The Moth Tents

Head of The House

I was ushered into a white tent by the rude city boy. Inside, there was a nice bed with fancy sheets and pillows.

What I wouldn't give to lay on that bed right now...

Penny clasped my other arm, squeezing as we entered and saw a blonde woman sitting in a white wicker chair.

She was doing her makeup attentively in a mirror lined by bulbs. She seemed important.

She turns around, the chair twisting in the ground. I recognized her. She was the woman on the stage that first night.

She held an air like royalty, her chin titled upward and her legs crossed. "Care to explain yourselves, young ladies?"

She speaks just dramatically as she did on stage. I didn't know what to say. "Please, ma'm, we had to get out of there! We just had to!"

"That's life, girl," she responds coldly. "You'll have to hitchhike back to Texas, because this show is on a schedule and I'm afraid we can't go back."

"You don't understand!" How? How can I show her?

"Please, my sister and I just need a place to stay..we'll be work for it!"
"We don't need extra hands."

There's a long silence. "Can I talk to you...in private, ma'm?" I plead, begging with my eyes. She makes a motion to shoo away the boy, who obeys.

"Penny," I whisper, "can you go outside for me? Just for a minute?" She whines, but eventually gives in. As soon as I know they're both outside, I make my bold move.

"Its our stepfather. My mother won't lift a finger, our town won't believe us...he touches us, ma'm."

Her light eyes widen in surprise, but not a trace of pity can be found. She sighs heavily, looking conflicted.

"Okay then. I'll assign you duties later. Jack will show you the ropes." A rush of relief overcomes me.

I felt lightheaded, and smiled the biggest smile I've smiled in a long time. "You won't regret this, I swear."

Joy like this is long overdue.

"My name is Donnabella. Consider me head of the house." I nod a silent thank you to Donnabella before rushing outside. Penny turns her head, looking hopeful.

"We can stay." She smiles that bright smile and squeezes my waist. "She said to ask for Jack." The city boy stood there for a minute, not saying anything, before chuckling and holding his hand out for me to shake.

I did, not wanting to get on anyone's bad side.

"Name's Tommy Claire. Seems we got off on a bad foot," he says. I can sense something lurking behind his friendly words, just a touch of sarcasm. I get a bad feeling when he speaks.

There's something about the narrow gleam of his eyes, sharp and sneaky like a hidden knife, that makes me uneasy.

"You'll like Jack," he points out, taking Penny and me out to a small place in the field where three wooden picnic tables have been set.

It looks like they're almost completely done with setting up, and if they aren't at the tables, they are doing errands and staring at the two of us as they walk past.

The big one, the one who'd gotten me water, is standing behind a grill. The smell of hot dogs and burgers floats in the air. It smells like summer.

Sitting alone at one of the tables is the small one. He was no longer in his getup. Intead, he wore a white t-shirt with a pair of brown worn trousers and brown suspenders.

He still has on his pair of black bloots on, though. His lack of a tophat reveals a thin, clean cut layer of dusty brown hair.

"Jack," calls Tommy. "We've got a few new members."