A DARKER CITY

chapter seven, the rise before the fall

Morgan ran her hands through her hair. It had fallen out of its curls earlier in the day from her stressing and she hadn't had time to fix it.

Even now she couldn't find the energy to care about it. Not when she was pouring over the newspaper, searching and scanning for any loophole. She crumpled the paper into a tiny ball and then threw it, watching it skid across the floor and under the china cabinet.

Athena dialed up Katherine on the phone, begging her to come over and help them right this horrible injustice. She agreed, of course, and Athena promised she'd make it up to her.

"no, no. don't worry, it's a favor as your friend." Katherine explained through the phone.

"thank you, thank you! Katherine, I can't say how much I need you right now."

Ramona was in the next room over, trying to teach her rat to jump through hoops. It was a fruitless effort, but she doted over the rodent anyhow.

"we cant have a party with all this bad news." Morgan sighed.

"then I guess we just need to make some good news." Ramona said.

"as if it's that easy." Athena scolded

"what if it was? We could find something to do to make the party a headline." Ramona said. "we could hold a lottery! Like, a special guest will get a part of our fortune to them for their business!"

"no! that's our money!" Morgan outraged.

"she's right. Not about the lottery, that was stupid, but we can expand our business! This could be a business opportunity."

"a business party. Great. What fun." Morgan said sarcastically.

"we need this! We are in over our heads and we need a better headline than this week's accusation of Ramona!" Athena yelled.

"when Katherine gets here we'll see what she has to say." Ramona said. Truthfully, she hardly knew Katherine, but she seemed to be a reasonable and intelligent girl.

So, they waited, and when Katherine rang their doorbell Athena was quick to answer it before either of her sisters could. she took the newspaper reporter into the dining room and closed the doors. They didn't come out for hours. All that could be heard was low talking and their typing on the type writer.

Morgan waited outside the room for hours, even after Ramona had given up waiting and went to her room.

Next time they came out of the room their article was done, and over a hundred invitations had been made. They were sent out at random throughout New York, and no one talked about it again.

They simply waited. Their house was decorated, every inch was polished and cleaned and ready to be awed over. it was perfect. As if every detail of the house were going to be remembered for eternity. China was placed at the table, and an exceptional band had been hired to play. No expense was spared.

"we should have been more careful with who we invited. Who knows who'll show up tonight." Morgan said.

"that's how I know the best will show up. Because they aren't afraid of risk. And they'll know we aren't either." Ramona replied.

A dangerous game of chance, a game or Russian roulette played with more than a gun, played with the police and the newspaper and the world.

The night of the party drew nearer, and Ramona prayed that crutchie would show, and that with him he'd bring some friends. At least then the night wouldn't be a total bore.