Lashing

By Ruth Pettite

"Lashing", Ruth's 10th book, is a short story on how the cycle of abuse can end. However, do not judge a book by its cover. Ruth has brought reality to the pages of literature, bringing out the thoughts that many people would call hush hush. See how Reagan handles his sister Ret and her confusing ways to end the world they once lived in.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ruth Pettite
• Release date: Feb 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466126534

Ruth Pettite

Ruth has been writing for over 15 years. Her works have been featured on Lulu Poetry and on Blogspot. As an author, Ruth went through rigorous events that pushed further into the art, including many years of thinking she would never make it. Her first short story collection, "Random Thoughts," has been collaborated over the past year. Selling on www.wordclay.com, Ruth has put together several humorous and sad stories Starting off with a few short words and a dare, Ruth developed the knack for putting together short stories with memorable characters, real life situations, and work that will make you smile when you are done. Ruth lives in Nevada, where she has obtained her degree in Business Management. With her domestic partner and five boys, Ruth makes sure to find the time to keep the pen rolling and the pages turning.

Book preview

Lashing

Written and Copyright by Ruth Pettite 2012

A Smashwords Publication

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Prologue

The fritters sizzled in the pan while Mama scolded her twins. The babies looked at her, listening less than they were smelling the corn frying on the wood burning stove. She ranted on about how they never finished their chores. Both the twins looked on her in silence, ignoring the fact that she was even talking.

Mama turned to pull the fritters from the hot melted lard. Salvaging what she could from the burnt cornmeal, she placed them on plates and told the twins to sit down and eat. She turned back to her burning oil, placing the cover over the fire to help warm the kitchen but keep it from burning to the ground.

She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and simultaneously pushed the hair from her face. The bun on the back of her head had come loose in the days chores, her skirt wrinkled from the floors that she had washed that morning.

The twins ate in silence. Sitting next to the other, they didn't even utter a word much less look at each other. They took small bites of the fritters, sipped on their milk, and slowly chewed every morsel that they took in. One boy, one girl, both set at the table in fear of what may happen should they bring out the worst in their mother.

Papa had been gone for weeks, trying his hand at rustling cattle. Though an old tradition for the late twentieth century, the children still did as they were told in the dusty old cabin. They attended school on a regular basis, did their chores when the sun came up and went down, and minded their manners in every aspect of their lives.

Loretta, the older of the two twins, looked after her brother. They were the same age, but Loretta felt the overcoming sense of being the eldest. Her brother, Reagan, looked up to her as an older sibling rather than equal to her. Neither of the two understood why their parents lived in such old school ways. They had only accepted it because it was the only way of life they knew. Doctor visits were costly, produce was grown right there on the farm, and meat was hung to dry in the summer sun. With the convenience of electricity to light the house, the children were able to finish their homework in the later parts of the evening rather than right after school.

The day that Papa had decided it was time for them to have a telephone in the house, Mama had thrown a fit and even threatened divorce. She had the ability to have an electric washer and dryer, but lacked the notion to get either of the two appliances. She always told the kids that clothes only came clean with a good scrubbing. More often than not, the kids would sneak laundry to the Laundromat in town and use their allowance just to have softer clothes.

Mama would always find out though. She would make them find a switch. One day, Loretta decided it was time to get rid of the switches. She waited until Mama had went into town and cut down every thorn bush on the property. By the time mama had gotten home, Loretta had the entire backyard in a fiery inferno that almost took the house. Loretta felt the lashings of a belt for a month after that stunt.

Reagan always hid in a corner when Loretta was beaten. No matter what had happened, Loretta took the fall for it. She saved her allowance for months to buy a shirt she had seen on sale at the department store in town. When she bought it, Mama not only beat her with the kerosene soaked, but torched it in the backyard where Loretta had started the thorny fire. Reagan watched in horror from the loft bedroom as his sister was forced to stand at the edge of the fire and watch her well saved money go up in flames.