Did They Think I'd Disappeared Into Hell That Day?

Did They Think I'd Disappeared Into Hell That Day?

Written by Gloria Faye Brown Bates/ aka Granny Gee

I wanted to crawl under the house ... the house over Hell.  The house that guarded the portal of hell.  I don't know what was in my little girl mind as I peered into the dark, damp space that led... to God knows where.

Looking back, 'what possessed me to do that?'  Did I know then, that I lived in the house that was guarding the portal of Hell?  I was only about nine, ten years old.  I was learning fast... painful things had happened to me since I was sent there to live.

I had such a curiosity that I ended up in places that thinking about today... I 'see'.... that I'm lucky to have survived as a little girl.  I'm lucky I didn't disappear when things happened to me... somehow, I never told on anyone.

How did I know 'not to'... did voices whisper things into my little ears to warn me what could happen.... 'if I did'?

I felt fear as I crawled through the opening in the foundation underneath the house.  I just wanted to see.... but... 'see what?'  Whatever it was, it had enough power to pull me toward it... into that opening... that scary opening under the house.

Why was I being a brave little girl?  Did someone dare me to crawl under that house that........ guarded Hell?  Did someone bribe me to do it?  Did I somehow 'know that Hell existed' underneath that house, maybe I was curious to see 'what it looked like?'

'Something'.... had to have enticed me to .. do it.  To this day ...I don't know what 'something' was... I'm not that brave to this day ...unless, I'm protecting someone, something I truly love dearly... then... 'I Am Hell on wheels', as the old saying goes.

I began to get farther underneath that house.  Oh God, the ground was wet, I hate to be dirty!  I kept crawling looking for what, I don't remember.  My heart was in my throat.

Oh no!  There's a spider, I don't like spiders!  I began pushing damp dirt frantically toward the spider... it ran away.  I lay there trembling, as I looked around me... I became aware of the floor over me.

I began to breathe faster, I can't breathe!  I can't breathe!  The house is going to fall on me!  I tried to place myself in the deep area between the wood beams above me... I could see where the floor was nailed to each... there was an open space for me 'to be safe if' the house 'fell on me'.

What did I know as a little girl?  This is a little girl's thinking!  I moved my body slowly and 'placed me just right', as I crawled looking... for what?

I saw cement blocks ... I crawled toward them.  It would be safer there, the cement blocks helped to hold the house up.  I heard sounds above my head.  I heard George say "I don't know where Faye went".

I was moving a rock laying in front of me... how I could see it, I don't know.  I know that I could see.... was it from the flames from Hell underneath that house... "damn, it was hot under here!"

I never went any farther because for some reason, I knew I'd found what I was looking for.  There it was... it was under that rock laying on the wet ground.

It was white, almost transparent... long.  It's tail curled up, it stood up on its legs facing me.  Fear shot through my little body as I lay facing it.  It was a white scorpion!  It.... wanted me!  I felt cold chills run over my body, I almost froze... then, I began moving fast!

I began backing up with my body,  I needed to get back outside!  The scorpion was coming toward me!  I began crying, I felt as if my whole body was screaming... help me!  Somebody help me!

I could hear through my screaming mind... George cussing!  "What in the damn hell is wrong with you, Faye?"  "Help me, George, help me!", I cried.

"What in the hell are you doing up under this house?" he roared.  He grabbed my feet to help pull me out through that 'portal to Hell'.  "Don't you ever go back under there again!" George yelled.

"George, there was a white scorpion under there, a giant white scorpion!" I cried.  "There's no such thing!" George roared.

I kept telling George about the scorpion, he never believed me.  He and Grandma Alma were upset that I'd crawled underneath the house that day.  I wonder 'why?'  Did they think I'd disappear into Hell that day?

That wasn't the last time I crawled ...under a house.