Blue Thunder Read Free

vase. “How long before we can dine, Effie?”
inquired her mother.
    “As soon as Ah peel de potatoes, an’ cooks
‘em, suppa will be served.” The cook waddled her large frame over
to Melissa, saying, “Chil’ be a lamb an’ go to de cellar fo’ Effie.
Yo’ knows dat spooky place gives me de hebee jeebees.” She placed
her dark hand over her ample breasts, dramatically. “De last time,
somethin’ run over mah feet, mah ol’ black face
    turned white. Po’ me frighten out o’ mah
wits. Ah do mah best not t’ faint, but Ah didn’t stay t’ see what
dat waz.”
    Her mother laughed at the serious frown on
the servant’s face and her foolishness. Melissa suspected it was
only a small field mouse, but she agreed to go down into the
devil’s hole, as Effie called it.
     
     
    7
     
    THREE
     
    Jacob spotted the Union soldiers riding over
the hill. He blinked for a moment, not believing his small eyes.
His heart leaped into his throat as he dropped the hoe and ran as
if the devil were after him. By the time he reached the main house,
his hands burned and bled from the falls. He was breathless. The
back door slammed after he ran into his grandma’s large frame.
    “Land sakes, honey chil’. Jacob, what’s de
mattah?” she asked. “Sumpin’ gotten into yo’?”
    It was a statement and question and Jacob
swallowed, gasping for breath. “M-men… comin’!”
    Something was wrong; her old bones never
lied. Bending to his level, Effie placed a loving hand on her
grandson’s trembling shoulders. “Now calm yo’self and tell ol’
granny whut put yo’ tail in a spin?”
    His eyes bulged with fear. “Men in blue
uniforms are comin’ over de hill, yellin’ t’ scar’t Satan
himself!”
    “Oh Lawdy!” Effie blessed herself and ran
from the room telling her grandson to warn the others in the field
to run and hide, if they hadn’t already. She screamed, “Massa,
Massa, hurry! Thea’ soldiers a comin’!” Her heart was beating
wildly, sweat dripped from her brow.
    Darrell heard the commotion before the
servant charged into the study. He had been lighting his pipe by
the window when he first saw riders coming down the hill. As the
cook flew into the room, he went running past her with his rifle in
hand.
    “Why all the screaming? What’s happening?”
His wife cried as she ran down the stairs. She clutched her throat
appearing frightened by his urgency and sporting his weapon. When
he didn’t answer, she followed as he ran to the front door.
    “Where are the girls?” he asked. Cocking his
rifle he heard the panic in his own voice.
    Mary‘s face paled as she cried, “I don’t
know.” She shook her head trying to recall.
    8
    “Daphne, I think is still in the barn. Oh
God! We don’t have time to get her,” she groaned.
    Darrell saw fear darkened her brown eyes. “I
hope she has enough sense to hide herself,” he said. He’d protect
his loved ones with his life and he prayed it wouldn’t come to
that. “Where’s Melissa?”
    The cook, now caught up in the conversation
cried, “She’s in de devil’s pit.”
    “Oh, I had forgotten our daughter was in the
cellar.”
    He grabbed his wife’s trembling hands. “You
two get yourself down to that root cellar and lock the door behind
you!” he ordered them seeing fear etched on their face.
    As he heard horses nearing, he readied
himself to fight for his family and he raised the rifle, preparing
for the worst. What was going to happen to his family and what were
those soldiers doing so far south? Since the war started, he and
his wife prayed they wouldn’t be caught up in it.
    A moment of indecision passed as Mary
clutched her stomach, her body quaking. She
    held onto her servant for support, but the
cook was shaking more than she was. “God, help us,” she prayed, and
Effie said amen.
    “Go!” Darrell shouted over his shoulder.
    Mary ran to the cellar door, taking the big
brass key from the lock. “Get down there with her,” she