The Keeper
Copyright© 2021 by Charly Young
Chapter 28
Interlude
Everybody in the congregation of the Christian Church of Truth said that the pastor’s daughter, Charity, was the best-behaved little girl to come along in a while. They all said as much so when they patted her head and added a “bless her heart.” They also knew that her mother was a whore, a godless witch who left a good and godly man, no doubt chasing after some sweet-talking fancy man, three months after giving birth to Charity.
Her daddy and her Aunt Sophia raised her to be a good girl—but because she had the taint of her mamma’s blood as her aunt reminded her over and over, it was necessary that her loving aunt keep a constant watch for the evil that was surely deep in her nature. Any backsliding on her part was met with a belt beating.
Swift and severe punishment was the road to redemption.
When her daddy and auntie died in a car wreck, Charity didn’t miss them much, but she was lonesome — real lonesome until the day she found Dolly in one of her adventures in the attic of the group home where they sent her to live.
She finally had a friend. She spent hours talking to Dolly and listening as well, of course, because Dolly had many interesting secrets to tell.
When she was nine years old, a boy snatched Dolly from her and he wouldn’t give it back. He just kept laughing at her and jumping away every time she grabbed for it.
“Awww, are you going to cry big baby,” he taunted, as he swung the doll over his head by the hair.
“Stop it! Give her back! You’re gonna hurt her!” she cried out at him, lunging again to get her doll back.
Finally, she managed to get a grip on the dolly’s legs. The boy pulled back. Between the two of them, Dolly’s neck could not take the stress and snapped. The little girl fell backwards into the dirt, holding the headless doll in her hands.
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