1919 - New Orleans, LA
Darkness enveloped me as I sat in the attic above my stepdad's bar. It must have been around midnight or so when I heard a very loud crash that woke me right up. Don't get me wrong, I usually sleep like a baby, but that night, well, no, I couldn't sleep. Let me back up a bit and tell you what happened before all this to let you in on what I was feeling or thinking.
Well, my stepdad can be a pretty mean guy. I don't blame him really, I mean, my mamma died when I was little, and well, he was stuck with a girl, when all he had was boys. I didn't mean it to happen like that, it just sort of happened.
I got stuck with 2 step brothers. Ian and Sean. They were 19 and thought they could tell me what I could do or don't do. I guess they were just being protective of their "sister". With all the fights those two got into, well, I just never knew where the next fist was going to land next. Oh, yes, my stepdad, well, he asked me to clean up the bar, and I just finished up cleaning the dang place. I did! I really did! Well, then Ian decided to break into another stupid fight after I just cleaned up the bar.
"Sadie!" My stepfather yelled loudly with his very gruff voice, "Get yourself in this bar and clean up this mess!"
"Pa, I just cleaned it up not two minutes ago!" I said with my sweetest voice I could, I knew he could throw a punch himself.
"Don't be sassin' me girl," he said with a menace behind his voice, his grey eyes as cold as ice. "I told ya to clean it up, so clean it up!"
"Ian made the mess, you should make him clean up the mess!" I was just so mad at cleaning up all the time, it wasn't fair.
My hazel blue eyes were getting ready to tear up again, but I was determined to stay strong. Ian didn't help by telling pa that he didn't mean to make the mess and that I should be a "good girl" and clean it up.
Pa wouldn't hear any of my excuses, he threw a punch. I was able to duck in time! He just threw the punch and it landed on the hard wood of the bar. I was so scared, and I started to cry. I ran up to my attic. My only safe place in this whole bar. I knew that my stepbrothers or stepfather wouldn't dare come up here. Too many "girly" things they said. I knew that if I just put my bra on the door handle, it would scare them away.
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A/N: Hi there, I'm trying something new and it's for a submission for Harlequin and #SoYouThinkYouCanWrite. This is more adult themed (but I'm keeping it PG per the rules). I'm going to do my best to keep up at least a chapter or two every other day (I'm usually free Mondays and Wednesday evenings EST). If you send me a comment or send me a message, I'll do my best to answer you.
Let me know what you think so far :) - thanks for the support! - <3 Gia
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A Jazzful Heart
Historical FictionA 1920 era story about finding love and about jazz.
