…and then I was in her laundry room, desperately looking for a way to get out. I tensed up with dread, although I couldn’t tell you exactly why. The washing machine was at least three feet deep, but there was liquid at the bottom of it and this told me that climbing into the machine would not get me out of this room. Panic. The door opened. I knew these people even though I couldn’t see their faces, but I knew them, you see? That was the important part. They never turned to face me, even though we were now in their living room, filled with smoke and dark woods and I think it smelled of whisky. They told me my parents would be mortified to see me like this and I had to agree even though I had no idea what “like this” meant. Why were the collars of their shirts so high? I was going to have to choose and I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I wanted both but had to chose only one and they were both women who would make good brides but I could have only one and I would probably never see the other again and neither of them ever did anything bad to me but by choosing one I was rejecting the other wasn’t I and she didn’t deserve it she had done nothing wrong so much shame. Then I looked down and saw the cats in the shelter and suddenly…
