as if balancing at the edge of a cliff, she belly-flopped onto the huge pile of pillows. Grabbing one of the cushions, she swiped Miki hard across the midriff. ‘Take that … and that. Now you get up there, go on!’
She helped Miki climb up onto the tower of furniture.
'You can do it. Flop!'
Miki stalled for an instant and then, her eyes glued on Jude's, tilted her body and went limp.
She fell, landing hard on her belly. With a grin on her face, she looked up at Jude ‘Like that?’
‘Yep. Good work! Now, again!’
After several belly-flops, both girls giggling and chasing each other around the room with pillows, Miki stumbled down the hall, returning from Jude's bedroom with an armful of fluffy toys, some they had shared since the cradle.
‘Catch!’ yelled Miki as she tossed Little Pink Teddy high in the air.
Jude had to leap up to grab it. Miki always did that, tossed things above her head for her to catch, as if they were on the field and playing for opposing teams. Good for Mik, she had kept growing and was showing no sign of stopping any time soon. Unlike herself. She had stalled at five foot two. She sometimes thought that was why Miki did it. To lord her height over her. Poppy said good things came in small packages but she was still holding out for some extra inches.
The big golliwog in the red and white stripes was the next toy Miki threw at her. She caught old Bo-Bo and aimed it at Miki’s belly. ‘Take that, you little bastard!’ she giggled.
‘This is fun!’ yelled a drunken Miki as they began a tug-o’-war over Baby Betty, one arm each and tugging hard. Miki, tugging the hardest––Jude not so much––fell flat on her back clutching the doll. ‘I won!’ She held the Baby Betty tight to her chest, rolling onto her belly with it and then back again onto her back, giggling, cradling the doll and sporting a triumphal grin.
Jude felt a sudden chill. The clouds had just blocked the sun.
They both looked down at the doll Miki held in her arms.
Miki flung it away from her, across the other side of the room.
They were sober now, naked and sober.
‘What’s going to happen to me?’ Miki whimpered. ‘Jude?’
They heard a key go in the lock. They froze.
‘Judith?’ came the voice from the veranda porch. ‘Judith, can you hear me?'
They clung to each other.
'I know you are in there. Why is this door deadlocked? Judith, Miki? What are you doing in there?’
It was Poppy!
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