Runaways (Orphans 5)

I looked at Raven, who then leaped out of bed,

threw on her robe and followed Crystal and me to

Crystal and Butterfly's room. There was Butterfly

with her legs pulled up and in, her hands clenched into

fists, her eyes shut so tight the lids looked sewn

together. Her lips were pursed stiffly, her nostrils

quivering with her heavy breaths. We looked at each

other. Butterfly went into these catatonic trances more

and more lately. It didn't exactly take a rocket scientist

to figure out the reason. She was lonely, fragile, afraid

of rejection. For her, going into this trance was like crawling into a cocoon. Crystal, our resident child psychologist, said Butterfly was trying to return to the womb. Raven thought she was nuts, but I understood. I never said anything, but I sometimes wished I could

go back as well.

I shook Butterfly's upper arm and her whole

body moved as if it were one frozen piece.

"Butterfly, come on. We're all here. Stop this,

now. You know what's going to happen. Gordon or

Louise is going to come in here and see you and call

for the paramedics or something and then you'll end

up in some looney ward."

I shook her again, but there was no response.

Crystal stepped up beside me.

"We need to join," she said.

I looked back at the door.

"Shut it, Raven."

She did so and the three of us surrounded the

bed, Raven and I on one side, Crystal on the other.

We looked at each other and then as if we were all

going under water, took deep breaths and leaned over

so that all our heads touched. Linked this way, we

began our chant. It was our secret ceremony. "We're sisters. We will always be sisters. One