Devil Storm by Theresa Nelson

Author:Theresa Nelson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
Published: 2016-08-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Walter woke to the sound of Sam Houston’s crowing. “Dang rooster,” he mumbled, dragging himself out of bed. “Seems like he’d get sick of hearin’ himself …”

Fog was rolling in off the water. A pale gold sunrise struggled through it, thin and watery as chicken broth. “Prob’ly be hot as blazes again once this burns off,” he told Jane Long, as he sat squirting the milk into the pail. “What you think ’bout that, Miz Long?”

Jane Long didn’t seem to care one way or the other. She gazed off dreamily into space, chewing her cud.

He felt so empty—as if there would never be anything else to get excited about, to care about. His life stretched before him, dreary as one of Dr. Croombs’s sermons. Funny, he hadn’t realized how taken up he’d been with old Tom and his crazy talk, how they’d come to fill his heart and head with a kind of magic, a mystery that was gone now.…

“Mornin’, son.” It was Papa, walking out through the dewy grass, wanting to make up—to be friends again as if last night had never happened. That was his way.

“Mornin’.” Walter didn’t raise his head. He could feel his cheeks heating up again with shame, the smart of the belt still tingling on his legs.

“You feelin’ all right this morning?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Had a good long rest, didn’t you?”

Walter looked up now, confused. Was his father teasing him? “Only ’bout an hour, wasn’t it?”

Papa chuckled. “More like twenty-four, I’d say. It’s Tuesday, son. You missed Monday altogether—didn’t you know?”

Walter was amazed. He suddenly felt more rested. “No, sir.… I’m sorry—you had to do my chores, then.”

“No matter.” His father shrugged. “There wasn’t that much to do. Rained off and on all day, anyhow.” He looked as if there were something else he wanted to say, but then he appeared to change his mind. “You, uh—you ’bout done there?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well, that’s fine. Mama’s fixin’ you a good breakfast. I’ll, uh, I’ll see you back at the house.” He stood there for a moment more, fiddling with a button on his shirtsleeve. Then he started to walk away.

“Papa—”

His father turned around. “Yes, son?”

“Did you hear if—if they caught old Tom?”

Papa shifted uncomfortably. “They caught him, all right. Lester’ll be takin’ him over to High Island sometime today. They kept him locked up in the boat shed overnight.” He laid a hand on Walter’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, son. I know you meant to help him. But I believe it’s the best thing, after all. I don’t know—maybe he really was gettin’ crazy enough to be dangerous. Can’t take a chance on something like that.…” He paused for a moment, cleared his throat, and went on. “Walter … I was with ’em. I was the one showed ’em where to look for him, in the graveyard. Your mother and I agreed I had to, after the scare we had. You see that, don’t you?”

Walter stared blankly at his father. Surely he hadn’t heard right.

“Don’t you see I had to, son?” His voice was gentle.

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