I never told anyone I joined a gang
of waitresses at the Rustic Lodge. We slept in the attic. I was fourteen.
Waiting tables we didn't wear uniforms but our own pretty dresses. We traded
dresses back and forth because we were all the same size. Some of us liked some
dresses better than others.
We picked out the guests we wanted
to rob. We followed them at night when they went square dancing or hayriding or
drinking at Murf's. We broke into their cars and guest rooms to rifle their
luggage and closets. We all had to take one thing every night.
In the attic, Tex slept with
Scooter, Joy slept with Thea, Alex slept with DeeDee Bunsberger, I slept with
Nell-Gwyn. Bossing us around was Scooter, a hot-blood from Scranton with rotten
teeth and pink lipstick.
I don't mean we slept together. I
mean we had to use the same beds to sleep in because there were eight
waitresses and four double beds. One johnny. One sink out in the open for
everybody to see how everybody washed. I never told anyone I killed another girl.
A lot more I never told anyone but
I might.
Marcelle Thiébaux
The Accursed
Joyce Carol Oates