Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

"Didn't I tell you before we left? Behave yourself, don't go grabbing stuff that isn't yours. Goes in one ear and out the other, doesn't it?! Hand it over, now! You must be sick of living, itching for a taste of juvie, huh? You disobedient little brat-" Martha was swift in her reprimand, scolding right after the slap.

Everyone was too stunned to react.

The kid was dazed.

The woman and the man were dumbfounded.

Even Roseanne stood frozen in place.

"Wahh-Grandma hit me! Waaaaah-"

The troublemaker finally reacted, bursting into real, undiluted tears.

"I didn't take it! I don't even know where the stuff is!"

"Say that one more time? See if I don't tan your hide!" Martha was both angry and scared.

"I won't say! I won't!"

"That'll teach you to disobey! That'll teach you to take things! Hand it over, right now!" Martha got serious, aiming a flurry of slaps at the kid's rear.

The man and the woman tried to intervene, with persuasion and pulling, but to no avail.

"You old witch-how dare you hit me why aren't you dead yet?!"

was so incensed she

stepped in, and Martha stopped her

fishing out a stack

Roseanne, could

the documents were correct and nodded: "Yes, this

"That's good then."

turned to the child's parents: "My door was locked. He climbed in through the window. We're talking a drop from the second floor, at least thirty feet, right?

The parents went pale.

ashamed to

and her family packed up to leave for

let them stay the night and leave

all good people, not like your mother... Better watch out from now

that, she led

out who

...

her family finally got a good night's

the house. After

After breakfast, Roseanne decided

a

and remembered private bookstore on West Street where she found a rare,ition book related to

it; she could only read it there but had