Chapter Six

Piece by Piece

It had been at least a month since our step-father, ergh, how I hated to refer to him as such; paid us a visit. Days began to span into weeks and then weeks began to span into months; weeks and months of never ending tension and complaints of the twins. I began to accommodate to every single of their little whims, even as small as allowing them to only eat 'liquid sunshine.' It was winter now, and the attic had once again become far too chilly to enter; alright, chilly was an understatement. How about, it was because it was arctic cold. Only Chris braved the cold, and even dressed in ski pants and a padded jacket he still came back shivering with his lips almost blue.

Today was Thanksgiving, and Chris and I expected our Mother to be visiting us, due to the fact that we hadn't seen her in months and today, our birthdays and Christmas were days she never missed. Days filled with wrapping paper and lukewarm chicken and soup; the best days.

I rose from the chair I had been sat in reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, and hastened to make the bed as I heard the jungle of keys which declared the arrival of our beloved Grandmother. She entered without a word, bearing the picnic basket which was over-flowing with 'delicious' food. She didn't even acknowledge us anymore, her lips, pressed in that ever constant thin line barely opened, and when they did it was either a reprimand or a question that desired no real answer. Today she uttered not a word, merely glared at me with her harsh grey eyes; I smiled, to show my obvious respect, of course. I thought she was about to leave as quickly as she entered and so, begun to move toward the basket, she whirled around and stopped me in my tracks. Huh, this was new.

'How are the twins, Catherine?' she asked. I swayed slightly. Did she just inquire about our health? And refer to me by name, not girl?

'Well? I require an answer.'
'Fin-fine, yes we are just fine,' I replied trembling slightly.
She nodded once haughtily before turning and striding out of the room. Her nose was pink from embarrassment. Wow.

I felt Chris's hands on my shoulders and either Carrie or Cory clutching my legs.

'Well that was different.' I said softly. Chris chuckled slightly.

'You bet it was. Good Golly, I thought I'd never see the day the old woman was embarrassed! What was that?'

He sounded as bewildered as I was. I felt my shoulders rise and fall as we all stared blankly at the closed door.

'Cathy?' Carrie asked in her birdlike voice, 'can we eat now?'
I felt my self nod and moved woodenly towards the basket. I took out the thermos's that contained our soup and milk, the fruit and containers that held the days food, all the while not really thinking about what I was doing. The scene that had just occurred was bizarre, something I had never even dreamt about before, a true marvel.

We ate in silence, still slightly too shocked to speak.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The day dragged on and became long and dreary. It was now dinner time, and Momma had not yet come to see us. Although I no longer loved her, I still felt a faint pain at her rejection. We were her children for goodness sake! She loved us once, why couldn't she just at least pretend for one day to still? I slammed the plate down onto the table and felt the tears pour over my lids. Why? I screamed internally. I continued to bang the plate down on the table and with every smack I screamed so loud in my mind I felt like my ears would explode. I hadn't had a tantrum in while and now with nobody in sight, I thought I deserved one. I stomped my feet and threw the plate across the room, I vaguely heard the smash before I collapsed onto the floor and sobbing, brought my knees under my chin and rocked much like Carrie when she cried. I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me and prise my hands away from my face.

'Cathy,' he murmured. I squeezed my eyes shut tight. 'Cathy, darling, come on, open your eyes. Cathy.' I didn't, if anything I squeezed them shut tighter.

'Cathy, Cathy, Cathy,' he crooned. I felt his lips on my eyes, his feathery touch running over my shoulders, down my back as his lips began to lightly kiss my jaw, my cheek, my mouth. I welcomed the kiss, I would have welcomed anything that gave me any of the love I desired. The kiss became filled with more than sorrow; it was filled with desire, passion. It was fiery and entrancing. I wrapped my arms tight around his neck, curling my fingers into his soft hair. He moaned when my tongue brushed over his bottom lip and I smiled slightly. Apparently I was good at this; his left hand brushed up my right leg as his right hand caressed my breast, I moaned, perhaps he was just as good. I felt my back on the hard wooden floor as he sprawled over the top of me, the sensations I was feeling were unlike anything I had ever felt before. I don't want them to stop, I thought. We were so occupied that we didn't here the lock turn and the door open. We did here the gasp and a voice demand.

'What in Gods name are you doing?'

We looked up and saw Bartholomew Winslow standing at the doorway. His eyes were wide with shock and the box of maple candy in his hand was crushed slightly as his hand clenched into a fist.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When he slammed the door it felt like a gunshot straight through my heart.

'When you told me your story Catherine, you forgot to mention this.' This was uttered through clenched teeth. I didn't know what to say. I felt Chris's hand slide into mine, before he withdrew it quickly as Bartholomew Winslow's eyes flashed.

'What is going through your minds? Do you even have minds?' he yelled, 'It's a good job I walked in and not your Mother, you would most probably be dead right now, or at least about to be whipped by your Grandmother!'

Neither of us spoke. What was there to say? I am sorry that we are attracted to each other? He took a step towards us, opened his mouth to speak, before shutting it again. Then we heard it, the jingling of keys in the hall, followed by a humming. Our, Mother, was coming to visit.

I felt a chill go through my bones as the jingling keys echoed just outside the door; and then one was inserted into the keyhole.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxx

Authors Notes

Please review!  
I have finished school now….so I have plenty of time to catch up on my stories and do some major writing 