Wayward Child

Survival Course

The reprieve only lasted seven months however. Her father had been able to use his connections to convince the family therapist that the abuse was all caused by Cora and her uncontrollable behavior. Cora was the reason he drank, did drugs, molested her and her sister and even physically assaulted her brother. The courts and child protective services would fall for his lies and Cora found herself back in her father's home. It was during this time that Cora had her second dream. The only difference was that the man was beating on a young girl she had become best friends with. Along with the dream, Cora and her siblings began to experience poltergeist activity in the home. On this occasion, Cora and her sister were sharing their bed. Both girls were to scared to sleep alone. There was a bag of trash sitting on her sister's bedroom floor that had been left there after they had cleaned their rooms that day. The girls watched terrified as the bag of trash moved across the floor from her sisters room and stopped in front of the bed they were sleeping on. Their father became angry and threatened to punish them if they slept together again. A few more months would pass before the abuse would reach its peak. Cora's father picked up a thirty two inch tv and threatened to kill her younger brother with it. This made both Cora's siblings decide to move in with their mother in another state. At seventeen almost eighteen years of age, Cora was left alone with her father. Her father, a few months before Cora was to graduate high school decided to move out of the home and allowed her to stay. But not before clearing out all the food so that she would have to fend for herself. Cora thankfully had a part time job at school and so this did not deter her in the way he had hoped. Cora had her third dream about the strange man during this time. This time the difference was that he was beating on a woman Cora didn't know. Even more eerie, was that when Cora went to see who his victim was, all she could see was long blonde hair and no face. The woman's face was blank. Cora woke up with her heart pounding. She shook it off and spent the last few months focusing on school. She had signed up to go to a technical school that provided room, board and pay all free. A few weeks before graduation, she was introduced to an older women who was the leader of the local 4H club. She had offered Cora a place to stay after  since she would not be going to the tech school for a few weeks after she graduated. Cora eagerly accepted. As she and another best friend rode to the 4H leader's house, they talked excitedly about what plans they were going to make. The 4H leader pulled into her driveway. She had some supplies she needed to grab and she would be right out. Cora and her friend went back to their conversation for a moment until Cora felt this urge to look up. Cora's friend watched as her face went pale. Cora was staring straight ahead. Standing on the porch was the man she had dreamt about. The dark hair, the mustache. Before Cora's friend could ask what was wrong, Cora was gone at lightening speed. When Cora made it into the house, she found the man pounding on her 4H leader. Without a second thought, she grabbed him and threw him off of the woman and helped her to her feet. They hurried out of the house and went about their business. Cora didn't fill her friend in until they were alone. She had told her friend about her life and everything she had experienced. When her friend realized that this was the man from her dream, she was amazed. A few days later, the 4H leader ended up in the hospital with chicken pox. At her age, this was a life threatening situation. She asked Cora and her friend to housesit and look after her horses. Cora eagerly agreed. The 4H leader warned Cora that if her boyfriend called, she was to tell him that she was sick and in her room. Cora understood. And call her boyfriend did. When Cora answered the phone, he was already angry. "Get the bitch on the phone." He demanded. "No." Cora told him simply. "She's sick in bed." She heard him growl. "I don't give a fuck. If you don't get her on the phone right now, I'm coming over and blowing your head off." Cora laughed. "If you think you've got the balls." He hung up immediately. Cora's friend looked at her as if she was nuts. "Don't worry." Cora told her. "He won't show." After the 4H leader had gotten better and returned home, Cora had two days before she had to leave for school. Her best friends sister invited her to stay in their home and she would drive Cora to the school the day she was scheduled to arrive. Cora's last night there, she and her friend were playing around on the floor. They were talking about what had happened with their 4H leader. Cora whispered to her friend. "I wish Gene would die of a heart attack." They both laughed. Cora grabbed her chest and pretended to fall over and die. Writhing on the floor before playing dead. Suddenly, the phone rang and her friends sister answered it looking at Cora and shaking her head. After a moment, they heard the sister attempting to calm someone down. Apparently it was their 4H leader. Gene had been brought to the hospital. The doctor's had just informed her that he had died of a severe heart attack. Cora and her friend waited not hearing what was being said. After hanging up the phone, her friend's sister let them know what happened. Then turned to Cora and told her point blank, "Once I drop you off tomorrow, I never want to see you again." Cora nodded feeling a chill and heart sink into her chest. She and her best friend would be separated it seemed. Beyond her going to school. During the trip, her friends sister refused to speak a word. When Cora arrived at the school, her friends sister stayed long enough to help her unload her belongings before nodding and leaving her there.