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"Hello? My door seems to be stuck. Will somebody please give me a hand?"

Silence! But, damn it, how could there just be silence? There were always girls up at this level during this time of the morning. One of them should certainly have heard her and come running.

"I say, this damn door is stuck!" Melissa said loudly, pounding even harder on it than she had before. "Can someone out there please give me an assist?"

Nothing! This was getting to be a bit ridiculous!

Melissa, frustrated, stepped back from the door, telling herself there was no reason whatsoever to get upset. There was undoubtedly a logical explanation for all of this-even if it did momentarily escape her.

Melissa walked back to the window. She opened the latch, swinging the window open. It gave access to a small balcony that overlooked the grounds. Melissa stepped outside, being made even more uncomfortable by the fact that there was still no one in sight. Surely, there should have been someone!

Melissa came in from the balcony, having barely controlled an impulse to scream out at the top of her lungs. She refused, though, to act hysterical. She simply refused!

"Ah!" she voiced audibly, sighting the telephone next to the bed. Why in the hell hadn't she thought of the phone to begin with? She would simply call somebody, maybe one of the lawyers, and have him buzz back the house and inform someone of Melissa's predicament. All very simple. See, no need whatsoever to play silly female.

Melissa walked to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. She went through a brief minute of mental gymnastics in order to recall the number of the family law firm. She then reached for the phone. She was already almost half through the dialing process before she realized the line was dead.

Dead! Damn it, the phone was dead!

Melissa clicked frantically to get a connection-with no result.

"Hello!" Melissa screamed into the receiver. She immediately felt silly. She looked around sheepishly, like someone who had just been caught carrying on lengthy conversation with herself. She then slammed the receiver back on its cradle-hard.

Melissa continued sitting. Once more, she told herself that she had to be calm. No need to make a mountain out of a molehill. There was obviously… a… logical… explanation. For her door being locked? Yes, by God, locked! For her bell cord being suddenly broken? For the phone being dead?

Melissa shook her head to clear it. She simply refused to assume the unwanted role of some simpering heroine in some two-bit gothic novel.

A sound! Yes, a sound! From outside. A splashing of water. Someone had dived into the pool and was even now swimming around.

"Jesus, you're getting paranoid," Melissa said, giving a small laugh of relief. She had about let her imagination run away with her, hadn't she? Well, luckily, she hadn't done so. Because, there was now someone in the pool. She would merely have to call to get their attention, and then have them send up help.

Melissa headed back to the window and the small balcony beyond.

So, who was out there swimming? Melissa hoped it wasn't John! Wouldn't John have found it amusing that Melissa had moved out of their shared bedroom into one she couldn't now get out of?

Melissa stepped out on the balcony and went to the balustrade. She was just about to call out when her voice stuck in her throat.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing! She simply couldn't believe it! There, paddling around in the water, naked as a jay, was her brother. And, what was he trying to prove? No wonder Melissa couldn't drum up a maid. They were probably all sequestered behind convenient peepholes, watching Melissa's brother put on this disgusting display.

As if Creagon sensed his sister's presence-in truth he knew the minute she had come out on the balcony-he rolled to his back. The sunlight, like a spotlight, singled out Creagon's hard cock for the whole world to see.

"Ohhhhh!" Melissa heard herself saying in the process of sucking in a deep intake of breath. She was caught between an impulse to go back into the bedroom and an impulse to stay right where she was. It wasn't so much, she told herself, that the latter was caused by any prurient interest she might have toward her brother's naked body. It was simply that Melissa did want out of her room; and, so far, Creagon offered the only visible hope of succor. Melissa was afraid if she went back inside, she would soon find that Creagon had somehow disappeared with everyone else.

It was too late to go back into the bedroom, anyway. It was obvious that Creagon had seen her. He was even waving! The utter audacity of the exhibitionist!

"Creagon, I seem to be locked in my room!" Melissa called, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to see her own brother performing such a lurid display every morning of her life. No wonder the bastard had taken John's side. Melissa's brother, as it turned out, was probably just as bad-if not worse-than John was.

"Come on in; the water is fine," Creagon called back, now treading water.

Thank God his lewd cock was again out of sight!

"My… door… is… stuck!" Melissa shouted.

"Can't hear you, luv. You'll have to talk a bit louder," Creagon insisted.

"My… door… seems… to… be… stuck!" Melissa obliged, screaming loud enough, she was sure, to quite arouse the whole household.

"Wait a minute, and I'll come closer!" Creagon called, swimming toward the end of the pool.

What did he mean, he would come closer? Oh, good God, he was actually getting out of the water!

Melissa thought for sure she was going to faint. She certainly was blushing. And, there he was, walking across the flagstones, his body dripping wet, his cock weaving in front of his belly like a grotesquely lurid phallic metronome.

He was just trying to shock her! It was just the same kind of infantile trick John was always pulling!

"Now, then," Creagon said, looking up at his sister He was standing right below the balcony. Melissa had a very good view of everything.

Melissa controlled an impulse to run. She controlled another impulse to make a scathing comment on Creagon's disgraceful display.

"My door seems to be stuck," Melissa said.

"It's not stuck, sister," Creagon said, and he smiled up at her like some Raphaelesque angel painted with an erection. "Your door is locked."

Of course, Melissa had known it was locked. But, that didn't keep her from being somewhat shocked by having the fact verified so calmly by her brother.

"What do you mean, it's locked?" Melissa asked, trying for composure.

"I don't know how I could make it any plainer," Creagon said, frowning as if the problem of clarity were actually perplexing him. Melissa knew better!

"Well, would you please send up one of the servants to UN-lock it?"

"Actually, I gave all the servants the day off," Creagon said. "Telling them, of course, that they had to leave quietly so as not to disturb my dear sister who hasn't been sleeping at all well lately-or, so I've been told. They didn't disturb you as they were leaving, did they?"

"What do you mean, you gave them the day off? All of them?"

"We really do seem to be having a bit of a communication problem here, don't we?" Creagon said, again looking as if he were at a complete loss as to just why. "But, don't worry, I'll come on up and try to clarify things a bit more for you."

"First, explain right from where you are just why you gave the servants the day off without first consulting me?"

"I thought maybe they might misinterpret your screaming," Creagon said, flashing another smile. "You know, and I know how you like to play games; but, I was afraid the servants might actually think I was hurting you."

Melissa must have looked confused; because, Creagon laughed with genuine amusement.