This work is copyright M.A. Mohanraj 1994, all rights reserved. Please don't repost this or make it publically accessible via FTP, mail server, or archive site without my explicit permission.
Permission is granted for one hard copy for personal use.
She still doesn't know. Chantelle sits cross-legged on my futon, leaning back against the blue cushions. She hugs my stuffed lion close. Its golden fur glows in the dim light of my single working lamp, blending into her honey-brown skin. Her skin is a legacy of her despised mother, the fashion model.