Read Online Joe Dillard - 03 - Injustice for All by Scott Pratt - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Scott Pratt
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opens his mouth wide, inserts the pistol barrel, and, before I can get to him, pulls the trigger.
9
Katie Dean awoke to a house filled with the smells of clean cotton sheets and pillowcases, coffee brewing, and sausage frying. Sunlight was spilling through her window upstairs, and when she lifted her head to look outside, the view nearly took her breath away. The mountains to the east were dazzling with color—deep reds, brilliant oranges, and golds. It looked as though they’d been covered with a gigantic, multicolored quilt. She pulled the covers back and looked around at her new bedroom. The walls were plaster and had been painted gold. The hardwood floor next to the bed was covered by a dark orange woven rug. There was a small closet just off the foot of the bed and a chest of drawers against the wall near the door. Framed photographs of Katie’s mother and brothers and sister covered the chest and a small nightstand next to the bed. Some of her drawings had been hung on the wall by the window. She walked to the closet in her stocking feet and saw that her clothes had already been unpacked and were hanging neatly in a row.
Katie slowly descended the stairs. When she was halfway down, she saw him for the first time. His bed had been rolled into the living room. His head was turned away from her, toward a television set. He was covered from the neck down with a sheet and blanket. All Katie could see was his hair, which was the same color as that of the bright red squirrels that lived in the trees in her yard back in Michigan. Katie stopped, sat down on the stairs, and watched him through the railing.
Lottie walked into the den from the kitchen a few seconds later. She noticed Katie immediately.
“I knew the smell of sausage would bring you outta that bed. Come on down here and meet Mister Luke.”
Lottie reached her hand upward from the bottom of the steps, but Katie hesitated.
“Don’t be scared now, child. Like I told you last night, Luke’s a special boy.”
Lottie’s voice and manner were soothing, so Katie stood and took her hand. Lottie led her to the side of the bed. Katie noticed it was just like the bed in which she’d lain for two months at the hospital.
“Mister Luke,” Lottie said, “this is Miss Katie. Ain’t she just a beautiful angel?”
Katie looked curiously into Luke’s brown eyes. He was small and incredibly thin, his skin as pale as the white sand beaches on the shores of Lake Michigan. The boy’s eyes widened, his body began to jerk, and he let out a strange, guttural wail.
“See? He’s happy to meet you,” Lottie said.
“Hi,” Katie said softly as Luke continued to squirm. She was a bit uneasy, because she’d never seen anyone quite like Luke. He obviously couldn’t talk or move around on his own. The noises he made were unsettling, and the jerky motions were almost frightening, but Katie continued to smile.
“You go back to watching your TV now,” Lottie said to Luke. “I’m gonna get this young lady some breakfast. I’ll bring yours in directly. The two of you can get acquainted later on.”
Once again, Lottie took Katie by the hand and led her into a small kitchen surrounded by windows that overlooked the back of the property and the mountains beyond.
“Do you know where you are, honey?” Lottie said.
“Tennessee,” Katie said quietly.
“Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One of the most beautiful places on God’s green earth.” Lottie pointed out a side window. “That’s Roaring Fork Road, and just a few miles over that ridge is the town of Gatlinburg.”
Lottie waved a hand toward the mountains.
“And all of that, as far as the eye can see, is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We live right on the border. Now you just sit yourself right down here and let me get some food into you. We believe in a good breakfast around here.”
Katie watched in fascination as Lottie piled two eggs, two sausage patties, fried potatoes, and a slice of tomato on her
9
Katie Dean awoke to a house filled with the smells of clean cotton sheets and pillowcases, coffee brewing, and sausage frying. Sunlight was spilling through her window upstairs, and when she lifted her head to look outside, the view nearly took her breath away. The mountains to the east were dazzling with color—deep reds, brilliant oranges, and golds. It looked as though they’d been covered with a gigantic, multicolored quilt. She pulled the covers back and looked around at her new bedroom. The walls were plaster and had been painted gold. The hardwood floor next to the bed was covered by a dark orange woven rug. There was a small closet just off the foot of the bed and a chest of drawers against the wall near the door. Framed photographs of Katie’s mother and brothers and sister covered the chest and a small nightstand next to the bed. Some of her drawings had been hung on the wall by the window. She walked to the closet in her stocking feet and saw that her clothes had already been unpacked and were hanging neatly in a row.
Katie slowly descended the stairs. When she was halfway down, she saw him for the first time. His bed had been rolled into the living room. His head was turned away from her, toward a television set. He was covered from the neck down with a sheet and blanket. All Katie could see was his hair, which was the same color as that of the bright red squirrels that lived in the trees in her yard back in Michigan. Katie stopped, sat down on the stairs, and watched him through the railing.
Lottie walked into the den from the kitchen a few seconds later. She noticed Katie immediately.
“I knew the smell of sausage would bring you outta that bed. Come on down here and meet Mister Luke.”
Lottie reached her hand upward from the bottom of the steps, but Katie hesitated.
“Don’t be scared now, child. Like I told you last night, Luke’s a special boy.”
Lottie’s voice and manner were soothing, so Katie stood and took her hand. Lottie led her to the side of the bed. Katie noticed it was just like the bed in which she’d lain for two months at the hospital.
“Mister Luke,” Lottie said, “this is Miss Katie. Ain’t she just a beautiful angel?”
Katie looked curiously into Luke’s brown eyes. He was small and incredibly thin, his skin as pale as the white sand beaches on the shores of Lake Michigan. The boy’s eyes widened, his body began to jerk, and he let out a strange, guttural wail.
“See? He’s happy to meet you,” Lottie said.
“Hi,” Katie said softly as Luke continued to squirm. She was a bit uneasy, because she’d never seen anyone quite like Luke. He obviously couldn’t talk or move around on his own. The noises he made were unsettling, and the jerky motions were almost frightening, but Katie continued to smile.
“You go back to watching your TV now,” Lottie said to Luke. “I’m gonna get this young lady some breakfast. I’ll bring yours in directly. The two of you can get acquainted later on.”
Once again, Lottie took Katie by the hand and led her into a small kitchen surrounded by windows that overlooked the back of the property and the mountains beyond.
“Do you know where you are, honey?” Lottie said.
“Tennessee,” Katie said quietly.
“Gatlinburg, Tennessee. One of the most beautiful places on God’s green earth.” Lottie pointed out a side window. “That’s Roaring Fork Road, and just a few miles over that ridge is the town of Gatlinburg.”
Lottie waved a hand toward the mountains.
“And all of that, as far as the eye can see, is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We live right on the border. Now you just sit yourself right down here and let me get some food into you. We believe in a good breakfast around here.”
Katie watched in fascination as Lottie piled two eggs, two sausage patties, fried potatoes, and a slice of tomato on her
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