A Voice From The Grave
Warden Edward Long looked out of his office window as a procession of cars followed a pickup truck carrying an opened casket in torrential rainfall. When it came to a stop outside his window, he could see the battered body of the late John Strong.
A flash of lightning illuminated John’s face with a ghost-like aura. An elderly, hunchback woman was helped out of one of the cars as the rest of the mourners exited their vehicles. She wore no head cover or umbrella; neither did the rest of the people. She placed her hand on John’s forehead and then looked up at the warden. Her stare sent a chill that felt like death’s hand on Edwards’ throat.
“Are you okay, Warden?” Rufus asked. “You look a little pale.”
“I’m okay, Rufus,” Edward said. “Who is that old woman?”
“I think that’s John’s grandmother,” Rufus said. “The hag looks like a witch.”
When Rufus said that, the old woman’s stare shifted from Edward to him.
“Did you see that?” Edward asked. “It’s as if she heard you.”
“That’s just your imagination, Warden,” he said.
“Why are they standing there in the pouring rain with the body exposed like that?” Edward asked.
“Those hill people are a strange lot, sir,” he said. “They believe in letting their dead take a look at the people that wronged them. They then ask them if they want the transgressors punished. It’s a silly superstition practiced by those voodoo believing fools.”
“Well, I don’t like them standing out there,” Edward said, sweating profusely. “Take a few armed guards with you and tell them to move on.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Warden,” Rufus said, handing Edward a tissue to wipe his brow.
“And why the hell not?” Edward asked.
“Because I can guarantee you that there are a lot of guns with those folks,” he said. “I bet even granny has a gun on her. They live by the feud and are always at war with someone.”
“Then get the goddamn state boys out there,” Edward said.
The guilt of John’s death was convicting Edward to his core. He hadn’t had a restful night's sleep since he ordered his murder. Nor would he have any time soon.
“That won’t be necessary, Warden,” he said. “Looks like they’re leaving.”
The people climbed back into their cars. That is everyone but Granny. She reached inside her coat and removed a small doll. She placed it on John’s lips, said a few words, and then threw it on the ground in front of the prison. When she was back in the car, the procession moved on.
Suddenly the storm stopped as if their departure was a switch that turned it off. A ray of sun sliced through the fading clouds and landed on the doll.
“Now that’s freaking weird, Warden,” Rufus said.
“Go get whatever it was that she threw on the ground, Rufus,” said Edward.
“Oh, no, Warden,” he said. “You don’t want to touch anything that she left.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in that superstitious babble,” Edward said.
“I don’t, but I’m not going to stick my hand in a tamed dog’s mouth to see if he’s going to bite it either,” he said.
“Well, put on a pair of gloves and bring it to me,” Edward said. “I’m a Christian, and none of that devil-worshiping shit can harm me.”
“As you wish, Warden,” Rufus said, and walked out of the office.
A few minutes later, he returned with the doll. It was a male doll dressed in a guard’s uniform. There were x’s drawn for the eyes. There was no mouth or any other distinguishable features.
“What’s that writing on the front of the doll warden?” Rufus asked.
“Oculum pro oculo,” he said.
“What the hell does that mean, Warden,” Rufus asked.
“My Latin is a little rusty, Rufus,” he said. “But I believe it means – an eye for an eye.”
“Well, that’s not good, sir,” Rufus said. “Check the inside of the clothes.”
“What am I looking for?” Edward asked while opening the shirt of the doll.
“The target of the doll usually has the name written on it somewhere,” he said.
Edward searched the entire doll but couldn’t find any names.
“I don’t see any,” Edward said. “I guess they’re not very good witch doctors.”
“Wait, look on the bottom of the shoes,” Rufus said.
Edward turned over the doll and saw two numbers on the bottom of its shoes. There was a four on one and a two on the other.
“I thought you said there would be names,” Edward said.
Rufus took a few steps backward. He took out his handkerchief and wiped his now sweating brow.
“That’s because there was not enough room to put your name and mine along with the four guys who killed her kin.”
