“Demons” by Rosemary Griggs
from “Friday’s Slaying”
I turned the corner and there they were, Tracy and her pretty white teeth and her friends, laughing at my inadequacy. Her sister was laughing at me. The one with the white eyebrows who works every angle to make sure she belongs was pointing and laughing at me. She was pointing at my heart.
I wanted to take a rock and smash it against Tracy’s teeth and make her bleed. And bang her head on the ground and punch her eye sockets and spit in her mouth and elbow her ribs and stand over her and kick her and kick her while she writhes on the ground and say in a speaking voice Isn’t this funny. Don’t you think this is funny. And I thought about how the Good Book says it’s just as much of a sin to think about committing a sin as it is to actually commit it. And my body lunged for her.
Tracy’s friends just stood there stunned by the beating. I was pounding her into the ground, further and further into the ground. The Pastor ran up and yanked me by the neck and slapped me across the face and called me a wench and Tracy’s friends huddled around her on the ground stroking her hair, eyeing me with repulsion.
The Pastor dragged me to the house and locked me in a little room and said This is all your fault! You’re filled with the Devil! and he was right. I threw myself on the floor and screamed and pulled my hair no words could come no thoughts could come just hatred and disgust.
I spotted the beautiful, dainty clock on the wall and I grabbed it and smashed it against the floor. I kneeled down and pressed a wooden shard to my lips and sobbed.
Copyright © 2009, Rosemary Griggs.
