Nesselorette The Book A Novella Trilogy Book 1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Rarely does a man have an opportunity to pursue a myriad of dreams, careers, and business opportunities. However, with the blessing of God and the support of my wife, Beverly Maddox, my love, and lifelong companion, I have been able to move forward as fulfilled as one could be on this life journey. I also want to express my appreciation and love for my two wonderful adult children Jasmine Maddox Butler, and my son Clemon Maddox III, who have added more value in my life than I can ever express. I also want to give God’s glory to my mother Lillian Maddox, who undoubtedly has been the catalyst for the man that I have grown to be. A special appreciation goes out to Aundra Smith, a talented and gifted creative genius that expressed her support in designing my graphic book cover concept for Nesselorette/ The Book. She has also done an amazing job of designing the other book covers for the eight books that have been completed and will be released in the near future, Duncan, Screech, The Bond, 8 Minutes, Eleanor/The Dream, M87/The Black Hole, The Silver Key and Complexity. Her graphic genius will certainly have a tremendous effect in promoting my writing product. Finally, to three men that either have laid the foundation, or have helped push my writing talent forward. Luther James Maddox, my brother, who is an amazing writer that wrote his first book in 1993, and has an arsenal of other projects that the world has not seen thus far. Jim Gilbert who continues to be a cheer-leading champion, and a lifelong gifted brother that is always pushing me beyond my limits. Finally, Joseph Green -Bishop, who gave me the final push to move my writing to reality by the special collection of love poems that he wrote in 2012. For all that my family and friends have done, I give tribute to you and the glory of God for opening the door that I now walk through. Thank you immensely.

P.L.Miki Fehlman, a brilliant and superb editor; whose guidance and direction in editing my first novel is appreciated.

The Creepiest Hospital Grounds in Manhattan (Arkham Asylum in NYC?) a special thanks and tribute to your descriptive overview of the Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital.

PREFACE

It was another cold foggy and rainy day in New York as Nesselorette sat on her thin mattress for a bed. There was a spring protruding from the mattress that required her to place a wool sock over the sharp edge of the spring to keep it from piercing her leg as she slept. She closed the old tattered book and wondered would she ever know where she was from, or who her real parents were. She had spent the last eleven years in and out of eight different Foster Care homes and always felt her so-called foster parents used her just to collect money from the state. Not to mention the number of times she had to fight off her foster-care fathers from sexually assaulting her. From the time she turned twelve years old, Nesselorette’s body blossomed into a full figure voluptuous woman. Nesselorette stood five feet ten inches tall with the most curvaceous body one could imagine on a twelve-year-old girl. Her skin was a caramel olive with long silk flowing auburn hair. Her eyes were a hazel gray and her teeth were so radiant white it was as if an artist had painted a smile on her glowing face. Now that Nesselorette was twenty years of age, her sexiness and beauty rivaled any woman on the planet. Nesselorette stared at the old tattered book and wondered what the writing and the insignia all meant on the cover of the book. She was told the old book was found stuffed under the padding of the crib that she was found in as a baby. It was the same crib that Nesselorette had lain in when the old woman left it on the curb of Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital one dreary wintery night.

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

PREFACE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 33

CHAPTER 34

CHAPTER 35

CHAPTER 36

CHAPTER 1

Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital in New York City is known to be one of the creepiest hospitals in the world. It is one of those buildings that look absolutely beautiful when the sun is shining, the bricks have been scrubbed, and the vines and trees are in full bloom. However, in the colder months when the skies are overcast, the grime begins to build up and the plant life dies the tone of the building changes quickly. Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital was built in 1931 in the Italian Renaissance style. The term Bellevue soon became slang for any and all mental health facility. Over the years, it became a dumping ground by the police for many of the cities so-called criminally insane that walked the streets of New York City. It also served as a revolving door for homeless patients as well.

