OLWG #47- Sybella Proud

This week’s prompts are at the bottom. I wrote this little story strictly for practice ’cause practice makes perfect. I kinda like this one.

Here’s how to play along, if you are unsure.

Sybella Proud, she has a story, but I’m not going to try to tell it all right now. For now, you need only know that she was named for her mother, Sibyl, who died in childbirth. The rest of her life was almost as tragic as the circumstances of her birth. When she was not quite ten years old, this happened.

###

Mrs. Reardon unfolded the note that had been delivered to the classroom. She pulled her spectacles down to the end of her nose and studied what had been written on the small yellow sheet of unlined paper.

“Is this an immediate summons, Mr. Sawyer, or are we allowed to finish the lesson?” she quizzed the older student who had delivered it.

“I believe it is rather urgent, ma’am,” the lad advised, “Mr. James instructed me to escort her back to his office straight away.”

Mr. Bryson James was the headmaster and he liked to frighten the students with tales of his ancestors, Jesse James and his older brother, Frank; the infamous outlaws. However, the relationship was never very clearly defined.

“Well, I guess it can’t be helped then,” the elderly Mrs. Reardon sighed and she fussed with her dress as if she didn’t like the way it lay across her ample bosom. “Miss Proud?” she called to the class. Sybella rose and stood next to her desk.

“Yes ma’am?” Sybella sang meekly.

“Please accompany Mr. Sawyer to the office. You will have to catch up with the class when you return.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sybella repeated and she scurried over to take her place next to the boy. They immediately began the trek down the scuffed wooden floors of the hallway.

“You’re ‘bout to be arrested.” Jimmy Sawyer said to her with a leer. “Sheriff’s down there with about a dozen deputies. They’re askin’ bout you.”

“Don’t you fib to me, Jimmy Sawyer. There’s no such thing as that goin’ on. I’ll tell your mama,” she threatened him.

Jimmy didn’t answer they just continued to walk until they reached Mr. James office where they found that it was almost like Jimmy had said, there stood Sheriff Feeney and two of his deputies. They all turned and looked at the students when they came through the door.

Sheriff Feeney cleared his throat, “Ahem, is this the young lady?” he asked the headmaster. Silently, Bryson James nodded his head. Feeney continued by asking the young girl, “Is your name Sibyl Proud?”

“No sir; I’m Sybella Proud. Sibyl Proud was my mama.”

“I understand that your mama has passed on, and that Arnold Proud was your daddy?” he continued asking questions, Sybella just nodded her head to affirm that Arnold Proud was indeed her father. “Miss Proud I am here to inform you that your daddy, Arnold Proud, was shot and killed this very afternoon by my deputies in the course of their duty; as he was robbing the Lafayette County Bank and Trust offices in downtown Lexington. As duly appointed officers of the court we have been assigned to transport you downtown where they’ll put you in the new Riverside Children’s Home ‘til such time as the good sisters can find you new parents.”

Sybella stood mute, trying to understand what was happening. Jimmy Sawyer was dispatched back to Mrs. Reardon’s classroom to fetch any personal belongings that Sybella might have left there. Just like that her life had changed forever.

This week’s prompts are:

playing dress-up
watched the spider high in the corner
in the middle of the block

Go ahead and dive in, set your imagination free!
Write something
Ready, Set, Go – you have 25 minutes, but if that is not possible, take as long as you need.

Have fun