Bound by Blood and Brimstone Read Online Free PDF

sigh.
    “What?” he asked, his voice nearing a squeak, clinging to this last hope like a drowning
    man to a life preserver.
    “Well, there’s no way it could work for you, since you can’t get off the porch.”
    “Who says I can’t get off the porch?” He said, desperate for salvation.
    “Well, you never have before,” I reminded him. “Besides, you might get dirty and, never
    mind, I guess we may as well wait for Harry and take our chances.” I sneaked a look at Lorrie
    Beth, who was as goggle-eyed as Melvin. She knew there was no such person as Harry Wicker,
    had no idea what I might be plotting, but would play her part to the bitter end.
    “Yeah,” she added. “I sure hope you don’t get scared at the sight of blood.” He glanced
    down at his white shirt.
    “Listen, Momma will skin me alive if I get these clothes dirty,” he said, running a shaky
    finger under his collar.
    “Probably,” I said, “but look at it this way, Melvin. What’s worse, a whipping from your
    momma or bloody murder?” That did it. A swarm of wild locusts wouldn’t have stopped him
    from doing whatever it took to ward off Harry Wicker. He would’ve slept in the stall with our
    sow if need be.
    I explained that we had something in our barn that Harry was so allergic to he’d break out
    in hives and choke to death within seconds if he got near it. His cousin had told me, I said, but if
    it got out that she’d told, she was as good as dead.
    Allergies, I figured Melvin could relate to, since Aunt Celeste was always claiming he
    was allergic to nearly everything in sight. She always brought a suitcase of Melvin’s rice puffs
    and cans of Vienna sausage because he couldn’t eat Momma’s cooking. Celeste claimed he was
    likely to itch.
    From that point, it was a cinch. I had Lorrie Beth stay on the porch to be our lookout
    while I took Melvin to the barn. “Now, you can’t let the smell put you off; that’ll wash off easy,”
    I said, leading him into the cool, dark interior. “Remember, only the fresh ones work. That’s
    what really sets Harry to running.” He glanced down uneasily at the big piles of steaming cow
    droppings scattered throughout the barn.
    “Are you sure this stuff will work?” he asked, the color leaching out of his face. At that
    moment I almost felt sorry enough to tell him the truth.
    “Absolutely,” I said, “but you have to put it on thick before it takes effect.”
    In a matter of minutes, Melvin was a dead ringer for a kid who’d been dunked in a giant
    bowl of brownie batter. He coughed, gagged, and heaved the entire time, while I kept reassuring
    him of the miraculous saving powers of those smelly clumps. By the time he was done smearing
    himself, I was wondering how long people would have to stand downwind of him. I was also
    wondering where I could find a good hiding place.
    I instructed him to go back on the porch with Lorrie Beth to wait for Harry Wicker while
    I latched up the barn. I waited behind the barn door, watching until I saw Lorrie Beth grab her
    nose as Melvin approached. Then I made a beeline for the woods. I barely had time to reach the
    cover of the trees before I heard Aunt Celeste’s screams.

    Naturally, the chaos I’d unleashed put a strain on the remainder of their visit. Though I
    fully expected the sort of beating from Momma that left little, if any, skin intact, I didn’t receive
    it the night of Melvin’s incident. I managed this miracle by sneaking into the house after
    everyone had gone to bed, bone-tired. Dealing with several layers of cow manure stuck to human
    skin could do that to a person.
    The next couple of days were colored with a gray dread of what was sure to come, so I
    made myself as scarce as possible. Lorrie Beth slunk around like a roving weasel even though
    she’d done nothing to feel guilty about. Somehow, that even made me feel worse.
    Melvin maintained the same distance from me as he would a leper. Uncle Robert moped,
    and Daddy managed