*_*_*_*
The caravan carrying the body of John Strong passed a hand-painted sign that said:
Welcome to Dirt Rock, Kentucky
Pop. 1,666
This small village made up of a few stores, a church, a school, and a tavern sat at the base of the Black Mountain range. Its population, excluding the Town Constable, school teacher, and mayor, were all related by blood or marriage. It is a town that looks as if it was frozen in the 19th century. The only phone in the town was in the constable’s office. There was no hospital. Any sickness was handled by Granny, who they believed had the healing gift that was passed down through generations of Strong women.
Every soul in town was at the Dirt Rock cemetery that night. They held the funeral at midnight, as was their tradition. They carried torches and lanterns, but there was no need for them under the bright light of a full moon.
The six men who carried John’s casket to the cemetery were his brothers. Michael Strong, John’s identical twin brother, was at the head of the procession. Gabriel, Suruel, Raphael, Raguel, Remiel, and Uriel Strong followed with the plain wooden casket. He and his brothers were called the Archangels of the Strong Clan. They were the unofficial policemen of the town, although they served a law as old as Cain and Abel.
Preacher Avery Strong, who believed God ordained him to preach, stood by the open grave, directing members of the immediate family where to sit. Granny was helped into a chair next to the headstone. When everyone settled, Avery lifted his huge black bible and began to speak.
“We are gathered here today to send our brother John Strong into the hands of our Father,” he said. “He was a loving son, who, despite our objections to moving to live with the city dwellers, sent money to his pappy regularly until his death.”
When Avery mentioned the word death, there was a clap of thunder, although there was not a cloud in the sky. It was the same clap of thunder heard the day John’s mom was struck and killed by four drunk teenagers.
*_*_*_*
“Where the hell are we going, Billy Joe?” Marsha asked from the backseat of Billy Joe’s Dodge Charger.
“I told you, Marsha,” he said. “Danny and I found this abandoned cabin in the mountains last summer. It has two cots and a fireplace. It will be private. Danny, did you bring the booze?”
“I sure did, buddy,” Danny said, taking a swig from a bottle of scotch. “I brought enough to last the whole weekend.”
“Hey, pass the bottle, greedy,” Sally said, leaning over the front seat.
Billy Joe, out of the corner of his eye, caught a glimpse of Sally’s short denim skirt as it rose over her ass cheeks. He turned to catch an eyeful of her yellow thong that was in the crack between her round buns.
“Watch it!” Danny yelled as the car started to drift into oncoming traffic. “Keep your eyes on the road and off her ass, Billy Joe. I want to live long enough to get high, dude.”
“Sorry, guys,” Billy Joe said, and then slapped Sally on her ass.
“Ouch, that hurt,” she said.
“Did it?” Billy Joe asked.
“Yes, do it again,” she said.
“Speaking of getting high, why do we have to drive four hours to do it?” Marsha asked.
“For two very good reasons,” Danny said. “For one, you don’t want to go before hanging Judge Jedediah Bromel for possession. Do you remember what happened to Tommy? He had a half of an ounce of weed and a little meth, and he got three years. Plus, his family had to cough up $3,000 to that bastard Judge.”
“But we’re still in Kentucky,” Sally chimed in. “It’s still illegal.”
“Yes, but we’re going to where no Fed or cop has gone before,” Billy Joe said. “Everything is legal where we’re going. Moonshine country has no cops.”
“Okay, so what’s the other reason?” Marsha asked.
“You know the cabin that we found?” Danny said.
“What about it?” she asked.
“Behind it is a weed garden,” he said.
“Well, that means someone owns that place,” Sally said.
“No, we’re sure no one lives there,” Billy Joe said. “Danny and I stayed there for three weeks without a soul coming up there. Ladies, we are taking you to paradise. Now pass me the bottle.”
Billy Joe was reaching back for the bottle when Sally screamed, “Look out!”
*_*_*_*
“We are so fucked,” Billy Joe said, looking at the mangled body of Gretchen Strong. “Where the fuck did she come from?”
“Calm down, Billy,” Sally said. “I thought I saw someone with her.”
