The Devil is a Gentleman

1

As I wash up the last of the dishes in the bin, I set the plates aside and take the bucket to dump out. Mama is tidying the kitchen while Connor is to take the scraps to the pigs at the neighbors. Papa headed down the road to help the pastor patch a wall of the church where a tree fell through in the storm that we had last week. Once we get everything cleaned up, we will be able to settle in for the night for some family time. We usually choose to read. Papa will flip through the paper while Mama reads one of her novels. Connor and I work on our schoolwork and then usually play a board game together until its time to wash up for bedtime.

As I am pondering what game we might play tonight Connor walks in the front door with a huge grin on his face. “What’s got you so happy sport?” I ask as he bounces over to where I am setting out our schoolwork down on the table. “Mr. Nash said I can pick one of the baby goats to raise, since the mama died today. I know it’s sad, but I can’t wait to get to raise one myself.” I smile at him softly praying that Mama will agree to let him save one of them babies. My doubts start to get the best of me since I know we don’t have the money to support another mouth to feed. I try to come up with the best solution I can though, quickly. “Hey Connor. Before you tell Mama, I think you should consider making sure to get a female. That way when she’s grown, we can use her. Nash has milkin’ goats. So, she will serve a purpose to us.” His smile gets bigger as he hugs me and then rushes into the next room shouting for Mama.

After a minute he whoops loudly and comes running back in, “Mama said I can have her Liz! I can’t wait to pick her out! I’m gonna go tell Nash now!” and in a blink he has rushed right back out the door, bumping into Papa as he comes in. He chuckles looking after Connor and then turns his attention to me. “Elizabeth, can you come with me tomorrow after supper and help me tend to the church? Sandra was asking for extra hands fixing the curtains that got ripped when a limb went through the window.” I smile up at him and nod, “Of course. I’ll ask Mama to bake some cookies for us to take too.”

Papa nods in agreement and then we head for the living area where Mama meets us with hugs and a kiss for Papa. We get settled and Mama goes to fetch Connor from the neighbors. He rushes in shortly after her with a little brown bundle cozied in his arms. “Liz! Look! Isn’t she cute? What do you think I should name her?” I sit back against the couch base as I look at my little brother with awe at how a nine-year-old boy can be so loving. “How about Hope?” I ask him. His eyes light up all over again. “That’s perfect Liz! She needs hope to make it and I hope I can do it. Do you like that little one? Is Hope a good name for you?”

He snuggles against the goat’s head as it bleats seemingly agreeing to his question. Mama clears her throat and when we look her way, I can see that the look on her face means to go find a crate to put Hope in and then get our schoolwork done. So, I rush up into the loft room that Connor and I share and grab the milk crate full of toys and dump it in the corner and grab some old papers and stick in the bottom. Connor comes up and walks over to the trunk and pulls out a jacket that is too small for him and wraps it around Hope before laying her in the crate. She snuggles right into the makeshift bed and closes her eyes.

Once Connor is satisfied that she is comfortable we head back down and quickly get to work on our papers. Once I have finished all of my work, I scoot over at the table to help Connor finish his. We get done with our normal work much later than usual with having gotten Hope settled. Connor gives Mama and Papa hugs before rushing into the kitchen to retrieve a small bottle and fill it with some warm milk. I wish my parents goodnight and follow after Con as we head back up the stairs to our room, he slides the milk crate up against his bed and climbs under his covers. I tuck him in and pet little Hope on the head and then turn to get into my own bed. Snuggling under the covers, I smile, drifting off to sleep with happy visions of my family dancing around behind my eyelids.

I wake up the next morning to the sound of our rooster crowing for us all to start our day. I glance over at my brother to see him feeding the sweet little goat that he brought home last night. “Hey, we need to get off to school or we will be late.” I scold lightly as I throw on a clean dress. He snuggles Hope back into her crate and then gets dressed with a “humph” and we start our walk down the street. We walk into the small schoolhouse and head to our own classrooms. As I get settled in my seat, I notice a man walking past the window and I can’t say that I recognize him. This is weird due to the fact that everyone knows everyone in Graysonia. Me not knowing this man makes me wonder why he could be here.

