Chapter 1
Gasping from the pounding pain in my head I looked up into the eyes of my startled half-sister. I could see she was just as shocked as I was that she actually hit me.
"I... Oh god, Dawn! I..." And with that Clara Sue ran from the room her cascade of fake curls flying behind her.
Pulling myself up into a fully standing position was impossible the pain in my head so severe I felt wave after wave of nausea hit me. I needed Jimmy, what if Clara Sue had hurt our baby? How could I ever forgive her?
I slowly made my way to the phone and called Jimmy so he could take me to the hospital. Jimmy met me, and Sissy who had helped me down from our room, at the front steps.
"Jimmy, you don't think there is something wrong with the baby do you" I asked frantically. My head was still pounding. "There is something seriously wrong with Clara Sue! She's acting like a child."
He stared at me for a moment, "I know, darling. Come on," he said as he lead me to his car. I slowly sat in the front seat and he closed the door quickly. Jimmy slid onto the seat next to me and we sped away.
When we arrived at the hospital I was in a complete panic. Jimmy was my rock. He held my hands and calmed me down as the doctors examined me. Thankfully our baby was fine. I had a concussion and would have to spend the night in the hospital, but at least our precious little one was okay. I realized that this was the first night I had by myself since our marriage. It was definitely the first night away from the hotel since Jimmy had to cut our honeymoon short to attend Randolph's funeral. There were other circumstances I would have liked more than spending a night in the hospital to have had some time-out from our work at the hotel.
That night dragged on. In my head I went through everything I had been through within this past year. The on-going troubles with Clara-Sue, and the worry of if I could really live up to the expectations of the old woman I hated but was seemingly growing into. But all that was cut short because after a short knock a person walked into my room, my only visitor, who was none other than the person I least expected to see. I froze in shock for a moment, closed my eyes and took a deep breath...
Luther from The Meadows stood at the foot of my hospital bed. "Hello Dawn, those darn women at the front desk were not gunna let me see ya cuz visitin' hours are ova, but I told them that it was kinda important and I had to speak to ya! I darn drove all the way from Lynchburg in Tennesse and the damn truck broke down twice. So they made an exception".
"Luther! What are you doing here?" I asked. My mind running through the scenarios that would have made Luther travel that far from the dreaded place I was held captive to give birth to Christie. It was supposed to be have been kept secret, all so Grandmother Cutler could keep control of my life. Her plans had backfired, Thank God.
"Miss Charlotte be missin'. I checked the meadows ova and ova and there been no sight of her anywhere. I needs ya to be at The Meadows right quick so you can be lookin' for Miss Charlotte. Oh and I seen Miss Clara Sue jus afore Miss Charlotte went missin'. I think shes got somethin' to do wit it Dawn! Miss Emily told her to get the Hell offa her property callin' her a disgustin' promiscuous fat tramp." Luther said, he looked worried and I had never seen him look so scared. "Miss Clara Sue said, "Your property? This was never your property it belonged to my grandparents so therefore it belongs to me and you will not be livin' here much longer"."
My eyes widened in surprise. Why would Clara Sue go to the Meadows? What was her plan to hurt our family now? I stayed quiet so Luther could continue his story.
Luther went on, "Clara-Sue just barged in as if she owned the place and we aint seen her since she was about three years old Dawn. And she says she will see to it that Miss Emily, and Miss Charlotte and me will be put into God's Waitin' Room for the rest of our lives. She is gonna tell the police all the sins of the Booths an we aint got no leg to stand on...".
As I listened I began to worry more amd more about Charlotte. Where was she? I was anxious for morning to come so that I could leave the hospital and head to The Meadows...
Morning came and we got the first flight available after I was released for travel by my Doctor. Jimmy was scared for me to go with them but he knew I was worried about Charlotte all night. He was afraid of the stress and how it would affect the baby. We hadn't decided on a name either way yet, but we had a feeling that we would name it after Momma. I looked down at my growing belly and thought about the baby. What if Clara Sue had suceeded and destroyed him or her? Then again, how could she go to The Meadows and talk to Luther, Emily and Charlotte the way she did? Something ugly churned inside of that girl, something dangerous and scary.
I relayed what Luther had reported to me the night before to Jimmy and he said, "I really don't like this Dawn especially in your condition but I know what that little witch is capable of. Clara Sue will pull every trick in the book to get what she wants." With a half-smile, he continued, "I would have loved to have witnessed the show-down between Emily and Clara Sue. Emily would have really given her a what for huh?"
I told Jimmy that I was not really in the mood to witness any major disputes. I was going to The Meadows because I wanted to make sure that Charlotte was safe and we were going to ensure that Charlotte and Luther were not going to be homeless or institutionalized. I would not allow that delusional little girl to hurt anyone anymore! I would bring her back with us and send her to Beulla Woods. Jimmy and I would demand Bronson stand up and take control of this monster he made with my mother.
Oh yes! So many people had helped contribute to the creation of my half-sister. My mother- Laura Sue, Bronson, Randolph and of course... Grandmother Cutler. It always came back to that hateful harpy! But they all had given in to her every whim and spoiled her rotten until she couldn't cope with the reality before her.
Look at where it had gotten her... Kidnapping an old senile woman!
Clara Sue was a cruel and heartless brat to torment a grown woman with the mentality of a thirteen year old girl. My half-sister had a privileged upbringing with reasonably good people as parents and she never appreciated these advantages and took it all for granted. Even though the Cutler's were a well off the family we were all expected to earn our place in the hotel and nothing was presented on a silver platter.
Except when it came to Clara Sue, she had had her position at the hotel at the front desk but she was hardly ever there to pick up her shift. Poor Mrs. Bradley would have to cover for her and pick up the slack. The problem was she never informed Grandmother Cutler of this because she was afraid that she would lose her job.
Of course Grandmother Cutler knew when Clara Sue was playing hooky because she would have read the log book which determined how much her pay would be. After reading the log book myself, I noticed that Grandmother Cutler had written in Clara Sue's name in the allotted spaces herself and she was payed the full amount. The woman, who could go on about how a good work ethic was the only way to make something of yourself for hours, played right into her game.
When we reached The Meadows I saw nothing much had changed on the outside. It still looked like a abandoned old southern plantation. It's facade fit the horrific deeds that had been committed on the inside.
"Okay Jimmy you start looking around with Luther. I am goimg to check the house. I'm hoping she didn't lock herself in somewhere to get away from Clara Sue." I told him.
As I walked through the house, memories of when I was forced to stay here while I was pregnant with Christie flooded my mind. This time the baby I was carrying would be no secret. He or she would be welcomed with joy and love.
The house was a mess. It definitely showed signs that Clara Sue had been here, wrecking her turmoil on those around her. I sighed and looked around my old prison. Dirty dishes were stacked in the sink, furniture overturned, and cobwebs collected in all areas of the house, not just the corners. I continued walking through the dark and murky hallways until I came across the small bedroom I once occupied.
What I saw in that room, made me gasp. There was the evil witch Emily! Laying in the dirty bed I once was forced to use. Her eyes were closed and looked like they were sewn shut. Her body was crumpled as if she fell onto the bed from sheer exhaustion.
Was she dead?!