Angels and Demons
Bayou
At 5 years old, Ruby Jo was full of questions. “What’s that? Who’s that? What does this do? What’s that for? How’s this work? What’s that mean?”
“Ruby” Shane said one day. “Stop asking so many questions”
“But I wanna know” She argued. “Tell me”
Shane shook his head and tried to answer the questions she had. He was relieved when she started kindergarten. He was starting his freshman year in high school. He had to take online school because of his wings. They were black, bird-like wings that were down to his shins. Only trench coats could really hide them.
The Jackson family lived in a small town in Louisiana. It was more like the outskirts of that town since they lived closer to the bayou. Daniel Jackson was an alligator hunter. He worked with his partner Louis. Bethany was a stay at home mom.
The Jackson’s had a huge garden and grew a lot of their food. Ruby and Shane helped Bethany with the garden but mostly played out in the swampy forest that surrounded the area. They never went too far or went into the actual swamp.
“Shane! Ruby!” Beth called. “Lunch!”
Shane came immediately.
“Where’s your sister?” Beth asked. “It’s getting stormy out, I want you two inside” She looked up at the storm could above. In late September, it stormed instead of snowed. She called out her daughter again. “Ruby Jo! Ruby Jo you need to come inside when I call you!”
“Sorry mama” Ruby said as she walked up. “I can’t keep up with Angel very easily”
“Would you stop calling me that?” Shane hissed. “I ain’t no angel”
Ruby shrunk back at his tone. “Sorry”
“Pah. At least it’s better than ‘demon’ or ‘fallen angel’ like all of Pa’s old girlfriend used to call me” Shane grumbled.
Daddy’s got Mama now so he won’t see no one else” Ruby chirped.
Beth put her hand on her 13 year old step-son. “You are just as smart, as kind and as good as any of the Lord’s angels.”
Shane nodded.
“Now get in the house before you food gets cold” Beth said and playfully pushed her son inside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Get it Louie! GO!” Danny shouted. He was holding a line attached to a 12ft gator. Louie had his rifle pointed at the skull and pulled the trigger. With the beast down for the count, he helped heave the massive creature into the boat.
“Whahaha!” Danny cheered. “We’s gonna eat goo tonight baby!”
Louie laughed. “Two more years and that boy of yours’ll join us right? Of course only if it’s fine with the missus”
Lookie how big he is!” Danny exclaimed. “I can’t wait ‘till Shane can join the fun”
“That boy’s got the stuff for it. That’s for sure” Louie said. He laughed again. “Let’s go check dis in and head home for the wives start worrying”
Only 2 of the men’s lines were empty so they headed back to turn in their tags.
“Gator” Danny said. “Chicken of the bayou”
The men laugh heartily and head home.
Danny was a stocky, muscular man that had a good tan and a dark brown buzz-cut. He loved to laugh and loved to eat. His friend Louie was a skinny guy but a great shot. Danny would wrestle gators while Louie delivered the blow. With that teamwork, Danny and Louie could bag and tag all of their lines in a day. However it depended on if their lines had a gator or not.
“See ya Monday, Big Dan!” Louie called.
“You’d better have a girl by then Lou!” Danny called back.
They laughed and went their separate ways.
“We gonna eat good tonight Cher!” Danny called out as he walked inside. His smile faded as he saw his wife with red eyes, and tears upon her face. “Beth, what’s wrong?”
“Ruby’s missing” Beth explained. “Shane and Duke are locking for her now but she’s been missing since 3”
The couple looked up when they heard Duke bay. Danny grabbed his rifle and the pair followed the call.
They’re hearts sank as they saw what the bloodhound had found.
“It’s just another mutt” Danny said.
“You find her boy?” Shane asked as he landed behind Beth, scaring her.
“Put a shirt on, Boy” She said.
“I was flying overhead till I heard that mutt sound out” Shane reported. “Sorry for scaring ya”
“All this mutt found was another him” Danny said. “Where is Ruby?”
“She just ran off” Shane said sheepishly. “I was messing around, just teasing her and she got mad at me and ran off”
Shane looked disappointed but then picked up something. “No way”
“What?” Beth asked.
“Shh” Shane snapped.
His father was about to object but closed his mouth when Duke stepped aside to let Shane at the pup.
“Well come here.” Shane said, with arms open. “Sorry for calling you toad” The pup ran to his arms, whining.
“Has your son gone mad” Beth asked Danny.
“Since when is you Dr. Doolittle?” Danny asked.
