The door opened, and Mrs. White gasped.

"A baby!" she said, "Ross, there's a baby outside our doorstep!"

Mr. White said, "Oh, Joy! The lord seems to have answered our prayers! Bring her in!"

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Mr. and Mrs. White named the baby Deirdre, for she was a beautiful baby, and deserved a beautiful name. They took care of her, and fed her, and gave her all the love they could give her. But, soon afterwards, Mr. White died in a car accident, and Mrs. White remarried. She married Robert Everett, an older man who was very religious. Soon after their marriage, he began showing his fanatic beliefs. Deirdre couldn't wear anything that wasn't approved by him. She could only talk when she was addressed. And if she did something wrong, Mr. Everett would lock her in a small, dark, filthy, closet, where she had to pray for forgiveness. Deirdre's mother tried to stop her husband, but he wouldn't listen. When Deirdre was eight years old, her mother died. She'd had a heart attack.

So now Deirdre had to live with her cruel stepfather.

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"Come back here you child of the Devil!" Mr. Everett yelled, "Or I'll whip you 'till your back burns more than the flames of hell!"

Deirdre ran as fast as she could. Her stepfather was very angry at her because when he asked her if she had memorized a Bible verse, she had told him to "fuck off."

Deirdre ran all the way up to her room, but before she could lock the door, Mr. Everett came inside.

"There you are!" he said. He was carrying his whip. Deirdre wondered if it was legal to use a whip if you lived in California. But she kept that question to herself.

"I'm going to whip you now……….you know that?"

Deirdre nodded.

"You'd think that with all the discipline I give you, you'd be a good girl," Mr. Everett said, "But there is something rebellious inside of you…….something that wants to come out. And I will not let it!" He then proceeded to whip Deirdre.

Deirdre had been whipped many times before. But no matter how many times she got whipped, she never got used to the pain.

"STOP!" she said, "Please!"

Mr. Everett stopped. "Now……..go into the closet and stay there!"

Deirdre walked out her room, and into the dark smelly "forgiveness" closet. She seldom ever prayed in there anymore. She just……..stayed there until she was let out.

Deirdre felt as if there was something rebellious inside of her…..something that she inherited. But her mother and father had been good people…………unless………

Unless……..they hadn't been her parents. Her real ones, anyway.

Deirdre had realized from a small age that she was different. The kids at school ridiculed her, and grownups were afraid of her. But at least her parents had loved her……………….for the short time they were with her. But now, now she had to live with her stepfather, her stepfather hated everything that was cruel and evil………..yet was cruel and evil himself.

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"Deirdre, you can come out now. It is time to eat breakfast."

Deirdre awoke. She had been forced to stay in the closet all night, and she was very thirsty. And hungry.

"Good morning," she told her stepfather in a stiff way.

"Good morning," he answered.

Deirdre served herself a bowl of cereal and ate in silence.

"Deirdre, please check if the mailman has left anything this morning."

Deirdre went to check if there was anything. And there was.

"Well, was there anything?"

"Yes," Deirdre answered handing her stepfather a letter, "It's for me."

"I will read it first," he said, snatching the letter from her hands.

He ripped the envelope open and read quietly.

"What-what does it say?"

Mr. Everett stared at Deirdre in a strange manner. "Nothing," he said and tore the letter into small pieces. "There's nothing important there."

"But it was for me! Why didn't you let me read it?"

"Shut your mouth!" Mr. Everett said, slapping Deirdre, "Don't you dare talk back to me!"

"But it was MY letter!"

Just then, the doorbell rang. Mr. Everett went to get it. It was the mailman.

"Excuse me sir, but these are for your daughter," he said handing him three heavy bags filled with the same letters!

"Thank you," he answered curtly and closed the door.

"This is Devil's work!" he told Deirdre, "Devilry, indeed!''

"Let me read them!"

"Shut up! I will burn them…….yes, I will burn them all!"

And that's what he did. He burned all the letters.

"I don't want to hear about those letters, you understand?" Mr. Everett said.

"Yes, I understand."

The next day, Deirdre hoped that more letters would come, and that she could read one.

Unfortunately, no letters came.

But later that afternoon, Deirdre was surprised to hear a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Deirdre yelled. She ran and opened the door.

"Who is it?" Mr. Everett asked.

"Hold on…………

It was a woman with red hair and green eyes. She smiled sweetly at Deirdre and said, "Good evening, do Mr. And Mrs. White live here?"

Deirdre grimaced. "Um, no. I mean, I'm their daughter, but they both passed away some time ago."

The woman frowned. "Oh, I apologize. Are you their daughter?"

"Yes. My name is Deirdre," Deirdre said shaking the woman's hand.

"Oh, hello. I am Ms. Riley."

Just then, Mr. Everett appeared at the door. "Yes?" he said looking at Ms. Riley.

"Oh, yes. I'm Ms. Riley…….and I am here to pick up your daughter."

"Pick her up for what?"

"School."

"School?"

"Yes………you did receive the letters, right?"

Mr. Everett said, "So YOU sent those letters!"

"Well, kind of………….

Mr. Everett screamed, "Get AWAY from my home!" he tried to close the door.

Ms. Riley rolled her eyes. She stared at the door.

"Why-why the heck wont it close?" Mr. Everett stammered.

"Because I am a witch," Ms. Riley said, "And your step-daughter is too."

Ah, I'll stop there! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Please review! Please? Please?

Cheers!

G.A. Riddle

Ps. Thank you Trewlaney and Sally the Ragdoll!