Bound by Blood and Brimstone by D. L. Dunaway Read Free Book Online Page A

time
    we’ve forgotten. She’s brought many babies into the world, and as long as I live, she’ll be
    honored in my home, as I’ve been taught. If people have a problem with her, they need to keep
    their distance.”
    “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live,” Reese quoted. “Those in league with the devil will
    burn with him in hell forever.” At those words, my fragile control cracked. I didn’t even
    remember getting to my feet.
    “What’s the matter with you? All of you! You sit here, talking about my great
    grandmother like she’s not even in the room, like she doesn’t even have feelings! She’s never
    hurt anybody, not once in her life! AND SHE’S SMARTER THAN YOU, YOU BUG-EYED
    BULLFROG!”
    I was crying, trembling, nerve endings jangling. Through the drumbeat throbbing in my
    head, I heard Lorrie Beth whimpering and Momma pleading with everyone to calm down. Reese
    mumbled something about sparing the rod and spoiling the child.
    Somehow, through the fog threatening to descend on me, I heard Wonnie’s voice. I
    turned to find her on her feet by her chair, her small chin thrust out, her black eyes riveted on
    Reese. As if on cue, all talking ceased. She alone had the floor.
    “I know all about your kind, white man. Many winters ago, your government said my
    people had to give up their lands, their Great Spirit. Like cattle, you herded them with guns to
    their heads and made them march west. They were starved and barefoot. Your soldiers shot them
    when they fell. My grandson honors me because I am old, and it is right to do this. Tell your
    county people they need not fear me. The Evil One you speak of will not be found in me, but he
    is close.”
    Ignoring the row of stunned faces, she pivoted and left the room, her back ramrod
    straight, her head erect. In the shocked silence that fell, the spell was finally broken. Daddy led
    Reese to the front room where they spoke quietly for several minutes. Surprisingly, I saw them
    shake hands.
    As Reese stepped on the porch, I heard him say, “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you
    and Mona to miss any church services after this, William. People might think you’re being
    influenced. No telling what that could lead to.”
    That night, flopping about on my mattress, the unending questions tormented me. Why
    would anyone have a problem with Wonnie? Why didn’t Momma and Daddy just throw Reese
    out of the house and find another church? What did Wonnie Dean mean about the Evil One
    being close? Finally, weary to the bone, I rolled over and prayed. I asked God to take Reese
    Watkins away from Silver Rock Creek and our family.

CHAPTER 6
    I was in fifth grade that autumn when Reese Watkins made me cry over Wonnie.
    Apparently, Miss Hacker decided I could read well enough after all and allowed me to skip
    fourth grade. They called it “double promoting.”
    Lorrie Beth, having decided she hated school, had been held back in third grade for the
    second time. I knew Caleb and Sue Lee Jacobs had everything to do with the way she felt about
    school. She clung to the hope that if Caleb and Sue Lee passed on to another grade, they might
    have an attack of amnesia and forget about her. It was an empty hope. Tormenting my sister
    seemed to be what they were born to do.
    Accustomed to adoration from the cradle, Lorrie Beth was confused and heart-broken
    over their unrelenting intimidation and vicious pranks. “Why do they hate me so much?” she
    wailed on too many occasions to count. “I try so hard to be nice to everybody!”
    “They’re too stupid to know about nice,” I said. “Just stay away from them.” I tried not to
    let it bother me, as I was fairly decent with my fists, but being Lorrie Beth’s bodyguard wasn’t
    my idea of a life’s calling. Truth be told, it was an outright pain in the butt at times.
    Maybe if my head hadn’t been so muddled with worrying over those goons on that May
    morning after my tenth birthday, I could’ve spared myself