The space would make a closterphobic scratch their eyes out; make a high-calorie human struggle to move. But the space was a perfect place for the two young adults to whisper, with only a single, dim light as a witness.

The girls whispered and giggled, feeling safe in the tight space.

“Help. Someone help. Help.” There was a muffled croak from outside the room.

The two girls looked at each other with a knowing, sad look. The taller one reached for the door, light slithered into the room as it opened. She peeked her head out, held her breath, and stared at what lay in the bed.

An old woman, veins dark purple against her pale white skin. The same skin that pulled taunt against bones and muscles. The same skin ladled with varying degrees of bruises —some days old and other weeks— all having one thing in common: they were hosted by a dying vessel.

The woman’s eyes were squeezed shut. Her hand fisted the sheets. As strong as the weak woman could.

A lady in dull colored scrubs was already at her side. Silently, the two girls watched the nurse push a fluid into the tube connected to the lady’s arm. The nurse looked up and gave the girls a curt nod. With that, they ducked back into their hideout.

“She’s getting sicker by the day, Jude. We have nothing. No insurance. No one else. What are we supposed to do?” The other girl in the room said.

“Don’t look at me like that. I can’t do anything. I’m one person. I work at a grocery store for Gods sake. You’re not even old enough to drive.” The taller girl huffed, giving her sister a pointed look.

“Well I could do something. I’m sure someone would hire me.”

“No Jude. That’s final. We don’t have enough saved up. We never will. The only thing that would truly help us would be if that bank by our house exploded. And we took all the cash.”

“Exploded? Maybe…” the younger sister drew out the last syllable and smiled at her sister. “No one would suspect a silly little 15 year old.”

“Ha ha right.” The sarcasm dripping in the older sister’s voice. “And no one would noticed a 20 year old running towards the bank with 2 large bags in her hand.”

“Maybe no one would notice if a silly 15 year old girl filled those bags.”

“Yeah and we could wear bras 2 sizes too big. We could stuff those too. Like you used to do when you noticed all the other girls getting bigger boobs.” The taller girl teased her baby sister.

“Jude stop that’s not funny.” Despite what was said, the younger sister giggled, no doubt remembering endless days of tissue-stuffed bras.

“We’ll find a way B. We always do.”

The sisters shared a hug in the dim lit room. The bank would stay standing, but so would the two sisters.