Read Online Lucid Dreaming by Lisa Morton - Free Book Online Page B

(and pissed off Mama in the process), it was good enough for me.
    She laughed so hard her face turned red. “Well, you better change that little habit right now, honey, because beef is mainly what we got here, in case you hadn’t noticed. ’Course for most folks that’s a big incentive to work harder.”
    I wanted to say, “I’ll bet it is,” but just smiled instead.
    She took a bite of bloody steak, and I nearly hurled as she spoke around the mouthful of flesh. “I hear you did good out on the greenhouse today.”
    I shrugged.
    â€œâ€™Course I also hear you damn near broke Moose’s foot.”
    â€œHe asked for it,” I said.
    â€œNow, girl,” she said, waggling a chubby finger at me, “he was just playin ’, like men do. I can’t have you goin ’ ’round beatin ’ on all my men. I need ’em to work.”
    â€œThen tell them to leave me alone,” I said, quite reasonably, I thought.
    Apparently she didn’t agree. She actually put down her knife and fork and swallowed the meat she’d been chewing, so I knew this was serious. “Ashley, honey, you don’t seem to understand. This is your home now. We’re your kin, your family. You’ll be seeing all of us every day, for an awful lot of days to come. I know we’re not what you’re used to, out there in California. We’re not fancy folk with big degrees and books and funny ideas about God and such. But we’ve got a real shot at a future. We got food, we got oil, we got little ones on the way. We even plan on trying to find something we can make to replace the Prolixin , since we know our supply will run out or expire soon. We’re not stupid. You might even learn to like us—but you gotta give us a chance first. Now what do you say?”
    She smiled at me in what she obviously hoped was an encouraging, maternal way, but all I could see was her fat cheeks and a smear of meat juice on part of her chin.
    â€œWhat about my friend Teddy?” I asked, gesturing at him.
    â€œWell, of course, he’s welcome here, too. We don’t even mind that he’s…you know…” She actually dropped down to this silly whisper, “… black .”
    â€œIf you don’t mind, then why bring it up?”
    â€œYou didn’t answer my question, Ashley,” she said. “Are you willing to give us a chance?”
    â€œWhat if we try it and don’t like it?” I asked.
    â€œWell,” she said, her eyes narrowing to little pig-like slits, “I’m sure Johnny would be more than happy to be in charge of tyin ’ you up in the barn again.”
    Just then I saw Johnny standing ten feet away; one side of his head was still bandaged. When he caught my eye, he winked at me.
    I grabbed my ear and bit some air.
    â€œNow now, young lady, none of that!” Mama called out. “We have other punishments here, too. You’ll learn.”
    She waved over a young girl, who bent and listened as she whispered, then ran to the food servers. “For now,” Mama said around another mouthful of beef, “no food for you tonight.”
    I had it; she really was starting to sound like my mama. “ Y’know what I think you are, Mama? I think you’re just some poor white trash who probably lived in some dinky little two-bedroom shithole before everything fell apart, and secretly you’re probably thanking your God for the dreaming sickness, because now you got this big fine house and a chance to play queen to your hand-picked shitkickers . Well, guess what? Teddy and me don’t want to play.”
    I swear I could see the woman physically swell. Her face was red and twitching all over, and it took her a few seconds to put herself back together. Then she just smiled tightly and said, “Are you done now?”
    â€œI can keep going all night, if you like.”
    â€œOh, you’re wrong. You