Of Sorrow and Clay.P1

Of Sorrow and Clay.P1 by Graeme Patrick; GM Thomas

Intro: Poor Fork, Appalachia, March 1925. Prohibition era. Family is everything in the Appalachian Mountains. When everyone else turns their backs, they will be there, waiting. They may not like you. They may even hate you. But there is a loyalty to blood that runs deep in those black soiled hollers. All are members of the Taft Family (2 x Miners, Student Nurse, Bartender, Moonshiner), coming together to find out what happened to your father, who has gone missing.

Blain Taft, miner 38yo [Robert/Rocinante]: Lives in Lynch. Spent his life picking up and looking after his father. Loyal to a fault, won’t hear a bad word about the old man, despite him being a bum.

Eugene Nairn, miner 40yo [Mikc]: Foreman at the Baxter mines, deciding where each man works as he holds their safety in his hands. Miners call him a company hatchet man: feared, sometimes respected.

Pistol Taft, moonshiner 19yo [Mike]: Grew up with his sister Lorelei who acted like his mother. With her gone, no-one left to take his side. Thus, spends more time away from home than in it. Avoids Lorelei but lurks around Pa’s shack.

Lorelei Nairn, bartender 37yo [Arbor]: 2nd oldest Taft sibling, moved out as soon as old enough. Life in Poor Fork ain’t much better but it’s where she met her husband, Eugene. Married 12 years now.

Faith Taft, student nurse 19yo [Bill]: Father’s favorite; can’t do no wrong. With little money and prospects, you and your twin Pistol went to live with your sister Lorelei … stupid bitch keeps mollycoddling you both.

7am, Sunday, March 30^th: Blain entered the Nairn house proclaiming, “What’s this about Pa missing?” He had to shout over the cacophony of family jabbering till Lorelei rattled the cow bell Pa had given her to signal dinner time. “If you’ll just lisen… I called ya here ‘cause Pa’s neighbor Jack sent me a letr about Pa gone. Last they met, Pa said som’n bout ‘Best see Sadie… she’ll be a wait’n.’ That twer 2 days ago for the letr and a week since he done seen Pa.” They all knew Jack as Pa’s old business partner in their moonshining operation till they both retired. As neighbors on the other side of the same mountain, they’d hang out drinking, fishing, and remembering the good-old-days.

Eugene raised his 3-fingered right hand (pinky and adjacent finger blown off in hunting accident) to scratch his chin, “Who’s Sadie?” Blain answered, “Pa’s first wife who went missing some 45 years ago (1880). Soon after, he married our Ma, Annabelle. We all lived in that shack till she died a couple years after the twins born (1906).” Lorelei spoke up, “I’d already moved out by then. Too much fer Pa to handle; so, I raised you twins at my cabin. Eugene still agreed to marry me years later and brought all of us into his house.” Which prompted Faith to mumble (her inner voice just audible), “You won’t let Pistol nor I forget, mollycoddling us every hour of the day. And Gene reminding us how much its costing him to keep us around.”

Eugene made the mistake of suggesting, “What’s the big deal? He’s probably off on another one of his benders.” Which raised the hackles on Blain’s neck, “Don’t ya be badmouthing Pa!” Faith sided with her older brother (and was about to vent about Eugene’s affair with that midwife Nora Baker), when Lorelei took control. “Squabbling ain’t gonna find Pa. Family has to stick together, come hell or high waters. Best we pack some vitals and gear and start at his cabin. If he took off to find Sadie, maybe he’s home by now. If Jack was concerned enough to send me this here letr, we MUST check to make sure Pa is OK.”

8:30am, Pa’s cabin: [Most folks say these old backwoods folks lack teeth per no dental care. I’m here to tell ya they lost their teeth per gnashing and grinding and jarring while traveling dem old back-country roads! Whatever, Faith was proud of her 3 remaining teeth.] Eugene drove his truck along the wheel rutted road through the forest, up and down the ‘hollers’, till they arrived at the rusted front-yard landscape of old discarded farm equipment. 

No smoke rose from the stove-pipe jutting from the roof. Peeling paint and cracks in the sod-infused-packing between the cabin logs confirmed Pa was taking his retirement at a leisurely pace. No use trying to peek into the dirt-stained windows. Faith entered first, “Pa?! You in here? It’s your favorite come to check up on ya.” The stench of soured milk caused everyone to gag. Not that Pa cleaned, but dust was everywhere, to include his collection of lucky-charms he hung from the window sill. Dust also coated Pa’s hunting rifle that lay upon the table.

