If you see the new sickle moon clear, you will see no trouble while that moon lasts.
I crawled acrost the floor below the bench and pushed the sack ahead of me. When I got to the end of the row, I wedged myself into the tiny space between the bench and the wall and pulled my sack into my lap.
I were pantin like one of our huntin dogs. I pushed my face into the sack and forced myself to close my mouth and breathe slow and quiet.
Step, thump, step, thump, step, thump.
I squeezed my eyes closed.
Tuck-tuck, tuck-tuck, tuck-tuck. Here I were near dyin of fear and the old clock kept on steady.
Tuck-tuck.
Now I knowed how a rabbit felt. Should I break and run? But how could I run in these shoes?
Step, thump, step, thump.
Tuck-tuck, tuck-tuck.
I opened my eyes and looked acrost the benches and out to the tree brushin its big leaf hands against the glass.
“Who’s here?” a man’s voice boomed.
I couldn’t answer. Wouldn’t answer.
Zenobia’s face come into my head. Her eyes was open so wide I could see clear to her soul. She were standin in the cellar at my pa’s house and gettin ready to climb the ladder and run for it.
“Deer shot when it runs,” I’d said to her. But now it were her voice warnin me not to run.
“This is yer last chance. Stand up and show yerself or I’ll use the whip.”
He waited.
Could he hear my heart a-beatin?
“Show yerself!”
Swoosh. Crack.
Even with my eyes shut I could see that whip slicin through the air.
Did he think that would make me want to show myself?
He walked along the far side of the meetinhouse, tappin at the tops of the benches.
The steps and tappin come louder.
“Where are you?” the man asked. “Where are you?” His voice singsong, wheedlin, like the one my pa and brothers used when they wanted somethin.
“Y’all come on out now. I won’t hurt you.”
I knew them words and didn’t trust them a mite more than I trusted them from my pa’s mouth.
The dark settled over me and everythin stopped. It were like the old meetinhouse held its breath, waitin to see what would happen next.
Footsteps again, then tap, tap, tap. Wood against wood.
I pulled into myself and tried to be smaller. I wanted to melt into the wall. Disappear.
His heavy footsteps and tappin let me know where he walked.
Now down the side aisle by the big window. Turn. Now along the benches facin each other below the clock. Turn. Now acrost another aisle. Turn. Now up toward me.
I could hear his breathin as he come closer and felt my breath movin in and out, keepin time with his.
Tap, tap, tap.
I almost jumped when I felt-heard him tap on the top of my bench.
Then he turned again. Now the heavy steps moved down the aisle toward where he come in.
The night crowded against the window, the leaves lost in darkness but scratchin loud against the glass.
The man turned, run up to the window, and lifted the sash.
“Dang! She climbed out afore I come in.”
He pulled down the window.
Quick footsteps, then the familiar sound of the door arguin against its openin. Then the creak as the door dragged acrost the threshold.
The door slammed closed.
I didn’t move.
Tuck-tuck, tuck-tuck.
The leaf hands scratched gently against the window.
The meetinhouse settled back into its old peace, and I could smell the sweet of the flowers again.
I let out my breath and whispered, “Thank you, Mama and Grandpa, thank you, Brightwell, Zenobia, Auntie. Thank you for bein here with me.”
My body ached, but I stayed put for a long, long time. My knees felt like they wouldn’t never go straight again. Finally, after waitin and listenin, I knew it were safe to move.
I grabbed the smooth, curled end of the bench, braced myself against the wall, and pushed myself up.
My feet, gripin against the pain of the shoes, barely held me.
I picked up the travelin sack and limped to the back door of the meetinhouse. When I pulled the door open and walked outside, the night sounds stopped. The thin sickle of new moon shone through the twisted branches of an oak. I let out my breath. Good luck for me while the moon lasts.
Dark. Quiet. I stood still and let the peace come into me. Then I smelt it. The thick sourness of sweat and the bitterness of whiskey. I knowed that smell.