Chapter 4
Stu and his buddies ran through the darkness as if they had sprouted a dozen legs. The boys felt a wild excitement combined with a certain amount of fear as they heard Sam Jansen's dog howling behind them. The barking dog meant that Marie's husband had followed them with a double-barrel shotgun . . . loaded with buckshot!
Fortunately, the old man hadn't seen them and didn't know who was trying to break into his house. Stu was doubly thankful for that because as he sprinted along he suddenly caught his toe in the root of a tree and crashed down on his face, the other boys tumbling on top of him. The impact of their bodies momentarily knocked the breath out of him. Gasping, he struggled to get to his knees, shoving his buddies aside like twigs. "Come on, we gotta hurry!" he hissed, leading the way, hearing the old hound of Sam's drawing closer behind them.
They'd be in one hell of a lot of trouble if the old man caught them. Stu knew he wouldn't hesitate to fill their behinds with a load of buckshot, and that was one thing he sure didn't want to happen. And he also knew it would be hard to outsmart that hound dog of his. They kept running, trying to get as far away from the house as possible. Suddenly, a roar tore through the trees that resounded through the stillness of the night like a blast of an atomic bomb. That was Sam's shotgun! He wasn't close enough to see them, but he was sending out a warning for the three men who worked for him to come help. Stu knew that they lived on the third floor of the boarding house, and it wouldn't be long before they would join Jansen in the hunt. He had to think of something, quick! But what?
Grabbing a tree by a limb, he stopped in mid-stride, and gasping for breath, he tried to think of a trick that would save them. All the boys slowed down when they saw their leader unmoving and huddled around him.
"What is it, Stu?"
"What we gonna do?"
"I don't know, but we gotta do it quick," Stu wheezed loudly taking breath into his tortured lungs. Suddenly he saw a black and white animal sneaking across the clearing near the tree where he stood, and he knew what he was going to do. The small animal apparently spotted them at that moment, for it stopped, playing dead to keep from being seen.
"Easy boys . . . it's a skunk! Don't scare him, but when you get past him, run like hell. I'll follow," Stu whispered as the boys slowly tiptoed toward the bushes. He calmly took off his blue chambray shirt, just like all the men wore in the fields and held it ready. When he heard the old hound dog getting closer, he lifted his arm and waited.
Stu made sure the other boys were out of sight, and when the hound was only fifty feet away from him, he ran. Passing as close to the skunk as he dared, he tossed his shirt and took off, leaving his scent behind for the dog.
The old hound came bounding up to the clearing where the boys had been, running full-speed on the trail. He saw the skunk too late, and with a howl of wounded pride, he turned away from the exploding animal.
Sam was a powerful man, a good shot and was renowned for his planning ability. He came home with more venison than all the other hunters put together. So it was with a real feeling of confusion that he saw his dog heading J back toward him, his tail between his legs and I his head hanging down.
"Wha . . . what the hell . . . before he could finish the question, he knew the answer.
Whewww, he could smell why! "Aaaagggh," he gasped as the hound brushed against his pants leg. "You stupid goddamned dog! Get outa my sight. You oughta know better than to tangle with a fucking pole cat!"
He gave the poor whining hound a swift kick across the haunches and said, "Git! Git the hell away from me!"
Meanwhile, Stu was on the topmost branches of a tree nearby, looking at the stars while he laughed at the thought of the look that must be on old Jansen's face by now. The other boys were scattered around in the bushes, and when they heard Stu's laugh, they came running out and whispered, "Stu! We'd better get our asses home."
"Come on, Stu!"
"Yeah, I guess so. The fun's over anyway . . . for tonight!" And with that they hurried across the woods laughing at the cussing they could hear coming from old Sam as he berated his hound dog, exclaiming in no uncertain terms to the other men what he was going to do to the broken down bastard.
The following morning came, and not much different from any other day, the men ate healthy breakfasts and jokingly got into the trucks that would drive them to their fields. But Sam Jansen stood by his pickup truck, glowering at each of his workers as they climbed into the back. Someone had tried to break into his house and it could be one of them. The men kidded about his hound and held their noses as they roared with laughter.
Marie sat in the dining room, discussing the break-in with Ma Perry. "I tell you, Ma, It ain't safe for a body to be alone anymore. Must have been one of the itinerant farm workers up in the mountains. Why, we could have been killed in our beds."
