Mare's War Read Online Free PDF

but
old people
are passing and waving at me. I mean, do we
have
to be the slowest people on the whole freeway? At this rate, we’re going to be in this car for days—”
    “You’re not going that slow,” I interrupt, trying to soften the blow. “Tali’s supposed to drive if you’re tired, but if you’re not tired …”
    “I tell you what, Miss Thing, why don’t you let me get from behind this truck, and I’ll pick up the pace. Can’t let any ‘old people’ get ahead of you now, can we.” The car’s engine whines as my grandmother’s foot pushes toward the floor. “I told your daddy I’d listen to you girls about my driving, and I will. I surely will.”
    “Mare—” I begin.
    Suddenly we’re around the truck and diving into the next lane. Without signaling, Mare crosses two more lanes of traffic and cuts off a pickup truck. Tali yelps.
    What’s
she
whimpering for?
I’m
in the front seat, watching cars scatter and the man in the pickup gesture with his middle finger. I push up my sunglasses and slide down in my seat. My crazy grandmother is going to get us killed.
    “Next stop, you ride shotgun, Tal.”
    “No way!”
    Mare laughs, that machine-gun cackle again, and I grab on to the edge of my seat.
    My grandmother took on a grown man twice her size to protect her sister. I have a feeling she could do it still, even today, if she had to. I watch as Mare expertly weaves in and out of traffic, feeling my stomach churn each time she changes lanes. She catches my eye and winks.
    “Watch and learn, Octavia.” She grins. “Watch and learn.”
     

5.
then
    When Samuel drop me off, the moon is low, but I can smell that nasty pipe Toby always be smoking and know he’s out of doors. It is too cold to take much time in the little house out back, so I wonder what he’s doing. My hand is on the door when I hear steps on the hard ground.
    “That you, Marey Lee?” His voice is slurred.
    “What do you want?”
    “I’m waiting for my little girl to get home.”
    I say nothing and push open the door.
    His laughter follows me in, and I know something in my bones. Toby’s bad tonight, worse than I’ve seen him. Feen looks up when I walk in. “Get in the room quick,” I tell her, picking up the lamp. I can hear Mama snoring from her bed. She sleep hard when she’s been at her whiskey, but if Toby come and bother me, I’m gonna make a noise to wake the dead.
    “Marey Le-e, why you runnin’ from me?”
    I can feel dread clawing up my spine. I close the door toour room and push my sister onto the bed. “Feen. Get under, and don’t come out till I say so.”
    Feen opens her mouth, and I know she wants to say something about, maybe, spiders or some such. But she shuts her mouth and obeys, for a change. She wraps herself up in a blanket and gets down on her knees.
    Thump
. Toby in the house. Josephine panics, and I can hear her trying to breathe quiet.
    “Marey, what you gonna do? Call Mama. Call Mama!”
    “Feen, you know we better not wake up Mama ’less somebody dying. I got something for ‘Uncle’ Toby if he come in here. Get under that bed.”
    “Marey Le-e! Josephine. Come give your uncle a kiss.”
    Feen slithers under her bed fast as she can. Good. I get down on my knees and take the hatchet out from under mine. I am surprised to see that my hands are shaking. I don’t know why. I am ready.
    Toby been bumping me, touching me, cutting his eyes at Mama when he thinks she don’t see. He been talking filth to Josephine, and she been snifflin’ and jumpy ever since he came. Feen try to talk to Mama, but Mama don’t wanna hear nothing about nothing, seems like. Mama tell me to “watch yourself,” and now I got to watch out for Feen, too.
    Toby better not come in this room.
    Then the door swings open, and even I am not ready. I scream. I scream long and loud like a baby, like Feen, and then Feen’s screaming, too, and crying for Mama.
    “Shut up! Shut up that damned noise,” Toby