Something More by Mandy Haynes

Something More by Mandy Haynes

“Jewel knows the crows will come soon, then the buzzards will come to finish the job.”

Jewel slips out the back door, mindful of the squeak in the rusted spring overhead. Her bare feet dart over the well-worn path through the woods behind the house, missing sharp stones and sneaky roots by memory.

When she reaches the edge of the field that lies on the other side of the woods, she stops to pick handfuls of clover. Jewel pinches the delicate stems close to the ground between her thumbnail and pads of her fingers, choosing only ones that are tall enough for tying. She works fast, slowing only to scold the bees that buzz around her.

“You quit bein’ selfish. You got a whole field here and ten more down the road. You can share this little bit with me.” Her voice so seldom used sounds strange to her ears.

She tucks the clover into the front of her cotton dress, folding the frayed hem over the green leaves and purple blossoms. The flowers appear even brighter in contrast to the faded and wellworn step-ins that peek out from underneath her threadbare dress.

When she’s sure she’s picked enough, she turns and runs back to the woods, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one is watching even though she knows no one’s there. It’s a habit that’s hard to break, like chewing the inside of her cheek until it’s raw or poking the crooked bump on her collarbone where the broken pieces fused together without the help of a sling. Certain she’s alone, she slips between the branches of the weeping willow at the bend in the creek. Safe behind the curtain of branches she relaxes.

Jewel places the clover on the spongy green carpet of moss beside the willow that hides her most treasured items in the hollow of its trunk. Tucked away are pieces of quartz she found on the path. One perfect, turquoise- colored claw from a crawdad she found in the creek, a collection of feathers. Two books from her granny’s house and a teacup with pink and yellow roses painted around the rim. The teacup is the only piece from her granny’s set she’d been able to save. The rest were shattered against the kitchen wall, innocent victims of her stepfather’s temper.

"From her mind come people who inspire and infuriate and inform. They'll make you ache and smile and sigh, all at the same time." Peter Cooper, award-winning journalist, author, singer-songwriter

*Customers say: Customers find the stories in the book very good, with powerful insights into the complexities of human and family relationships. They also appreciate the characters as completely human and real. Readers also mention the emotions as sweetness, sadness, and humor. They describe the writing style as brilliant and riveting. (*AI-generated from the text of customer reviews on Amazon)

Something More is a story from the collection, Walking the Wrong Way Home. If you’d like to read the rest of Jewel’s story, you can purchase it for .99 cents or read it for free on kindle unlimited.