The Sheriffs car came rolling off the highway in front of the boarding house. Two men got out and walked slowly toward the house; one was in uniform with a gun-holster on his hip, the other was confidently smiling, the look of political power on his face. The man with the Sheriff this morning was Judge Wagner. Not having much work at the courthouse, he usually rode around with the sheriff just to keep his eye on the town. A sly legal man, he was good at ferreting information out of people, something the law officer had trouble doing. Actually, everyone in the county knew the sheriff was only a flunky, for the judge was the man who ran the town.
Judge Wagner listened to Sam telling about the prowler, checked the splintered door and grinned, "I hear that you lost them because of your hound dog . . . and a skunk."
"You think I don't already know that," Sam bellowed. "Tell me something new."
Back at Jansen's pickup truck they were joined by Marie who stood by her husband and said indignantly, "Just what ya gonna do, Judge?"
Judge Monti Wagner tipped his hat, chewed on the big cigar sticking out of his mouth and said, "Well, I think the sheriff and I can find out who did it . . . after a cup of coffee, that is."
Monti Wagner watched her lushly ripened breasts quivering under her dress. Damn, it was obvious that she wasn't wearing a brassiere! A very smart man, he knew for sure that Marie had hot pants and wasn't always a faithful wife. As a matter-of-fact, he'd sampled a little of her warmly twitching pussy himself a couple of times. He also knew that Sam had been at the weekly poker game with him last night, making it just possible that another man had been in the bedroom with Marie when he came home unexpectedly. Maybe this man, if there was one, was just leaving the house when Sam saw him. Or maybe, it was a rejected suitor trying to break the door down, knowing Marie was alone! Now Judge Wagner knew how to handle this town, and when he allowed things like illegal gambling and moonshining to take place, it was just to keep the peace and quiet. That's just what he was going to do now, keep his mouth shut and keep the peace!
The only thing he planned to do was keep his eyes and ears open and find out all he needed to know. Sooner or later he'd know what happened here last night. Actually, Marie looked guilty as hell . . . and she sure was jumpy! He'd seen her quick intake of breath once when she glanced over her shoulder at something in the kitchen.
"Well?" Marie asked angrily, her hands on her sensually flaring hips.
"Well, after you give me a cup of coffee, Marie, I'll think about it," Judge Wagner scratched his head and turned to see what had shaken the woman. The only thing he could see was a white-faced young blonde girl who was standing at the front door staring apprehensively at them. She had a frightened look on her face, and she jerked back when she saw the man looking at her. Hmmm, Monti thought with more than judicial interest, wonder who that is!
"You get paid to act. . . not think and drink the taxpayers coffee!" Sam growled, getting into his truck and slamming the door.
"Stay away from pole cats, Sam. You can recognize them by their color black and white and their smell." Both the Sheriff and Judge Wagner were guffawing as Sam drove away. Then, still grinning, Monti turned and walked into the boarding house with Marie, leaving the sheriff with the patrol car.
There was a lot that needed to be explained about last night before he could do anything. He even thought he might get a chance to talk to the strange girl he'd seen at the door, but when he went into the boarding house, there was no sight of her.
The whole thing looked like an amateur job, as though whoever if was thought he might get to a woman! Why else would they break into a boarding house where there was always people, especially Ma Perry! No, it just didn't make sense, even then, the guy would have to be drunk or stupid! Maybe it was just a bunch of goddamned kids playing pranks.
Settling down in a chair at the dining room table, Judge Wagner accepted the cup of coffee Marie handed him with a slow, drawling, "Thank you!" Then still smiling as the dark-haired woman seated herself beside him, he added, "Who's the blonde, Marie?"
"Uh . . . I thought you already knew," Marie stammered. "She's our new school teacher."
"She looks worried about something," he said, his eyes narrowing as he saw the sudden startled look flash across Marie's face . . .
The judge was right about Sandy being in trouble and frightened. She had slept through all the excitement last night and had heard nothing of Sam Jansen's wild chase through the darkness. She didn't even hear Marie leave her room. Actually, after her last mind-blowing orgasm, the first thing she knew was the early morning dawn creeping into her bedroom.
It was then that she suddenly became wide awake as she remembered being in the shower, naked and with an older woman who was naked. The same woman she'd seen in the living room of the boarding house. And it was Ma Perry's daughter, Marie!
Maybe all that happened after that was just a dream!
A horrible dream! The confused young teacher sighed and started to get out of bed, but then she knew it was all too real! Her body ached all over, and she felt bruised . . . especially in the area of her vagina! She was so sore that it felt as though something had been shoved up inside her.
