Jennifer Hooks
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Secrets We Keep
Excuse me that is my personal belongings, do you mind and do not move you will get those ashes all over my new rug and this, politely taking the letter from his hand is personal property mister, I exclaimed. What is it Jasper asked? I told him, I’d gotten the house back in June. I had to make some repairs before moving in. When I got back after selling my apartment in Brookdale, I came into a mess on my floor in front of the fireplace. I began cleaning and found this in the ashes and debris left by the men. I believe it was written by my boyfriend Donavan, that is before he left me, I said sadly. Miss, this letter did not come from your boyfriend, I’m sorry he replied. I don’t understand what do you mean I said startled? This was a letter for your aunt Wilma, I know because I wrote it, he said with a pause. You really don’t know anything do you he said in a rattled voice? Did you hear the story of Sam and Emily he asked quizatively? No, I have never heard of them who are they? He mumbled under his breath words I’ve never heard before and began to tell me all about these people who were my family but, why had no one ever told us about these people? Sam as you know was killed, he was murdered by his father James Carey. James was Wilma’s son he had two children a son Sam and a daughter named Emily. Their mother had run off and left with another man, I’d always tell her she was going to kill herself or someone else, boy I was off had no idea it would be like this Jasper said with tears in his eyes. Hazel Carey was a wild young lady very pretty on the eyes. Everyone in town had their eyes one her and a lot of them had good times with Hazel. After she and James were married, she started using some heavy drugs, stayed drunk all the time. He would get calls all hours of the night to come get her off some man’s couch where she had passed out and God knows whatever else happened. James thought he could handle this until she came back, after being gone for seventeen months, being with man after man. James went off the deep end and killed their mother right in front of Sam and Emily, strangled her to death with his own hands. He tried to make things right, but it seemed the devil grabbed a hold of him and wouldn’t let him go, things got worse and worse he wouldn’t let the kids out of his sight scared they would tell. He took them out of school, they were never allowed to have friends or go any place because his actions were overtaken by fear for himself. As time went on James began to hear her shrills everywhere day and night he began drinking and using some pretty bad stuff also to try and rid the voices in his head. The louder they got the more insane he became, until he pulled out a 357 magnum and started shooting up the house, they knew they had to find a way out. This is when Emily decided to hide out and stay as far away as possible keeping a low profile. She would sneak food out to her little brother and blankets to keep him warm. She was faster and would risk everything to keep her little brother alive Jasper said sadly. Until that day he caught them, see he wanted to make an example out of Sam. I replied No wonder we were never told about them. How did Sam die I asked deeply sympathetically? Well, I’m not sure if you can handle the rest ma’am he said in a worried voice. I decided to move on asking where he would be staying and offered him a place to stay. Don’t worry I will find out, there must be records, right I mumbled under my breath? Jasper looked deep into my face and said Emily lived, you can ask her, it’s her story not mine She was released from the mental hospital a few weeks ago, she would love to see her family Jasper said with a half-smile, you might be what she needs to get through this. Where is Emily now I asked? He stated, she has been staying in a halfway house. It is not a very good place for her right now. Recovering rapists, drug addicts, people she doesn’t need in her life to bring her down. She is turning 26 this year, she was only sixteen when this went down. What? How? How and why do you know so much? They are my grandkids; James was my biological son. Wilma and I divorced when James came along, I was stupid and very selfish he said with sorrow. Thinking to myself, how is this possible? I’m beginning to think this man is delirious as I’m now showing him to the door to leave as fast as I possibly can. Jasper said to me ask your father about it please. As I am closing the door in disbelief as to what my ears just heard.
By Jennifer Hooks4 years ago in Fiction
SECRETS FROM WITHIN
Chapter 1 It all started one mid-November afternoon, as I was cooking dinner in my cozy country kitchen, there began a rumble of thunder in the distance a dark cloud came in, it got cold very quickly. As I go to put logs on the fire, I see there was a letter, it was a little burnt on the edges, so I opened it and inside it said “To my wife to be” … there were burn marks, so it was hard to make out all the words but as I continue reading, I realize that this note is for me. A beautiful love letter that I never received. Where did it come from and how did it get here in my fireplace and why was it burned instead of given to me?
By Jennifer Hooks4 years ago in Fiction
