Janes dilemma (easier to read as in paragraphs)

[ambitiousson]

Jane's eyes opened gently, as the morning sun squeezed itself through the slight gap of her bedroom curtains, dancing shadows across the room from the branches of the tree that moved leisurely outside her window. Stretching her arms upward towards the white ceiling, hands clenched she suddenly remembered the pain of last night and so many nights of late. The crashing of objects downstairs, the jeering and yelling of her parents causing her stomach to turn and heart to sadly skip a beat. She wished she could move out on her own at times, but being too young this was never an option and so always dismissed the idea as soon as she thought of it.

The house was strangely quiet for a Saturday morning, not giving her much hope that last nights antics had been at all settled. Raising herself out of bed awkwardly placing her slippers onto her feet she decided to make her way out of her bedroom and down the stairs to see if there was any sign of life. It almost felt like something out of a film or television show, she smirked worryingly as she crept and made her discent down towards the kitchen. Walking passed the pictures of her parents that clung to the wall on the way taken during happier times did not do much for her confidence, or self as team seeing as things had changed so much of late.

As she approached Jane could hear muffled whispers breaking through the crack of the door that had been left slightly ajar. Standing next to it with her ear pushed up tightly, being extra careful not to lean she could hear a strange voice that she had never encountered before. It was of a man but was far too deep and husky to be that of her fathers. It seemed to rip harshly against the man's voice box as he spoke, the echo of the kitchen not doing him any favours at all.

Suddenly Jane leaned too much and her worst nightmare was brought to life as the door swung forward slowly but noticeably causing it to open. Her mother and father were there. They both looked up wide eyed and red faced. Sitting around the kitchen table they were joined by a large middle aged man in a suite. He looked rather uncomfortable and was sweating profusely wiping his forehead causing fingerprints to to appear on the pieces of paper that lay out in front of him. '' What is going on '' Jane asked nervously seeing her parents look at each other. Each wanting the other to take the first initiative in speaking and explaining to their daughter................

[WarmFusion]

"You promised you'd stop this" her mother hissed.  Her father's gaze fell everywhere but on the color photos spread out on the kitchen table. "Are you single-handedly trying to destroy your father's campaign? His ministry?  Do you realize what will become of him if these get out?"

Jane folded her arms in protest. She looked at the photos, depicting some of her finest work to date.

"This one here...this is our garden!  That tree bloomed less than one month ago!  Shall we go outside?  The bark is still chafed off!" She got in Jane's face, the spittle from her vitriol landing on Jane's cheeks. "How dare you lie to us as if we are fools!  I don't care what your peculiar proclivities might be, but I'll be damned if you destroy all that we've worked for!"

The corpulant campaign manager pulled at his collar, his neck dampened by sweat and red from the tightness around the folds of skin falling from his chin. He shifted his weight in his chair and the table groaned under the weight of his thick elbows on it.  "I can make this...go away...but there will be a steep price, you understand? You do...understand, Jane?"

"I understand" she sneered through pursed lips.

The campaign manager stood from his chair, collected the photographs, and returned them to the large manila folder.  He bowed his head towards each of her parents.  "Reverend?  Ma'am? Let your worries be gone and may your souls take solace in the Words of the Almighty, and rest in the knowledge that your daughter will be made pure once again."

A thin smile crept over his face, as he extended a thick-fingered hand to take her own. "Jane, please come with me."