Redemption Song

By Kenneth Ward

Redemption Song is the story of the Souths most evil, murderous Antebellum slave owner, who after a series of events, changes his ways, frees his slaves, and becomes the most generous, benevolent man in the South.

J.R. (John Reynolds, Little Johnny, Floyd Donovan)

Slaves: Jesse, Maggie, Josiah, Sarah, (Jesse and Maggies children). Luke
Ol Josh

Beatrice: J.R.s wife

Time Travel: Modern Times: year 1830s to 2008
Floyd Donovan: J.R.
Dr. James Freeman: (DJF) Wess Brother Wes Freeman: Administrator Maggie: Custodian
Jason, Becky, Don, Chris, Eric.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 28, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483602837

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by Kenneth Ward.

ISBN:          Softcover                                 978-1-4836-0282-0

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4836-0283-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 02/28/2013

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

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Contents

SYNOPSIS

CHAPTER I

CHAPTER II

CHAPTER III

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER V

CHAPTER VI

CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VIII

CHAPTER IX

CHAPTER X

CHAPTER XI

CHAPTER XII

SYNOPSIS

Redemption Song is the story of the South’s most evil, murderous Antebellum slave owner, who after a series of events, changes his ways, frees his slaves, and becomes the most generous, benevolent man in the South.

J.R. (John Reynolds, Little Johnny, Floyd Donovan)

Slaves: Jesse, Maggie, Josiah, Sarah, (Jesse and Maggie’s children).

Luke

Ol’ Josh

Beatrice: J.R.’s wife

Time Travel: Modern Times: year 1830’s to 2008

Floyd Donovan: J.R.

Dr. James Freeman: (DJF) Wes’s Brother

Wes Freeman: Administrator

Maggie: Custodian

Jason, Becky, Don, Chris, Eric.

CHAPTER I

Year 1833

Jesse is working on the edge of the plantation and Beatrice (JR’s wife) is walking off the edge of the plantation and a snake appears. She is petrified of snakes. The snake is poised to strike. Jesse appears out of nowhere and says calmly, Don’t move. In a fraction of a second, the head of the snake is off with a quick swipe of a sling blade, so fast there was no time for the snake to bleed. Beatrice thanks Jesse, thank God you are so handy with a sling blade. Jesse, (with a quick glance) says, yes’m.

Year 1803

Little Johnny (J.R.) is with his mother. He is ten years old and it is night time. The mother is holding Little Johnny in her arms, rocking him. He is looking at his mother’s beautiful blue eyes. They hear a loud commotion downstairs. The slaves are armed with knives and machetes. Little Johnny’s father’s worst fear has happened; a slave rebellion. The father runs to the wall that has a rifle resting in brackets hanging over the fireplace. Before he can reach it a slave swings his machete and cuts off his arm. He falls to the floor screaming in agony. Two slaves quickly run over and hacks him to pieces. The child Rebecca starts screaming. A slave slowly walks over to her and calmly runs her through many times with a long knife. The mother tells her son to hide in the closet. Little Johnny cries Momma, don’t leave me. But she knows the only chance for her son to survive is if she sacrifices herself. As she runs downstairs one of the slaves meets her halfway and hacks her to pieces also. One of the female slaves, Hattie is upstairs in the next bedroom and hears Little Johnny whimpering in the closet. She opened the door and kisses the boy full on his lips and buried his face in her breast and whispers don’t worry Little Johnny; I’m not gonna let nobody hurt you. Hattie reaches down and grabs the hunting rifle that she knows the master keeps in the closet for protection. Just stay quiet, everything’s gonna be alright. She takes the hunting rifle, blows out the lamps and candles so the room is completely dark. She stands in front of the door and waits for the first slave to open the door. The door slowly opens. The male slave stands in front of the door with the machete poised to strike. Hattie sees his silhouette but the slave can’t see her. She puts the gun to the slave’s face and pulls the trigger. The slave’s head explodes. Another slave runs upstairs thinking that Little Johnny is dead. Hattie takes the large knife from the headless slave lying on the floor. The slave opens the door and Hattie plunges the knife through his throat. The knife goes clean through to the back of his neck.

Hattie goes back to the closet, buries the boy’s crying face in her ample breast and tells the boy again, Johnny you have to stay quiet. The boy stops crying. They wait in the closet for