Chapter One

“Grown men can learn from little children, for the hearts of little children are pure. Therefore, The Great Spirit may show to them many things which older people will miss.”

 

                      Black Elk

 

 

Drums…the sound of beating drums. The tattooed man pointed to a monolith standing on a rocky beach. Upon closer examination, Yeracenna could see that it was inscribed with a symbol, a swirling concentric circle placed at the stone’s center. Stepping back, Yeracenna could see that several monoliths dotted rolling green hillsides, each with its own symbol. Where am I? The elder spoke, he was giving an instruction.

 

Yeracenna woke with a start. The digital clock on the bedside table read 4:oo am. Yeracenna tried to focus her eyes in the darkness. It’s too early to get up so I might as well lie here. Her old friend was becoming a frequent visitor lately. For as long as she could remember, the tattooed man usually showed Yeracenna events before they happened but last night, he took her to a place she had never been. 4:02 am. Yeracenna decided to get up to use the bathroom. On her way there, she passed by her mother’s bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, inviting Yeracenna to look in. Two figures lie sprawled across a queen sized bed, snoring loudly. Every night it was the same, Mom and her boyfriend Jim up all night drinking beer and watching television. Yeracenna turned away in disgust, knowing that a mess was waiting for her in the living room.

 

While washing her hands in the bathroom sink, Yeracenna glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She had almond shaped brown eyes, black hair and a straight nose and full lips. Her high cheekbones made her look older than eleven. Why do I have dark circles under my eyes? The rings around her irises were blue, something other kids had commented on.

 

Yeracenna smoothed some hair gel on her head and combed her hair into a ponytail. She sighed as she made her way to the kitchen to get a garbage bag. Yeracenna made her rounds through the living room picking up empty beer cans and the remnants of last night’s dinner. Apparently, THEY had pizza while Yeracenna fed her brother and sister instant noodles.

 

Yeracenna quietly took the garbage bag outside and dumped it into the trash can, then dragged the can out to the curb for the Monday morning pick up. Movement caught her eyes near the street light at the center of the cul-de-sac. Something fluttered around the light pole then stopped. Yeracenna walked closer for a better look. To her surprise, a large dragonfly perched itself near the base of the street light. “Wow, I’ve never seen one like you before.” Yeracenna leaned over to take a closer look. The dragonfly flexed its golden wings. This was the most beautiful insect Yeracenna had ever seen. After satisfying her curiosity, Yeracenna headed to her duplex.

Back in the kitchen, the stove clock read 5:00 am. Yeracenna washed her hands in the kitchen sink then foraged around in the refrigerator for breakfast ingredients. She found six eggs, some green onions and a stick of butter. The pantry yielded a half loaf of bread and a can of Spam. “Guess its Spam omelets for everybody,” breathed Yeracenna. Once the table was set, she quietly roused her brother and sister, herding them to the worn dining table. After the trio had finished eating, Yeracenna managed to get her siblings dressed and out the front door on time.

 

Today, Yeracenna would walk Renee and Daina around the lake on their way to school. The lake was a special place to Yeracenna for reasons unknown to her. It seemed to call out to her. As far as she was concerned, it was the only feature near the duplex that made life in the projects bearable. The trio followed a hard dirt trail that led through a grove of trees down to the lake’s edge and finally to a six foot high chain link fence. The fence had a large hole in it the kids crawled through to cut across the parking lot of the community health center. From here they could merge with the sidewalk going west up a hill that led them to the Mount View Elementary School.

 

While walking, Yeracenna reminisced about her first day at this school. The first thing she noticed was that she was the only brown skinned student in her class but after getting to know her classmates, she discovered that they were just as curious about her as she was about them. Yeracenna thought that her new teacher, Mrs. McDonnell, was the nicest white lady she had ever met.

 

Yeracenna was hoping for a good day today as she had learned from the other students that every year the school had a Field Day in June. There were sporting events and a picnic lunch that the students and their families were invited to. Someone said that ice cream sundaes were going to be served! Yeracenna had her heart set on entering the track events but wondered how she would do against other kids her age. After making sure Daina and Renee made it to their classrooms, Yeracenna headed off to her own.

 

At 10:30 am, Mrs. McDonnell announced that it was time for the class to follow her to the playground. As the class filed out into the hallway and out of the building, Yeracenna watched the other classes doing the same. They gathered on the basketball court, waiting for whatever came next.

