SCORPIONS HUNT BY NIGHT, Second Edition (Soulless, #1) by Summer Seline Coyle

Author:Summer Seline Coyle
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Oppression, Dysfunctional Families, Seduction, Jewish Protagonist, Jazz Age Music
Publisher: Summer S Earl
Published: 2021-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9/ The Lost Years

From her third-storey window, Dottie peered out at the beat-up VW Beetle parked in front of the house. An assortment of cardboard boxes and red plastic milk crates dotted the stretch of sidewalk in front of the entire property. Her brother was occupied with cramming as many of these containers as possible into his miniscule vehicle, while a girl with greasy hair was blasting out Rolling Stones songs from a ghetto blaster she had balanced on top of an avocado green laundry hamper on the edge of the lawn. She occasionally ducked her head to join him under the hood of the trunk for drug-infused kisses. Miraculously, every piece of litter managed to find a home in the death trap. Boxes and crates on the back seat were visibly poking one another; a gooseneck lamp was leaning against the back window like a wounded giraffe. Garrett stood back from the clunker momentarily to congratulate himself on his wizardry. His hand rested on his girlfriend’s rump. With his unkempt waist-length hair, ripped bell-bottoms, striped Indian tunic and heavy beads, he appeared less menacing than laughable.

She would never have to share the third floor with him, hear his druggie music or the sounds of his animalistic activities with his contraband trash from the other side of the wall. She would never have to endure the horror of catching the two of them in various degrees of undress through the open door, or smell his pungent recreational drugs. She watched the old wreck fade into billows of black smoke, sputtering toxic fumes past the old railroad bridge, toward destinations unknown, into total oblivion.

“Miss Dorothy? You up there, darlin’?” Marge’s voice meandered up the stairs.

“Right here, Marge.” she called out.

“Why, you look fresh as a daisy, honey.” Marge opened the door.

“I feel great, Marge.”

“What brought this on?”

“My brother moved out. It’s the best thing to happen around here in a long time.”

“Maybe he’ll get his head together someday, but I’m not holdin’ my breath.” Marge said, “Honey, the reason I came up is your family’s havin’ company for dinner, and your mother’s asked for you to wear somethin’ nice.”

“Company? On a Wednesday? Dad bringing business associates or clients home?”

“No, honey. It’s a real special occasion. Your Aunt Edna’s daughter’s turned up.”

“Is it true? They’ve found her?”

“She’s found them, as it turns out.”

“Jack was right. It was her. I wonder if she’s nice. What do you think I should wear, Marge?”

“I reckon anythin’ your mother’s partial to would serve you well, honey.”

“It would be good to have a girl cousin again.” she said wistfully, “I hope she’s not a crumpet.”

“I don’t mean no disrespect, Miss, but I think you mean strumpet.”

“I’m so dumb!”

“Honey, you’re not dumb! Don’t you ever say that!” Marge gathered her up in her arms, her reassuring scent of talcum powder intact, “Everythin’s gonna sort itself out, you’ll see, honey. It’ll all work out in time – just be patient.”

* * *

Peggy shook off the rain from her umbrella before she entered the mudroom and placed the open umbrella on the rubber mat.

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