Twisted Roots (DeBeers 3)

"You do that and we'll really get the story out," He smiled. "Maybe we and our older friends will go out to see your uncle and ask him to confess. We'll tell him he should do it for you."

"You wouldn't dare do such a thing."

"Why not? It's not a crime or anything to visit him, is it? We're just trying to help our sister, right. Adrian?"

"Right. -We're just trying to be good brothers." "I hate you both." I said.

"I'll tell you what." Cade said, stepping only a few feet from me now. "You can keep your eyes closed. I'll take off your clothes for you, and then we'll leave and you can open your eyes and it will be as if nothing happened. How's that?"

You should do it. Hannah Banana," Adrian said. "It's a good deal."

"Is this the sort of sick games you play with your so-called friends?" I asked them.

Cade smiled, "You'd be surprised at what some girls will do to get invited here. right. Adrian?

"C'mon," Cade said, closing in and reaching toward my dress. "Just close your eyes. Go on It's easy and then it's all over. We swear we won't say a thing about your uncle and your mother. Just think of it as a birthday present from us before your birthday. C'mon," he urged.

His fingers were on the zipper of my top.

"Stop," I said but not as firmly as I wanted. Everything they had threatened really frightened me, especially the part about Mommy. My mind was reeling. I couldn't think. He took it as encouragement.

"Close your eyes. In a few minutes we'll be gone. C'mon. What's the big deal?"

I felt the zipper being lowered and I started to pull back.

"Hannah, be cooperative. I'm warning you. Our patience is running out."

"Stop," I said, tears emerging.

"It doesn't hurt and it gets you off the hook," Adrian said, stepping to my left. He put his hand an the strap and edged it over my shoulder as Cade continued to lower the zipper.

"Close your eyes," Cade whispered. "It'll be over before you know it."

He lowered the other slaw, and then they bath seized the bodice and pulled it off my breasts. Just as they did, the bedroom door opened and Danielle appeared. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

I clutched at my dress to cover myself. "What are you doing?" she cried.

"She wanted us to!" Cade immediately shouted. Lies were always stored at the tips of their tongues and an alert for instant use.

"She brought us up here and said she would give us a real birthday present." Adrian added,

"No." I said, shaking my head. They made me. They said terrible things. They--"

"Why would we bring her to your bedroom. Mother?" Cade asked, his arms out, "We'd bring her to our own bedrooms. She led us up here. We had no idea what she meant by a real birthday present."

"Hannah, this is not so?" Danielle asked.

"No, it's not." I backed away from them. "They're lying."

"She's into this stuff now. Mother." Adrian said. "She was telling us about her and this Haitian kid, how they rehearse in the nude."

I shook my head. "That's not true. They're lying," I said, my chest full of hat air. I couldn't breathe. Danielle looked like she was believing them. "They're lying, Danielle. Honest!" I cried.

"But why are you in this room?" she asked.

Cade's face filled with glee, "She's the one who wanted to come here. Mother. You know we never come into this room. Why would we have done it now?"

Danielle turned and looked at me. I