Oh God! She had! Marie had . . . had done that awful thing to her! She wasn't a virgin any longer, but it had been a man who deflowered her. It was . . . it was . . . she couldn't even put the words into thought. The tears began to flow down her cheeks as a black fog of shame rolled across her mind. Weakly, she fell across the bed, sobbing as though her heart would break. After fifteen or twenty minutes, the young blonde teacher began to pull herself together. Wiping the tears with the back of her hand, she got up and stood at the window looking out in despair, knowing she had to decide what she was going to do now. She never wanted to see that horrible Marie person again, never wanted to see anyone again. She thought back to the time when she was so sure of herself, believing she could handle any kind of situation. But how could a girl from a good family possibly know what to do with perverted monsters like these people? Oh, God, Paul was right, and she hadn't listened to him.
In a state of shock she dressed, determined to leave this town as soon as she could make arrangements. Under no conditions could she stay here now!
She dressed in jeans and a sweater, moaning with discomfort as she pulled the tight pants up and zipped them. She shivered with horror at the searing thought of Marie using that huge artificial penis inside her virginal passage. Oh, God! It was all so sick! Peering apprehensively out to make sure that no one was in the hallway, she rushed to the bathroom, washed her face and inspected the bruises on the soft flesh of her arms and breasts.
The young blonde was hurrying back to her room when she heard Marie talking to some men. She walked toward the front door, ready to bolt if she saw anyone in the house. And then as she peered out into the yard, her heart lurched, and she gasped. She began to shake almost uncontrollably when she saw the patrol car and three men talking to the Jansen woman. One, dressed in overalls, was the man she'd seen in the living room with Marie, evidently her husband. One man was in uniform, the other in civilian clothes.
She stood at the door trying to hear what they were saying, but when she saw the civilian look toward her, she darted back down the hallway to hide tremblingly in her room. Were they talking about her? Had Marie called the sheriff and accused her of something awful? Oh, God, she couldn't think straight! What was she going to do?
She cracked the bedroom door enough to put an ear to it and listened. She heard the truck drive off, and then Marie and one of the strangers enter the boarding house. When they didn't come down the hall toward her room, she decided she was safe, but she still had to make some plans about leaving. Maybe the best thing would be to act as though nothing had happened just to get through the day. There wasn't anything she could do until she checked out the bus schedule and could leave this awful place. Then, as though she had just had a bucket of cold water dashed in her face, she remembered that today was the first day of school and the children would be waiting for her.
Forcing herself to take the books from the bedside table, the frightened blonde teacher opened the door with shaking hand and moved quietly down the hallway. She reached the front door of the boarding house without attracting the attention of Marie or the stranger. Once out of sight of the house, she practically ran down the lane to the old wooden frame building that was used as the schoolhouse.
She was standing inside the one room shack, staring in distaste at the run-down classroom she would have to work in when she heard a strong male voice say, "Hello there!"
Sandy jerked around just as the stranger she'd seen earlier with Marie came through the rickety door and walked toward her. He smiled, held out his hand and then said, "I'm Judge Monti Wagner. I understand you're the new school teacher. You're Miss Miller?" His eyes were hidden behind sunglasses, but his grin was warm and calming to the frightened young girl.
"How do you do Judge Wagner. Yes, I'm Miss Miller, Sandy Miller, and I guess I'm the new school teacher," she answered shakily.
"Yen! That's what Mrs. Jansen said. We'll sure need you to help teach our youngsters. They get pretty rowdy without schooling. And if anyone bothers you, you just let me and the sheriff know. We'll take care of 'em."
"Th-thank you, Judge. I-I will!"
"It's nothing, Miss. Just my job to see that this town runs smoothly." Monti Wagner said, his thoughts running wild. Jesus Christ! She was a sexy little thing. Maybe some of the workers had seen her come in yesterday, and they'd tried to get to her last night. Sometimes those crazy bastards drank too much rotgut whiskey and went on a rampage. Or it could have been the kids, playing a prank. "Sometimes the boys around here get pretty wild, but they don't mean nothing by it. I got a sixteen year old boy myself. If any of your students get out of line just let me know."
"Thank you, Judge Wagner. I'll do that," she smiled and turned back to look at the desk where she would be sitting.
"Miss Miller, Uh . . . " Hell, he might as well find out if she heard anyone with Marie last night.
"Yes?"
"Were you disturbed by strange noises last night?"
The young blonde school teacher stiffened and began to shake. She couldn't control it! "No! I don't think so! I was awful tired. Why?"
