Room On Fire

 

Eden

   The light outside my bedroom door crept across my white bed sheets. I listened as the front door slammed shut, making the stained glass windows surrounding it rattle in protest. I heard my father’s footsteps across the hardwood floors of the kitchen then they became muffled when he reached the carpeted front hall.

   “Put that out!” he would say.

Then I would hear a muffled sigh as the front door opened again.

   “You may as well stay out there! I told you if you ever did this again you would never be welcome back in this house!” My father would yell. The strain in his voice hinted at something like anger, but I knew he was trying to be considerate of the fact I was supposedly asleep.

   Then the door would close again, but from that moment I could never tell what side she was on. Was she inside again, or did she finally leave?

   “Don’t you dare wake your sister; we will speak about this tomorrow.” My father said. I knew he had his hand on her shoulder; gently because he never wanted to hurt her. “Please, Abigail. I really don’t want to have to kick you out. Where would you go? What would Eden think? Just please, you know I love you.” His voice would crack, and I knew he was close to tears.

   Then she would finally speak. Her voice sounded like a music box; sweet and melodic. “I know dad. You know I would never leave her, and if you did kick me out I would take her with me.” Then I’d hear her heavy sneakers coming up the stairs toward our bedrooms. Mine was the first door and hers was the second, connected by a small bathroom.

   The light from the hall would falter as she paused in my doorway. Her slim figure would cast a shadow over my bed, her black shoulders lying across my knees.

   “Eden” she said, taking a step inside. “Are you awake?”

I shuffled under my covers to show her that I was. She took it as a cue to come and she settled herself on the edge of my bed. Her cold hand rested on my cheek, her soft fingertips tracing the lines from my temples.

   “Where would we go?” I asked her. Her movements stopped for a moment, then continued their slow lines.

   “We’ll go somewhere vast and beautiful. I’ll make sure they have a good school for you, because I will not let you live without a good education. I’ll find work somewhere else and buy a house with a white picket fence and a big yellow bedroom. You can have that one, alright?” She whispered dreamily.

   I nodded against her hand, pulling down the covers and climbing out. My bare legs slid against the quilt as I wrapped my arms around her neck. She wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head on my shoulder. Her dark, blue-black hair fell over my shoulder.

   “I love you Abby.” I whispered, burying my face in her neck. She just rubbed my back and remained silent. We both enjoy silence. 

 

Duncan

   As I pulled into my long, winding driveway, the lights in my bedroom flickered on. Vanessa was home. I turned the car off, I cringed as the engine sputtered and eventually shut down. Now the kitchen light turned on, along with the living room and finally the porch light.

   The peeling lavender paint on the house was suddenly illuminated by the bright lights mounted on the wall on either side of the front door. I could see from my usual parking spot that the chrome doorknob jiggled and eventually did a full turn as the door burst open.