Read Billy for Free Online

tells ya, girl," Billy shouts, then runs into the bushes and away from the screams that come.
    "Lori , Lori, oh God, Lori. Lori. Lori," Jenny scream s and
    30 I Albert f'rm1ch

    cnes. her eyes ca nnot t urn or bli n k from the blood she sees.
    Lori is falling, her legs wobble, she falls to the ground and moans, slowly t urns herself over, and lays gasping.
    Jenny comes to her side, kneels, and looks into Lori's trem bl ing face. "Lori, Lori, God, Lori, Lori." Now Jen ny jerks her self u p, turns, and ru ns from the pond, u p through the bushes, through the tall grass, past the fat oak tree, up the bill and into the fields, screaming, "Lori's hurt, she's blecdin . Lori, Lori. Aunt Ginger, A unt Ginger. Help, help, David, Da vid, Aunt Ginger."

    Ginger Pasko is annoyed by the dogs barking, she moves away from the cooking stove and looks out the window. She wipes her hands on her apron and sighs, thi nking it is too early for her h usband lo be comi ng home. She peers through the window, then walks to the screen door and looks down the red dirt road that leads to the house. She shrugs and starts to yell at the barking dogs.
    David and Kevi n Pasko are in the yard behind the barn. David bas also heard t he dogs barki ng and comes to the fence, peeks over, then yells, "Shu t up. Shut that barki n up." The dogs whine, then bark agai n.
    Ginger Pasko begins to tu rn Lack to the cooking stove, then hears screams and runs out onto t he porch. J enny is ru nning and screaming across the fields. Ginger Pasko yells for her son, "David, David."'
    The howls and barks of the Pasko dogs pierce into the hot sticky air. They pull at their ropes and chains.
    "Come on, Kevin." David ye ll s, jumps over the fence, and
    breaks into a run across the barnyard and then into the fields. "Jenny, Jenny, what's wrong'?" h e yells.
    B I L L }' I 31

    Jenny's run slows to a stagger, she begins to stumble and fall, then gets back up again, running and screaming, "Lori, Lori, Lori's bleedin, Lori's hurt, she's bleedin."
    Ginger Pasko can see Jenny stumbling and waving her hands in the far field. She snatches her apron off, runs off the porch, and starts running across the field, yelling, "Jenny, where's Lori? What happened? Where's Lori, where's Lori?" David has reached Jenny, takes her into his hands, holds her gently and asks, "What's wrong? What happen, Jenny? Where's Lori at?" Jenny jerks her head over her shoulder, tears fling from her eyes, she screams, "She bleedin, she's bleedin down the by pond, she's hurt, David, she's hurt bad.
    That nigger stuck her with somin."
    David runs for the pond, his heart pounds across the field, down the hill, past the fat oak, into the high grass, and down through the bushes. He is yelling, "Lori, where are you? Lori, Lori." He sees her lying on the other side of the pond and runs around the muddy bank, then dives to his knees as he reaches her side. He looks at her face, touches it, then looks at the blood soaking her shirt and flowing through her hands. "Oh my God," he gasps. He reaches for her hand and gently pulls it from her chest. When he touches her he can feel her tremble and shake. He hears her moaning, "Momm y, Mommy . . . " He whispers to her, "It's David, I'm here, Lori. Just lay still." H e moves her hand, opens her shirt, and pulls it awa y from h er skin. Blood i s squirting from the hole beneath her breast. H e reaches for his handkerchief, then gently begins to pat at th e wound, but the blood still comes. He gently lifts her into hi s arms, but carries her as fast as he can and whispers down into her ear, "I got ya, Lori, I got ya, you be all right. We ' ll be home soon, Mama can fix it, don't cry, Lori, Mama ca n mak e it better."
    32 I Albert French

    Kevin has neared and is shouting, asking what happen, will Lori be all right, but David only says, "Kevin, do as I say, go get the truck, go into town, get Doc Grey. Tell him Lori's knife-stabbed, then find Daddy, tell him some nigger knifed Lori. Go,