Mylene Messner stood on the porch of the home she shared with her husband, Zachariah, watching as he drove away in his light blue Chevy Rambler. She lingered a long while, knowing it was the last time she’d ever see him, then went inside and began clearing away the breakfast dishes and washing them. She … Continue reading Ashes, Mylene
Tag: Zachariah Messner
Ashes
Each year, close to her birthday on May 11, Claire Belmonte takes a trip to a little church yard in Houston County, just outside Perry to visit the grave of Christine Messner, whose life dates are 11 May 1973 to 4 September 1989. Christine "died" on the same day she was declared an emancipated minor … Continue reading Ashes
Mommy Issues
Fan Dance, Dolls Head Trail, Constitution Lake, Atlanta, GA.It was early evening, June 1996, at the Clermont Lounge in Atlanta, Georgia. Selma Messner, now calling herself Irene Castleberry, leaned on the bar and looked out at the sparse crowd. She was dressed in a sleeveless yellow blouse, jeans, and work shoes, none of which were … Continue reading Mommy Issues
Inferno, Christine
Zachariah made it clear to Selma that caring for the baby did not take priority over her responsibilities as a wife, so often, Christine was neglected as Selma saw to the needs of her husband. Despite this, Christine thrived, always large for her age. Doctors who examined her thought she was several months older than … Continue reading Inferno, Christine
Inferno, The Birth of Christine
Christine Messner was a large baby, nearly ten pounds, and Selma was in labor with her for twenty-seven hours. Zachariah forbade her from accepting anything for the pain, owing to Genesis 3:16, so Selma was in quite a bit of distress throughout. While the doctors had not known the gender, based on how much weight … Continue reading Inferno, The Birth of Christine
Inferno
Zachariah Messner was a stern and pious man, a deacon at the Messianic Holiness Congregation, a small church in Houston County, Georgia, near Perry, with no known affiliations to any of the recognized Christian denominations. A man with few pleasures in life, he believed himself to be head of his household and insisted his wife … Continue reading Inferno