The song ended and another song began. The pounding of a piano reverberated down the hall followed by a man’s voice demanding the old records to be taken off the shelf. That was the last straw. Renee needed the music to run through her. The song was just too irresistible and it made her open the door and run down the hall to stand closer to the speakers. She wanted to feel it thump in her chest for just a moment and then she would run back to her room and hide just as she had been told. The song finally ended with the saxophone fading off into oblivion. Renee looked up and found Deana staring at her in a mirror. The older sister didn’t say a word. She just pointed in the direction of the hall and Renee instantly retreated back to her room. This time she left the door cracked open so she could enjoy the music without getting into trouble.