Juliana's home was a shambles. It was always in dissarray, but this was the worst that she had ever seen it. Everything was all over the floor, and she saw her mother throwing various articles of clothing into a suitcase. Her older sister was helping. Juliana's father had left a long time ago. Her mother had said he had been in the army when she'd met him. But he'd left her before Juliana had been born. Juliana often wished that she could have met her father. Her mother said he was a dirty traitor to have left them, but Juliana knew better. Perhaps he had been afraid of commitment, or the army had called him away. In any case, he was gone. Juliana looked from the suitcase to her mother to her older sister, Sally, and back to her mother.

"Mum?" Juliana asked.

"Yes?" her mother looked up from the suitcase.

"What're you doing with that suitcase?"

"Why I'm simply cleaning up the place, m'dear! Ye know we've no dresser, and I'm simply putting your sister's clothes and mine away! I'll pack yours in due time, m'dear, all in due time! Now, we've got to get you fed and send ye off to the theater! You've got a big job tonight, my love, a big job tonight!" There was something strange about the way her mother was talking to her. Juliana didn't like it.

"I'm just an extra, Mum," Juliana said, "It's not really that important."

"Well, of course it is, Julie!" her older sister Sally cooed, "You know what they say, there are no small parts in the theatre, only small people." Sally ushered her into a corner of the shack and grabbed half of an old, bruised apple from a wooden crate. She snapped it in half again, and offered a piece to her sister. As she looked up at her mother suspiciously, Juliana thought that she saw a tear slip down her mother's face.

"Mum, what's wrong?" Juliana said. Her mother gave a quick sniff and dabbed at her eyes with an apron.

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all, dearie," her mother sniffed again. It sounded as though she were swallowing a large lump in her throat. Juliana was a smart child. She knew that something was going on. This was too obvious to be overlooked by anyone, let alone her.

"Alright, you two, the game's up!" Juliana said, standing. Her mother and sister gave a quick intake of breath, "There's something going on here, and I know it! So tell me what it is!" Juliana crossed her arms and tapped her foot. She could have sworn she heard her mother and sister sigh with relief.

"Whatever makes you think anything's going on, my peach?" her mother walked over and gave her a quick hug. Juliana was sure she felt her mother sniff again. "I don't know, Mum, it just seems that you're anxious about something- ," Juliana didn't get to finish, because her sister cut her off.

"Oh dear! Is that the time! I can hear the church bells! It's 7:00! You must be off!" she shooed her sister out the door with a quick peck on the cheek saying "You mustn't be late now, Julie!" her sister called, "don't dilly-dally, d'you hear?" her sister called as Juliana ran out towards the theater. She could hear the church bells as they rang the hour. It really was 7:00. She had to be going. Juliana looked back at the house. There was something strange going on, of that there could be no doubt. Whatever it was, Juliana didn't feel comfortable about it. She knew that something bad was about to happen, if only she could have known what.