"Zelda." Hands are carefully removing her dress from behind. She's closing her eyes, feeling the slender fingers on her back, her shoulders, gliding down to her breasts.- she awakes, panting, the wetness between her legs undeniable. It's the third dream this week. She always knows it's her. She never gets to dream on, always waking up. In the morning she bottles these emotion away, closing the door to her secret, putting on a mask and heading downstairs. No one has noticed, she'd charm her bed so no noice would be heard from her sister Zelda, a trick she had learned long ago, since they've always shared a room and privacy is needed from time to time. She gets up, knowing sleep won't come again until the morning rises. Careful, eager not to wake her sister she climes down the stairs, it's around 6, no one awake just yet. Lighting a cigarette she sits down, opening the newspapers.
"Zelda?", Sabrina suddenly stands before her. "Yes what is it, Sabrina? Why are you not sleeping?" Zelda closes her Spanish magazine, smiling. "In two days there's the annual prom", Sabrina sits down staring her tea, looking down. " no one had asked me to go, since Harvey and I have broken up. So I didn't want to go, but now Ross and Susie asked me and I have no dress. I wanted to ask you if you'd go buy one with me after school. Also principal Hawthorn has asked if you could help out with Auntie Hilda. It's a lot, but it means a lot to me."
"A prom?" Her cigarette goes out, she lights another one. "We haven't been to a prom in like 40 years, that's exciting news! And of course I'll help. That's my duty." Hilda comes down the stairs. "Good morning. Why are you so excited. It's like six in the morning." She rubs her big eyes. "Were having a prom in two days. Well go dress shopping this afternoon."
Hilda's face lights up, as she hugs Sabrina . "So your going? Praise Satan I had given up hope." Twirling her around they both start laughing. "So you knew about that?" A slight bit of jealousy starts to spread in her. She pushes it down. "Yeah she told me but only that she would not go." Hilda starts to prepare breakfast, she starts humming. Finally happiness has returned to the house, the happy sound of her tune filling each of them.
...
" Do you like this one?" Zelda pulls out a black dress with a low cut out in the back. "I'll try it on, I need to see it on." The store they went into has a lot of dresses stuffed inside, sorted by colour, black being the only option for Sabrina, she made that clear. Sabrina vanishes behind a curtain, as Hilda roams the rest of the small store. "Zelda will you buy a dress as well?" Holding up one in front of the mirror, she poses. "No I don't think so, I've got a few dresses in my closet I haven't had the chance to wear in a few decades." Zelda has one in her mind, getting excited to only thinking about it. "I like it." Sabrina steps outside, the dress looks absolutely perfect on her. "Sabrina is marvellous." They both clap and smile, complimenting every aspect. In the end Zelda pays for the dress, taking it with them. "I'll have to hem it, but otherwise it's perfect.", Hilda chats mindlessly. Then she turns around running back into the store. Zelda stops. "Where are you going?" She shouts. After a few minutes Hilda comes back, a dress in her hands. "It's from my own money." She smiles proudly, the others shaking their heads.
...
At home Zelda slowly walks to her closet. Pulling out the dress she lays it down on her bed. The red glistening in the light from the lamp on the ceiling. "Oh I remember this dress." Hold appears in the door, stroking Zeldas arm. You were so pretty. The most beautiful women in the room. We were all so jealous. Do you remember?" Zelda nods, a lump forming in her throat. "All the men wanted to dance with you, and you just danced with Beth. That was such a power move, in the twenties. You could have been excommunicated for that. But you were way to stunning for that."
"I remember it." Beth's hands had felt soft hat her skin. She had liked the attention from the men, but she had not cared about them. She had cared about Beth. Wiping her eyes she pulls out high heels and a few pieces of jewellery. "I think this will work." Then she starts putting it all on a mannequin and leaves.
Hilda smiles at the dresses life sized doll. "One day she'll admit it, just wait.", she says more then to herself then to anyone else.
...
Putting the dress on, at four in the afternoon, she smiles. It still fits, hugging her body, praise Satan. The colour against her pale skin bringing out her eyes, the cut doing everything for her. She looks fantastic and she knows it. Her hair falls down in curls, framing her face. It's a timeless look, perfected with red lipstick. Then she helps Sabrina dress, doing her hair, putting on a light makeup. "Auntie you look so stunning." Sabrina stares at her. "The dress is everything, you really glow tonight." They both stand before the mirror. "I am nervous about going. What if he's there." Hugging her Zelda kisses her head. "Then you will smile brighter and dance with even more boys. You look beautiful, Sabrina." Downstairs they meet Hilda in her own dress. "God Zelda, your fucking killing it. This dress is everything." Hilda smiles at Sabrina. "The dress your auntie is wearing had been to a few balls, you know? It has a lot of memories attached. You can attach a few to your dress yourself tonight."
"I'll make sure it's only good ones." Sabrina smiles, dragging them outside to the car waiting for them.