The sight of an empty moonshine bottle beside the rifle wasn’t unexpected, but the sight of a single bullet standing upright beside it caused Faith to panic, “Maybe Pa got news Sadie is dead and he considered joining her in the afterlife!” Blain scoffed at the idea, “Way I heard tell it, them two squabbled and fought all the time. Pa coulda been rejoicing at the news.” In her ever-calming voice, Lorelei interceded, “Family is family. We may squabble and bicker, but we always stick up fer one anutter.” She stepped to the semi-cold icebox and opened the door, releasing an even stronger waft of spoiled milk from the open bottle inside. The smell mixed with the stench of rotting meat. Lorelei just covered her nose. Pistol retreated to Pa’s bedroom while Eugene exited the back of the cabin.

Pistol’s hoped-for escape from the foul milk stench was only replaced by pungent body odor that reeked from the brown-stained sheet upon the bed. Add to that the putrid odor from the dark-yellow stain around the tipped over bedside piss-pan… tears filled Pistol’s eyes as he withstood the onslaught of odors as he searched. He swatted at the fat blue-green flies that took up residency. Pistol could only hold his breath so long before he retreated from the room and accepted the less offensive milk odor. “Pa’s favorite boots are still by his bed; his work-boots missing. I found a box under his bed with this picture of your (Lorelei and Eugene) wedding. Ma’s old traveling case was under the bed. Clothes still hung in his closet. Best I can guess, he left with the cloths on his back.” Lorelei accepted the offered picture and turned it over to find the single word “Family” written by Pa.

Meanwhile, out the back door, Eugene checked for footprints. He found some leading into the woods, but his attention was drawn to the lone figure kneeing at the family cemetery… Ma Annabelle’s grave under the old oak tree. “Jack, is that you?! Any idea where Pa gone to?” The tall, lanky fella stood and put his hat back on, “Ya, I was just paying my respects. Your Pa mentioned her and Sadie. Thought he was suffering bad memories. Queer how he mentioned Sadie and wanting to see her. How ‘she’ll be waiting’. Never said such before, what with them always fighting and she gone missing oh so long ago. We were supposed to go fishing last we talked a week ago. Came a calling last Tuesday (25^th) and him up and gone.”

And that’s when Blain stepped outside, “Howdy Jack. Ya think Pa gone back into shining?” Lorelei was right behind, “Where would he a wandered off to? Maybe his old still to collect his thoughts? You two used to shine together… would it be a bother for ya to take us to his old still?” As Jack excused himself to return home to gather gear, Pistol checked the outhouse to confirm Pa hadn’t fallen into his own shit.

[Occult+Luck] And that’s when Faith called out from inside the shack, “Ya’all might wanna check this out. Pa turned all the window charms to face outward as if he were a concerned about something trying to get in!” That announcement only gave Pistol the willies as he felt someone/something watching him. His neck-hairs stood on end! 

[Spot/Push- extreme] Lorelei swept through the house and found newspaper clippings inside the stove, “Check this out. I found an old burned newspaper article about Sadie’s disappearance. How the two of them argued, she pregnant, then suddenly gone missing. At least the community sided with Pa and didn’t blame him fer Sadie’s disappearance. Here’s another burnt letr from a Dr. Franklin about ‘test results and regrettably...’.”

Don’t that beat all?! Same timing those outside spied a woman approaching. Eugene conveniently stuck his head under the hood of his truck as if checking the engine. It was the county midwife, Nora Baker, “Your pa home? I brought this old brooch (grammie wore; said it kept her safe from trouble) he was wanting to trade fer. We talked last Monday.” All gathered round and looked quizzically at the brooch. All except Gene with his head buried under the hood. Nora cocked her head, “Whatta ya know about yer pa? Him a-feared about something!” Pistol spoke up, “Pa never shared his feelings. What’s wrong?!” Blain jumped in, “Pa mentioned Sadie. Whatta ya know about her?” Nora confided, “She was well before my time. All I can tell ya is your pa wanted to go see that ole Jinny.”