“I don’t see anyone,” Danny said. “Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m not sure,” she said. “It happened so fast.”
Danny walked over to the woods and looked around. He didn’t see sixteen-year-old John hiding behind the tree that he had rolled to when his mom shoved him out of the way. When John realized what had happened, he hid behind the tree from the outsiders.
“This is what you saw,” Danny said, holding up John’s backpack. “Let’s get the hell out of here before anyone sees us.”
“Wait, we have to report this,” Marsha said.
“Are you crazy?” Billy Joe asked. “We are in Deliverance country. You may enjoy squealing like a pig for Danny, but I’m not into being gang banged by a bunch of hill folk.”
That last remark set Danny off, and the two got into a pissing match.
“Shut up, both of you,” Sally said. “I think she’s still alive.”
The teens moved closer and looked down at Gretchen’s shaking body.
“That’s just a death contraction,” Billy Joe said. “I’ve seen it before with chickens and pigs.”
Danny agreed with him.
“Listen, we got weed and alcohol on us, Marsha,” Sally said. “I’m not going to jail because some dumb ass bitch decided to walk in the middle of the road. I say we dump her off to the side of the road, and let’s get the fuck out of here.”
The boys dragged Gretchen into the woods and covered her up with leaves as John looked on. When they returned to the car, the girls were sitting in the back with their arms crossed.
“Get in the front, Sally,” Billy Joe said.
“Fuck off,” she said. “Maybe the two of you can keep your eyes on the road.”
“I see this is going to be a fun weekend,” Danny said, jumping into the front seat. “They’ll cheer up once we get to the cabin.”
Billy Joe peeled out, leaving a cloud of dust behind them. When it cleared, the lanky six-foot four-inch frame of John appeared. He stood there, motionless until their taillights disappeared over the rise.
John knelt next to his mom, and watched the last breath of life, leave her body. Any tears that attempted to fall were dried up by the rage he was feeling inside. He picked her up and walked the mile back to his home, ignoring ride offers from relatives who pulled over when they saw him.
By the time he reached the front gate of his nail and glue patched shack he called home, half the Strong clan was behind him. Granny, who was sitting in her rocking chair, stood up and let out a wail, causing John’s four older brothers to rush out the door with guns in hand.
Uriel and Remiel, the two oldest brothers, had to push through the throng to get to their mother. They were still reeking of the moonshine smell, having come directly from their hidden still.
“Who did this?” Uriel said, placing his huge hand on John’s shoulder.
“The outsiders who were in Uncle Luke’s cabin last summer,” John said.
“I told you we should have run them out of there, brother,” Remiel said. “They would never have ever thought about coming back.”
“Okay, so we made a mistake,” Granny said, looking up. “But now we gonna set things right. Were they heading back to where they come from, Johnny?”
“I heard one of them mention the cabin,” he said.
“Let’s take care of your maw, Johnny,” Granny said. “Then we’ll go see about these outsiders tonight. Nobody feed Kobo and Red. They’re going to have a feast tonight.”
Kobo and Red were two Rottweilers from the same litter. Red acquired her name because of her red coat, a color that is rare for that breed of dog. She also had the meanest disposition of the pups. On more than one occasion, she had to be pulled off of her siblings. Kobo was the only one that she did not attack.
When the dogs were barely eight months old, Michael started feeding them on live prey. By the time they were a year old, they were hunting their food when they were let off the leash. Michael was about to change their diet.
The teens were in a full drunken orgy when the clan crept up and surrounded the cabin. Marsha was on her knees with Danny’s cock in her mouth when Uriel and Remiel kicked open the door. Taking two each, they dragged the nude, screaming, and kicking teens out by their hair.
Billy Joe, the boldest of the group, tried to get to his feet but was slapped down by Uriel.
“What the fuck, dude,” Billy Joe protested. “What the hell is this all about?”
The clan parted to allow Granny to enter the circle. She held in her hand a photograph of Gretchen.
“Do you recognize her?” she asked, shoving the photograph in Billy Joe’s face.
“No, I’ve never seen her before?” Billy Joe said.
“What about you, young lady,” Granny asked.
