Shadows

by Davis, Brenda

• ISBN13: 9781452555041
• ISBN10: 1452555044
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-07-13
• Publisher: Author Solutions

Summary

Shadows are created when the light is blocked by an obstacle, producing areas of darkness. Shadows can represent dark places where people hide things they do not want to take responsibility for. Things such as: child abuse, spousal abuse, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, mental illness. Every family has secrets but some have dark, dangerous secrets that physically or mentally cripple those around them. The only way to address these things is by bringing them into the light. Individuals also create shadows in their mind in order to hide painful memories of unacceptable behavior or trauma that they have suffered. These memories can reappear at any time, and the pain can be devastating again. This story spans three generations of women-mother, daughter, and granddaughter. They all three had black hair, emerald green eyes and shared a predisposition for mental illness, which are all hereditary traits. The era that each lived had a significant impact on the problems that they had passed to each other. Mental illness in the 1930s was lumped into one category. Bess, born in this time, was hidden away to conceal her mental illness that was spiraling downward into complete insanity. Jane, Bess's daughter, was born late in Bess's life. Jane's mental illness began to surface as a teenager and brought destructive behavior that affected many people adversely and forever changed their future. Jane's daughter, Lily, was raised in the shadow of alcohol addiction, child abuse, her mother's partner abuse, and murder. Lily had to pull herself out of dire circumstances while she dealt with the possibility that she might have a form of mental illness. Lily was blessed with an angel in the form of a lonely widow who gave her the tools she needed to lead a normal life. She also experienced the unconditional love and devotion that came from a dog that wandered into her life.

Excerpts

The sun was creeping over the eastern horizon and without a cloud in the sky; it was going to be another beautiful day. The night shadows began scurrying away as the sun rose, leaving no trace of the previous night. The shadows would return again when the sun slide down the western horizon and the darkness would cover everything again. Lilly's life was like the night, there were shadows in her past that sometimes were exposed by certain events. As much as Lily's consciousness would push the dark memories away, these thoughts would only to be exposed again later. Lily felt like she was an average person; she certainly was very smart and well educated. She thought her best bet for a normal life was to fend for herself and make her own way, at least until she could figure things out. Lily had a past full of shadows that hid secrets, scandal, betrayal and murder. She had a lot to deal with to escape the shadows that caused her to lie to everyone about her life. The only way she could manage her life now was to start over. She was totally alone and knew she could not out run the past but by starting over maybe she could deal more successfully with her demons. Chapter 4 When Henry got upstairs, he set the breakfast tray on a table in the hall and unlocked the door. He pushed the door open then turned to get the tray. As he walked in the room, he said, "Good morning, Bess." However, that is all he had time to say before he felt a hard hit to the back of his head. He dropped the tray, breaking everything on it and he fell to the floor. He was not knocked out but was stunned. The next thing he knew, Bess was on his back. She laid on him and put her mouth next to his ear. Henry heard her say, in a very low, gravely voice, "I heard what the evil spirit has been trying to say to me. He is saying: Kill him, kill him, kill him! I am going to do as I'm told!" The nurse heard the loud crash of the breakfast tray and ran upstairs. As she entered the bedroom, she saw Bess sitting on Henry's back with her hands holding a vase above her head. She heard Bess say, "He said to kill you!" The nurse grabbed the vase and pulled it out of her hands. Bess screamed, "Leave me alone, go away, I hate you!" The nurse discarded the vase and grabbed Bess's arms and pulled her off of Henry. Henry was able to get up although he was shaky. However, he recovered enough to help the nurse drag Bess to the bed. They laid her on the bed and Henry laid on her to hold her. Bess was screaming and fighting. Henry said to the nurse, "go get a shot, I can hold her for now." The nurse dashed down to the kitchen where her bag was with a shot in it to sedate Bess. She promptly returned and gave Bess a shot in her arm. In minutes Bess stopped fighting and screaming. She slowly went to sleep. Henry looked at the nurse and said, "Please go call an ambulance to come get Bess. Also call the institution that we are coming. I will stay with her until they come." After the nurse left to go down stairs to do the calling, Henry began to cry as he looked out the window at the sky. He lay down beside Bess and put his arms around her. He knew this was the last time they would lay together in the bed that they had spent their entire married life in. He knew that for the Bess that he had known to be the sweetest, kindest person in the world to try to kill him, that she was completely mentally gone. The shadows in her mind that she so often had talked about had completely overcome her. The evil that she had told him was trying to whisper instruction to her had finally gotten loud enough for her to hear. The fact that she obeyed the instructions was evidence that the battle was over and Bess was gone. Chapter 12 Jane saw her father fall to the floor. She screamed and ran to him. She knelt by him and rolled him onto his side. His face was a bluish color and his eyes were staring but not seeing anything. Even Jane could tell he was dead. A wave of desolation swept over her. Everything in the room faded out and all she saw was her father's face and the gun beside his hand. For a second her mind turned black, and she heard a whisper in her ears that grew louder and louder until she heard loud and clear, "Kill him, Kill him. Kill him" Even though it seemed an eternity, it only took seconds for Jane to pick up the gun and stand up. Mr. Miller said, "look what you have done you stupid bitch. You have killed your father. You have told a lie that has destroyed your family." Jane held the gun in her right hand. With her left hand she took the palm of her hand and pulled the hammer of the gun back. She moved her left hand onto the handle with the right hand and stretched out her arms straight in front of her. The first shot hit Mr. Miller in the abdomen. His face turned to complete surprise and he grabbed his abdomen with both hands and sat down in the chair with a thud. He whispered, "you shot me, you little bitch. I will see that you burn for this." When he finished talking, Jane repeated her motions and the second shot hit him directly in the heart and he died immediately. His head fell back and his arms fell by his side. Blood was seeping into his expensive suit and dripping onto the floor.