 

Mr. Filmore, the fourth grade teacher and part time swim instructor, blew ohn his whistle to get everyone’s attention. “Alright everyone, settle down. As you know, it’s time for the field day tryouts and if you look up here, you will see that each teacher has a clipboard with a sign up sheet for every event. If you don’t want to participate, we can always use helpers in the cafeteria. Take the next 15 minutes to sign up for your chosen events.”

 

Yeracenna asked Mrs. McDonnell which teacher had the clipboard for the track events and Mrs. McDonnell pointed to Mr. Filmore. Yeracenna signed up for the 50 and 100 yard dashes as well as the relay race. Once the sign up period was over. Mr. Filmore led the track participants to the rear of the school down to the oval track. Yeracenna saw a red headed freckled boy standing next to a tree. “Hey Geoffrey, how come you’re not trying out?” Geoffrey’s face turned sour. “Why bother? Everyone knows that Reith is the fastest kid in school!” Yeracenna was surpised. She didn’t know Reith was capable of anything beyond being a pest.

 

Mr. Filmore positioned the runners on the track in this order. Jennifer, Mark, Stephanie, Reith, then Yeracenna. Mr. Filmore attempted to show everyone the proper kneeling position but his striped overalls had a habit of riding up his backside. The runners got the basic idea and knelt down in their respective lanes until they got the position correct. Mr. Filmore did his best to adjust his overalls discreetly but the wedgie he was experiencing only got worse. Yeracenna wondered if Mr. Filmore always wore overalls because of his large size. The runners were stifling their giggles as Mr. Filmore gave up on his overalls. He pulled a black toy cap gun from his jacket pocket and held it up in the air with his right hand. “Alright runners, when this goes off, that’s the signal to start running, got it?” Everyone nodded. “You will stop at those yellow flags down there,”  he pointed. Yeracenna could see little yellow flags on metal rods at the other end of the track, marking the finish line.

 

Mr. Filmore strode to the grassy cneter of the track oval and raised his gun into the air. “READY!” Yeracenna glanced at Reith. Let’s see how fast you really are. “Set!” Yeracenna could feel her legs tensing “Go!”

 

BANG! Several pairs of sneakers tore down the red gravel track, each runner keeping pace with each other for the first few yards. Little blonde Jennifer was the first to fall behind, followed by Mark and Stephanie. Reith was surpised to see Yeracenna at his side. He tried to edge in front but she pulled ahead of him and sped through the yellow flags, slowing to a halt. Reith came in second with Mark and Stephanie tied for third place. Little Jennifer walked to the finish line then waved to Mr. Filmore on her way to the cafeteria.

 

Stephanie trotted over to Yeracenna with a big grin on her face. “Thank gawd you beat him. I was getting sick of all his bragging.” Mr. Filmore waved at the runners to meet him at the track’s center. Reith walked with his hands on his hips, disbelief locked on his face. “You got beat by a girl?” asked Mark, walking alongside his best friend. Mr. Filmore sighed, removing Jennifer’s name from the roster on his clipboard. “Well, looks like it will be Yeracenna representing Mrs. McDonnell’s class this year. If for some reason Yeracenna can’t, Reith will take her place on Field Day.”

 

Reith’s face reddened. “Mr. Gilmore? I want a rematch. I couldn’t keep up because, because my shoes kept wanting to fall off, see?” whined Reith, lifting his right foot. Reith’s shoelaces looked worse than his sneakers. Mr. Filmore scratched his head. “Well now, I don’t know. She was a good four feet in front of you. I’m not sure a rematch will make that much of a difference.”

 

Reith considered Mark for a moment. “I could use my buddy Mark’s shoes, he just got a new pair and we wear the same size.” Mark sat down and removed his shoes, then got up and handed them to Reith. Mr. Filmore sighed. “If your shoes were affecting your ability to run, then I guess it would be good sportsmanship to give you a rematch. What do you say Yeracenna?” Yeracenna shrugged. “Let him have his rematch.”

 

Reith changed his shoes, making sure to firmly knot the laces. Mr. Filmore inspected Reith’s feet and nodded. News of the rematch made its way to Geoffrey who had decided to watch the race. Geoffrey made a bet with Mark that Yeracenna would win.

 

Yeracenna met Reith at the starting line, taking her position to Reith’s right. Reith made a big show of stretching his legs, then hopping up and down on each foot. Mr. Filmore assumed his position at the track’s center, raising his gun once more. “Ready! Set! Go!”

