Later that afternoon, Michelle was sitting in her room, listening to her CD player and reading a book of poems by Emily Dickinson. Michelle used to love poetry before her mother's death; she, her mother, and sister would playfully recite poems by Shel Silverstein, Robert Service, and Emily Dickinson when they were together. Once in a while, James would join in the fun and make all the girls smile. But then came the horrific accident that took Amelia away and left Michelle with a big scar on her upper arm. Michelle stopped reading poems to herself and her family, and turned to magazines that had stories that seemingly made no sense. This time, Michelle wanted some comfort after her major disagreement with her dad. But no matter how hard she tried to read a poem, her music on her CD drowned her thinking. Michelle frowned and turned her CD player off before she got back to reading Emily Dickinson's poetry. As she read Hope is The Thing With Feathers, Michelle recalled one instance in her childhood…

May of 1988

One stormy evening, the Harvey family was in their original home in Colorado. Michelle was eleven or twelve years old, and Kat was around four or five years old. Amelia was knitting a scarf in her rocking chair by the fireplace, and James was in his easy chair, reading a newspaper. Michelle and Kat were sitting on a rug upon the floor by the fireplace; Michelle had a book of poems, and Kat was eagerly moving in her place, ready for her sister to read her a poem. "Oooh! Michelle, tell me the one about the thing with feathers!" Michelle happily begged her sister.

"Alright, Kat, cool your jets!" Michelle giggled as she opened her book and found Emily Dickinson's Hope is The Thing With Feathers. "Here it is!" she grinned.

Kat happily laid down on her belly and put her head in her hands as Michelle read out loud, "Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all…"

Suddenly, a loud of sound of thunder roared, and then all the electricity in the house went out! Michelle gasped, and Kat screamed before she laid completely on the ground and kept her arms above her head. Michelle tried to be brave as she gently put her hand on her sister's head and assured her nervously, "I-It's okay, Kat. It's just a storm. It's part of Mother Nature…" More thunder was heard as Michelle shuddered and stammered, "I-It'll go away soon."

"How do you know, Michelle?" Kat asked as she slowly peeked from one of her arms.

Amelia was lighting a few candles when she saw the girls huddling together. She carefully put a candle down on a table and walked over to her girls with sympathy. "Michelle, Kat, everything will turn out alright," Amelia assured as she knelt down to the girls' level, "You're right, Michelle. Thunderstorms are just natural things, and they don't last long."

A very loud rumble of thunder roared outside, and Kat screamed, running to James. James put his newspaper down and looked at Kat. "Sweetheart, it's okay." Then he looked at Michelle, who was following her sister. "Michelle, you're a very brave big sister."

"You think so?" Michelle asked as she climbed onto her father's lap.

"Of course," James smiled warmly. He then pulled Kat onto his lap to join Michelle, and then James started singing calmly to the girls:

Where the north wind

Meets the sea

There's a river

Full of memory

The girls grew entranced by their father's singing, and so they sang along with him.

Michelle, Kat, and James: Sleep, my children

Safe and sound

For in this river

All is found!

In her waters

Deep and true

Lie the answers

And a path for you

Dive down deep

Into her sound

But not too far

Or you'll be drowned!

Amelia smiled as she watched her husband comforting their children.

James: Yes, she will sing

To those who hear

And in her song

All magic flows

James, Michelle, and Kat: But can you brave

What you most fear?

Can you face

What the river knows?

Back in the present day, Kat softly sang the lullaby to herself when she heard some footsteps downstairs. "That must be Kat," she said with annoyance, "Just as I was feeling at peace for the first time in months!" She gasped when she heard her sister coming, and quickly hid her poetry book underneath a pillow.

Kat soon peeked in the door and greeted, "Hi."

"Uh, hi, Kat," Michelle said with a forced smile, "H-How was school today?"

"Hmmm. It was okay," Kat said with a sigh, "There's gonna be a Halloween party in a few days."

"Oooh!" Michelle said with a little interest, for Halloween was one of her favorite holidays, "Where's it gonna be?"

"Right here at the manor," Kat answered, "I just hope that nobody's…"

Michelle became very surprised that the party was to be held at their new home. "Wait, wait, slow down!" Michelle said as she held her hands up, "You said that the Halloween party will be held HERE? In THIS manor? I dunno, Kat, you'll kinda have to see Dad about this."

"Why not you?" Kat asked.

"Dad hates me right now!" Michelle frowned, "He's not gonna let me go to college, and he wants me to be a second mother to you!" She then groaned a frustrated groan, still a bit angry at her father.

Soon, there came a knock from downstairs. "Could one of you girls answer the door?" James' voice called from below.

Michelle walked over to Kat and held her hand out. "Rock, paper, scissors to see who goes down," she said with a smirk.

The two girls made fists and shook them before Michelle made scissors with her two fingers, and Kat held her hand flat like paper.

"Scissors cut paper!" Michelle grinned slyly.

Kat just sighed with annoyance before she went down to answer the door.

Author's Note: The song "All is Found" is from Frozen 2. ((c) Disney)