Cupboards
The car stopped. He wasted no time in jumping out and then slamming the door. It was still running; the engine could be heard quietly humming, mixing with the surrounding night music and the tall pine trees that lined the edge of the dark, countryside road.

The flashing lights that he saw in front of him seemed to bring light to the dark night. They brought no warmth though; he was wrapped in his jacket, shivering with the cold.

As he walked towards the flashing lights he recalled how just 20 minutes ago, he had received an urgent call. His family was distressed, but it was his job to keep his head about him.

Besides, there was nothing seriously wrong.
MORGAN
"Stop moving!" I yelled. "You're getting blood all over the carpet."

Uncle Merril shut up and continued to hold his arm over the sink. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror and saw me looking at him. Our eyes locked for a second and I raised my eyebrows. My hands were wrinkled with water and blood.

"Hold on, let me look at it," he croaked. He pried my hand off his forearm and peered underneath the pink washcloth we had thrown over it. "Ugggh," he moaned. Houdini's teeth had made four little marks in the skin of his left arm and it wouldn't clot. We had been up there for a minute, the both of us sitting on the edge of the bathtub, listening to Houdini carrying on outside. I read that when you were rapidly losing blood, you were supposed to elevate it but when I mentioned this, Bo started to tug on Uncle Merril's shoulder. I yelled at her to move out of the way and she ran downstairs. Uncle Merril was calm; he kept insisting it wasn't that rapid.

I rolled my eyes. "Bo had the right idea," I mumbled.

"She nearly ripped my shirt off," he replied. "Morgan, you really should go check on your sister." He stood up and threw the cloth out.

"You're supposed to hold it on!" I cried.

"I'm fine, Morgan! Go downstairs."

There was a sudden bang from outside. Houdini's cries fell silent. Uncle Merril and me looked at each other and didn't say a word. I knew what we had just heard. Aunt Carolyn had been on duty, then.

We suddenly heard Gwen screaming. I walked to the window and peered through the blinds. Uncle Merril ran out of the room, still cluthcing his arm. "Morgan, you stay here!" he yelled behind him. Then he thudded down the stairs.

My mouth dropped open as I looked out into the yard. Gwen and Aunt Morgan were screaming at each other out in the backyard. I saw Houdini lying on his side, still attached to the chain. I knew he wasn't alive. I knew Aunt Carolyn had shot him. I wasn't sad, though. Why had the dog been acting so strange? It must have been the signs in the field.

I suddenly saw bright stars in front of my eyes and my chest tightened up. I had to take big gulps of air to stay standing. Stumbling, I flung open the sink cabinet and rummaged through what I could still see. Cloths, pills, a Scuba diving Barbie - Bo's - and I grasped a hold of my puffer which fell into the sink as I pushed things out of my line of vision. I took a big breath of it. I could never get used to the taste.

I stayed bent over the sink for a minute, trying to think of what I would say when I walked downstairs. I knew Dad would come running up to me and whisper to shut my eyes and go hug Bo. Uncle Merril would stand near the door, wringing his hands, asking Dad what to do with the body. Gwen would try not to cry and come over to us and wrap us in another bear hug while whispering out renditions of: "Everything will be fine, just don't listen." Just don't listen? If that could solve everything then Mom would still be alive.
* * *
What did I tell you?

Bo and me were huddled on the couch, fingering the throw pillows and squeezing each other's hands. Gwen was sitting beside us, rubbing my back and sniffing. She tried not to look at either of her parents, who were in the kitchen, whispering so we wouldn't hear what they were saying. Dad was outside, getting rid of Houdini. When I thought about this, I felt more tears on my face. I don't know why I was crying. It felt like the right thing to do.

Bo put her hand on my right shoulder and leaned over to my ear. "Morgan, what will happen to Isabel?" she asked. I looked into her eyes.

"Nothing," I said. "Nothing bad."

Bo rested her head on my lap and Gwen looked at the floor. She looked up a second later and saw me staring at her. Her eyes were all red and her lip was trembling. I started shaking. She never cried. Never.

"Morgan?"

"Yes, Gwen?"

"I have to go outside for a minute and talk to your dad. Will you stay here with Bo?"

I nodded. Gwen stroked Bo's hair and then stood up, running her fingers through her hair as she shuffled outside.

Bo was breathing hard. She wiggled her feet as she lay down. Then she turned from her side and looked up at me. "Morgan?"

I sighed. "Yes, Bo?"

"I'm thirsty. Is there any water?"

"You had water outside. You didn't drink it."