 

BANG! Yeracenna and Reith burst from their positions, red gravel kicking into the air as they pounded down the track. Reith gritted his teeth, summoning all his energy to push harder. Running was freedom to Yeracenna. She closed her eyes and imagined herself flying down the track, leaving Reith far behind. Sweat trickled down Reith’s face, his legs burned trying to catch up to Yeracenna.

 

Yeracenna reached the finish lne first with Reith several feet behind her. Reith came to a stop, sinking to his knees, holding his hands to his head. Mr. Filmore went to check o Reith while various kids began swarming around Yeracenna. Geoffrey pushed his way to the front, patting Yeracenna on the back. “Didja see that? Didja? How did you beat him? No one could out run him!”

 

Yeracenna began to feel uncomfortable. Luckily, the lunch bell rang. When the crowd dispersed, Yeracenna didn’t know what to say to Reith. He was rocking back and forth with Mr. Filmore trying to console him. Yeracenna decided to go to lunch like everyone else.

 

In the cafeteria, Yeracenna sat at a table near the doors, alone as usual. She couldn’t afford to buy school lunch today so she ate two slices of toast saved from her breakfast. Something tickled her ears. At first, Yeracenna thought it was a fly but the sound was more like a whisper. She concentrated on the sound until she could make out a conversation.

 

“Well I’m not going to do it, why don’t you?”

 

“So what? It will be worth it to see the look on her dumb face. I mean, have you looked at her shoes? You’d think her parents could at least afford a new pair.”

 

“I heard my dad say that her people can’t afford anything on welfare.”

 

Yeracenna looked down at her sneakers. The red high top canvas sneakers definitely had holes in them and her right shoe was coming apart from the rubber sole. The Hideous Three were at it again. Yeracenna stole a look in their direction, the table at the dcenter of the cafeteria. Michelle, Ashley and Shelby sat close together.

 

“Who cares about her shoes, I just had an idea. Let’s get Shawna to do it.” Michelle twirled her fingers through her long brown hair. “Yeah, I bet we could get her to do anything.” Ashley and Shelby smiled in agreement.

 

Yeracenna felt sorry for frail little Shawna. Everyone assumed that just because Shawna was so quiet, they could walk all over her. Yeracenna watched Shawna carrying her lunch tray looking for a place to sit. Michelle stood up and waved. Shawna raised her eyebrows. Since when did the popular girls want anything to do with her? Maybe they were waving to someone else. Shawna looked around, but Michelle pointed directly at her and continued to wave. Shawna shuffled her way over. Ashley and Shelby made room between them.

 

“Have a seat Shawna. We were going to ask you over but we’ve been a little busy, haven’t we girls?” The other two nodded. Shawna set her tray on the table and sat down warily. Michelle slid her seat closer to Shawna and continued. “So Shawna, how’d you like to be part of our club? We were thinking about adding another girl to our group.”

 

Ashley nudged Shelby. Shelby smiled and added “Yeah Shawna. We’ve been watching you and we think you’d be fun to hang around with. Of course, before you can join, you have to show us that you’re worthy.”

 

Shawna blinked. “Worthy?”

 

This time Ashley piped in. “That’s right. You have to pass the initiation first.”

 

Shawna shifted in her seat. “Oh, okay. What kind of initiation?”

 

Michelle’s mouth curled with mischief. “You see Yeracenna over there? Well, all you have to do is walk right up to her and yank her hair.”

 

Shawna gulped. Yeracenna was the closest thing Shawna had to a friend. “Can’t I do something else?”

 

Michelle winked at Ashley. “Well, if you’d rather we ask someone else…”

 

Shawna bit her lower lip. The three most popular girls in school wanted to be her friends and all she had to do was pull Yeracenna’s hair.

 

“No, not that’s okay. I’ll do it.”

 

The Hideous Three urged Shawna to get the deed done quickly, before the teachers came in to get their lunches. Shawna walked slowly towards Yeracenna’s table, glancing around nervously and hoping no one would notice her advance on Yeracenna. Yeracenna pretended not to notice Shawna standing behind her. Shawna reached forward and grasped a handful of Yeracenna’s hair, whispering into Yeracenna’s ear. “Please don’t hate me!” Yeracenna’s head jerked back when Shawna pulled down as hard as she could. Shawna released her grip and fled from the cafeteria.