[INT hard] Eugene jumped at the name “Jinny Bishop.” He remembered the stories her a witch… touched; bit of a healer! How Annabelle used to go see her then suddenly return pregnant again. “I seem to remember the story she killed some guy around the turn of the century.” Lorelei scrounged around the house and came up with 2 bottles of moonshine, “Pa’s not here but I’ll buy the brooch from ya.” It was made of ram-horn. Nora handed it over, “Grammie used to clutch it to her chest and say how it protected her from evil. Maybe yer pa wanted it fer his condition.” That raised eyebrows. “Surely ya knew he’d gone to see Dr. Franklin up in Frankfort who diagnosed him with cancer.” THAT made Faith reconsider the lone bullet... did Pa consider suicide?!

Hitting the Trail: Luckily, Jack returned with his gear, ready to travel. He sneered as Nora left with goodbyes, “Nice seeing ya, Eugene.” Gene thumped his head on the hook as he quickly rose. Faith snickered and quietly teased, “Can’t hide yer affair from everyone.”  Faith re-entered the cabin and returned with pa’s rifle (+1 bullet) and a collection of charms pulled down from the window and passed them out, “Pa was concerned enough. We might as well be protected from whatever concerned him.” Jack questioned, "I heard someone mention ole Jinny. They say she’s got powers. Used them to kill a man.” Jack led them north thru the dark forest along an old animal trail for about an hour till he reached an uprooted tree before turning west, “If we’d turned east, there’s an old pet cemetery. North of that is the ole witch Jinny’s place.”

They’d barely gone further when… [Sanity check] Lorelei stopped with the feeling something was poking inside her brain. Faith screamed along with Eugene who stumbled in what they later described as “Was that an eclipse?! Total darkness! It was like a biblical plague with all the insects chattering at once.” Eugene concluded, “I never liked these woods!” While the rest of the family snickered, Jack grew taunt as he confessed, “Yer Pa’s been getting into dark stuff. Wanted Jinny to bring… I don’t want to be the one to say… but yer Pa killed Sadie all those years ago because she wanted an abortion. If Sadie is back… maybe yer pa is at the still, wanting to perform some ritual with that witch Jinny.” Faith blew up, “Quit saying bad things about Pa!” Pistol was just as adamant. Jack continued, “Yer pa’s been going thru a rough patch. He said he dumped Sadie’s body out in the swamp.”

Eugene jumped on the bandwagon, “Yer Pa’s nothing but a deadbeat. Dumped you kids on us 17 years ago.” THAT spun Faith up! Pistol too. Lorelei tried to intercede. [Spot] Most had the feeling something was watching them. Some noticed yellow eyes peering from the edge of the forest. Eugene swore he saw a humanoid form. He raised his rifle and shouted, “Who’s out there?! Come out, else I’ll shoot!” Silence except for the cacophony of insects answering the question. Then suddenly a guttural response “Agg…hhaaa…aaaggg .” Jack provoked them, “I hope he hasn’t got that thing raised yet.” Eugene turned to his wife, “I love ya but raising the dead…does that sound normal?!” Lorelei’s only answer, “I’m not making excuses, but this is family we’re talking about.”

Family: Jack led them onward and upward as they climbed toward a waterfall where Jack pushed aside vines to reveal a cave entrance. Inside: all the rusted components of an old moonshining still. But they also found crude drawings on the walls: soapstone markings of basic arithmetic and alphabets. Faith and Pistol gasped at recognition, “There’s the old toys we used to play with as kids!” They found piles of their old youthful clothing, and even a few pictures of them at last year’s family picnic. And on the back of the picture: “Family.” Lorelei studied the family-tree drawing (in Pa’s handwriting) etched on the wall with each of their names.

And that’s when Jack called out, “Children; come out.” About a dozen kids cautiously inched out of the shadows; ages 12-23 years old. All deformed in some way or another. Jack introduced them, “Children, these are your siblings.” To the Taft members, he introduced, “These are your half-brothers and sisters. Actually, full brothers and sisters as all of you share Sadie as your mother.” [Sanity check] [-6 but INT check 000] Blain was dumbfounded as it didn’t sink in. [-6 INT pass = Bout-Of-Madness] Lorelei fainted, overwhelmed with happiness. Jack tried to block the way as Eugene drug his wife towards the exit: Gene shoved him out of the way, “These ain’t MY kin!!” Blain bent down to the youngest (then the next) and asked, “What’s your name?” Each in turn answered in a broken-drawn response “Shaawn”, “Maarry”, etc. In unison, all spoke “U fammilly.” Jack added, “These are the offspring who survived.”