Looking at her from his vantage point, Judge Wagner studied her reactions and knew she was lying for some reason. He was thoughtful as he replied, "Yeah! Someone was messing around the Perry boarding house. Tried to break in."
Pretending to be busy clearing the desk of dust and arranging the books, she casually answered, her voice under control now, "I must have missed the whole thing. Did you catch them?"
"Not yet! But we will!" he said assuredly. "You did sleep here last night, didn't you?"
"Sure! Why do you ask?"
"Don't see how you could and miss all the excitement. Dogs, shotgun blasts, yelling. Hmmm! You must have slept hard!"
"Are you questioning my honesty, Judge?" Sandy said angrily.
"Course not, Ma'am. I was just hoping you could tell me something." He shrugged and decided to drop it for the moment, "Better not wander around alone at night, Miss."
"I won't, Judge. Thank you again."
"Never can tell what these itinerant farm workers will do."
"Where do they live," Sandy immediately thought of those children and wondered if they were allowed to go to school with the other children.
"We got whole clamp of farm workers up in the mountains about five miles from here. They don't usually come down to our town; we don't encourage it. Sometimes they do get drunk on home brew and wander around a little, but we soon take care of 'em and the sheriff puts 'em in jail to sober up."
"Are there any small children?"
"Yeah, Miss, each family has about a dozen kids. There's always little ones with farm workers. Help with the crops, you know."
"Do you try to educate the children?"
"Nan! No use! They just move on with their families. They're born farm workers. Education is a waste for them," the Judge thought for a moment and added. "And it's best you don't try to change it, Ma'am. Most people here like things the way they are; they don't want their children mixed up about things like that."
"Thank you, Judge," Sandy said, curtly dismissing the man. "I'll remember your. . . warning. Now I'd better get my classes started.
"Uh, Ma'am?"
"Yes?"
"You're not sick, are you?"
"No, I feel fine?" she snapped.
"I just thought you didn't look so well. You got big black circles around your pretty eyes."
"It could be a cold coming on. I'm not used to the mountains," she said quickly.
"Well, if you need anything, let me know," he said as he sauntered off toward the door, swung himself down to the ground and walked away.
His thoughts were going full speed ahead as he headed for the sheriff and his patrol car. By God! She was some hunk of woman, that school teacher. Too damned pretty to be in this mountain town with all the tough men around. She'd end up having real trouble with them; that is, if she hadn't already. He opened the car door, slid in beside the sheriff and sat there thoughtfully for a few moments.
Finally, he nodded his head. "Sheriff, I think something happened here last night that involves our new school teacher. At least, I think she knows something I don't know." He paused for a second and continued, "I want you to radio your office and tell the dispatcher to find out all he can about this Sandy Miller. I'll write the details down for you. Description and all."
"Okay, Judge. You could be right," the county sheriff nodded. "I got the impression that Marie Jansen was spooked about something, too."
While the message was being given over the mike, Judge Wagner stared up the road toward Ma Perry's boarding house. Abruptly, he knew for sure that it wasn't just a common prowler that Sam almost caught last night. But time would tell!
"Take me back to the courthouse, Sheriff!" There was nothing more he could do here today.
As soon as the Judge left the schoolhouse, Sandy had forced her mind to think only of the children who were streaming into the room. There were about twenty of them, and they needed her. Within an hour she had proven to the children that she was interested in them and wanted to teach them. They willingly did everything she told them to and then she congratulated them on how fast they learned. By noon, she was in love with the little ones. They wanted to learn and they told her so, especially the brightest ones.
She decided that a half day was enough for the first day at school so she dismissed them and told them to go home, but she'd expect every one of them the next morning.
After they had all gone, the silence of the room overwhelmed her, and she bowed her head as the thoughts of the previous night caused her to suffer real pain. She actually flinched away from the remembrance, put both hands over her eyes and then dropped her head to the desk.
Jerking herself erect as she heard a distinct noise, she gasped, "Oh! You scared me!"
It was only a teenage boy standing in front of the desk, smiling lips and the brownest eyes she'd ever seen. He had his hands in his pockets, and his hair was shaggy and long.
"Sorry, Ma'am, but I wanted to ask you something," he said as he looked around the room. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's all right," Sandy smiled. "What did you want?"
"I wanted to know if you had some books I could borrow," he muttered.
"Most of my books are too young for you, but I'll see if I have something that might be old enough," she said thoughtfully; then, getting up from her chair, she moved around the desk and stood beside him. "How old are you?"