It was 1965 when Margaret Doucette, a young nurse, was working a double shift at Bellevue Hospital. The wind blowing outside of the hospital had the barren trees dancing against the moon light. The shadowy figures appeared to be images of the grim reaper silhouetting off the walls outside of the hospital. Margaret was completing her final rounds on the thirteenth floor when she heard a loud screech. She stopped in her tracks and listened for the sound again but the hall way was deathly quiet except for the wind howling outside the hospital. The tree limbs were scraping against the main hallway window and Margaret turned to ensure the familiar sound of the tree limbs scraping was actually what she had heard. As she turned around, she heard a loud thud outside the hospital and ran to the window where the limbs appeared to be a window washer as they scrapped against the window. There she saw a black car speed away. She noticed that a basket sat on the curb of the street with a note flapping in the wind. Margaret ran quickly to the elevator, pressed the down button, and tried to wait patiently for the elevator to arrive on the thirteenth floor. She watched as the elevator’s floor hand moved slowly clockwise as it rose from the first floor. Patting her feet allowed Margaret to try to hold her exuberance but she thought that perhaps she should take the stairs. Just as Margaret was about to open the stairwell door, she heard a faint cry. She stood motionless to allow her ears to concentrate on the sound that she just heard. There it is again! she told herself, as she methodically and quietly closed the door to the stairwell. The faint cry blended with the tree limbs scraping against the hall window, making it difficult for Margaret to determine where the sound was coming from or exactly what the sound resembled.

Margaret glanced at the large elevator hand again as it made its clockwise slow approach to the thirteenth floor. A loud ping sounded as the doors slid open inviting Margaret in to descend down to the first floor. The ride down on the elevator seemed like it was taking an eternity to reach the first floor. As the doors swung open acknowledging it had arrived on the first floor, Margaret quickly ran to the main entrance but did not say a word to Kate Littlefield. Kate’s head was bobbing up and down as she slept at the reception desk and did not wake when Margaret hurriedly ran through the revolving doors. The night air was cold with the wind howling like a coyote bellowing under a full moon. A light gray mist was falling and blending with the howling wind made Margaret tighten the flimsy hospital robe tighter to shield against the snapping cold wind. It only took her minutes to reach the basket that had turned slightly due to the high push of the wind. As she knelt down to retrieve the note fastened with a large safety pin attached to the basket, a muffled cry was heard. Margaret rose to her feet and looked around to determine where the sound had come from. The night air was cold and only the dancing trees scraping against the hospital walls could be heard. Bending down to retrieve the basket, Margaret pulled the soft, tattered, burnt orange blanket back, and almost fell backwards when she saw a baby with a tight gag around its mouth. She immediately untied the cloth that was wrapped around the baby’s mouth. She felt to see if the child was still breathing. A faint whisper of air came from the baby’s mouth and nose, and Margaret sighed with relief knowing the baby was still alive.

Margaret also noticed the baby had a high fever and instead of examining the baby further, she hurriedly ran back into the hospital carrying the basket like a treasure of gold. Margaret never read the note that was attached to the basket but stuffed it in her pocket to read later. The revolving doors swung open in concert as Margaret flew through with the timed rhythm of a dancer, and raced to the nearest vacant hospital room. Kate began coughing and gagging from choking on her own saliva and woke up abruptly as Margaret ran through the revolving door. Hey Margaret, shouted Kate, where is the fire? While Margaret was running to the nearest vacant hospital room, she yelled for Kate to quickly bring her the doctor’s bag that was in the replenishing room next to the room she had now entered. Kate swung her chair and blazingly flew down the hall to retrieve one of the doctor’s bags that was in the replenishing room. Kate pushed the door open and before she could shout what gives her mouth flew opened and shock riddled her face. Lying on the hospital bed was the most gorgeous baby Kate had ever seen. Where did you get this baby? asked Kate. Margaret rushing to administer medical assistance said, I saw a car speed away and lying on the curb in front of the hospital was this basket. When I pulled the blanket back the baby had a gag around its mouth and had a fever. Hand me that cold compress and see if you can locate some soft cloths for me to use as a diaper, said Margaret. Kate spun around and acting like a doctor’s assistant, Kate began to help Margaret administer to the baby. Several hours had passed and the fever was down to normal. Margaret sat nursing the baby with a makeshift bottle. Kate was standing near Margaret and asked her, What are you going to do with the child? I have no idea, said Margaret. I know I cannot keep the child because I work the late shift and besides how would I explain where the child came from, said Margaret.

CHAPTER 2

After Margaret’s shift ended at midnight, she decided to take the child home and use her day off to try and figure out what to do with the child. The drive from the hospital to Margaret’s small upper room apartment located at 125th and Lenox Street in Harlem only took her twenty minutes to arrive. As she drove with the small basket crib strapped down in the front seat of her Chevrolet corvair, Margaret periodically glanced at