Authors: Al Lacy
She doused the lantern that sat on the nightstand and lay down on top of the spread, fully clothed.
Looking out the window at the starry sky, Deena went over her plan again. “Well, it’s not much of a plan, but since I’m alone in a strange place and don’t have many options for getting away, it’s the best I can do. It’s just got to work.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I feel bad about leaving Mrs. Dexter. I hope my running away won’t make her life harder. That brutal husband of hers is going to be mad and may be worse to live with than ever. But somehow she seems to have resigned herself to it, and that’s her business. But I don’t intend to stay here another day.”
With that resolved in her mind, Deena closed her eyes, and after a few minutes, sank into a light sleep.
Even her surface slumber was fitful. Less than an hour after she had fallen asleep, she found herself dreaming about Donna,
and just being in her twin’s presence in a dream was enough to bring her awake.
She sat up with the vision of Donna’s face in her dream and pressed her hands to her cheeks. “Oh, Donna, I need you so desperately! Where are you? I need you!”
She lay back down, but sleep eluded her. She wept for her twin, calling to her in a whisper over and over again as the hours passed.
She was awake when the first hint of dawn touched the eastern horizon. Moving quietly, she sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed. Reaching under the bed, she grasped the cloth bag and made her way to the door. She turned the knob ever so carefully, swung the door open, and stepped out into the hall.
The house was quiet as a tomb.
Tiptoeing down the hall, she descended the stairs, made her way quickly to the kitchen and out the back door. The air was fresh and sweet to her lungs as she moved off the back porch. Glancing nervously behind her, she made sure she was alone and dashed across the yard on the opposite side of the house from where the bedrooms occupied by Ralph, Norma, and Rex were situated.
Some of the cattle and horses in the corral were watching her as she moved through a gate, closed it behind her, and ran across a field. Twice she glanced behind her, making sure all was still at the house. When she was out of sight from the house, she angled toward the road, running hard.
By the time the sun peeked over the eastern horizon, Deena entered the deep shade of the forest, panting. She looked behind her, then leaned against a cottonwood tree, gasping for breath.
When her breathing returned to normal, she glanced behind her once more. There was no sign of Ralph Dexter.
Deena made her way deeper into the woods at a brisk walk. As she threaded her way among the trees, she decided the best thing to do was to find a farm where people were not likely to be acquainted with the Dexters. She had learned quickly that the neighboring farmers all had a great deal of respect for the Dexters. If she told any of them the way she had been treated by Ralph and Rex, they wouldn’t believe it. If she was going to get help, it would have to come from people who were not acquainted with the Dexters.
Deena noticed a babbling stream up ahead and just as she sat down on a fallen tree to rest, she saw two men upstream, with fishing poles, standing on the bank, their lines in the water.
Suddenly, above the sound of the stream, she heard pounding hooves behind her. She looked back through the forest and saw two riders coming her direction, weaving among the trees. She could not yet identify the riders, but she recognized the horses. They belonged to Ralph and Rex.
Deena inhaled sharply and jumped to her feet, gripping the cloth bag. She squealed and dashed toward the stream. When she reached the bank, the fishermen were about a hundred feet upstream and had not yet noticed her. She ran along the stream’s two-foot-high embankment, gasping for breath. As she drew nearer the fishermen, she looked back over her shoulder to see if Ralph and Rex had spotted her.
She saw quickly that they were galloping straight toward her and she cried out. Suddenly she lost her footing and stumbled over the embankment. The cloth bag left her fingers as she plunged downward, headfirst. Her head struck a rock that protruded from the stream next to the bank, then she fell into the water.
She was now within fifty feet of the fishermen, and the loud splash drew their attention. They both saw the girl just before she
went beneath the surface. They looked at each other, dropped their poles, and charged down the bank. When they reached the spot where Deena had gone into the stream, her limp form was surfacing about thirty feet farther down.
They ran to her and jumped in.
One of them grasped the girl’s shoulders at the same time the other one seized her by the ankles. As they were carrying her toward the bank, one of them said, “Looks like she cracked her head on one of those rocks. Big bump here on her temple.”
