Simple ...

Chapter One

    Gran stormed across the clearing, bending to pick up a stick from the ground without breaking her stride.  Simple, sitting against the wood pile, was in for another of her beatings.  I yelled for him to run, but he didn't hear me.  Lost in one of his daydreams I guessed.

  I watched in silence as Gran repeatedly swung the stick hard against the side of her son's head.  There were no words to describe Simple's pain, or the pain of watching.  He probably didn't even know what it was for and I hated her for making me feel all the things he couldn't say. He didn't move or look her in the face, not until she let the stick drop from her bony fingers did he feel safe enough to close his eyes.  He slowly put his hands to his battered head, blood pushing its way through the gaps in his dirty fingers.

  Jack was Gran's first born, a mean son of a bitch.  Then came Simple, who was soft in the head and lived in a dream world.  Tommy, my favourite, was the youngest and nowhere near as bad as Jack.  They were supposed to make sure Simple stayed away from town.  Gran never could bear the thought of Simple going anywhere near there, but never let on why.  The beatings came when he forgot, and somehow Gran always found out.  I figured she should give up on the beatings; it wasn't helping him to remember to stay away.

  I knew why the others went to town so often.  The girls there let them do whatever they had a mind to.  I couldn't figure why Simple sneaked off; not for girls, I knew that much.  Tommy and Jack had teased him enough about Lizzie, the day they caught him spying on her as she washed herself in the river.

  Watching Gran beat Simple made me think back to the day I lay by the river. I was trying to catch hold of the whispers in my head while looking at the reflection of the clouds in the water.  It was something I liked to do and usually had the place to myself.

  That particular day, I had company.  Lizzie was taking a bath and Simple was watching from the bushes.  Without warning, the boys appeared and dragged Simple out of the bushes he thought hid him from sight.  Jack grabbed Simple viciously between the legs, saying it was time he knew how to use it.  They called for Lizzie to come out of the water.

  I hid behind a rock, too scared to run back to the cabins.  It wouldn't matter if I told Gran anyway, she'd say they needed their fun and to let them be.

  Tommy helped Lizzie up onto the bank.  She stood there naked, her dark hair dripping.  The water running down her skinny legs made muddy pools at her feet.  Jack stopped her from picking up her clothes.  'You won't be needin' them just yet, Lizzie.  We're goin' to have us a little fun.  It's Simple's birthday.'

  'No it aint, and I aint doin' what you've a mind to.  Not with Simple.'

  Jack took hold of her arms and roughly pulled her close to him.  'You're mine and you'll do like I say, missy.  You're his birthday present.'

  Simple tried to move away but Jack held him back; telling him he didn't want to miss out on such a fine gift.  He threw Lizzie to the ground like a rag doll.  I watched, too afraid to move.  Jack had ears like a bat; if I moved an inch he would hear me.  Fear and fascination swum together in my head; knitting an invisible chain that held me fast behind the rock.

  Jack stood between her legs and unfastened his belt.  He undid his belt, pushed his pants down and fell on Lizzie, pumping his body up and down.  Tommy pulled Simple down on the ground beside them, slapping Jack's bare behind.  'See, Simple, this is how you please the girls.'

  There was much grunting and groaning before Jack let out an even bigger groan and rolled away from Lizzie, his thing still dripping as he pulled up his pants. Tommy pushed Simple down on top of Lizzie and he lay there like a big lump.  As Jack pulled him to his knees, a clump of Simple's dark brown hair came away in his hand.