The Time Before Now by Missouri Vaun

Author:Missouri Vaun [Vaun, Missouri]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2015-08-23T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-one

Ida cried out as the man shoved her toward the wall. She banged her thigh on the side of the kitchen table as she weaved and stumbled. This man’s smell was as rank as his temperament. Unfortunately, he was much larger than she was so he easily overwhelmed her attempts to dodge his blows. She felt with her hand the spot on her cheek where he’d struck her. What was going to happen to them? Where was Vivian, and was she okay? These questions swam in her head as she leaned against the kitchen wall, attempting to shrink away from his chaotic swings with a chair that he now held aloft.

He had ordered the boy to go outside to fetch booze from the wagon, and now he motioned toward the pot on the stove. He and his friend had already eaten one huge serving each of the turkey that had cooked all afternoon. Now shards of those plates were scattered all about the kitchen floor. Ida moved cautiously toward a cabinet to retrieve a clean dish, all the while chancing a glance over her shoulder in Rebecca’s direction. Rebecca was still on the floor.

Ida had been so angry and upset when she fled the barn. Her eyes so full of tears that she’d run right into the arms of one of the men who’d been patiently waiting outside. In the split second after she’d realized what was about to happen, the other man swung at Vivian in mid sprint. She’d gone down hard, blood slowly streaming from a cut at the side of her brow. Ida struggled to look back at Vivian as she was dragged toward the house. She screamed Vivian’s name, but Vivian didn’t stir. The club-wielding intruder had remained, standing over Vivian’s body waiting for the same sign of life.

Once in the house, Ida screamed at Rebecca to run, but it was too late. The man held Ida with one hand and swung at Rebecca with the other, sending her tumbling to the floor. The man left Rebecca crying on the floor and demanded food, which Ida quickly fetched for him. Shortly, the second man entered the main room, dragging a small boy behind him by the arm.

“You stand there and don’t move!” the man barked at him.

Rebecca had managed to slide far enough on the floor so that she was sitting up with her back against the wall. The young boy stood sheepishly above her, his eyes cast downward.

The man who brought the boy in dragged Rebecca to one of the upholstered chairs close to the hearth. He settled himself in the twin armchair to her left.

Ida didn’t like the look of either of the men. The malice in their leers was like a physical presence in the room bearing down on them. As Ida approached with the second serving for the man who seemed to be the leader, he snatched the bowl out of her hand and slapped her across her mouth, sending her reeling to the floor.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.