Cherry Pie - Johnny Slaughter (Sawyer)

Retribution

I took the washed and dripping wet bowl from Sissy's hands as we stood in the kitchen cleaning up from tonight's dinner. It was apart of Sissy's daily routine to do the dishes after dinner and I guess now apart of mine. Everyone else had left and did their own thing.

"I'm proud of you, you know?" Sissy's soft voice lingered as she broke the silence.

"What do you mean?" I asked out of curiosity placing the bowl I dried into one of the cupboards.

"Most people don't make it past Drayton's cooking, but you, you ate the whole thing," her lips curved into a sly smirk as she glanced my way passing me another bowl to dry off. "You liked it, didn't you?"

"It wasn't bad" I answered honestly adding a bowl to its designated setting.

"There's something different about you... different than the other girls Johnny brings back here" Sissy spoke scrubbing away at the utensils.

"Johnny brings girls here?" I asked wanting to know more information about what she was talking about.

Sissy exhaled a lightly laugh through her nose as she passed me the utensils to dry off.

"Oh honey, Johnny would come home with girls all the time and they would be our dinner" She proclaimed.

This sent a wave of confusion over me as I turned to her interested in learning what she meant.

"What do you mean they would be your dinner?"

"Sweetie, have you not deciphered what's going on here?" Sissy's soapy hand dripped onto the floor while she motioned to the open area behind us gesturing to the household and environment. "That's why I'm surprised you're still alive." She shrugged.

My heart skipped a beat as I felt threatened by her thoughts. Cautiously, I put away the utensils in the drawer eyeing Sissy's movements as she returned to cleaning the dishes in the sink.

"Johnny would go to the city and find girls at the local bar who he thought would feed the whole family..." Sissy's words lingered in the air as she recollected the memories of those nights making my stomach twist at the thought. "Though, I'm not too sure if he's done it since my trip!"

Deciding to switch the topic from Johnny's sadistic and manipulative acts, I ask Sissy about her own life journey.

"Where did you go?" I questioned as she placed the ladle in my hand, beginning to dry it with the towel.

A breathily grin plastered along Sissy's face as she recalled her moments away from the Slaughter family.

"Away. I left this place and went far far away with my hubby, Charles."

"How long were you gone for?" I asked for my own personal interests in her life's story.

"A few years at most! Maybe more. Gawd, it was so good. I'll never forget those folks." The smile on Sissy's face only grew wider the more she talked about it.

I placed the ladle in the correct drawer and grabbed another bowl from Sissy, drying it.

"Why did you leave?" I stared at the bowl watching the droplets of water disappear from the towel, staring down at my reflection through the shiny dish.

She clicked her tongue as her body language changed, sitting in her hip, an annoyed expression taking over. "That old man never stops yelling at me!" Her voice becoming fierce, "he just doesn't understand because he can't see the vision"

Not really sure what Sissy meant by that, I could tell by her demeanor that I shouldn't protest. I kept quiet until we finished the dishes. Sissy left the room humming a song as I took a look around. The soundless empty room shot a moment of bravery in myself as I tacitly exited the kitchen.