 

The Hideous Three smirked at their table. A familiar heat crept up to Yeracenna’s face and her hands began to tremble. She placed her hands down on the table, making it vibrate. Shelby was bursting with laughter when her lunch tray inexplicably dumped its contents over her head. Michelle’s milk carton sprayed itself across her face and Ashley’s chocolate pudding exploded over her white blouse. Ashley stood up and screamed, “This was a brand new shirt!”

 

No one noticed Yeracenna calmly walking out of the cafeteria. For the rest of the afternoon, Shawna was too ashamed to face Yeracenna and Yeracenna wasn’t in a hurry. When the last bell of the day rang, Yeracenna was the first to leave.

 

 

 

Yeracenna opened her eyes. She didn’t need the alarm clock to tell her it was 4:30 am. Yeracenna sat up in her bunk, swinging her legs over the edge. Today she would practice running after school. The neighbor kids promised to show her how to run a relay race. Yeracenna reached down to pick up her shoes. Hopefully the super glue she used last night would hold the uppers to the sole. Yeracenna turned on the bedside lamp to inspect her work. They looked sturdy but there was only one way to tell. She slipped the shoes on her feet and laced them firmly. Yeracenna walked around the room, bending each foot to test the hold. They were set all right.

 

The morning ritual of getting breakfast and walking to school went as usual but on the way to her classroom, Yeracenna felt something hit her right pant leg. She looked down to see a clump of mud sliding its way down to her shoe. Reith and Mark laughed when Yeracenna shook it off. A few other kids joined in their laughter.

 

“Don’t worry about the mud, it’s almost the same color as you!” called Reith.

 

Yeracenna balled her hands into fists, ready to fight. The other kids standing nearby began chanting “Fight, fight, fight!” Yeracenna looked around to see if any adults were watching. Mark pushed Reith forward, egging him on. Yeracenna glared at him, refusing to back down. “What’s the matter Reith, afraid you’ll get beaten by a girl?”

 

Reith’s cheeks turned red “Oh yeah? You think I’m afraid of you? I’ll meet you here after school then we’ll see who’s afraid!”

 

The blue rings around Yeracenna’s irises glowed silver. Reith stepped back. The ground beneath him began to tremble. Staring at Yeracenna filled Reith’s stomach with unease. She saw the look on his face and walked away. Maybe he noticed something’s wrong with me. I’ve got to control my anger.

 

 

Mrs. McDonnell noticed that her class seemed to be distracted all day. Yeracenna was unusually rigid and Reith fidgeted at his desk. The class glanced in their direction every time Mrs. McDonnell’s back was turned. When the recess bell finally rang, Mrs. McDonnell asked Yeracenna to stay behind. “You seem upset Yeracenna. Is something wrong?”

 

Yeracenna wanted to tell Mrs. McDonnell about Reith challenging her to a fight after school but didn’t want to be a snitch. Mrs. McDonnell glanced down at Yeracenna’s leg. “How did your pants get dirty?”

 

“I got in the way of a flying dirt ball. Um, I have to go to the bathroom, can I go now?”

 

Mrs. McDonnell nodded. “You know Yeracenna, you can always come to me if you need help with anything.”

 

Yeracenna smiled and turned away.

 

Inside the girl’s lavatory, Yeracenna tried to clean her pant leg with a wet soapy paper towel but only succeeded in making the stain larger. Why do they bother me? I never did anything to them to deserve this.

 

Towards the end of the day, Yeracenna kept eyeing the clock above the chalkboard. If she fought Reith on school property, she could get expelled. The more Yeracenna thought about it, the angrier she became. Five more minutes until the bell rings. What if I do fight, what if..what if something weird happens, then what? Everyone will know I’m different. We’ll have to move again.

 

The bell rang promptly at three and Yeracenna couldn’t get out fast enough. Out on the lawn, Reith was nowhere to be found. Yeracenna watched parents come and go with their kids. Daina and Renee met up with their sister but wondered what they were waiting around for. Yeracenna took one last look around and saw Mark walking home by himself. She ran to catch up with him. “Hey! Where’s your friend Reith?”

 

Mark frowned. “I don’t know. He was supposed to be here but I haven’t seen him since the bell rang.”

 

Yeracenna wrinkled her face. “Well, I’m not waiting around anymore. I know where he lives.”

 

Mark looked surprised. “You do? I’m his best friend and I don’t even know where he lives.”

Yeracenna gave mark a quizzical look. “How can you be best friends and not know where he lives?”

