They couldn't see for looking

Rehearsal was over and has been the practice for so long now that she couldn’t remember when it began Julie and Diana headed for home straight away without even being socially courteous and saying good night. She lingered on the steps and Diana walked on ahead. Julie heard clamoring feet and voices. My goodness what a noise, she thought. She turned around suddenly and saw all the smoke and a blaze that almost light up the sky coming from the rear of the church. Her heart beat fast. “My God the church is on fire!” “Let us out. Let us out!” voices screamed from inside. “Somebody please. Open the door. It’s locked from the outside. Someone please open the door. Someone please...” The screams reached out to Julie as the beating and hammering on the door grew louder. Julie’s hand reached to the door, fumbling to unlock it. Smoke rushed out and filled her eyes. “Julie, Julie. Wake up. It’s okay now. Go back to sleep. It’s only a dream. Just a bad dream.” Mrs. Crenshaw was holding Julie close to her as a mother cuddles a baby. “Go back to sleep, honey.” “I can’t sleep. I can’t sleep. It won’t go away.” Julie sobbed loudly, cupping her face in her hands. Diana had awaken and was sitting up in her bed. She laid back down and snuggled under the covers. Mr. Crenshaw turned over uneasily and began to pray out loud. So it had been for the last few weeks. Julie’s family was worried and Mrs. Crenshaw secretly thought of taking her to see a psychiatrist. Julie had missed almost three weeks in the last two months from school and school was nearly out. She didn’t feel like seeing anyone and had stopped seeing Joe or talking to him. Jean was dating Joe now so she heard but now she was beyond caring. Whatever she had felt for Joe was gone. Buried under the hate, gossip and her own void feelings. She didn’t care about anything anymore. She had her school counselor so worried about her absences and lack of interest lately in school that Mrs. Crenshaw had been to the school twice in the last few months. Julie was to be valedictorian of her class and her teachers began to wonder if she would even show up at the graduation exercises. Mr. Crenshaw walked around balling his fists and rubbing his hands together a lot these days and blaming everything on that no good Joe. He never liked Joe and with all that had happened since he moved into town he knew he’ll never like him. Julie tried to pull herself out of whatever she was in and promised herself daily that she would come out of it for her parents and Diana’s sake. Poor Diana has to hold her head even higher now on my account, Julie sat thinking. She was home from school, again promising herself that she would go tomorrow and everyday until graduation and will have all heads turning because she was going to make that valedictorian speech with pride. “Julie,” Mrs. Crenshaw yelled from the kitchen. “Don’t bother to get the door. It’s only the mailman. I’ll get it.” Julie rushed out, making an effort to be cheerful. “Never mind mom. I’ll get it.” Mrs. Crenshaw looked perplexed as Julie brought in the mail. “Nothing but foolish advertising really. Hey, what’s this?” She pulled out a long white envelope that was printed almost illegibly. “Oh it’s nothing. Throw it out with the junk mail.” “It says The Crenshaws. So I guess that’s me too.” Julie ripped the envelope open and thrusted the letter out and began reading rapidly and then stopped and began reading again looking at Mrs. Crenshaw with a nervous grin. “You were right. It’s just junk mail. She folded the letter and went to her room and closed the door. She began reading the letter again. Mrs. Crenshaw started to Julie’s room. She hesitated for a moment and then went and knocked on the door. “Come in” Julie said in almost inaudible tones. “Now don’t let that upset you. It’s just some kind of a bad joke.” “Mother how long has this been going on? How long have people been saying or thinking this?” “Now don’t go saying people. It only took one person to write that letter. You can’t condemn the whole world.” “Who would write this. Take the time for time and even pay postage. I guess you know what it says.” Julie looked down. “It doesn’t matter dear...Just forget about it.” “Forget about it. Listen...do you understand what they are saying. Listen. She took the letter and began reading it. “WE KNOW WHY JULIE HAS BEEN OUT OF SCHOOL SO MUCH AND SICK. SHE IS SICK ALL RIGHT IF BEING PREGNANT IS STILL CONSIDERED A SICKNESS. I WONDER WHERE JOE IS NOW NOW THAT HE’S GOTTEN WHAT HE WANTED.” She continued to look at the illegible handwritten note and Mrs. Crenshaw looked on calmly feeling her daughter’s pain lodging in her own heart. Cruel people. Cruel people, she thought. “Now get some rest Julie and maybe you can help me set the table for dinner.” “Okay mom.” Julie smiled and Mrs. Crenshaw walked out the door. Julie sat in her bed staring at the letter. That night Julie went to bed afraid to fall asleep. She awoke suddenly in a cold chill and shivering frantically. She went to the drawer and got out another blanket and tossed and turned until she went back to sleep. The next time she awoke Mrs. Crenshaw was leading her back to her bed. She had been sleepwalking again and was still half dazed. “Mama I had the same dream again. Did I wake you tonight.” “No you didn’t. I just heard you walking and came to put you back into bed.” “Mama I had the same dream. This time it was even more awful.” “What do you mean, darling.” “I didn’t even try to open the door but just walked away.”