CATHY [flirtatious]. Maybe.

She moves closer and then dances around him. He spins. She laughs and then, in a quick, reckless move, undoes her bra and throws it at him. Before he can speak, she embraces him. He holds his arms up, afraid to touch her.

CATHY. Let’s dance like we did before. It’s okay. You told me we were both just feeling our hormones.

Slowly, he lowers his arms and begins to dance with her.

The lights dim, but a spot picks up the door as it’s opened slowly. Olivia, in her gown, enters and watches them.

They pause and turn to look at her as the spotlight goes out with the music.

Act II

Scene 1

Older Cathy appears stage left.

OLDER CATHY. If ever our grandmother believed we were the spawn of something evil, she was fully convinced now. She made both of us get down on our knees and pray for forgiveness. Neither of us believed that was the end of it.

She steps more toward center stage.

OLDER CATHY. We assumed that she would tell Momma about us. I wasn’t upset or afraid of that. Surely once Momma heard how things were going in the attic, she would pressure her mother to do something quickly. I knew Christopher believed the same thing, even though he didn’t say it. I asked him if it was possible that we were the spawn of something evil. Was it in us to be bad, in us more than in other people, just because of what Momma and Daddy had done? He refused to believe it. He rattled on about genetics. I listened, but I didn’t understand most of it, and most of the time, I thought he was hiding behind his knowledge. He was like someone pressing his face deeper into a pillow, clenching his fists like someone who was in a struggle with himself.

She continues crossing the stage and then pauses.

OLDER CATHY. I fell asleep feeling like the second shoe was bound to drop. In the morning, were both practically tiptoeing about the attic. Whenever we drew too closely to each other, one of us would look quickly at the door and pull away. We were afraid to even touch.

She gets to stage right and stops.

OLDER CATHY. When Momma arrived, we were both expecting her to bawl us out and conclude with how we had to be taken out of the attic. That wasn’t what she came to say.

Older Cathy steps into the wings.

Scene 2

The lights come up in the attic. Cathy is clearing the table. Christopher comes out of the bathroom with Cory. Carrie is on her bed, holding a doll.

Corrine enters. Cathy looks at Christopher. They both freeze in anticipation.

CORRINE. Morning, children. How are my Dresden Dolls?