 

Mark shrugged. “He always comes to my house.”

 

“Hmmph! Maybe he just doesn’t want you to know he lives in the projects.”

 

“He does not!”

 

“Wanna bet? I’ll show you.”

 

Mark followed Yeracenna and her siblings down the hill and around the lake to the dirt trail that led to the housing complex. Yeracenna sent her brother and sister home, then motioned for Mark to continue following her. Three blocks up was another cul-de-sac with more duplexes. Yeracenna walked past the first duplex and turned towards the second one. She knocked loudly on the door and waited. “Okay Mark, this is where your good buddy lives.”

 

Eventually a boy slightly older than Yeracenna answered the door. He had straight black hair, freckles and the bluest eyes Yeracenna had ever seen.

 

“Uh, can I help you?” he asked.

 

Yeracenna put her hands on her hips. “Yeah, you can tell Reith that since he didn’t show up after school to fight me, I’m here to call him out.”

 

The boy stared at Yeracenna for a moment, then at Mark. Mark nodded and the boy looked back at Yeracenna. “Just a moment please. I’ll be right back.” The boy left the door slightly open and scuffling sounds could be heard from within. Someone was being dragged to the door. The older boy swung the door open to show Yeracenna that he had Reith by the collar. “What’s this I hear about you fighting with girls?”

 

“I…I wasn’t going to really. I just wanted to scare her, that’s all,” stammered Reith.

 

“Apologize now!”

 

“Okay, okay! Just don’t hit me Rob!” Reith faced Yeracenna, desperation in his voice. “I’m sorry okay? I said I was sorry!”

 

Mark’s mouth fell open. The older boy turned to Yeracenna. “If my brother here ever bothers you again, you come and tell me, okay?”

 

Yeracenna nodded. “Okay.” She left Mark with Reith, smiling to herself. Maybe today wasn’t such a bad day after all.

 

Yeracenna hurried back to her own duplex. The neighbor kids were supposed to show her how to run in a relay race. The her relief, the Simms waited outside. Eddie was standing outside of his duplex watching his younger siblings tossing his homemade relay stick around. He looked up to see Yeracenna walking towards them. “Hey, there she is! What took you so long?”

 

Yeracenna told him about Reith challenging her to a fight and not showing up.

 

“Hah! Don’t let that idiot bother you. He’s nothing but hot air!”

 

Eddie was taller than Yeracenna with short black hair, copper skin and dimples that made her blush whenever he smiled. Yeracenna thought Eddie’s sister Debra was the prettiest girl in the world and envied her long silky black hair. Next in line were the middle kids, Terrence and Theresa. Timmy was Yeracenna’s age and Christina was the baby of the family. Eddie grabbed his homemade relay and held it up.

 

“Okay so here’s how this works. We’re gonna split up into teams. Timmy and Theresa will be one team, Terrence and Debra will be a team and Yeracenna and I will be one team.”

 

“Hey,” said Terrence. “That’s no fair, Eddie can outrun all of us.”

 

“Yeah but I’m teaching Yeracenna how to do this so don’t worry about it.”

 

Yeracenna’s heart skipped a beat.

 

“Okay here we go. The basic idea in a relay is that you run a certain distance, then you pass this stick off to the next runner, then they run for awhile until they pass the stick to another person. Hey Debra, take this and run around the house, then pass this to Terrence, then Terrence, you run the rest of the way to show Yeracenna how it’s done.”

 

Debra took the stick and ran around the duplex, handing it off to Terrence who ran around the duplex and stopped where he began.

 

“See? It’s that simple. Okay now lets do this for real. Yeracenna, you’re going to run first, but you have to try to make it around the duplex before Timmy or Theresa hand their sticks to their partners, okay? Everybody get set, go!”

 

 

Mrs. Bascom sat near her living room window, watching the neighbor’s kids run around and around a duplex, passing sticks to each other. Mrs. Bascom was a middle-aged woman almost as round as she was tall. Her graying hair reminded the neighborhood kids of a fairy tale witch and commonly referred to her as such. Most of the time she putted around the house in her moth eaten robe, occasionally watching soap operas or planting tulips in the front yard.

 

Mr. Bascom was a stocky gentleman that walked with a cane due to an old leg injury. He was an easy-going man who liked to mind his own business, unlike his wife who had taken to spying on the duplex directly across the cul-de-sac.

 

“There’s something unnatural about that girl,” muttered Margie. “Mark my words, Lenny. One of these days you’ll see what I’m talking about.”

