One Night In Hell
Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:28 am
By: Me
Copyrighted January 2006
Sent to The New Yorker April 2006
Criticism, please? Here goes:
I walked out the front door as the house roared with fire. I was so calm you wouldn’t even have a clue I’d done what I done. I felt the heat licking at me as I walked toward Heather standing there in her pajamas with her toothbrush in hand.
*****************
Me and my twin sister Heather was coming back from swimming in Adam’s pool. Adam was in my class and his daddy was the mayor of our town. My daddy was the town drunk. Adam lived in a big house across town. It was hot that day. If you ever been to Alabama during the month of July, you know what I mean. It’s as hot as hot can get. It’s like dancing in fire with a goose down winter coat on. I wish I could just go naked but Brother Halford at church says if you do that, you surely go to hell. As far as I’m concerned I’m already in hell. Hell is 314 Seminole Street, Jacksons’ Gap, Alabama, Population: 741.
Momma and Daddy had opened the bottle early that day. They was already ten sheets to the wind much less three. I sent Heather to get the jacks so we could play on the front porch. I found Momma and Daddy in the back room smoking refer.
“Whatch ya’ll doin’ home this early?†Daddy asked holding his breath.
“It aint early. Its near seven o’clock. Adam’s momma was gettin’ dinner ready so she sent us home. We’re playing jacks on the front porch.†I said while reaching into the refrigerator for two cokes.
“Ya’ll don’t be getting’ on our nerves on account o’ that sugar from them sodas.†Momma piped in.
Momma had me and Heather when she was fourteen. Daddy was eighteen. I came out first. Heather’s right leg was all deformed and a lot shorter than the other one. The doctor also said that Heather was in there too long and wrapped up in a cord and on account of that, something might be wrong with her. I reckon its because she had to wait for me to go on out first. I reckon that’s also why I feel like I gotta take care of poor old Heather. Momma and Daddy don’t. Ever since I can remember, momma and daddy was real mean to her. They called her names like “Circus Freak†and “Crip.
I walked back out and handed Heather the bottle of soda. I let her do the jacks her way so she can pick ‘em up easier and win every time. I told her one time that she was the jack champion of Alabama. She was real proud.
“I want some ice for mine, Shelby.†Heather said. She walked into the house. I just laid back against the old rusty rocking bench to rest. A slight breeze rolled through the yard and I watched a plastic bag dance across the dirt. A second later I heard the loudest scream I ever heard and then glass breaking. I got up and ran inside. When I reached the kitchen Heather was face down on the kitchen floor. Momma and Daddy was laughing as they walked out the back door.
“We’re going down to Patsy’s. Clean up the circus freak.†Momma yelled
Patsy’s was the bar. Momma and Daddy was drunk as a skunk and high as a kite and was just now leaving for the bar. I bent down and lifted Heather’s face to mine.
Heather’s face was smeared in blood and her nose was just a bleedin’. I helped her upstairs to the bathroom. I put her down in the old claw foot tub. It had peeling gray paint on the outside and was stained brown on the inside from our dirty old well. I got the water warm for Heather. I washed her face and chest with one hand while tilting her head back and holding a dry towel over her nose with the other. The bleeding was about done. You’d be surprised at how much blood could come out of one little girl. She had been beat on before by momma and daddy but not as bad as this. The whole time I kept thinking about putting some kind of skin burning acid in that shampoo bottle of momma’s and daddy’s.
I got Heather all washed up and gave her some Tylenol and put her to bed. I sat down stairs waiting for momma and daddy to get home.
It was right about midnight when the jiggling of the lock made me wake up. I had fallen asleep watching some show on PBS about peacocks. Momma and daddy didn’t even notice me when they came in they was so bombed out of their gourds. I waited a few minutes and then found them passed out on the bed. Momma’s cigarette was still lit. I took it out of her hand and put it out. I pulled the covers over both of them after pulling their shoes off. Daddy rolled over and mumbled something like “Thanks pumpkin,†and he was gone.
I went upstairs and woke Heather up.
“What is it?†she asked. She was half asleep.
“We gotta go, Heather. You’re jacks competition is right now, we’re late. You have to win so you can be the new World Champion Jacks Player.â€
“I have to get my clothes on.â€
“No you don’t. There is a slumber party afterwards and you get to wear your pajamas through the whole thing.â€
“Okay, Shelby. Oh wait, I need to get my toothbrush.â€
“Okay fine.â€
I led Heather down the stairs and out into the front yard. “I forgot something Heather. I need my toothbrush, too. You wait right here.â€
“Okay.â€
After soaking their bedcovers with all the liquor in the house I lit a cigarette. I took a puff but it made my lungs burn. I tossed the cigarette onto the bed, ran upstairs for my toothbrush and money and walked right out the front door.
