The Screaming Lady, A JEZ Ghost Negotiator Mystery

Chapter Thirteen: MOTHER

Mother arose from the breakfast table, excited to be getting out of the house. It had been five days and rain had kept them all cooped up in the house, it is going to be nice to get some fresh air, even if it was rainy and humid. She prepared herself, collected her umbrella and weather boots and met her daughter, Betsie, at the front door.

The children were not awful children, just high spirited and when you add being cooped up for five days not being able to go outside, well that just makes for disaster. She thought to herself, poor dears, it is no wonder they have been able to stay sane themselves.

Her children were twins and had just turned four a few months previous. Betsie was a sweet child, but looked up to and admired her brother, that got her into mischief more often than not. She was constantly asking why she had to wear dresses while Gerald got to wear comfortable pants and a shirt. Mother had conceded on one point, she allowed Betsie to wear boots like Gerald, this seemed to appease her a bit, and under her skirts you could not really see the shoes at all, so not too much was said about it in the social circles.

She adored both her children, but her daughter had a special place in her heart. She was the second born, almost twenty minutes after Gerald made his strong screaming entrance into the world. Betsie, came in to the world, with much struggle and effort and when she finally did come out, she was blue and grey and only made the slightest peep, to let us know she was alive.

Gerald was a healthy six pounds, eight ounces but Betsie only weighed in at four pounds, one ounce. She struggled as a child and the wet nurse continually had an issue with her feeding. So, now, at four years old, Gerald is a significantly larger child than Betsie, you would not know or assume they were the same age, or from the same stock. Though, Betsie had the heart of a stallion; she knew no fear and stayed right on the heels of her brother, much to his chagrin.

Mother tried very hard not to "baby" Betsie, because she knew, for her own good, Betsie had to learn to get out and fly on her own. She had to gain her own strength, find her own way, no matter how slight of stature she was. So, Mother often gave Betsie free reign to do things that other parents may frown on. But this was Mothers way, this was how her parents raised her as a strong woman of substance, and this was how she was going to raise her daughter.

Mother and Betsie exited the carriage on Main Street, to a torrent of rain and mud. Betsie was thrilled. As they walked down the covered porch way in front of the shops, Betsie kept pulling at her hand and arm to pull out from under the cover and splash in the mud puddles. Mother noticed that she had put her boots on, and smiled; but when Betsie looked at her, she put a mock scorn on her face, as any good parent should do.

At the point they reached North Main and the Drug Store came into view, she already knew what to expect. Betsie began jumping up and down. So, she let it go on for a minute, and handed her two coins, gave her the "be careful" speech, and let her run across. The rain had kept most people in, so there was not any traffic on Main Street today, most everyone was on foot, she did not see any harm.

Once a few minutes passed, she turned to look and saw her beautiful daughter. This would be the last time that she would ever see her, but she did not know that at the time. Her daughter was running toward her. Mother saw the hole, the running water, and her daughter running toward it. She screamed for her to stop. She ran forward, into the rain. No, No, NO, she must stop, she has to stop. My sweet little girl; my little girl with so much promise, my little girl that has made it through so much adversity and lived when all was stacked against her. Powerless to do anything. Mother watched as Betsie ran toward her, then in an instant she was gone. All that was left was red running water and the large dark hole.

Screaming, Screaming. That is all Mother can remember. She woke up in her room, she was groggy, she must have been drugged. Her husband was standing by her bed. He looked like he was standing in a fog. She heard a female voice say, she is awake, her husband came and sat by her on the bed, he took her hand, she started to open her mouth to ask about Betsie, he hushed her. He held her hand, then he said the only words that Mother could NOT hear, "She's Gone." Mother shook her head violently, opened her mouth, she wanted to ask where her sweet little girl was, she wanted to ask to see her, she wanted to ask so many things, but all she could do was SCREAM; every time she opened her mouth, a SCREAM.

Mother wanted to tell them about the red water, about the dark hole. She wanted to tell them that Betsie was running toward her, then she disappeared. Betsie is there, she is there with the red water, in the dark hole. She must tell them, they must understand. She would open her mouth, SCREAM. She must make them understand, it cannot be too late, SCREAM. My poor little girl, my life, my heart, my sweet Betsie, SCREAM.

Two weeks later, due to her incessant screaming, Mother was moved to an institution. The doctor said that she had gone mad. That her mind could not handle the fact that Betsie had perished right in front of her.

In Mother's dreams she was in a dark place, she felt water, she felt dirt fall in her face, her mouth, her eyes. She was cold, she was wet, she shivered. She cried. She yelled for help. In Mother's dreams, she laid on her side, she was curled up with her legs pulled up to her chest, she could not stand up, she could not stretch her legs out, or her arms. In her dreams she could not breathe. Mother could only scream until she screamed no more.