Excerpt: Death Can Wait

Disclaimer: Excerpt is in its rawest, pre-edited form.

The memories haunted her like lost phantoms; each demanding her attention and some wanted retribution. One painful one pushed itself in the forefront of her mind. Images of her as a hateful raging pre-teen yelling at her younger sister, Clara who in this memory was but six years old.

Jo had found her sister playing with her dolls and proceeded to verbally strip her sister up one side and down the other with very harsh and unwarranted words. It did not matter that Jo was too old to play with her dolls that had been collecting dust if they hadn't have been stored away in her trunk. Had Jo had control of her anger, she would have reasoned with herself that her dolls could be put to better use by giving them to her sister to play as it was obvious Clara adored Jo and anything Jo gave her was treasured beyond her own possessions.

But instead of celebrating her sister's interest, Jo let out all of her frustrated anger and built up torment out on poor Clara who at first looked dumb struck and shocked. Jo knew she went too far by the quivering of the little girl's lower lip and braced herself for the loud and piercing scream and howl. But what really tore her up inside were the hurt and tears flowing out of her younger sister's eyes. Followed imediately after was a stark terror. Her parents would hear; they would want to know what had happened. And no matter what, Jo knew she would be in trouble. And that Dad was the judge, jury, and enforcer of punishment.

The younger Jo deperately tried to quiet Clara, tried to apologize and hush her up in a scramble of words and made to cover her tiny mouth which only made Clara louder as she angrily fought Jo off. She heard a yell in the other room and her heart slammed into her chest. Dad was coming.

"Clara, Clara! Shut UP!" In desperation she slapped her sister along the cheek. A split second before her hand made contact she saw movement from the corner of her eye. Too late, her hand was already in motion. In clear view from their father, Jo slapped Clara; dread, horror, regret and many millions of other feelings too many to name filled her heart.

Their father's reaction was instant. By the looks of things, all the blood in his body rushed into his head; his anger was that great. He stormed into the room, grabbed and picked up Jo by the ankle who screamed in surprise and terror. Upside down and horrified an insane thought entered her mind. For a split second, Jo and Clara exchanged two horrified expressions. Clara had quickly turned quiet upon seeing their fuming father.

The present day Jo quickly banished the horrific memory before it turned even worse. That was one of the worst, most traumatic nights of her life. It was the last thing she needed to think about. Yet it fixated on the sole reason for her present situation. The reason why she was on the bus. But also the reason why she felt guilt and regret over her sister. Clara was innocent and did not deserve to suffer Jo's wrath. Nor did she want Clara to suffer the same fate as hers with the taboo and attrocities of their father's...abuse.