outfits… much worse.
“Dibs on the yellow and green one,” Valera chirped.
“Here take it,” Theo threw it at her. “These are horrendous.”
The last dress was two shades of pink. Before Julia could argue, Theo threw the pink dress at her.
“I’m not putting this on,” Julia grumbled.
Theo slipped out of the white robe and pulled on the petticoats and dress. It was loose, but it covered most everything. She felt like a mound of frosting on a cupcake. Valera changed and twirled around the room.
“They’re not so bad,” she grinned.
Julia held hers in the air as if it were dirty dishrag. Madame Blackbird popped into the room.
“You don’t like the dress?”
“Dresses aren’t my thing,” Julia muttered.
Madame Blackbird scoffed, “Is going to jail your thing? You won’t make it out of the city looking like that. Suit yourself. I’m here to put your hair up. You sit.”
Theo sat in the chair, and Madame Blackbird got to work. She was none too gentle, yanking and pinning Theo’s hair into a scalp numbing coif. Valera went next. In the end, Julia gave in and donned the dress. After Madame Blackbird was finished, Julia looked like a miserable pink flamingo. Grabbing Professor Scrod’s book, they went downstairs.
“Where is everyone?” Theo asked the Madame.
“I sent them away. We can’t have prying eyes and ears around, while we get you out.” Madame Blackbird ushered them into a parlor.
Dr. Lawless held the bag of relics and waited by the window. He peered through the lace curtains, shaking his head. He sighed.
“There you are. We’re heading to another safe house.”
Eli stumbled into the room and choked when he saw the girls. He erupted in a fit of laughter. Julia glared at him, and the air cooled.
“Not now. There’s no time,” Dr. Lawless grumbled.
Madame Blackbird opened the front door. She waved them out, but as soon as they stepped into the street, a whistle sounded. Slammy Magee was at the end of the road and heading right for the girls with an army. Another group of men charged from the other side of the street. They were surrounded. They fumbled back into Madame Blackbird’s, and the woman barred the door.
“Zut, I thought we had more time,” she growled.
Slammy’s voice sounded over a blow horn. “Give me the girls, and the rest of you can go free.”
Madame Blackbird placed her hands on her hips and walked in a circle. Her face drained of color. She stopped next to Dr. Lawless who peeked through the curtains.
“There’s no way out,” he whispered.
Alouette stormed out of the kitchen, “Maman, just give them to him. They are not worth it!”
Madame Blackbird scowled at her daughter. “Go back in the kitchen, Bête Fou.”
Alouette huffed and stomped her foot, but one growl from her mother, and she ran into the back room. Theo had a bad feeling in her gut, and she followed Alouette through the corridor. In the front hall, she heard Dr. Lawless and Madame Blackbird speaking.
“I’ll stall him for as long as I can. You go out the back,” the Madame said.
With one eye on Alouette and the other on the front hall, Theo waited. She heard the front door open and Madame Blackbird stepping onto the front walkway. Dr. Lawless and Eli barricaded the door behind her. Madame Blackbird muttered something, and then shouted. When Theo turned her attention back to Alouette, the girl was gone.
“Dr. Lawless, we have a problem,” she shouted and went to the back door.
Alouette was in the back alley talking to a white robe. The man called for more men, and they ran toward the kitchen. Theo locked the door and stared at the men through the glass. The men leered back at her.
“Watch out,” Eli shouted, overturning a table and blocking the exit.
Behind it, Theo heard banging. Glass broke in the front room. Someone yelped. Julia covered the window in an ice wall, but the men tried to break through it.
“They’re everywhere,” Theo stammered.
Theo peeked out a
“Dibs on the yellow and green one,” Valera chirped.
“Here take it,” Theo threw it at her. “These are horrendous.”
The last dress was two shades of pink. Before Julia could argue, Theo threw the pink dress at her.
“I’m not putting this on,” Julia grumbled.
Theo slipped out of the white robe and pulled on the petticoats and dress. It was loose, but it covered most everything. She felt like a mound of frosting on a cupcake. Valera changed and twirled around the room.
“They’re not so bad,” she grinned.
Julia held hers in the air as if it were dirty dishrag. Madame Blackbird popped into the room.
“You don’t like the dress?”
“Dresses aren’t my thing,” Julia muttered.
Madame Blackbird scoffed, “Is going to jail your thing? You won’t make it out of the city looking like that. Suit yourself. I’m here to put your hair up. You sit.”
Theo sat in the chair, and Madame Blackbird got to work. She was none too gentle, yanking and pinning Theo’s hair into a scalp numbing coif. Valera went next. In the end, Julia gave in and donned the dress. After Madame Blackbird was finished, Julia looked like a miserable pink flamingo. Grabbing Professor Scrod’s book, they went downstairs.
“Where is everyone?” Theo asked the Madame.
“I sent them away. We can’t have prying eyes and ears around, while we get you out.” Madame Blackbird ushered them into a parlor.
Dr. Lawless held the bag of relics and waited by the window. He peered through the lace curtains, shaking his head. He sighed.
“There you are. We’re heading to another safe house.”
Eli stumbled into the room and choked when he saw the girls. He erupted in a fit of laughter. Julia glared at him, and the air cooled.
“Not now. There’s no time,” Dr. Lawless grumbled.
Madame Blackbird opened the front door. She waved them out, but as soon as they stepped into the street, a whistle sounded. Slammy Magee was at the end of the road and heading right for the girls with an army. Another group of men charged from the other side of the street. They were surrounded. They fumbled back into Madame Blackbird’s, and the woman barred the door.
“Zut, I thought we had more time,” she growled.
Slammy’s voice sounded over a blow horn. “Give me the girls, and the rest of you can go free.”
Madame Blackbird placed her hands on her hips and walked in a circle. Her face drained of color. She stopped next to Dr. Lawless who peeked through the curtains.
“There’s no way out,” he whispered.
Alouette stormed out of the kitchen, “Maman, just give them to him. They are not worth it!”
Madame Blackbird scowled at her daughter. “Go back in the kitchen, Bête Fou.”
Alouette huffed and stomped her foot, but one growl from her mother, and she ran into the back room. Theo had a bad feeling in her gut, and she followed Alouette through the corridor. In the front hall, she heard Dr. Lawless and Madame Blackbird speaking.
“I’ll stall him for as long as I can. You go out the back,” the Madame said.
With one eye on Alouette and the other on the front hall, Theo waited. She heard the front door open and Madame Blackbird stepping onto the front walkway. Dr. Lawless and Eli barricaded the door behind her. Madame Blackbird muttered something, and then shouted. When Theo turned her attention back to Alouette, the girl was gone.
“Dr. Lawless, we have a problem,” she shouted and went to the back door.
Alouette was in the back alley talking to a white robe. The man called for more men, and they ran toward the kitchen. Theo locked the door and stared at the men through the glass. The men leered back at her.
“Watch out,” Eli shouted, overturning a table and blocking the exit.
Behind it, Theo heard banging. Glass broke in the front room. Someone yelped. Julia covered the window in an ice wall, but the men tried to break through it.
“They’re everywhere,” Theo stammered.
Theo peeked out a
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