“The Residue Burn”

Grazer's Knoll is a picturesque small town in the Sacramento Valley, with strong and stoic men and lovingly stern and powerful women. The sewing circles of the town run the show. Kenny, the youngest of four, was well-behaved and never complained about his studies or siblings. His two older brothers and sister were all in their teens, and they pretended to fear their father. However, the real heavyweight of the family was the mother, who spoke with an eerie calm tone when things got serious.

Kenny's favorite time of the week was early Sunday afternoon. Saturdays were for hard work, preparing for tomorrow's strict adherence to the Lord's mandate of rest. For Kenny, Sunday afternoon was like a mini-summer vacation before the week started over again. He and Buddy, the family hound, spent the warm afternoon on the banks of Edgewood Creek under the lush groves that separated the north end of their property from Old Man Gentry's southern corn fields. They swam and caught crawdads while Buddy foraged through thick groves of chaparral, sending chittering flocks flying from the underbrush.

Kenny woke up with a start, trying to sit up but found himself pinned under Buddy's heavy head. He stroked his muzzle before pushing him off, but Buddy barely noticed and let out a great huffing snore as he stretched his neck and settled his head against the pillow of the thick grass that grew above the loam of the banks.

A wave of panic ran through Kenny, knowing "home before supper" meant home in time to help set and serve. He pushed himself up and dusted the sand from the seat of his pants, as he pulled and shook at the edges of his shirt. He squinted through the foliage in the low-lying sun.

Kenny and Buddy bounded through the tall golden grass and onto the dusty drive. They saw Pastor Jensen's blue Buick parked in the shade of the great oak in the front yard. If the pastor was still visiting, then he had gotten home much earlier than he had originally suspected. Kenny and Buddy skirted the yard through the firewood cache, around the chicken coops, and across the tractor yard to the barn. Buddy waddled into the barn and headed to the stalls, where he liked to doze against the doors of the pens.

Kenny made his way into the backyard, peering through the picture window into the living room as he passed.

Kenny, a young boy, finds himself in the company of his mother, Pastor Jensen, and town librarian, Miss Krantz. He works in the kitchen, where he finds a hunk of cheese in a cold box. He tries to hide it, but is interrupted by murmurings from the living room. Kenny listens to the church's prayer and hymnals, and notices a sinister timbre in the pastor's voice.

Kenny eats the cheese and hears a hushed chant in the dining room. His mother, who has always made his middle name sting, accuses him of eavesdropping on her son's words. She warns him not to listen to others' words, which he understands is out of context.

Kenny agrees, and she instructs him to keep the cheese and review his studies until dinner. He nods enthusiastically and thanks his mom for the help. After dinner, Kenny cleans late into the evening, and by bed, he has only ten minutes to read his latest book before lights out.

All three boys share a room, with Adam and Ben sharing a bunk bed. Kenny's single bed is tucked into the corner, and he listens to his brothers whispering back and forth. The story highlights the tension between family dynamics and the importance of respecting one's own beliefs.