CAIRO
Chapter two
Charlotte entered her room and quietly shut the door. She locked it and walked toward the window on the other side of the room. She paced around her room and impatiently checked her watch.
“Five pm…” she muttered.
She began to shed her hideous green polka dotted calico dress and muck brown penny loafers. She undid the ribbons in her hair and pulled off her uncomfortable stockings. She pulled on a string hanging from her ceiling and it opened a ladder-like staircase. Charlotte meticulously looked around before climbing up. It was a secret attic that no one had known about when they shoved Charlotte into the tiny room on the third floor. She reluctantly accepted the room; it was a horridly tiny place but she was the only one on that floor. The secret attic was her hiding place. She lifted the door, pulled up the staircase, laid the door flat on the floor and locked it. She walked to the other side of the room, slid her index finger and thumb between one of the blinds and peered out. It wasn’t particularly nice looking outside but it was much better than her home. She paced around a little bit more and then opened a closet. “Oh Charlotte, what are you going to wear?” she said to herself. She picked out red checkered sleeveless shirt that tied at the navel along with some light blue cut off shorts and green boat shoes. She posed a little in the mirror on the wall and admired her long, lean legs. “Man, I have got to get a tan!” She picked up a trench coat off of the chair and opened her jewelry box. She pulled out some vintage sunglasses, large yellow earrings and a dainty gold anklet. The phone rang. She hurried to quiet it.
“Cairo” a deep masculine voice whispered.
“Jonathan?” she asked.
“Are you safe?” he asked.
“Yeah I’m up in my attic.”
“Okay well hurry. I’ll be there soon. What are you wearing?”
“I got a tank top, shorts and shoes.”
“Put it in your pack. Wear the dress and shoes you had on this morning.”
“Oh alright. I bring the files too?”
“Yes. I’ll be there soon. Bye.”
“Bye Jonah” she said.
She put everything in her backpack, carefully disguised to match the one her sister wore, and climbed down the steps. She locked the door and began to dress. Charlotte left her bedroom and locked the door behind her. She pulled over the trench coat and proceeded to leave through the back entrance. Charlotte stopped dead in her tracks and pinned her body and belongings against the wall where no one would see her. Through the window of the small back room she saw Alice. With what seemed to be another figure...
“I gotta go Alice” the figure said. It was a tall brunette male.
“Can I go too?” Alice pleaded.
“Sorry, but they’d kill me.”
“No, they won’t! I swear, but please let me go too.”
“I-I can’t.”
The figure began to walk away from her. He mounted a motorcycle, put on his helmet, gloves and jacket, and sped away. Alice stood there for about three minutes before turning to the window. She decided not to go back inside. Her father had left for work and her mother was sewing some stockings while listening to the news over the radio. Charlotte came out of her hiding place and shuffled out the door.
“Where are you going?” Alice asked.
“It is none of your concern.”
“Now it is my concern. I am your sister.”
“I am simply going out for a stroll.” Charlotte was lying.
“Why, if you are going for a stroll, what is the reason for the pack?” Alice inquired.
“If you are smart, you would stop talking because I know something you do not.”
“W-what are you talking about?” Alice nervously asked.
“I saw everything that happened through the window. With my own two eyes. I am certain that mother and father would love to know.”
“Don’t you dare say anything!” she snapped.
“Why are you pointing at me?” Charlotte innocently asked. She was getting really good at lying.
“You say anything about whatever you saw and I swear, you’re dead!”
“I will not say anything. Only if you do not say that I was here. You did not see me” Charlotte said with a greedy smile.
“Wait, are you blackmailing me?”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing. You forget that I was here and I won’t say a thing about your little love connection over there.”
“I have never seen anyone stoop as low as you just have!” Alice outrageously exclaimed.
“You keep talking like that and he’s never coming back” she warned, with a threatening tone.
“Ugh, fine. Where are you going anyway?”
“That wasn’t in the deal. Buh-bye!” Charlotte waved as she walked away.
“Five pm…” she muttered.
She began to shed her hideous green polka dotted calico dress and muck brown penny loafers. She undid the ribbons in her hair and pulled off her uncomfortable stockings. She pulled on a string hanging from her ceiling and it opened a ladder-like staircase. Charlotte meticulously looked around before climbing up. It was a secret attic that no one had known about when they shoved Charlotte into the tiny room on the third floor. She reluctantly accepted the room; it was a horridly tiny place but she was the only one on that floor. The secret attic was her hiding place. She lifted the door, pulled up the staircase, laid the door flat on the floor and locked it. She walked to the other side of the room, slid her index finger and thumb between one of the blinds and peered out. It wasn’t particularly nice looking outside but it was much better than her home. She paced around a little bit more and then opened a closet. “Oh Charlotte, what are you going to wear?” she said to herself. She picked out red checkered sleeveless shirt that tied at the navel along with some light blue cut off shorts and green boat shoes. She posed a little in the mirror on the wall and admired her long, lean legs. “Man, I have got to get a tan!” She picked up a trench coat off of the chair and opened her jewelry box. She pulled out some vintage sunglasses, large yellow earrings and a dainty gold anklet. The phone rang. She hurried to quiet it.
“Cairo” a deep masculine voice whispered.
“Jonathan?” she asked.
“Are you safe?” he asked.
“Yeah I’m up in my attic.”
“Okay well hurry. I’ll be there soon. What are you wearing?”
“I got a tank top, shorts and shoes.”
“Put it in your pack. Wear the dress and shoes you had on this morning.”
“Oh alright. I bring the files too?”
“Yes. I’ll be there soon. Bye.”
“Bye Jonah” she said.
She put everything in her backpack, carefully disguised to match the one her sister wore, and climbed down the steps. She locked the door and began to dress. Charlotte left her bedroom and locked the door behind her. She pulled over the trench coat and proceeded to leave through the back entrance. Charlotte stopped dead in her tracks and pinned her body and belongings against the wall where no one would see her. Through the window of the small back room she saw Alice. With what seemed to be another figure...
“I gotta go Alice” the figure said. It was a tall brunette male.
“Can I go too?” Alice pleaded.
“Sorry, but they’d kill me.”
“No, they won’t! I swear, but please let me go too.”
“I-I can’t.”
The figure began to walk away from her. He mounted a motorcycle, put on his helmet, gloves and jacket, and sped away. Alice stood there for about three minutes before turning to the window. She decided not to go back inside. Her father had left for work and her mother was sewing some stockings while listening to the news over the radio. Charlotte came out of her hiding place and shuffled out the door.
“Where are you going?” Alice asked.
“It is none of your concern.”
“Now it is my concern. I am your sister.”
“I am simply going out for a stroll.” Charlotte was lying.
“Why, if you are going for a stroll, what is the reason for the pack?” Alice inquired.
“If you are smart, you would stop talking because I know something you do not.”
“W-what are you talking about?” Alice nervously asked.
“I saw everything that happened through the window. With my own two eyes. I am certain that mother and father would love to know.”
“Don’t you dare say anything!” she snapped.
“Why are you pointing at me?” Charlotte innocently asked. She was getting really good at lying.
“You say anything about whatever you saw and I swear, you’re dead!”
“I will not say anything. Only if you do not say that I was here. You did not see me” Charlotte said with a greedy smile.
“Wait, are you blackmailing me?”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing. You forget that I was here and I won’t say a thing about your little love connection over there.”
“I have never seen anyone stoop as low as you just have!” Alice outrageously exclaimed.
“You keep talking like that and he’s never coming back” she warned, with a threatening tone.
“Ugh, fine. Where are you going anyway?”
“That wasn’t in the deal. Buh-bye!” Charlotte waved as she walked away.