“Duke didn’t find another him” Shane said. “This is Ruby”
“Ruby” Shane said one day. “Stop asking so many questions”
“But I wanna know” She argued. “Tell me”
Shane shook his head and tried to answer the questions she had. He was relieved when she started kindergarten. He was starting his freshman year in high school. He had to take online school because of his wings. They were black, bird-like wings that were down to his shins. Only trench coats could really hide them.
The Jackson family lived in a small town in Louisiana. It was more like the outskirts of that town since they lived closer to the bayou. Daniel Jackson was an alligator hunter. He worked with his partner Louis. Bethany was a stay at home mom.
The Jackson’s had a huge garden and grew a lot of their food. Ruby and Shane helped Bethany with the garden but mostly played out in the swampy forest that surrounded the area. They never went too far or went into the actual swamp.
“Shane! Ruby!” Beth called. “Lunch!”
Shane came immediately.
“Where’s your sister?” Beth asked. “It’s getting stormy out, I want you two inside” She looked up at the storm could above. In late September, it stormed instead of snowed. She called out her daughter again. “Ruby Jo! Ruby Jo you need to come inside when I call you!”
“Sorry mama” Ruby said as she walked up. “I can’t keep up with Angel very easily”
“Would you stop calling me that?” Shane hissed. “I ain’t no angel”
Ruby shrunk back at his tone. “Sorry”
“Pah. At least it’s better than ‘demon’ or ‘fallen angel’ like all of Pa’s old girlfriend used to call me” Shane grumbled.
Daddy’s got Mama now so he won’t see no one else” Ruby chirped.
Beth put her hand on her 13 year old step-son. “You are just as smart, as kind and as good as any of the Lord’s angels.”
Shane nodded.
“Now get in the house before you food gets cold” Beth said and playfully pushed her son inside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Get it Louie! GO!” Danny shouted. He was holding a line attached to a 12ft gator. Louie had his rifle pointed at the skull and pulled the trigger. With the beast down for the count, he helped heave the massive creature into the boat.
“Whahaha!” Danny cheered. “We’s gonna eat goo tonight baby!”
Louie laughed. “Two more years and that boy of yours’ll join us right? Of course only if it’s fine with the missus”
Lookie how big he is!” Danny exclaimed. “I can’t wait ‘till Shane can join the fun”
“That boy’s got the stuff for it. That’s for sure” Louie said. He laughed again. “Let’s go check dis in and head home for the wives start worrying”
Only 2 of the men’s lines were empty so they headed back to turn in their tags.
“Gator” Danny said. “Chicken of the bayou”
The men laugh heartily and head home.
Danny was a stocky, muscular man that had a good tan and a dark brown buzz-cut. He loved to laugh and loved to eat. His friend Louie was a skinny guy but a great shot. Danny would wrestle gators while Louie delivered the blow. With that teamwork, Danny and Louie could bag and tag all of their lines in a day. However it depended on if their lines had a gator or not.
“See ya Monday, Big Dan!” Louie called.
“You’d better have a girl by then Lou!” Danny called back.
They laughed and went their separate ways.
“We gonna eat good tonight Cher!” Danny called out as he walked inside. His smile faded as he saw his wife with red eyes, and tears upon her face. “Beth, what’s wrong?”
“Ruby’s missing” Beth explained. “Shane and Duke are locking for her now but she’s been missing since 3”
The couple looked up when they heard Duke bay. Danny grabbed his rifle and the pair followed the call.
They’re hearts sank as they saw what the bloodhound had found.
“It’s just another mutt” Danny said.
“You find her boy?” Shane asked as he landed behind Beth, scaring her.
“Put a shirt on, Boy” She said.
“I was flying overhead till I heard that mutt sound out” Shane reported. “Sorry for scaring ya”
“All this mutt found was another him” Danny said. “Where is Ruby?”
“She just ran off” Shane said sheepishly. “I was messing around, just teasing her and she got mad at me and ran off”
Shane looked disappointed but then picked up something. “No way”
“What?” Beth asked.
“Shh” Shane snapped.
His father was about to object but closed his mouth when Duke stepped aside to let Shane at the pup.
“Well come here.” Shane said, with arms open. “Sorry for calling you toad” The pup ran to his arms, whining.
“Has your son gone mad” Beth asked Danny.
“Since when is you Dr. Doolittle?” Danny asked.
“Duke didn’t find another him” Shane said. “This is Ruby”