House of Darkness House of Light Read Free

in line with a piece of paper certain to solicit praise from her mother. Andrea was at the head of the line. As the eldest, an expectation of deference came with the territory; a claim staked. Nancy stepped forward, followed by Christine; Cynthia presumed to be the last. April was the baby, still at home, watching as her sisters begged for the same type of attention she received all day, every day. With a usual thoughtful and kind consideration of each child, Carolyn perused their grades, acknowledging her girls for any efforts made. Education had become a friendly competition in the family, due primarily to a positive emphasis placed upon it. As Carolyn was well aware, the children worked diligently merely to please their parents. In those days there was no such thing as an allowance, at least not in their household. Encouragement and approval meant everything; their greatest reward. The rest of the payoff would have to wait until later in the evening when their father arrived home. His acknowledgements were always more subdued and understated, always a critical mention of room for improvement, though meaningful nonetheless.
    As years passed, a young mother noticed summer vacation becoming a less daunting task as her eldest daughter assumed more responsibility, though it remained a fulltime job. The planning of activities became less of a necessity as the girls grew and began to effectively amuse themselves. A mother could relax and enjoy her children. Less a caretaker and more a playmate, she took great pleasure in the company. Within a few days, a good start to the season, what began as a perfectly fine summer holiday was transformed into a mean season of high anxiety and immeasurable pain.
     
    Roger and Carolyn Perron purchased their house in the suburbs in 1964. It was an adequate, modest “Cape Cod” style house with a generous back yard. They had made the deliberate choice based on the quality of the schools their children would attend. Cumberland, Rhode Island held promise as a peaceful and quiet community in which to raise a family. During the summer of 1970 the changing society around them began encroaching, imposing itself upon their idyllic existence. As a result, a childhood innocence was lost, a sense of security was sadly forsaken and everything was about to change.
    Within their first few days of school vacation a traumatic loss struck the whole family. A year or so earlier the children had been gifted with a puppy. She was the sweetest, most magnificent creature they had ever known, a rare and exceptional specimen of canine. Her breed was African Basenji. Carolyn was as delighted by her arrival and told her children that such an unusual dog deserved an equally unusual name. After a thoughtful moment she suggested a unique one, apparently coming from the ether. Though it was an unfamiliar name they all liked the sound of it and it stuck: Bathsheba.
    The eldest child, Andrea had fallen so in love with the creature, she hardly went anywhere without her. Though the dog had been intended as a gift for all, Andrea felt a special bond with their pet. One afternoon Andrea asked her mom if she could take Bathsheba for a walk. Only ten years old at the time, Andrea had already displayed maturity beyond her years. Carolyn had no qualms about the request. Sisters suddenly popped out of nowhere and the walk became a group activity. Andrea held onto the leash as her siblings followed. They traveled up Mohawk Street to Diamond Hill Road. Without warning, a car loaded with teenagers drove by at approximately the speed of light. The crew must have been cheerleaders because they were shouting out something in unison while shaking brightly-colored tassels from their open windows. Bathsheba was an obedient dog but the tassels caught her eye and, in an instant, she bolted across the road to chase after the car. Andrea began screaming out loud in panic, calling the dog back; a tragic mistake. Standing safely on the sidewalk at