The Screaming Lady, A JEZ Ghost Negotiator Mystery

Chapter Eleven: BETSIE

She looked out the window and the rain was still coming down in buckets. She thought, well, daddy will not let us play outside in the rain, let's go see what brother is doing? As she stepped out of her bedroom door, she heard her brother say, "wait! Come back, come here!" She started running down the hallway toward his bedroom door. When she reached the door, she saw that her brother was standing in the corner of his room, looking up at the draperies that were open on each side of his window; hanging on one side of the draperies was a small squirrel.

Betsie squealed with delight and ran into the room.

Gerald said, "shhhhhhhhhh! Mommy and Daddy will hear, they will be mad if they see it!"

Betsie said, "you are the one screaming at it!? I could hear you from my room."

Gerald just looked at her, and said, "what are you doing in here anyway?"

"I am bored, but not anymore." She smiled, looking at the small squirrel. "When you catch it, can I have it? It can live in my dollhouse, I have some doll clothes, that I know will fit it." She was jumping up and down and dancing back and forth.

"NO!" Gerald said, "I plan on making it my pet, I have seen those kids downtown with their pet squirrel's sitting on their shoulders, eating peanuts and stuff. I am going to make this one do the same type of tricks."

Betsie, starting sulking, "you know momma will not let you do that, she always says that they are "vile" creatures whenever we see those kids downtown."

"She doesn't have to know; you better not say anything!" Gerald said, and at that, the squirrel jumped from the drapery to the bed and out the door, with the two children in chase.

The children were running up and down the hallway, screaming, giggling, yelling and caring on, on the second floor of the Mansion, which caught the attention of their father and mother who were in the dining room eating breakfast.

Gerald and Betsie's father turned to his wife and said, "Mother, would you please separate the children today, this rain has driven them to agitate my last surviving nerve. I do not think I could survive another day of it."

"Yes dear," she said, "I needed to go downtown for some items, I will take Betsie with me." She smiled, "That leaves Gerald with you, will that be ok?"

He chuckled from deep in his chest, "yes, me and the boy will be just fine."

A young lady came in to clear the table and Betsie's mother turned and thanked her and asked her to prepare Betsie to go to town, they would be leaving within the hour. The maidservant nodded and exited the room.

Within a short time, the two were in a carriage heading to town.

When Betsie and her Mother exited the carriage, the rain was still steady, the young man, that sat forward of the carriage, opened the door and helped them out. Betsie had dressed in a long skirt she knew would weather the rain, with boots that would do the same. As she and her mother walked down the street, she held her mothers' hand, every time she got a chance she would stretch out as far as she could and splash in the puddle on the edge of the walking planks. Her mother would give her a stern look but did not forbid her to do it. Mother knew how much she loved to splash in the puddles.

When they reached North Main Street she saw the Drug Store across the street, she began jumping up and down, hoping that her mother would go across to let her get some hard candy. She begged and begged, and finally her mother gave her two coins, she did not know how much it was, but she knew it was enough to get some candy, she was glad Gerald was not here because she hated to have to share with him.

Her mother told her to be careful when crossing the road, and to watch for buggies and horses. So, she looked both ways, because it was such a rainy day there was not much if anyone on Main Street, she pulled away from her mother and ran across the street toward the Drug Store. The puddles in the road were divine. The rain was hitting her face, her hat had folded back and her hair was wet and slapping against her shoulders. Betsie was thinking, good thing it is warm, or I would be really wet and cold right now, but as it is, I can jump in all the puddles.

When she got into the Drug Store, she was sopping wet and dripping on the floor. The storekeeper looked at her, if she was anyone else probably would have told them to get out, but because she was Betsie Blanchard, he smiled and said, "you look like a wet dog, let me get you a towel young lady."

Once she was dried off, she produced the two coins and began filling her bag full of candy. Knowing her mother would limit her intake once she crossed back to the other side of the street, she shoved a handful of candy into her mouth, smiled a candy-filled grin at the Store Keeper, then took off out the door, with a paper sack crunched up in one hand.

When she stepped out into the road, she had forgotten all about what her mother had told her about looking for carriages and horses. She saw her mother across the way, the rain had started to come down harder, so she decided she better run fast. She began running as fast as she could, her mother was saying something to her, but she could not hear her, her face looked funny, what was she saying? Look, look at all the wonderful puddles, there is a big puddle there, and JUMP!

The water was red and filling her mouth, she was trying to hold her breath, but she was being slammed against hard surfaces, whenever she hit something it knocked the air out of her and she had to struggle to breathe in again. Each time she would try to breathe in, she felt the water come in her lungs, then she would start coughing. She was trying desperately to catch a moment to scream, but she could not even breathe, how could she scream, every time she opened her mouth water rushed in. Then she blacked out.

When she awoke it was dark, so dark she could not even see the fingers in front of her face. She could see nothing, she couldn't hear anything, only her heart beating in her ears. At this point, she began screaming. She was laying on her side and she was curled up; she could not stand up or stretch out. She did not know where she was, all she knew was that she wanted her mommy. She began to cry.

In a short time, she realized that everything around her was dirt; so she scratched at the dirt until her fingertips hurt. The dirt was falling in her face and her mouth and eyes. She coughed, her throat and chest hurt, she was wet, and could feel the mud crusted on her skin and clothing.

The area she was in was very cramped she tried to move around to adjust her position, but there was not enough room, her hip had gone to sleep, her shoulder was aching and she wanted to go home.

Eventually, it began to be difficult to breathe, her chest began to hurt and burn, and she was getting really tired. She missed her mommy, her daddy, even her brother. She wondered where her bag of candy went. Betsie then closed her eyes and went to sleep, in the dark, forever.