"I'm sixteen, Ma'am."
She found herself relaxed in the young boy's presence and she grinned in response. He was a good looking youth and was at a wonderful age. Almost a man, but probably in the eyes of the mountain people he was already one. But what surprised Sandy more than anything else was her strange emotions as she stood talking to the teenager. Almost as if she were excited by him. "I'll have a look around my room and see what I have."
"You got the wrong idea, Ma'am. I wanted the books for some little kids."
"I'm going to take care of the little children. That's my job."
"Not these, you won't, Ma'am; they're up at the workers camp."
"Oh, yes, Judge Wagner told me about them this morning," Sandy said thoughtfully.
"You already met the Judge?"
"Yes!"
"Well, that's my old man. I'm Stuart Wagner," grinning at her engagingly. "But my friends call me Stu."
"You do look like your father, now that I think about it," Sandy said, nervously remembering her conversation with the Judge. "But does he know that you go up to the camp?"
"'Fraid not, Miss Miller. He sure is against it. Probably smack me if he knew," he said conspiratorially, "but I go up there sometimes because those poor little kids need someone to help them. Poor little things."
Sandy was so impressed with Stu's interest in the poverty-stricken families that she immediately felt a companionship with him. She would help him! "Do you think they would let me teach them to read and write if I went up to the camp?"
"Well, if you let me take you up there, they might. You see, they trust me. They know I don't mean them any harm."
"If I decide to go, will you take me then?"
"Sure, but why don't we go this evening, and that way they can get started like the other children."
"You're a very considerate boy, Stu, but I don't know if I can," Sandy pretended to be thinking about it, but she had already made up her mind instantaneously, not wanting to be alone in the house where Marie might be waiting. Especially not wanting to talk to the lesbianic older woman. Besides, she enjoyed talking with Stuart Wagner. He was not only engaging and handsome, but obviously a sensitive boy! "How far is it," she added.
"Oh, I guess it's about five miles. On a dirt road of course."
"But I don't have a car," Sandy said, thoughtfully biting her lips.
"Then I guess it's out unless we can borrow one."
"Can you get one?"
"Don't think so, I'm too young to get one other than my Dad's. He's using his tonight!"
"Wait," Sandy said. "I wonder if I could borrow Mr. Jansen's pickup truck. Do you think so?"
"Sure, he loans it all the time to Ma Perry's boarders."
"Well, I don't know!" Sandy shivered, terrified at the thought of having to ask Marie's husband for anything. But she did want to go help those poor children. Besides, maybe if she became friendly with Sam, Marie might leave her alone. "I've decided, Stu. If I can borrow the truck will you guide me to the camp. I'll be glad to pay you for your time."
Acting insulted at her suggestion, Stu stammered, "Ma'am, you don't have to pay me nothing. I want to help them poor, underprivileged kids."
"You're a very nice human," Sandy said. Then she actually moved over and put her arm around the boy's shoulder and hugged him, smiling warmly. "We'll keep our secret, just you and I will know what we're doing."
"Sure will! Wow! I'd hate for my old man to ever find out I had anything to do with it."
"Why don't we leave about six o'clock from the boarding house," she said thoughtfully.
"Ma'am, I don't know! Do you think we oughta be seen together in case someone might find out what we're up to?"
"All right! What do you suggest?"
"You leave the boarding house alone and pick me up on the road. I'll show you where," he said with a straight face.
"Okay, I'm going back to the boarding house now so you can show me."
"Fine, Ma'am!"
Together they walked out of the school house, and Stu pointed out the road she would be taking. He showed her a tree about five hundred yards from the school building where he'd be waiting.
"Thanks, Stu. You know, you're the first friend I've made here." Sandy said softly, feeling a warm gratitude toward the youth.
"Aw, that's okay, Ma'am. You're a nice lady. See ya tonight."
Sandy watched the young boy sprinting down the road toward the small town, and then she turned toward the boarding house that she already hated after less than twenty-four hours in this strange town. Whatever had happened last night was just something that had been building up inside her for a long time. It was all over now, and it couldn't possibly ever happen again. She would explain to Marie that she wasn't a lesbian, and that would be all there was to it. And if the older woman gives me a bad time, Sandy thought, I'll just go to Judge Wagner and tell him!