 

Mr. Bascom sat in his easy chair buried in his newspaper. After thirty minutes had passed, Mrs. Bascom grew tired of watching Yeracenna and the other kids run around the duplex.

 

 

Yeracenna grew weary of running and decided it was time to go home. Peaches and Jim were sitting on the couch watching television. Jim popped open a beer can and took a gulp from it. “Bout time. Your brother and sister haven’t eaten anything yet, you’d better get them something to eat.”

 

Yeracenna guessed by Jim’s speech that he had gone through a few cans of beer. Why doesn’t she just dump this loser and get a job? Later he’ll just be drunk and mean and still she puts up with it.

 

Yeracenna went to the kitchen to see what there was to eat. How come he eats all our food and never puts any back? Nothing in the fridge but beer, guess its instant noodles again.

 

 

Yeracenna woke with a start. Someone was crying. She opened her eyes and listened. Renee was sobbing in the bunk above.

 

“Renee?” Yeracenna whispered. “Renee, what’s wrong?”

 

The sound of Jim’s shouting answered Yeracenna’s question. Jim was drunk and Yeracenna could hear her mother whimpering. Yeracenna threw off her covers and got out of bed. She crept to her bedroom door then looked back at Renee. “You stay here Renee, you hear me?”

 

Renee cowered down in her bed, pulling her blankets up to her neck. Yeracenna opened their door and crept towards the living room. Jim’s back was facing Yeracenna and she could see her mother lying in a fetal position on the floor. Jim’s hands curled into fists as he staggered over Peaches. Yeracenna took a step closer, her mother’s voice barely audible. “Jim, you’re drunk! Stop it!”

 

“Get up!” Jim tried to take a step but almost fell backward. He was trying to kick Peaches.

 

Heat coursed through Yeracenna’s body and she took another step closer. Electricity sparked from her fingertips. Instinctively, Yeracenna placed her hand on Jim’s spine. His body jerked and fell to the floor. “Ma, get up.”

 

It took a few minutes before Peaches realized who was talking to her. She uncurled he body, pushing herself up to a sitting position. Peaches began to rock back and forth, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, so sorry.”

 

Yeracenna was still angry. “That’s what you always say.”

 

What little respect Yeracenna had for her mother died that night.

 

 

 

Yeracenna was proud of herself. She had won ribbons for the fifty and one hundred yard dashes as well as for the relay race. Looking at the ribbons gave Yeracenna a sense of pride. She tucked them into her three ring binder for safekeeping. Yeracenna and her siblings took the customary route home but when they reached the parking lot of the duplex, Jim’s car was there but her mother’s blue station wagon was missing. Dread punched Yeracenna in the stomach. Jim must’ve lost another job and if he had lost another job then he was inside, drinking.

 

“Renee, take Daina to the playground. Stay there until I come to get you,” commanded Yeracenna.

 

Renee was happy to oblige, dragging Daina behind her. Yeracenna took her time getting to the front door. Cautiously, she peeked in to see Jim snoring on the sofa. Yeracenna tiptoed to her room to deposit her jacket and book bag, turning to sneak past the living room and hopefully avoid Jim. Yeracenna was less than a foot away from the door when Jim suddenly got up from the sofa. He took a step forward, trying to focus on who was standing near the door. “Where do you think yer goin’?”

 

Yeracenna’s heart beat faster. “Outside with the other kids.”

 

Jim snorted. “No yer not. Yer mother left me here to watch you brats an’ you’ll do what I tell ya’.”

 

Jim was faster than Yeracenna had expected. He propelled himself in front of the doorway, blocking Yeracenna’s escape. She tried to step backward but Jim caught her by her left arm. Yeracenna tried not to panic. “Let go!” She managed to push Jim away but he kept grabbing at her flailing limbs. His facial expression went blank with his right hand coming down hard, knocking Yeracenna into the closet door. Something warm trickled down her chin and her head hurt. Jim’s hands were closing around Yeracenna’s throat. She scratched at Jim’s wrists but he only squeezed harder.

 

“I hate you!” Yeracenna screamed. A strange noise was growing louder in her head. Yeracenna fought to keep her eyes open, the sound was clearer now, a high pitched wailing that hurled itself into a blood curdling scream. Cold prickling heat started at Yeracenna’s feet and pushed upward. Linoleum tiles buckled under her feet, sheetrock walls began to shake.

