Mare's War Read Online Free PDF Page B

growls,launching himself across the room at me. He smacks me in the mouth before I can get my hand up. Feen hasn’t stopped screaming, but I have. I tighten my hands on the hatchet.
    “Get on out of here, you no-’count man. I’ll call Mama. I will!”
    “Your mama’s asleep, and she ain’t got no time for this nonsense. Y’all better hush up and stop acting like little children. I just want to visit with you, is all.”
    Toby backs toward the doorway, still trying to keep his voice down. He looks over his shoulder, toward Mama’s room. He’s thinking about her. He’s still scared. I still got time. Toby ain’t nothing but a low-down confidence man from Mississippi. Sister Dials say she seen his kind before.
    “Get out!” I raise the hatchet, and when he sees it, a little sly smile come to his face. An ugly laugh come out his mouth, and weasel quick, he moves. He swings, and his big fist catches me from the side. Pain explodes in my rib cage, and I slam to the floor, a glimpse of Feen’s frightened eyes as I land. Instinctively, I roll, stagger to my feet. My knees are shaking, and the hatchet has slipped from my fingers. I can feel it with my foot, but I don’t dare take my eyes off Toby to pick it up. I’m still like a jackrabbit when a hawk flies over.
    “Just tryin’ to visit with you, and you get all uppity like you something special. I got a man’s rights up in this house. Your mama
my
woman, and you girls is
my
girls. Keep snivelin’ around like I ain’t good enough to talk to”—he closes the door behind him—“and I aim to teach you better. Feen? Get out from under that bed.”
    Now, I know I don’t have to tell Feen to stay put. Her squallin’ is so loud she can’t even hear him. She moanin’ to Jesus, to Mama, to somebody to save us. What I know is this: God will surely help you, but you also got to help your own self. I put my foot on that hatchet again.
    “Now, Josephine, I ain’t mad. Get on out from under that bed and let your uncle Toby see you.” He’s talkin’ sweet now, smiling that sly smile again, and I watch him lick his lips. He thinks Feen is his already. He’s got another thought coming.
    “Josephine, girl, get out from under that bed! Don’t make me come and
get
you out.”
    I push the hatchet back some, behind me now. Toby should leave while he still got his life.
    “Don’t you move,” Toby snarls at me, grabbing my chin. He shoves me back, then makes to bend down and get under the bed. “Jose
phine
!”
    Mama said take care of Feen.
    I grab for the hatchet and come up swinging.
    “Aww!”
Toby roars like a bull and twists, trying to reach his back. Dark blood stains his shirt. I pull on the hatchet, lift it again. Toby backhands me, clutching his side, and I fall against the door. I swing the hatchet as he comes for me again, but he grabs it, twisting my arm. I won’t give it up.
    “Get out! Get
out!”
    Feen is screaming, and I feel the bones in my arm grate. I know I have lost as Toby bends my arm up behind my back. He is pinning me against the wall; the honed blade of the hatchet has cut us both now and is slick with blood. I know he will hurt me bad.
    “Run, Feen!” I scream, pain making my ears ring. My eyes are going dim, and Toby has his shoulder against my throat. I hear my heart pounding in my ears, and then Toby gives a hard jerk, and he has the hatchet. He pounds my head against the wall and I feel myself going under.
    “Mamaaaaaaa! He’s killing her! He’s killing her!”
    Toby’s hands are hurting me, and then I hear a sound louder than thunder.
    Boom!
And that’s all I can remember.

6.
then
    There was blood on the floor, blood on my coat, blood on my hands, and smoke in the air. Mama had fired the shotgun, and a smoking hole gapes in the wall above our heads. Feen told me later Mama thought I was dead. When I can finally hear something, Toby is on his knees, begging Mama not to put him out. He say we all just misunderstanding him.