Heaven (Casteel 1)

Wham! She slammed her heavy fist into Tom's astonished face, spun him back against the wall, jarring from the shelf above our precious jar of stolen honey that fell on his head and spilled the sticky stuff all over him.

"Thanks a heap, Ma," said Tom with a funny grin. "Now I got all t'honey I kin eat."

"Oh, Tommy. . ." she sobbed, immediately ashamed. "I'm sorry. Don't know what gets inta me . . . don't ya go hatin yer ma who loves ya."

A nightmare with a capricious red-haired witch included had come to live in our house. A nightmare that didn't go when the sun dawned, when noon flared bright and cheerful; the stringy-haired, loudmouthed, ugly witch showed no mercy, not even to her own.

It was September. Soon we'd be going back to school, and any day Sarah's baby could come, any day. Still Sarah didn't go as she threatened time and again, thinking she'd really hurt Pa when she took away his look-alike dark-haired son. Pa stayed more and more in town.

All the hours blurred one into the other, horrible hours less than hell but far from paradise. Over the summer, we had grown noticeably larger, older, needing more, asking more questions. But as Sarah's unborn child swelled out her front, the oldest among us grew weaker, quieter, less demanding.

It was building, building toward something. That something kept me tossing and turning all night, so when I got up in the morning it was as if I hadn't slept at all.

five Bitter Season

.

LOGAN WAS WAITING FOR ME

HALFWAY DOWN THE TRAIL to the valley to

walk me to the first day of school. The weather was turning chilly in the hills, but it was still pleasantly warm in the valley. Miss Deale was still our teacher, since the school board continued to allow her to advance with her class. I was enchanted by her, as always; still, I kept drifting off . . .

"Heaven Leigh," called the sweet voice of Miss Deale, "are you daydreaming again?"

"No, Miss Deale. I don't daydream in class,

only at home." Why did everyone always titter, as if I

did daydream?

It thrilled me to be back in school where I'd see

Logan every day, and he'd walk me home and hold

my hand, and with him I could momentarily forget all

the problems that beset me in the cabin.

He walked beside me on the way home, both of

us eagerly discussing our plans for the future, as Tom

led the way with Our Jane and Keith, and Fanny

lagged way back, accompanied by her many

boyfriends.

All I had to do was to look around and see that

soon our mountain nights would be freezing the water

in the rain barrels, and all of us needed new coats and

sweaters and boots that we couldn't afford. Logan

held my hand, glancing at me often, as if he couldn't