She didn't say anything but just stared at me. Then she sat up and grabbed the top of the couch and pulled her legs up so she could see outside. I turned around and rested my chin in my arms. We looked out into the yard and saw Dad and Gwen standing by the garage. They kept looking back and forth at the dead dog that had once been Houdini and a shovel propped up against the far side of the garage. I didn't want to know what they were going to do, even though I did.

"Are we gonna have a funeral for Houdini, Morgan?"

"I don't know, Bo. There are more important things happening right now."
"Like the circles?"

"Yes."

She didn't say anything then; just kept looking out the window. A few tiny rain drops spattered on the window and I saw Gwen and Dad look up.

Them looking up like that struck sudden thoughts in my mind. What sort of things could cause a big crop circle like that? I had overheard Uncle Merrill talking to Dad before he went into the kitchen and he said that he thought this was way out of the Wolfington brother's league. Dad wasn't sure, though. He's seen them do more vandalism, so they wouldn't have a problem with this.

I doubted both of them.
GWEN
The rain started to drizzle down. I wasn't that cold, but it's never fun to be wet. Graham looked pretty uncomfortable. We stood there looking at the shovel and Houdini. He was lying on his side across the yard.

"I know I have this obligation," he spoke above the silence. "I have to."

"I could do it," I interrupted.

"No way. You can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm a girl?"

"I didn't say that."

"I lifted you up."

"I know."

Then there was more silence except for the rain, which started to fall down harder. I didn't get it. It was sunny this morning. It lit up the entire circle. Graham looked up at the house and sighed.

"Oh alright." I let out a huge breath. "I'll get mom to do it."

Graham looked up at me. He swallowed hard and rubbed his forehead. "You two were going at it pretty tough out here. You don't have to talk to her right now."

I looked at the ground and blinked furiously. Dad would never say something like that to me. He'd tell me to 'talk to my mother', or 'answer the door, it's her' or 'hand your mother the check'.

"Why can't he do it his own damn self?" I cried. I clenched my fists and stared at Graham. He had a look of the same for me.

"You mean your dad?" he asked.

I didn't say anything for a minute. My mouth was wide open and I didn't realise rain was falling into it until I heard Isabel barking. We had tied her up in the garage. All the while, Graham didn't say a word, just kept staring at me. I wondered if any adult I knew would ever understand me.

I turned and walked up to the house. "Gwen," said Graham behind me. I ignored him and burst through the front door. My hair was starting to go frizzy. I squeezed the water onto the carpet and looked into the living room. Morgan and Bo were sitting on the couch looking at the floor.

"I don't care if you heard. You probably couldn't even hear," I spoke. My voice came out all hoarse.

Morgan looked up while Bo didn't move. I shrugged and said: "I'm sorry. I'm just."

"I know," he said. "It's OK."

"I'm thirsty," said Bo.

"Hold on." I turned and shuffled towards the kitchen, then swore and turned back to the front hall to pry off my sandals. My feet were numb by now.

"Ow, ow, ow," I whispered to myself, going back towards the kitchen. I walked right in on Mom and Dad whisper-fighting. Mom was crossing her arms and tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder. Dad was bent over the sink turning the taps on and off out of nervous habit. I sometimes couldn't stand my parents. They were too young to have me, so what did they know? They both looked at me as I noisily threw open cupboards.

"The cups are over here," mumbled Dad. "Above the sink."

"I know," I replied. Bang. The first set I opened was slammed shut. I started on the pots and pans.

"Gwen." Mom sounded tired. It was still only the morning. Outside was almost dark as night. Graham was still disposing of the dog. I slammed a second set.

"Gwen."

"I'm sorry, yes?" I asked. "Bo's thirsty and she knocked her old water all over our dog Houdini." I turned to the sink, where Dad was leaning, listening to me carry on, tugging at his injured arm. I walked over and stretched my arm over his shoulder to open the cupboard. I couldn't reach. "Do you mind?" I complained.

"Carolyn, why don't you go get rid of the dog." Dad was looking at me as he spoke to my mom. I glared at him.

"Oh that's a real smart plan," I hissed. "She's perfect for the job."

Dad just looked at me with an equally steady glare. He knew how I worked now. Mom was silent behind me. "Go get rid of the dog!" I yelled. She stalked out of the kitchen. Dad didn't say anything, not when we both heard the front screen door bang shut, not when I gave up on his blocked cupboard and started looking under the stove.

"You wanna tell me what the hell that was about?" he spoke. "You got a serious problem and I want it to stop now."

I stood up and looked at him again. "There's nothing wrong with me. I'm fine. Like you and Mom are fine."

