The Secret

         Sylvia sat in her empty room, on the floor. Papers were strewn out in a haphazard way and everything was a total mess. Her husband, Brian, had just left after an especially violent argument. His friend, Chester, just called and asked him to meet him at the baseball diamond. Sylvia and Chester were like oil and water from the start. There was something about him that made Sylvia's hair stand on end.

          Brian and Sylvia had been married for two years. Thankfully, for Sylvia, no children were brought into this volatile union. Before their marriage, they had known each other since they were children. Brian had always been a leader of the group. Everyone seemed to follow him and did as he said. He was a regular Spanky McFarland. The only difference was that Brian had a mix of bully thrown in. Looking back, Sylvia wondered what attracted her to that type of guy. While she was lost in thought, she came to the realization that, for some reason, she likes to repair lost souls. A knock at the door snapped her out of her trance.

         "Who is it?"

         "Sylvia, it's Melanie. May I come in?"

         Sylvia opened the door slowly. Once in full view, Melanie looked, in horror, at the room and Sylvia's facial expression. She slowly walked in and gave her sister a hug and was there to catch the anger and tears that began to flow.

         "Does he know?"

         "Yes, and I don't know what he's going to do. He is with Chester at the baseball diamond right now. God only knows what Chester is saying right now. He's probably telling Brian that I am the worst person in the world."

         "What do you care what Chester thinks? He is nothing but a 40ish, balding, beer guzzling, woman hater. Your priority right now is Brian and setting him straight about this."

         Sylvia realized that something was missing. She ran back to the paper pile and started rifling through insanely. She was grabbing and throwing and becoming more upset by the minute.

         "It's not here. It's not here. He took it. Now my secret will be known and I'll have to leave."

         "Sylvia, calm down. Didn't you say that you had the original in a safe place that Brian didn't know about?"

         At Melanie's urging, Syliva went to the bedroom and unlocked the cedar trunk. She went to its bottom and found the grey, metal box. It fell out of her hands and popped open. There was nothing in it, but a picture of Brian and Sylvia in happier days. It was Sylvia's clue that Brian took her secret.

         "Mel-l-l-l-lanie!"

          Melanie ran into the room and saw that Sylvia's life was in disarray. Sylvia sank in a puddle of anger and fright. Brian now knew her secret. Chester probably knew it too. She was at the end of the road. She had no place left to go. Her dreams of a better life exploded and now she had to start over. She started packing and made sure she had enough money for a one way bus ticket to nowhere.

          "Sylvia, I'm sorry. Can I do anything?"

         "No Melanie. There's nothing left. I have to go. Tell the family I'm sorry for disgracing them. Leaving will allow them to save face."

         The two sisters hugged for the last time and Sylvia walked out the door.