Between Dusk and Dawn Read Online Free

nights. They had spots of
blood on ‘em. And the boy was cut, nothing but a few scrapes on his
arms. Nothing that would cause that much blood.”
    “ Maybe one of his friends
got hurt, or they killed some animals. Even more reason he wouldn’t
want to tell what really happened.” LaShaun gazed out of the bay
window next to the table. Once again she was being drawn into
strange events in the countryside. She had a growing prickle that
this was not just a tale of naughty boys breaking
curfew.
    “ Maybe so, but the boy
looked so strange it gave Joyelle the jitters. Still she said
prayers for him and his mama. For the fevers. Joyelle gave his mama
some ginger root, cayenne pepper and cloves to make him a tea. She
also gave her some cloth tea bags to put in his bath water.” Miss
Clo finished the cup of coffee.
    “ Yes, that’s a common
treatment for fevers.” LaShaun remembered her grandmother tying
small bags filled with herbs. “Monmon Odette used those to treat
several of my cousins for fever.”
    “ Oui,” Miss Clo said and
pursed her lips, but said no more about LaShaun’s infamous
grandmother and her reputation. “And the boy got better real
quick.”
    “ Okay, so why isn’t that
the end of the story?” LaShaun asked as she sipped her
coffee.
    “ This week a woman came to
Joyelle. She first complained of having strange dreams. Then the
rest of her troubles came out. Her husband accused her of cheatin’
on him because he caught her goin’ out at night. She’d come back
with her clothes all messed up and sayin’ she didn’t know what he
was talkin’ about.” Miss Clo shook her head. “Somethin’ ain’t right
in this parish. “
    LaShaun put down her cup. “I’m not
sure what you want me to do.”
    “ Talk to Joyelle. She’s
worried, but she wouldn’t come with me because... well.” Miss Clo
shrugged.
    “ She’s scared of getting
mixed up with the Rousselles, and me in particular, I know. But so
far I don’t see anything supernatural in what you told me. Because
that is why you woke me up so early and showed up with the sunrise,
right? I’m supposed to be the Vermillion Parish Voodoo queen.”
LaShaun gazed at her with a raised eyebrow.
    “ Let me tell you, I never
called you evil,” Miss Clo blurted out in a rush. “A little wild
maybe, but that’s all in the past. I know because my Myrtle Jean
wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t so, and that’s what I tell folks when
they bring up gossip about you.”
    “ I thank you for defending
me, Miss Clo.” LaShaun gave her hand a pat and smiled. “Tell your
friend not to worry. All she’s got is a little boy that just
happened to get sick around the same time he snuck out at night to
play. This woman is stepping out on her husband, but didn’t have
the sense or imagination to come up with a believable story when
she got caught. No spirit possession, no mojo, nothing but plain
old small town shenanigans.”
    “ But what about Reverend
Fletcher goin’ around sayin’ Joyelle is consorting with the devil?
He’s got people avoiding one of the sweetest and most good-hearted
women on this earth.” Miss Clo hissed with frustration.
    “ I don’t know the name.”
LaShaun wore a slight frown.
    “ He’s been in town about
seven or eight months now. He took over as the new minister at
Redemption Baptist Church, except now they done changed the name to
the Church of Sweet Redemption. They’re real strict on their
members, especially the women I hear. Anyway, Pastor Fletcher even
has a radio broadcast. Some members of the church left, didn’t like
his ways. But others who’ve known Joyelle for years told him about
her. He says she’s dealing in sorcery of some kind. He even
convinced some folks she’s the cause of their ailments, including
that boy’s mama.”
    “ Adding me into the mix
sure won’t help that kind of talk die down,” LaShaun said with a
laugh. She grew serious at the look of chastisement from the older
woman. “Sorry,