“No, never,” Sally said.
“None of us have,” Danny said. “Now, let us go.”
“And you lady,” Granny said, showing Marsha the picture. “Do you also claim to have never seen my daughter before?”
“No, you old crow,” she said, in drug-induced defiance.
“Liars, all of you,” Granny said.
“The damage on your car says otherwise,” Gary Walsh said.
“Why you’re a cop,” Danny said, staring at the badge on Gary’s lapel. “You have to protect us.”
“Yes, I’m the local constable here, boy,” Gary said. “And among other things, I’m going to need to ask you about all those drugs I found in the cabin.”
“You’ve got to be joking,” Billy Joe said. “This is moonshine central, and you’re worried about a little weed? You got a weed farm behind the cabin here.”
“I’ll tell you what isn’t a joke, boy,” Gary said. “I’m the local law, but I’m also married to her sister. You just killed my sister-in-law, boy.”
“Oh shit, they’re gonna kill us,” Sally shouted.
“They’re not gonna do anything to us, Sally,” Danny said. “Our people know we’re up here. And we hit a deer coming up this way.”
“We saw where you supposedly struck that deer,” Uriel said. “But we didn’t find no deer. How do you explain that?”
“I don’t know,” Danny said. “Maybe one of your relatives picked it up, and it’s in their pot cooking now.”
“Strongs don’t eat roadkill,” a woman said, and then slapped his face. “It’s agin our religion.”
“Stay out of this, sister,” Uriel said. “Granny is handling this.”
“I can’t believe your story for one simple reason,” Granny said. “You didn’t know there was a witness, did you? Her son was there who she shoved out the way at the last second.”
“I told you I saw someone,” Sally said.
“Shut up, Sally,” Billy Joe shouted.
“No, fuck you,” she said. “I don’t want to die. I told them that she was still alive, but they said she wasn’t.”
“Now, you, I believe child,” Granny said, patting Sally on the head. “But these otheren har are the liars to test Satan. By they own mouths, they are convicted and shall now be punished.”
“What are you gonna do to us?” Danny asked.
“Not us, boys,” Granny said. “Bring Kobo and Red hurn.”
Gabriel Strong, John’s older brother, stepped out of the darkness with the two huge Rottweilers. Kobo and Red eyes focused on the teens like a fat man standing in front of an all-night buffet counter.
“Now tell me which one of you wuz driving?” Granny asked.
Engulfed in the grip of self-preservation, all three pointed at Billy Joe. Three men dragged Billy Joe, kicking and screaming a few yards away.
“We’re gonna give you more of a chance then you gave my youngin,” Granny said. “If’n you can outrun Kobo and Red before you reach the woods, young Gabriel thar will whistle them back. Git movin.”
Billy Joe looked around as if looking for a sympathetic face. He found none. Even the faces of his dearest friends only showed relief that it was only he that was going to pay for the accident.
“You’re wasting time, boy,” Uriel said. “Johnny, you had schoolin. Count down from ten and den release Kobo and Red.”
“One, and…” John said before Billy Joe took off, running towards the woods.
Billy Joe was a fast runner, but he could not outrun Kobo and Red, who had not eaten since the day before. The girls broke down, hysterically crying as they listened to his flesh as it was torn from his body. Billy Joe’s last scream came after the sound of a bone was heard cracking in one of the dog’s mouth.
“Call them back, Gabriel,” Granny said.
Gabriel made a different whistle sound, and the dog immediately released whatever part they were eating on Billy Joe, and returned to his side.
“Let’s hope you fair better,” Granny said, looking at Danny.
“Wait, he was the one who hit her,” he said. “The rest of us are innocent.”
“Have ye not read in the good book that thou art judged by the company ye keeps?” Avery said, holding up his bible.
“I go to church, and I don’t remember ever seeing that in my bible,” Danny protested.
“Dat’s because you been readin the wrong bible,” Granny said, pointing a long bony finger at him. “You best to git a runnin.”