Before I can get too far in that line of thought the teacher starts writing on the chalk board and explaining our first lesson for today. I am excited that it is Friday. At least after today is done I will have a couple days away from the schoolhouse. I try to give my full attention back to my teacher but I can’t shake the thought that I am being watched. The hair standing on the back of my neck only makes me more sure of the fact. I glance around at my classmates and could swear I see someone at the window in my peripherals, but when I look over there isn’t someone there. I start to get dizzy, so I raise my hand to get the teachers attention. “Yes Elizabeth?” she asks, but before I can respond, I am falling out of my chair succumbing to a warm darkness.

I hear someone calling my name, but they sound really far away. My eyelids are heavy and even though I try to force them open it feels like someone else is holding them shut. “Elizabeth! Are you okay? Liz! Wake up!” it sounds as if the voices are getting closer. Finally, I feel the pressure release from my eyes and chest and as I open them, I feel them flutter a bit. I open my eyes and as my vision adjusts. I am met with a pair of hazel eyes that I would know anywhere. “Thomas?” I croak out in a raspy voice. “I’m here, Liz. Are you okay?” he responds holding on to my face. I try to nod beneath his grip, “Yea I’m fine. I think I am at least. What happened?” I look around and see my classmates all hovered over me behind Thomas.

“You fainted.” I hear the teacher chime in as she walks over. “Come on class, give her some room to breathe. Let’s all get back in our seats. Thomas would you mind taking her to be seen by the doctor?” she turns her attention to Thomas who is now helping me up from the ground. He simply nods and turns us towards the door. “What happened Liz? You really scared me when you passed out.”

I blush slightly looking down at my hands. “Honestly, I don’t really know. I felt weird and then I got dizzy. Before I could ask to head out for some air, everything went black.” Tom nods looking up as we near Doc Fray’s house. “You say that you felt weird? Like weird how?” I shrug not really sure how to explain it felt like I was being watched. We head into the doctor’s house which is set up like a small office in the front half and are greeted by his wife as we come through the door. Tom takes to telling her about what happened as I take a seat against the wall.

I try to go through what had happened but all I keep coming up with is falling into darkness. It almost felt like I was being drug into the darkness more so than falling but I know that seems crazy. The doc steps out to get Tom and I and as soon as we step into the next room, he starts asking questions about me passing out. I don’t really have answers, so he looks to my best friend. Tom walks him through how it played out and said that I was only out for about two minutes, but he also said it seemed longer because of everyone’s worry. I smile to myself with how much he cares before the doctor starts checking my pulse and looking for signs as to why I ay have fainted.

After about fifteen minutes of examination, we are released with no answers. We walk back to the schoolhouse and the teacher hands me my work and tells me to go ahead on home for the weekend and try to rest. I agree to head straight home and when I get there, Mama is knitting a blanket on the couch. “Hey Mama.” I say feeling super drained all of a sudden. She looks up and almost panics at the sight of me. “Honey you’re so pale. Do you feel okay?” I nod and explain what happened and what the doctor said. Mama makes me a bowl of soup and after I finish it, she tells me to go on up to bed and try to sleep for a while. I nod but stop to grab a bottle for Hope knowing that when I get up the stairs, she will probably be hungry.

I step into my room and her little head pops out of the crate and she bleats at me. I walk over and scoop her up carrying her to my bed with me. I give her the bottle and as she suckles my eyes start feeling heavy again. I drift off to sleep with her still nestled against my drinking her milk.

*I am in a pitch-black room and can’t see anything around me. I call out for help or to see if anyone is there and instead of a response, I am met with a pair of fiery eyes that seem to be looking into my very soul. Instinctively I reach out to push the face behind the eyes away. I end up swatting empty air though, as the eyes vanish. Then I hear a dark yet melodious chuckle sound from behind me and I whip around looking for the source. Again, I am met with nothing. I start to yell at whoever it is, to stop playing games with me. Before I can say anything else it’s as if I am choking and being lifted from the ground. A sinister hiss sounds in my ear before I am dropped to the ground again. I reach for my own throat hoping to soothe the pain but then the room I am in is full of light as it goes up in flames. “You’re MINE!” is bellowed through the air around me and I feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind. I try to scream but I can’t even hear my own voice. Next thing I know, I am being pulled down lower into the depths of darkness, someone dragging me down, but I can’t tell who-*

I sit straight up in bed panting heavily. I look around me to see that I am still in my room and movement draws my attention to the bed beside me. As little Hope readjusts herself from me disturbing her rest I slowly, let myself lay back again. I snuggle the little goat against myself and let her warmth pull me back into slumber, this time, hoping that I don’t even dream.