Copyrighted January 2006
Sent to The New Yorker April 2006
Criticism, please? Here goes:
I walked out the front door as the house roared with fire. I was so calm you wouldn’t even have a clue I’d done what I done. I felt the heat licking at me as I walked toward Heather standing there in her pajamas with her toothbrush in hand.
*****************
Me and my twin sister Heather was coming back from swimming in Adam’s pool. Adam was in my class and his daddy was the mayor of our town. My daddy was the town drunk. Adam lived in a big house across town. It was hot that day. If you ever been to Alabama during the month of July, you know what I mean. It’s as hot as hot can get. It’s like dancing in fire with a goose down winter coat on. I wish I could just go naked but Brother Halford at church says if you do that, you surely go to hell. As far as I’m concerned I’m already in hell. Hell is 314 Seminole Street, Jacksons’ Gap, Alabama, Population: 741.
Momma and Daddy had opened the bottle early that day. They was already ten sheets to the wind much less three. I sent Heather to get the jacks so we could play on the front porch. I found Momma and Daddy in the back room smoking refer.
“Whatch ya’ll doin’ home this early?†Daddy asked holding his breath.
“It aint early. Its near seven o’clock. Adam’s momma was gettin’ dinner ready so she sent us home. We’re playing jacks on the front porch.†I said while reaching into the refrigerator for two cokes.
“Ya’ll don’t be getting’ on our nerves on account o’ that sugar from them sodas.†Momma piped in.
Momma had me and Heather when she was fourteen. Daddy was eighteen. I came out first. Heather’s right leg was all deformed and a lot shorter than the other one. The doctor also said that Heather was in there too long and wrapped up in a cord and on account of that, something might be wrong with her. I reckon its because she had to wait for me to go on out first. I reckon that’s also why I feel like I gotta take care of poor old Heather. Momma and Daddy don’t. Ever since I can remember, momma and daddy was real mean to her. They called her names like “Circus Freak†and “Crip.
I walked back out and handed Heather the bottle of soda. I let her do the jacks her way so she can pick ‘em up easier and win every time. I told her one time that she was the jack champion of Alabama. She was real proud.
“I want some ice for mine, Shelby.†Heather said. She walked into the house. I just laid back against the old rusty rocking bench to rest. A slight breeze rolled through the yard and I watched a plastic bag dance across the dirt. A second later I heard the loudest scream I ever heard and then glass breaking. I got up and ran inside. When I reached the kitchen Heather was face down on the kitchen floor. Momma and Daddy was laughing as they walked out the back door.
“We’re going down to Patsy’s. Clean up the circus freak.†Momma yelled
Patsy’s was the bar. Momma and Daddy was drunk as a skunk and high as a kite and was just now leaving for the bar. I bent down and lifted Heather’s face to mine.
Heather’s face was smeared in blood and her nose was just a bleedin’. I helped her upstairs to the bathroom. I put her down in the old claw foot tub. It had peeling gray paint on the outside and was stained brown on the inside from our dirty old well. I got the water warm for Heather. I washed her face and chest with one hand while tilting her head back and holding a dry towel over her nose with the other. The bleeding was about done. You’d be surprised at how much blood could come out of one little girl. She had been beat on before by momma and daddy but not as bad as this. The whole time I kept thinking about putting some kind of skin burning acid in that shampoo bottle of momma’s and daddy’s.
I got Heather all washed up and gave her some Tylenol and put her to bed. I sat down stairs waiting for momma and daddy to get home.
It was right about midnight when the jiggling of the lock made me wake up. I had fallen asleep watching some show on PBS about peacocks. Momma and daddy didn’t even notice me when they came in they was so bombed out of their gourds. I waited a few minutes and then found them passed out on the bed. Momma’s cigarette was still lit. I took it out of her hand and put it out. I pulled the covers over both of them after pulling their shoes off. Daddy rolled over and mumbled something like “Thanks pumpkin,†and he was gone.
I went upstairs and woke Heather up.
“What is it?†she asked. She was half asleep.
“We gotta go, Heather. You’re jacks competition is right now, we’re late. You have to win so you can be the new World Champion Jacks Player.â€
“I have to get my clothes on.â€
“No you don’t. There is a slumber party afterwards and you get to wear your pajamas through the whole thing.â€
“Okay, Shelby. Oh wait, I need to get my toothbrush.â€
“Okay fine.â€
I led Heather down the stairs and out into the front yard. “I forgot something Heather. I need my toothbrush, too. You wait right here.â€
“Okay.â€
After soaking their bedcovers with all the liquor in the house I lit a cigarette. I took a puff but it made my lungs burn. I tossed the cigarette onto the bed, ran upstairs for my toothbrush and money and walked right out the front door.