Danny took off before Johnny could start counting. He had almost reached Billy Joe’s mutilated body when he heard the whistle. That is when he made a fatal mistake. He turned his head to see how far the dogs were from him. He did not see the severed leg in the dark. By the time he had gotten to his feet, Kobo was knocking him down on his back.
Red, who was a split second behind, clamped down on Danny’s cock and balls, ripping them off in one yank. Kobo clamped down on Danny’s face and was smothering him as his jaws crushed his facial bones. The screams stopped coming from Danny after a few seconds. He was the lucky one.
While the dogs were feasting, the clan now turned their attention to the girls. Sally and Marsha were clinging to each other like reunited orphans.
“Please don’t kill us,” Marsha pleaded.
“Oh, don’t worry, child,” Granny said. “We’re not going to harm a hair on your head. But little Johnny and his six brothers need a momma. And our law is a life for a life. One of you must take the place of my Gretchen.”
“But we’re only nineteen,” Sally said.
“So whatcha sayin?” Granny asked. “You sayin you too old?”
“No, we’re way too young,” Sally said.
“That one over thar is thirteen,” Granny said, nodding in the direction of a girl with a swollen belly. “She’s been married over a year now. You’ll do fine.”
“She’s old enough, Granny,” one of the clan shouted. “You could tell dat from the way she was suckin on that pecker like a newborn calf on a tit.”
There was a hideous uproar of laughter, with Granny’s witch-like shrill, heard over the din.
“No, you two will decide who becomes momma and who becomes dessert for the dogs,” Granny said. “And as a bonus, the winner of the contest will get to take cousin Yancy over thar as a husband. Now he’s a widow because his last wife was a weakling outsider who he accidentally broke on the wedding night.”
Again the crowd erupted in laughter.
“Step out hurn so they can git a good look at you, Yancy,” Granny said.
Yancy stepped out from the pack into the light of the torches. As with all Strong men, he was well over 6 feet 5 inches tall and carried almost four hundred pounds of mass. He drooled at the mouth, most of it on his worn overalls, and he had an apparent Down’s syndrome look about his face. His face still bore the deep scratches from his deceased wife’s efforts to escape from under his weight. The weight crushed her chest during his first attempt at sexual intercourse with a human.
“Now, Yancy is a little slow, but he means well, and he’s a good worker,” Granny said.
“What if we refuse to fight,” Sally said.
“Well, the solution is simple, missy,” Granny said. “Young Johnny will decide which one he wants to be his momma, and the otheren will become dog food. Which one you said you were favorin, Johnny?”
“I like the redheaded one, Granny,” John said. “Her har is jest like maw wuz.”
“Stand em up, boys,” Granny said. “Now if you’en haven’t started fightin…”
Before Granny could finish her statement, Marsha hauled off and smashed Sally in the face with a wild, roundhouse punch. The blow knocked her off her feet, along with her front two teeth. Marsha was straddling the semi-conscious girl, raining punch after punch on her face, before she knew what hit her.
“I think we have a winner,” Granny said, grabbing Marsha by the arm and helping her to her feet. “I guess yall wasn’t as close friends as I thought you’en were.”
“I never liked that bitch after she stole Billy Joe from me,” Marsha said.
“I do believe you got what it takes to be a Strong woman,” Granny said. “Here gal, put this dressed on. It belonged to my Gretchen. I cain’t have my kin being gawked at in the flesh befoe she’s hitched. Boys, come on over and say hello to yall new maw.”
All the Strong brothers came over and hugged Marsha as if they had known her all their lives. However, the twins did not give her a welcome. John was standing by Gabriel and the dogs. He was the only person who could stand next to Gabriel without being attacked.
“Don’t worry about them, little lady,” Granny said. “They’ll come around after they’re done grievin over thar maw. Welcome to the family. Oh, I do believe your friend is coming around.”
Sally rolled over on her side, holding her battered face. She struggled to her feet and then dropped to her knees from the delayed effect of Marsha’s punches.
“What…” she said.
“You got knocked the fuck out, gal,” someone hollered from the clan.
When the ground stopped spinning, the reality of where she was returned. Frozen with fear, she could not find the will to stand.
“Pick her up, boys,” Granny said.
