Chapter 5 - The Rising Gate
"You... you hit me," the woman stammers, pushing herself up against the rear fender.
Her beige satin blouse is wrinkled and torn at the shoulder seam from the impact.
Her gold necklace hangs crookedly against her chest.
"In front of a servant's child?" she cries, her voice breaking into a harsh screech.
Julian walks past her without turning his head.
He stops at the wall-mounted control box beside the double doors.
He presses his thumb against the black rubber button.
A loud mechanical hum fills the space.
The giant steel garage doors begin to rise, grinding slowly up their metal tracks.
Blinding morning sunlight pours in from the driveway outside, cutting through the dim, warm light of the garage.
The cold morning breeze rushes across the floor, blowing the grey soap suds into thin, dry bubbles.
The woman covers her eyes with her forearm, her body trembling against the wheel well.
Julian steps back toward the hood of the car, standing beside the small boy.
The boy squints into the bright white sunlight, his tiny shoulders shivering in the cool air.
May you like
Julian takes off his navy suit jacket and drapes it over the child's small, wet shoulders.
The jacket swallows the boy whole, the heavy wool hanging down past his ankles.