Besides, she had come here to Medoc to help the children, and that's what she was going to do. But the young blonde was troubled, and her face livid with unhappiness as she once again thought of the pain and degradation she'd suffered at the hands of Sam Jansen's wife. Yet, even with all that, she'd screamed out her multiple orgasms like a common whore . . . loving the sensations of being fucked senseless by that huge rubber penis. In spite of herself, Sandy felt a bubbling carnal excitement begin to throb deep inside her loins as she stepped down the pathway toward the boarding house. Oh God! Last night had been a fantastic feeling; she'd never known her body was capable of such pleasure! Suddenly, she stopped and began to shiver as she fought the overpowering urge to turn and run.. . far away from these awful people. But the memory of the wonderful little children who were relying on her made the blonde teacher force one foot in front of the other until she reached the door. And tonight she would be able to help the farm worker's children as well.
Sandy entered her bedroom without seeing anyone. After putting things away, she sat by the window daydreaming of all the good things she would do for the young children in the farm worker's camp. And Stu! Stu would help her! He was such a nice boy. Together they would accomplish what no one else obviously had ever tried here. They'd do it together!
Sandy shook her head in confusion at the thoughts that penetrated her brain about the handsome teenager. God! She felt a sexual attraction to him! Quickly, the young teacher decided that she would have to stay far away from him, except when they were working. She would even convince him he should further his own education and go to college so he could become a teacher himself. Who knows? If she encouraged enough of the youths here to better themselves, she might even become famous with the great things she would accomplish.
But.. . oh, no! She couldn't stay here. Not as long as Marie Jansen was around!
Despite the warm sunshine of late afternoon, Sandy felt cold! As though an icy wind had blown across her face. She didn't want to be alone with Marie ever again. The woman seemed to have some kind of influence over her! Tonight was taken care of if Sam Jansen would loan her his truck. She'd take Stu home after the lessons at the farm camp and then quietly sneak into the boarding house, go to bed and pretend to be asleep if anyone knocked. God! How she wished there was a key to lock her bedroom door! Well, a chair shoved under the doorknob would serve as some protection. Feeling better about the evening, the young blonde began reading over the following day's lessons.
When Sandy went downstairs for dinner a couple of hours later she nervously greeted Ma Perry, Marie and her husband, Sam. There were six other people three men and three women boarders sitting at the table with them. The only empty seat was between Mr. Jansen and Ma Perry so she nervously pulled out the chair and sat down. None of the men offered to help her or even stand up!
During the meal, Sandy tried to get up enough courage to speak, but the words stuck in her throat. No one seemed to notice her anxiety as they shoveled the food into their mouths. And then, determined to ask Mr. Jansen for the use of his truck and get it over with, the young girl croaked, "Mr. . . . Jan . . . Jan-Ja,' unable to finish what she wanted to say.
Sandy could feel Marie's eyes boring into her almost in warning, it seemed from the other side of Sam, and her face turned red as a beet.
"What is it, ma'am," Sam said hesitantly.
"I'm sorry," Sandy trembled with embarrassment. "I need a car to go see some of my students, and one of the boys at school told me you sometimes loaned your truck to the boarders here."
"Sure, when do you need it?" Sam Jansen mumbled, his mouth full of food. "Tonight!"
"Well, I'm staying home tonight. Gotta see if that dirty bastard comes back to rob Ma."
"I'll show you my driver's license," she said, feeling stupid.
"Aw, that's okay! I don't care about that," he slurped coffee from his cup and then added. "I got good insurance."
"I really do thank you, Mr. Jansen; I won't be late."
"Don't you worry, Miss. And why don't you just call me Sam, since we all live together here."
Sandy grinned at the older man, thinking how nice these people had been to her . . . all except Marie. But maybe that was her own fault. But it would never happen again, and if Marie said anything at all to her, she'd just explain how she felt.
After picking at her food for thirty minutes and drinking coffee, Sandy asked to be excused, saying she'd be leaving in a few minutes.
Sam handed her the key as she stood up, and said, "Be careful! It's not always safe for young girls to be running around these parts alone at night! But if you're going to see young'uns you'll be all right."
"Thank you, Sam! You're very kind! I'll just put the keys on the dining room table when I come home."
She hurried to her room, combed her hair and looked at her face in the mirror over the scarred up wooden chest of drawers. She was positive that her face had changed, but it looked the same as it did yesterday. Surely, there must be some external sign that she had responded to a lesbian approach. Suddenly, she was trembling and breathing hard at the thought of the obscene thing Marie Jansen had done to her last night.
Grabbing her purse and an armload of books, she dashed out of her room and rushed past the dining room door without looking back.