That's What We Get ... For Skipping Church!

That's What We Get ... For Skipping Church!
By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee

Photo Credit is mine, owned by me.  Gloria Faye Brown Bates/ aka &granny gee .  Photo is of me!



　

I was trembling inside with excitement! For the time-being, I was free as a bird! Not only that, I was with a group of wild girls. We all were thirteen, fourteen. We might meet a boy!

We were all walking toward the ocean, where an old fort was at. I couldn't wait to see a ... real fort! I was fascinated ... I wanted to see!

Everyone was giggling, laughing. We bumped into each other playfully, grinning all the while. Someone said we might just meet a handsome boy on the way! A handsome boy! My, that would top our evening!

We were at summer camp in Fort Caswell, North Carolina. I'll never forget how excited I was to get to go. Why? I never could go anywhere other kids went ... I missed out on all the wonderful kids' movies, events ... I always listened to the girls talking in the background ... wishing ... I could have went.

I remember being in the Brownies for a short time ... oh, how I loved it. When my my mother left me in Hell ... I never remembered going back. It seemed everything I loved, meant something to me 'got gone'. Looking back to then ... that's exactly what happened.

A little girl who was growing up to be somebody ... became nobody when she was left in Hell ... what a way to go.

No one had money to give me to do anything other kids did. I began to think how 'things were possible for others ... not possible for me ... I had become a ... nobody'. The other girls got Barbie Dolls; how I always wished for one ... but, I never told anyone.

I knew there wasn't any money to buy me one. I don't recall asking for a lot as a child ... I just 'knew' ... the good things weren't for someone like me. The rich kids got them ... they were better than me.

Who, what, when ... where ... I don't know how I got to possibly go to summer camp! It was wonderful ... just pure ... wonderful. I was the happiest young girl in the world. I was at the ocean! I was away from Hell ... all I heard was laughing, happiness all around me!

We didn't notice it was beginning to be late evening. We arrived at the old fort ... I could see huge, flat ... round steps leading to a big, rounded doorway ... it didn't have a door.

Now, I was a chubby, young girl, but ... I was used to fighting for survival, playing ball, climbing trees, running, walking. I didn't think about being chubby at that time ...

All of a sudden ... my eyes caught something white ... I quit laughing. Not only that ... a quietness came over all the girls at the same time! We all were facing that big, rounded door full of black ... darkness!

A white ghost appeared ... in his right hand, it held a long, pointed knife (all was white!) He was coming toward us ... we couldn't move, we were all frozen to the ground.

I remember holding my breath ... I felt weak! I couldn't believe my eyes. A ghost! He was coming to get us! Oh, my God! Run!

My foot wouldn't move ... I tried to take off. I felt like I would faint! All of a sudden, where my foot was frozen to the ground, it let go! I ran like hell ... it broke the spell over the other girls ... I could hear them behind me! We were like racing horses running to win a race!

We saw a big, wide ditch ahead ... I never thought I couldn't clear it! I sailed over that damn ditch like nobody's business ... I looked back quickly to see other girls jumping, landing in the ditch only to scramble to get out! I didn't slow down.

I beat them all to the church we were supposed to be at in the first place. I ran quietly into the bathroom. I put my hands over my mouth, I was laughing hysterically. Fear makes one act just damn crazy!

One by one, the girls came into the bathroom. They were laughing with their hands holding their mouth! Their hair, eyes looked wild. I never thought about myself.

We began asking each other what the other saw ... we all saw the very same thing!

It came to my mind, and I voiced it. "That's what we get for skipping church"!


Photo, and true story are mine; both are owned by Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka #Granny Gee