A Rite of Passage in Barely a Minute

The woman, dressed only in a silk nightgown

Creeps out of the house

Eyes thick lidded in a barbiturate glaze

She unlatches the gate

The squeaky latch draws the attention of the young girl

Climbing up on the bed in the spare room

She peers out the window

Silently watching the woman get into the car

A 1961 Ford Thunderbird

Crookedly the car backs down the driveway

Turns, facing away from the house

Stops for a minute

Then lurches forward heading down the street like a rocket

Standing alone on the bed in the dark

The child feels the burden

A decision must be made

The choice is hers

There are no guides

No manual

The verdict is up to her

She is both judge and jury

What shall it be?

Life or death?

She feels a surge of power

Understanding at that moment

Right then

She can make something significant happen

Is this the final chapter?

Or just another installment?

Either way, it will be her secret

Traveling through a rite of passage in barely a minute

She mulls it over a little bit more

Then, slowly, she climbs down from the bed

Padding across the house to the master bedroom

She wakes up her father

Alternate ending in another dimension

Traveling through a rite of passage in barely a minute

She mulls it over a little bit more

Then, slowly, she climbs down from the bed

Padding back to her bedroom

She crawls back into bed where she falls asleep