Faith pointed her rifle at Jack, “You said the witch killed someone. Did she kill my ma, Annabelle?” Jack answered yes with the explanation, “She was sterile and couldn’t have kids. So, Sadie stepped in.” Blain struggled to comprehend, “How could Pa hide something like this?! Especially in the ‘holler’ where everyone/someone knows all.”

Outside, Eugene cradled Lorelei’s head in his lap as he splashed water in her face. “Where am I? What happened to the kids?” Gene tried to hold her back, “It’s a freak show in there” but Lorelei insisted “they’re kin.” Gene commanded his wife to stay outside as he re-entered the cave with his rifle drawn. Inside, Jack continued to explain, “Sadie had made some kind of evil pact with that witch Jinny so she could continue to become pregnant. Your Pa finally had enough and took Sadie into the swamp and killed her.” Any further explanation was cut short by the blast of Eugene’s rifle.

The blast reverberated thru the cave, deafening all. A huge hole suddenly appeared in Jack’s chest. But before his body slumped to the ground… his body turned to ash and floated out of the cave! [SANITY CHECK!] [BOM- paranoia] Blain bolted in a run out of the cave. [20% auto BOM-significant person] Eugene crumbled to the ground trying to cradle the imagined body of Lorelei as he sobbed, “Why did you get in the way?!” Pistol edged his way to the cave entrance trying to avoid being shot. Faith bolted after Blain, knowing her older brother knew best. Lorelei stepped out of their way before she entered the cave to see Eugene still holding his rifle, “Gene, what did you do?!”

THAT broke Eugene out of his trance… he grabbed her and squeezed her tight, kissing every inch of her face, “Oh my God! You’re alive! I thought I’d… You’re alive!” Lorelei snatched the rifle out of his hands. Meanwhile, the kids cowered in the back of the cave per a sound they’d never heard before. Lorelei saw their fear and stepped forward, “It’s alright, I’m here. I’ll protect you. Yes, family. I’ll take care of all of you.” Which snapped Eugene out of his blabbering hysteria, “Great! More mouths to feed.”

Outside, the twins followed Blain running east thru the forest before he stopped to lean against a stone to catch his breath. Realization he was leaning on a headstone in the Pet Cemetery. Except… each of the 27 headstones bore the name of another child. In Pa’s handwriting! [Sanity check] Faith shrieked as she realized the Taft’s never had pets… these the headstones of the bastardized offspring that didn’t survive! Even Pistol was shaken by the sight. Blain was the most composed as he pointed north, “We need to talk to that witch, Jinny!”

Back inside the cave, Eugene finally composed himself, “I know these kids are innocent, but this is a lot to take in. We need to find yer Pa and chat with him. He’s probably at the witch’s cabin.” Lorelei turned to the kids, “Would you like to see yer Pa?” Despite Gene’s desires, Lorelei kept his rifle as they led the procession out of the cave. By sheer luck [the brooch Lorelei carried], they found the Pet Cemetery and turned north. They caught up with the others.

It was more of a shack… lean to… built next to the gnarly oak tree, thick with kudzu and fungus. What should have been the roof was a layer of moss. They stopped at the edge of a ring of old mason jars filled with some kind of phosphorescent moss. As if it were a protective barrier. Blain called out. Soon, a weak old woman ambled to the porch. Blain pressed, “Where’s Pa?!” Jinny softly spoke, “I don’t recommend you follow. He’s gone to battle dark forces. He’s gone to the swamp to kill her. Well, kill her lifeless body.” Now Faith found her nerve, “But he’s family! We HAVE to help.” Jinny calmly asked, “What did you bring to help? Manly weapons are useless. Your pa had me make a rib-bone dagger for him.” Faith persisted, “Do we have time for you to make another?”

And that’s when they heard Jack’s voice behind them, “Don’t listen to that ole witch!”

TO BE CONTINUED: https://rigglew4.blogspot.com/2023/06/of-sorrow-and-clayp2-conclusion.html