Just as they reached the bank and were climbing out with Deena in their arms, they saw the two riders skidding to a stop. Both riders rushed up.
Ralph Dexter saw that the two men were strangers. He put a horrified look on his face. “Is she all right? She’s my daughter!”
As the men laid her on the grassy bank, one said, “She’s out cold, sir. I think she hit her head on a rock when she was falling into the stream. There’s a big purple knot on her left temple. See?”
Ralph gasped. “Oh my!”
Rex put a look on his face to make it appear that he cared.
Because of the cold temperature of the water, Deena was already moving her head and coming around.
Ralph said, “Gentlemen, I really appreciate your pulling Deena out of the stream. My name’s Ralph Dexter. I have a farm a few miles from here. This boy is my son, Rex.” He forced a dry chuckle. “Rex and his sister had an argument, and she ran away.”
One of the men grinned. “I know how it is between brothers and sisters, Mr. Dexter. Especially at this age. I have a teenage son and daughter myself.”
Deena moaned and rolled her head back and forth. When she opened her eyes, they were glassy, and she was having a hard time focusing them.
“It’s your daddy, sweetheart,” said Ralph. “Rex and I came looking for you. These nice men pulled you out of the stream.”
Deena tried to speak, but only a tiny moan came out.
Ralph picked her up and said, “Rex, I noticed her cloth bag back there. Will you get it, please?”
“Sure, Pa,” said Rex, and ran toward the bag.
Cradling the girl in his arms, Ralph thanked the men again, then carried her to his horse. Rex was running toward them, bag in hand.
The fishermen smiled at each other and headed back toward their fishing poles.
Ralph hoisted Deena into his saddle, then steadying her, mounted up behind her. Rex hung the bag over his saddle horn. He drew up beside his father’s horse and looked at Deena. “She’s lookin’ more awake now, Pa.”
Ralph leaned over her shoulder and peered into her eyes. “Hey, girl. You awake?”
Deena turned and looked up at him. Her eyes were losing their glassy look. “I’m awake.”
Ralph touched his heels to his horse’s side, and headed through the forest with Rex riding beside him. He bent his head close to Deena and said into her ear, “You’re gonna be sorry for pullin’ this foolish stunt, girl. You’ve got some punishment comin’.”
Deena rode in silence, fearful of what the punishment was going to be.
A few minutes later, they left the forest, pulled onto the road, and headed for home.
Rex moved his horse a step ahead so he could look Deena in the eye. When she saw him, she turned her head the other way.
Rex’s voice was cold as he said, “You know what you are, girl? You’re an ingrate. You oughtta be ashamed of yourself. My parents took you off that orphan train and gave you a home. They put a
roof over your head and food in your stomach. And this is the thanks they get.”
Deena kept her face turned away from him and did not comment.
At the Dexter farm, Norma kept herself busy in the kitchen, cleaning the pantry and the cupboards.
While occupying herself, she thought back to earlier that morning when she tapped on Deena’s door, telling her it was time she got dressed and was in the kitchen to help prepare breakfast. When there was no response, Norma opened the door, but Deena was not there.
She stood on the front porch half an hour later and watched her angry husband ride away in search of Deena, with Rex at his side.
Norma was secretly glad that Deena had worked up the nerve to escape. She hoped with all of her heart that Deena would elude them. It frightened her some to think of what could happen to a young girl out in the world alone, but she told herself that just maybe Deena would find someone who would take her into their home, and she would have a chance for a happy life.
When Norma could find no more shelves to clean, she made her way to the parlor and sat down in her favorite overstuffed chair. She laid her head back and closed her eyes, her ears alert for the sound of hoofbeats coming into the yard.
Only a few minutes had passed when she heard the clip-clop of hooves, telling her there were horses approaching the house. She hurried to the window, and hiding behind the starched curtains, observed as the two horses drew up to the front porch.
Norma chewed her lower lip and placed her hand over her
mouth. “Oh no. They found her. And Ralph really looks mad. That poor girl.”
