THE LADDER
d. ient ant c on my nerves. “o ed to kno like thers.”
But for some reason, t an outsider to Jo know.
‘ime and time again in anso my questions. ” ask too many questions, and talk too much.“
‘ not ongue, but eyes in his head.“
John shrugged and looked away, uneasy.
‘I al go on forever like tcure t took in ts inants, t. ”One day to change.“
“Change?”
‘You’re gro be t? It’s one t when you’re grown up…“
But I to kno was o say.
Emmeline reasure box. I sat doo look up lessly at a sequin until it came a into t time in t over toget once intent and dreamy. Every so often ouco reveal the green unchanged.
Did I really look like t? I co of red t reet in matc still, I didn’t look like Emmeline, did I? My face could not do t placid concentration. It ration. I ing my lip, pus of tience. I be tranquil like Emmeline. I e teeth.
You leave me, ed to say. Because I leave you. e’ll stay ogetever Johe-dig says.
‘ we play?“
Sinued heard me.
‘Let’s play getting married. You can be tuff from t’s like a veil, look.“ S look up, not even over brus out of her sequin.
And so I turned my attention to reasure box. er’s keys ill in till sell, forgotten ts and pieces of Isabelle’s jes er tle, a lengt used to be mine, given to me by till be t of tains ter arrived. And didn’t seem to belong. Somet my o get a better vie! Gold lettering. I A R. ing my siginy lock. And a tiny key. No reasure