Petals on the Wind (Dollanganger 2)

grandmother did terrible things; somehow the

grandmother had caused Cory to die--and now she

had come to get Carrie too!

"I hate you! I hate you!" screamed Carrie over

and over, until finally Miss Dewhurst was driven from

the room and the school nurse was sent in to give

Carrie a sedative.

That Friday, I answered the telephone when

Miss Dewhurst called to say twelve of her girls had

broken her rules and disobeyed her orders, and Carrie

was one of them. "I'm sorry, really I am. But I can't

give your sister privileges and still punish the others.

She was in the room and she refused to quiet when I

ordered her to."

I waited until evening at the dinner table to

discuss it with Paul. "It's a terrible mistake to leave

Carrie over the weekend, Paul. You know we

promised her ,she could come home every weekend.

She's too little to be the cause of anything, so it's not

fair she should be punished too!"

"Really, Cathy," he said, putting down his fork,

"Miss Dewhurst called me right after she talked to

you. She does have rules, and if Carrie misbehaved

then she has to suffer along with the rest of the girls.

And I respect Miss Dewhurst even if you don't." Chris, home for the weekend, spoke up and

agreed with Paul. "Sure, Cathy, you know as well as I do that Carrie can cut up when she wants to. If she did nothing but scream she could drive you batty--and

deaf."

That weekend was a flop without Carrie. I

couldn't get her off my mind I stewed, fretted, worried

over Carrie. I seemed to hear her calling to me. I