He threw up his hands. "Your mother and I have nothing to do with this. You've been bitchy all morning, ever since you dropped off the rooftop."

"Don't call me that!" I yelled. "I've got a perfect right to be like this. I'm fifteen! I'm not like you people!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"

"No one gets why I'm always "hostile" or whatever." I was really yelling now. Didn't he get it? "Our pet dog is dead! I saw it killed by someone I love!"

Dad suddenly threw open the cupboard behind him and started rummaging around wildly with his good hand. "You want cups?" he said, in a normal tone.

"That's it?" I stalked over to him and looked at him sideways. "Aren't you gonna tell me to."
He ducked around me to the sink and turned on the cold water. He placed the cup under it and it filled up slowly. I stared at him as he quickly shut it off.

"Here you go, Bo." Dad walked over to her, standing at the kitchen's entrance with a scared look on her face. He placed the pink glass in her hand and she toddled off towards the living room, where I heard Morgan running back to the couch. He had heard the whole thing.

I was still at the sink, silent now and breathing hard. Dad turned and looked at me. His dark eyes were flashing with a mixture of anger and sadness. I gasped, barely audible. He stared at me, lips pressed together and hands at his sides. I wanted to apologize but didn't have enough time to think about how to form it in words, before he left the room.

I sighed and put my face, in my hands, still standing at the sink.

MERRILL

I walked into the living room. Bo was sipping her water while Morgan told her a story.

"Shouldn't you guys be playing Furry Furry Rabbit or something?" I asked. They looked too secure, like they were hiding their feelings. I scoffed internally. Like they'd tell me. Look how I had helped Gwen. She hated me for sure now.

Morgan had probably comforted Bo enough. I collapsed on the armchair across from them and closed my eyes. My arm was stinging but I didn't let on.

"So what was that about?" I heard Morgan say.

I didn't open my eyes but just sighed. "It's complicated," I said.

Morgan fell silent for a minute and when I opened my eyes, he and Bo had left the room. I could faintly hear them upstairs in the bedroom.

I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, it was still dark. I stretched and then yelled from the pain. I had completely forgotten about the stupid bite. I stayed in the chair, wincing for a minute and then walked over to the window and peered outside. It was still strangely drizzling. Graham and Carolyn were nowhere to be seen.

I sat on the couch and rested my head on the arm. I felt so guilty for hurting Gwen but at the same time didn't exactly know what she was upset for. I knew she had every right to be pissed about the divorce. And when we went through it, she was so young, too. I shook my head. Carolyn and me wouldn't have made it anyway. We got married and had her way too young. And we were still too young - the both of us - to be raising a teenager. In Bucks County, no less. If we were in the city, it could raise her for us. More or less.

Carolyn only took on the sheriff job because there was nothing else of interest in that small town for her. She was city tough and should have been living there. But she chose the rural lifestyle for Gwen. I got custody and we packed our bags to be close to my brother, who could help us get through our rough times. Over the years, Gwen and Graham developed a relationship that was very different from ours.

And when Graham's wife - Colleen died, the whole system of helping us out got switched around and we actually moved in with them.

I always got the feeling that I wasn't helping much, though.

My eyelids started to droop again. I was so tired. I had called in sick to work and now all I wanted to do was just fall asleep in front of the TV.

I guess I did, because a while later, I felt Graham shaking my shoulder. I sat up, and was disoriented for a bit until I recognized him behind me. "What?" I mumbled.

"The Wolfington brothers are on our roof," he whispered, casting a quick glance out the window and wringing his hands.

"What?" I said again, looking where he was. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Bo came into my room and - ". I couldn't hear what else he said as he thumped over to the kitchen to look out it's window. I rubbed my eyes and stretched my arm again.

"Ow!" I cried.

Graham ran into the room. "Shut up! The kids are asleep."

"I thought you said Bo came - "

"Never mind, just - help me do something."

I stood up and looked around. "Where's Carolyn?"

Graham looked around. "What?" he said, going into the front hall and looking up the stairs. He came back. "What?"

"Carolyn, Graham!" I exclaimed. "You know. Five foot something, rather heinous - ."

"That's my sister-in-law you're talking about," Graham said sternly.

"Yeah?" I replied. "Well it's my ex-wife! So she's not your sister- in-law!" I pointed outside. "Are you sure they're out there?"

Graham took my hand and pointed it to the roof. "Yes."

"Well it's time for an ass-whoopin' then," I smirked.

A/N: Just so everyone knows, the first "chapter" is supposed to be a prologue and the second "first" chapter (i.e. what F.F. called chapter two) is called Proper Perspective. Get it? Ok good, now you can review. Thanx (