When Sally became steady on her feet, her eyes settled on Marsha, who was standing next to Granny.
“You fucking bitch,” Sally screamed as she lunged at Marsha.
Granny caught her with a backhand slap that was so strong it made Sally do a backflip. Marsha’s mouth dropped open at the speed and power of this old woman who was clearly in her seventies.
“I caint have you attackin one of ours,” she said. “Now, you better save your strength for your little, what is it those outsiders call it?”
“They call it a jog, Granny,” Avery said.
“Oh, that’s right,” Granny said. “Since you’re a gal, we’re going to give you a little mo time than the men. Go on now.”
Sally took off in a full sprint. Her blonde ponytail was flipping from side to side as she galloped towards the woods. A long-distance track runner, she was confident she could outrun the dogs. With every stride of her long legs, she was quickly approaching the woods.
“Granny, she sho is running faster den those other two,” Gabriel said. “Kobo and Red are full up from eating. Not sho if they will ketch her.”
“Have faith, my child,” Granny said. “Let em go.”
Sally was a few hundred yards from the woods when she heard the whistle. She turned around, bending over to catch her breath, and to judge the distance from her pursuers. She knew she could make it to the woods. After a few more deep breaths, she took off again towards the woods. As she predicted, she made it to the woods before Kobo and Red could overtake her.
She turned around and stared at the approaching dogs. The sound of the whistle made them stop in their tracks less than ten feet from her.
“Yes, I beat you,” Sally said. “I beat you, you stupid fucking mutts.”
Kobo and Red looked back towards the clan, but they didn’t move.
“Yes, fuck you, bastards,” Sally said, flipping the dogs off with her two middle fingers.
Suddenly the dogs lunged at her, each taking a hand in their massive jaws.
Her screams for Gabriel to whistle were unintelligible over the growls and frenzied attack of the animals.
“I guess someone should have told her that giving Kobo and Red the finger was the command for them to attack,” Uriel said, causing the throng to erupt in laughter again.
The photos of the missing teens were hung up in the Rineyville Post Office six months after the Sheriff’s department gave up the search. A detective agency and two bounty hunters didn’t fare any better.
One of the bounty hunters gave the families hope when he contacted them and said that he had a promising lead. He never said where he was calling from, and he was never heard from again.
*_*_*_*
“Now, we don’t know if John did those things they say he did,” Avery continued. “But I’m sho that if he did do them, he had a darn good reason. A Strong don’t do anyone any harm unlessen they give us a reason to. Now, I’ll turn the proceeding over to the head of the Strong family, Granny Strong.”
Granny stood up as straight as the slight hunch in her back allowed and stared out at the crowd. Pointing a finger down at John, and with her head tilted to the side, she stomped her feet three times.
“Thar lays your flesh and blood,” she said, in a raspy voice. “Killed by those heathens in that thar prison. Guilty or not, Johnny didn’t deserve to die with no more regard than you would drown a cat. These so-called men of law broke God’s law when they killed this helpless boy.”
{Lightning flash}
“But these wicked men are not above God’s law,” Granny said, “His child’s soul cries out from the grave for justice.”
The clan is repeating the last word of each sentence. Some of the women are chanting as if caught in a religious fever. Their heads are tilted back, stomping their feet, and only the whites of their eyes are showing.
“Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord,” Granny said. “And we have the instrument of that justice. Let the seven archangels come forward.”
{Thunder and gusts of wind blow}
John’s seven brothers came forward and knelt in front of his casket. A young girl, barefoot and wearing a tattered grey dress, came and stood in front of them holding a bowl. Inside of it was the blood of a recently slaughtered lamb.
Granny dipped her thumb in the bowl and made a cross on each of the men’s foreheads.
“You are the instruments of our justice,” she said. “Go forth into that Babylon and slay the leader and all who had a hand in his death. Life for a life, and death for death.”
The brothers stood up and rejoined the chanting crowd.
“Life for life, and death for death,” they chanted while lowering John’s casket into the ground.
The thunder and lightning faded by the time the last shovel of dirt was tossed in. So were the seven brothers.