 

The glass from the picture frames hanging on the walls shattered to the ground along with the television screen cracking into pieces, sparks showering from its plastic casing.

 

Yeracenna’s hands gripped Jim’s wrists like vices, wrenching his hands away from her throat. He blinked dumbly, his beer soaked brain barely comprehending what was happening to him. What was that strange sound? Yeracenna’s eyes had turned silver, her hair billowing out from her head on invisible breezes. Jim tried to shake Yeracenna’s grip but his body couldn’t move. Streams of blue light wrapped themselves around Jim’s body, lifting his weight from the floor.

 

“No more,” Yeracenna’s lips trembled. “NO MORE!”

 

A burst of white light shot from Yeracenna’s hands hurtling Jim into the living room, slamming him down across the coffee table. The table snapped in half.

 

Yeracenna’s newfound energy slowly faded into fear. Only when the shrieking in her head died, did Yeracenna venture into the living room. Jim’s body was sprawled among beer cans and broken glass. Blood oozed from Jim’s ears and he was barely breathing. Yeracenna’s face burned and the front of her shirt was wet with blood. What do I do? Call the police? No, not the police, they wouldn’t understand.

 

To Yeracenna’s horror and relief, Peaches’ station wagon could be heard pulling into its space in front of the duplex. A door slammed and footsteps echoed their way to the front door and stopped.

 

Peaches stood with a paper sack in her right arm and a cigarette clenched in her teeth. The sack fell to the floor as Peaches spat the cigarette from her mouth. “WHAT THE HELL?”

 

Peaches sprinted to Jim’s side, checking for a pulse. She shook him by the shoulders. “Jim! Jim? Hey! Wake up!” Jim’s head rolled forward but he made no sound. Peaches growled at Yeracenna. “What did you do?”

 

“Mom..I..I..he was drunk and…,” Yeracenna stammered.

 

Peaches leapt from Jim’s side and seized her daughter by the shoulders. Yeracenna winced when her mother’s fingernails dug in. “What happened?”

 

“He..he..he slapped me..an…the..then he grabbed my neck and uh..uh..uh..I..,”

 

Peaches grabbed Yeracenna by the hair and slammed her against the living room wall. “Stop that damn stuttering!” Peaches released her daughter. The front door was open, no telling who heard. Peaches closed it and paced around the floor, her eyes roaming over broken bits of glass. She began muttering, working herself into hysteria. “I should’ve known, I should’ve..it was only a matter of time before…if only I had…think, think!” Peaches ran her hands through her hair in frustration. “Can’t let anyone find out about this….You! Get out! GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE!”

 

Yeracenna ran from the duplex past the Simms and across the road that led through the projects, legs pumping numbly towards the lake. I won’t cry, I won’t! Her eyes blurred with tears that couldn’t be held back.

 

On the southeastern side of the lake, Yeracenna climbed her favorite rock and sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, locking her arms around them. She rocked herself back and forth, determined not to let a sound escape from her lips. Tough people don’t cry, tough people don’t cry! Yeracenna angrily wiped the tears from her face.

 

This was Yeracenna’s secret place. This is where she shared everything with the lake, her fears, her anger, her hopes and dreams. The lake always listened and never talked down to her, never told her to shut up or go away.

 

Once Yeracenna had calmed down a bit, she lifted her head to survey the area. It was awfully quiet. The water reflected an eerie darkness. Where were all the ducks? The air was still, too still. Something moved among the trees.

 

Yeracenna stood up for a better look. Her stomach tightened. A green light moved behind a stand of fir trees. It’s coming closer! The light flashed through the trunks. An orb floated down the grassy embankment. Yeracenna scanned the lakeshore.Was anybody around to see this? It’s coming this way! Yeracenna’s legs were frozen just like in a nightmare. The orb hovered in front of her, gently bobbing up and down. The orb looked solid even though it was transparent. Yeracenna got the distinct feeling that she was being looked over. Was this thing alive? The orb pulsed, floating above her head. Curiosity edged out Yeracenna’s fear. “Hello? What are you?” The orb flashed with each word. Yeracenna stretched her right hand upward then hesitated. The orb kept its position. Yeracenna gingerly touched the orb then pulled her hand away. The sensation was like liquid light. The orb remained silent as it moved away, retracing the path it took across the water and behind the trees. Yeracenna stood in awe. Best to keep this to myself.

Author's Note

Although my story is copyrighted, it's still a work in progress.