Eliza's Shadow Read Online Free Page A

stood in my mother’s place in the kitchen,
moving slowly between the stove and the sink. She was plump and brown like so
many of the Gullah women I’d known. Her clothes and hair were swathed in a
bright blue fabric that reminded me of hydrangea blossoms.
    There was nothing remotely menacing about Cora but
her presence still sent me into a complete panic.
    Hearing my footsteps, Cora turned around slowly,
drying her hands on a dishtowel. She smiled but everything else about the set
of her face confirmed my alarm.
    “Where’s my mother?” I demanded, my breath
catching in my chest. My heart beat so fast I thought it might explode.
    Cora’s smile wilted as she glided across the room.
Her arms stretched toward me.
    “Come child. Let’s get you some breakfast.” She
cooed soothingly, avoiding my demand.
    When her smooth warm hands graced my arms, I shook
them off defensively.
    “Where is she? And who are you?” I demanded
growing increasingly angry that she hadn’t yet explained herself.
    Cora sighed and sauntered to the small white
kitchen table, easing her large countenance into a chair. Her expression
softened then and in it, I saw defeat. She gestured for me to join her.
    I crossed the room stiffly and climbed into my
usual chair. My nerve endings bristling, I noticed that the pool of water that
had been on the floor the night before was gone.
    Cora’s eyes softened as she took me in. “My name
is Cora Jones. I’m an old friend of your mama’s.” She said simply.
    My heart throbbed, pounding against my ribcage.
    “Where is she?” I asked my voice cracking.
    Cora shook her head despondently. “Don’t know,
child. She called last evenin’ sayin’ she’d like me to look in on you. Wasn’t
expectin’ that call. By the time I arrived, she was gone.”
    A knock on the wood of the screen door interrupted
us. It was Nathaniel Jackson, the sheriff. My stomach flipped and I thought I’d
be sick.
    Cora looked up unsurprised and pressed her hands
against the table to lift her heavy frame out of the chair, “Mornin’ Nathaniel.
Thank you for comin’ by.” She said seriously.
    I tried to listen to the conversation between Cora
and the sheriff but a thick buzzing noise filled my ears, making it hard for me
to concentrate. “Missing… some kind of trouble...leave child… ” The pounding of
my heart became painful and it was hard to breathe.
    The next thing I remember I was stretched out on
the floor. Cora and the sheriff’s faces stared down at me. Cora’s soft arm was
beneath me and a cool washcloth lay over my forehead.
    “That’s right, child, keep breathing. You just had
a sinkin’ spell.” She said softly.
    The sheriff frowned, “She goin’ be alright, Miss
Cora?” he asked.
    “Just fine.” She said, a reassuring smile
stretched across her face.
    The sheriff sighed. “Whelp, we got a lot of mess
to clean up today but we’ll work it up. If you hear from Nia, give us a
holler.” He said, directing his comment to Cora.
    “Uh hum, thank you, Nathaniel.” Cora said shortly
without looking up.
    Then his face disappeared from my line of sight
and I heard the screen door slam.
    I took a deep breath and sat up.
    “Easy now, child. Let’s get you some breakfast.
You need something to settle yourself.” She said decidedly.
    I crawled back up to the kitchen table and
obediently consumed the sausage biscuits Cora placed before me. It occurred to
me that both Cora and the sheriff were under the impression that my mother had
left me on purpose, a possibility that was utterly devastating.
    While I ate, I dazedly watched Cora fuss about
pulling an array of jars from a paper grocery bag on the floor. Some were large
and filled with colored powders, others held dark, wrinkled mysteries, and some
of the jars were so cloudy I couldn’t tell what was inside.
    “Let me know when you’ve finished. We’ve got us
some work to do.” She said, all the while inspecting the windows and doorframe
of the