"Who was that princess stuck in a tower?" she asked herself, then stood up to open the curtains.


    Sarah shrugged, then froze when there was a knock on the door. A


    "Sarah, honey, do you want dinner?"


    "Your favorite."


    Diana took a small step back, calmly observing the furious Sarah.


    "How did you know?" Sarah demanded.


    "How do you know what my favorite food is?"


    Sarah closed her eyes, breathed in deep to calm herself, then still raised her hand to slap Diana.


    Diana did not move.


    "So I did," Diana confirmed, "And I regret that, but..."


    "Sarah, dear..."


    "Sarah! I''m sorry and it won''t happen again."


    "You can''t."


    Diana sighed, finally bothering to also enter the room, "Sarah, I''m sorry, but you literally can not leave. Your aunt signed a blood bond. You''re stuck unless I let you go."


    "Let me go."


    "Why not?"


    "Somewhere else!"


    "I can afford a room."


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    "Like you''re not taking advantage of me?"


    Sarah considered hurling an insult at Diana as her mind raced, but she finally sighed in defeat.


    "Fine. I''ll stay the night."


    "But, the debt must be paid and it comes down to your aunt then.''


    "Do you want dinner then?"


    "Fine, no use in starving I guess. ... Unless you like, substitute milk with semen."


    "I''m not sure how I feel about that answer."


    "I don''t want to know!"


    Sarah had dreaded an awkward dinner with just her and Diana, but the woman had said she had pressing business in the cellar, which left Sarah to eat by herself.


    She was still stoically chewing when Sam entered the kitchen. The boy had put on a wife-beater that was obviously too big for him, and too long since its last wash.


    "You," Sam responded, rummaging through the fridge without another word.


    He sighed, as if just hearing his name from Sarah''s mouth was the most tedious thing he had ever heard.


    "Can I ask you something?"


    Sam turned and placed a large bottle of soda down on the dining room table.


    "Not if you just work with me for a bit."


    "You''re here of your own accord, right?"


    "So, you like... whatever you have going on with Diana?"


    "Coding."


    "Code."


    Sam scoffed, "I don''t bother with Diana''s fling of the week. No use getting to know the names unless you''re sure they''re not disappearing into the night next week."


    "She''s done what she can. Now.."


    "Would you like to help me be even more happy?"


    Sam grabbed glass, his bottle of soda, then retreated from the kitchen.


    "I''m ecstatic to be done with this chat. Enjoy your meal, Susan."


    Sarah sighed, proceeding to eat and staring blankly at the fridge, suddenly spotting a drawing on the white plastic exterior. It had clearly been done by a child. A crayon work, showing a poorly drawn shop with a host of colorful flowers outside it. Next to it was a scribble of the child with her parents. The junior artist had past progressed stick figures into weird triangle shaped bodies, but had not learned dimensions yet, leaving the parents the size of the shop.


    She placed her empty plate in the sink, then spitefully took it out and placed it upside down on the table, then returned to her room.


    As she headed towards her room, she passed the cellar door, through which she could hear the soft giggles of Diana and the soft pleased moans of another woman.