Her knees feeling watery, Norma left the parlor, went to the front door, and stepped out on the porch. Both men had dismounted, and Ralph was taking Deena out of the saddle. When her feet touched ground, Ralph took hold of her arm and looked up at his wife. The mean look in Ralph’s eyes made Norma’s skin crawl. Deena was trembling with fright, and Norma bit her lip again when she saw the purple knot on the girl’s temple.
Rex stood in silence while his father told his mother where they found Deena: about her falling into the stream after cracking her head on a rock and of the two fishermen pulling her out.
Norma focused on the purple knot. “Come in, Deena. I need to get some cool water on that swollen bruise. I’m sorry you fell and hit your head.”
Rex stiffened. “She deserves it, Ma, for runnin’ away.”
“She deserves more than that,” growled Ralph. “She’s gonna get a beating for it.”
Norma’s brow furrowed and she started to speak.
But Ralph beat her to it. Pointing a stiff finger at her, he snapped, “Don’t you say a word, woman! She’s got it coming!”
Deena sucked in a sharp breath. “Please, Mr. Dexter! Please don’t beat me!”
Teeth clenched, the angry man started dragging her toward the side of the house. Norma knew he was taking her to the back porch to administer the beating. It was there that Rex received most of his whippings as a boy.
Rex grabbed the reins of both horses and hurried after his father and Deena. When the three of them and the animals disappeared around the corner of the house, Norma went inside and hurried to the kitchen. She didn’t want to watch Deena get her beating, but she would listen from the kitchen.
The back window in the kitchen allowed only a limited view of the back porch, but she leaned against the cupboard where the window was located. She heard Ralph grumbling at Deena as he took off his belt, and she heard Rex say, “I told you this would happen if you ran away, Deena. You deserve it!”
Deena let out a loud, high-pitched cry as the beating began. The sound of the belt striking her flesh and the loud shrieks with each blow were too much for Norma. She turned from the window, pressed palms to her ears, and grimaced in sympathy with Deena.
But in spite of her attempt to block out the horrible sounds, she could still hear them. The beating went on and on. Her lips moved as she mouthed, “That’s enough, Ralph! Stop! That’s enough!”
But the beating continued, and Deena’s shrieks were growing weaker. Finally, it was all Norma could stand. The blood was hot in her veins as she bolted out the back door onto the porch and threw her small body against Ralph.
Ralph had not seen her coming, and the sudden impact of her one hundred and ten pounds against him made him stumble sideways. Deena lay facedown on the floor of the porch, her skirt torn and dappled with blood. Skin showed from her knees down, and bloody stripes were clearly visible.
Norma’s wrath had been kindled beyond the normal fear she had of her husband. While he was still stumbling, she attacked him with both fists, pummeling his thick chest. “Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! You’ve done enough to this poor girl! Stop it!”
Ralph’s features turned deep red and a bright animal glitter penetrated his eyes as he looked at Norma and showed his teeth in utter contempt. With one swing of his muscular arm, he sent her crashing into the porch wall.
Rex stood frozen in place as he watched his mother hit the
wall. The back of her head cracked it loudly. She went limp instantly and slid down the wall, landing in a heap on the floor.
Ralph moved back to Deena and raised his belt to strike her again. But he checked himself when he saw that she was almost unconscious. The rage that had gripped him in its relentless claws abated. He glanced at the still form of Norma on the floor by the wall, then looked at the white-faced Rex as he slipped his belt back through the loops of his trousers. “I’ve got to cool off. Let’s take a little ride. They’ll both be all right.”
In utter silence, Rex mounted his horse and trotted alongside his father as they rounded the house and headed for the road.
Deena heard the sounds of them riding away, and was sluggishly aware of the eerie stillness that seemed to fall over the porch. A strange black vortex was trying to claim her. She struggled to keep it from pulling her into its dark pit … but in her weakness, she succumbed.
Deena had no idea how long she had been unconscious when her senses returned. She also had no idea where she was or what had happened. She was lying flat on a hard surface.
“Donna! Donna! Where are you? I need you! Donna! Donna! I need you!” It was her own voice.
Abruptly she became aware of pain in her backside and in her legs. The breath was sawing in and out of her lungs, and she worked at conquering her labored breathing. After a few minutes, she finally succeeded, and in the quiet, she heard what sounded like a wounded animal whining.