of Hennessy’s charges were such overachievers that they’d prefer to stay in the cabin and write or draw. She hated to require them to socialize if they didn’t want to, but she thought it best to organize walks and bike rides just to lure them out and get their blood flowing.
That day, she decided to take her group on a long walk around the compound, to point out the flora and fauna of the palmetto state. She was surprised and pleased to see Townsend shuffle out of the cabin, squinting up at the sun with a malevolent glare.
They started off, making it halfway around the large compound before Townsend was lagging behind. Her chain smoking and drinking had rendered her mostly incapable of sustained physical activity, and she begged off when they reached the water. “Can I lie here on the dock until you guys come back?” she asked, totally out of breath.
“Sure. Do you have sunblock on?”
“Yes, Mother,” Townsend grumbled, rolling her eyes.
“Okay, we’ll be back in about an hour. Don’t roll off and drown. We’d miss you somethin’ fierce.”
A reluctant, but surprisingly sincere-looking smile flashed. “I just bet you would.” She dropped to the dock and was lying, flat-out, as if she’d run into a wall, before the rest of the group had gone five feet.
They finished their loop, then cut back across the middle of the compound to pick up Townsend for the trip back. Hailey scampered ahead, a big, expectant grin on her face. For some reason, much to Hennessy’s amazement, the shy, innocent girl had taken a liking to Townsend. But when Hailey reached the dock, she stopped and stared, obviously terrified. She pointed with a shaking hand, unable to get a word out of her mouth. Hennessy took off, sprinting the last fifty feet, and wrapped an arm around Hailey’s trembling shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
“Sp…spider!”
A good-sized sand colored spider perched on Townsend’s collar, and as the pair watched, it skittered along her neck, disappearing from view. That was enough for Hailey to sound the alarm, and she screamed with all her might.
Townsend flew into a sitting position, looking around wildly, arms lashing out. “What the fuck?”
“Spider! There’s a big, nasty spider in your hair, or your shirt, or somewhere!”
Townsend leapt to her feet and yanked her shirt off, surprising all by her braless state. “Where is it?” she demanded, turning her back to Hennessy.
Hennessy stepped forward and ran her fingers along Townsend’s hot, sweaty neck, lifting her hair out of the way to examine her. Combing through her hair with her fingers, she found the spider and tossed it back onto the sand. “I got it. No problem.”
“It bit her! It bit her! It’s poisonous!”
The poor kid was just a bunch of nerves held together by an unending desire to please. “That was a wolf spider,” Hennessy said. “They aren’t poisonous. Trust me on that.”
“Look at her neck! It bit her!”
Hennessy moved around to the front to get a better look, and brushed the hair from Townsend’s neck, taking a brief glance at the mark Hailey referred to. “That’s not a bite,” she assured both girls. “It’s just a…bruise. Nothing to worry about.”
Townsend had the decency to blush as she put her shirt back on, muttering, “Try to get a nap around here and all hell breaks loose.” She strode off, grumbling the whole while.
After they returned to the bungalow, everyone washed up and started to head over to the dining room for lunch. Hennessy caught Townsend’s eye and said, “I’ve ordered lunch to be delivered here. I’d like to talk with you privately.”
“Now what?” Townsend asked, falling onto the sofa. She seemed completely unconcerned. Total innocence.
“It can wait for a few minutes. Just relax while I go get the sand off myself.”
When she returned, Townsend was already digging into her lunch, her appetite much improved from when she’d arrived the previous weekend.
That day, she decided to take her group on a long walk around the compound, to point out the flora and fauna of the palmetto state. She was surprised and pleased to see Townsend shuffle out of the cabin, squinting up at the sun with a malevolent glare.
They started off, making it halfway around the large compound before Townsend was lagging behind. Her chain smoking and drinking had rendered her mostly incapable of sustained physical activity, and she begged off when they reached the water. “Can I lie here on the dock until you guys come back?” she asked, totally out of breath.
“Sure. Do you have sunblock on?”
“Yes, Mother,” Townsend grumbled, rolling her eyes.
“Okay, we’ll be back in about an hour. Don’t roll off and drown. We’d miss you somethin’ fierce.”
A reluctant, but surprisingly sincere-looking smile flashed. “I just bet you would.” She dropped to the dock and was lying, flat-out, as if she’d run into a wall, before the rest of the group had gone five feet.
They finished their loop, then cut back across the middle of the compound to pick up Townsend for the trip back. Hailey scampered ahead, a big, expectant grin on her face. For some reason, much to Hennessy’s amazement, the shy, innocent girl had taken a liking to Townsend. But when Hailey reached the dock, she stopped and stared, obviously terrified. She pointed with a shaking hand, unable to get a word out of her mouth. Hennessy took off, sprinting the last fifty feet, and wrapped an arm around Hailey’s trembling shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
“Sp…spider!”
A good-sized sand colored spider perched on Townsend’s collar, and as the pair watched, it skittered along her neck, disappearing from view. That was enough for Hailey to sound the alarm, and she screamed with all her might.
Townsend flew into a sitting position, looking around wildly, arms lashing out. “What the fuck?”
“Spider! There’s a big, nasty spider in your hair, or your shirt, or somewhere!”
Townsend leapt to her feet and yanked her shirt off, surprising all by her braless state. “Where is it?” she demanded, turning her back to Hennessy.
Hennessy stepped forward and ran her fingers along Townsend’s hot, sweaty neck, lifting her hair out of the way to examine her. Combing through her hair with her fingers, she found the spider and tossed it back onto the sand. “I got it. No problem.”
“It bit her! It bit her! It’s poisonous!”
The poor kid was just a bunch of nerves held together by an unending desire to please. “That was a wolf spider,” Hennessy said. “They aren’t poisonous. Trust me on that.”
“Look at her neck! It bit her!”
Hennessy moved around to the front to get a better look, and brushed the hair from Townsend’s neck, taking a brief glance at the mark Hailey referred to. “That’s not a bite,” she assured both girls. “It’s just a…bruise. Nothing to worry about.”
Townsend had the decency to blush as she put her shirt back on, muttering, “Try to get a nap around here and all hell breaks loose.” She strode off, grumbling the whole while.
After they returned to the bungalow, everyone washed up and started to head over to the dining room for lunch. Hennessy caught Townsend’s eye and said, “I’ve ordered lunch to be delivered here. I’d like to talk with you privately.”
“Now what?” Townsend asked, falling onto the sofa. She seemed completely unconcerned. Total innocence.
“It can wait for a few minutes. Just relax while I go get the sand off myself.”
When she returned, Townsend was already digging into her lunch, her appetite much improved from when she’d arrived the previous weekend.
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