Tillie has dealt with more and seen more than her young years should have. The circumstances of her grandmother as her guardian and her mother’s absence are just the beginning. But, when a fourth-grade boy corners her in the woods, all that knowing will come in handy. Author Meagan Lucas sets up a battle of wits between two kids in the story, “Buttons” that you won’t soon forget. “Buttons” is part of Meagan’s Anthony Award-nominated collection, HERE IN THE DARK.
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The Plot
Tillie is about to start third grade after the summer winds down in a few weeks. Her racket about the house is distracting Meemaw from her afternoon stories (if you’re from the South, you know that’s slang for soap operas). All Tillie wants to do is read a book and sneak a few cookies, but she reluctantly obeys Meemaw and goes for a walk in the woods near the house.
From the beginning, it is clear that Tillie lives an isolated life, both geographically and socially. She lives outside of town down a dirt road. She infers that she can’t invite anyone to her home because of Meemaw’s usual “collection” of pets, which Tillie refers to as “Buttons”.
Her grandmother reinforces a notion of proper behavior. Little girls should be seen but not heard, keep their knees together, and always wear a smile. Meemaw eludes to Tillie’s mama not following these rules. The reader never knows what became of her, but it is clear that Meemaw believes Tillie’s mama brought whatever happened upon herself, an opinion that Tillie does not share.
Tillie’s playtime is interrupted by the snap of a twig on the other side of the creek. A boy stares at Tillie, holding a pointed stick. At first, she tries to find common ground and discovers he’s in fourth grade. Tillie comments that he is big for a fourth grader. He says he’s moved a lot. This boy may be a lot older than his grade suggests and this information ramps up the menacing tone of the story.
Tillie asks if he plans on poking her with the sharp stick. The boy states she should let him hit her. Tillie senses the threat. She runs but doesn’t get far before he overpowers her and she’s on the ground. As he straddles her, Tillie decides to give in. She agrees to let him poke her…but on one condition.
And that condition will be the boy’s, not Tillie’s, undoing.
What Lies Underneath
At her tender age, Tillie understands that society’s judgment of women can be cruel. She must hide the unpleasant, unrefined parts of herself…of her life. The rules are different for boys than for girls. Tillie tries her best to comply but when she encounters a boy not boxed in by these constraints, embracing his untethered bad behavior, she leverages this opportunity to take control.
There is an underlying theme of women being responsible for how others treat them. Meemaw’s rules for little girls didn’t save Tillie from the older boy’s targeted violence. It didn’t save her mother from the unnamed fate that befell her. The author shines a light on this unequalness but also gives the reader a delicious outlet to experience some catharsis when Tillie savagely breaks the rules.
What Makes It Killer
HERE IN THE DARK is a dark exploration of female lawlessness. Meagan Lucas infuses her characters with such depth they leap off the page in a visceral and immersive way. Tillie in “Buttons” is no different. The reader sees the world through her eyes. The layered experiences of Tillie’s childhood– her mother’s unexplained absence, her isolation, basically left to her own devices – lull the reader into a sense of Tillie being vulnerable. But the reader needn’t worry. This little girl takes her tormentor to task and turns the table in a macabre and wholly deserving way.
There are a few wince-inducing moments as the story reaches its denouement (it involves a needle, thread, and eyelids), but nothing is more shocking than the ending. The last sentence, “Why not?”, will stick with the reader, at least it did with this reader, long after you move on to another story in the collection. The ending’s ability to hang out rent-free in your mind because of all the implications it breeds makes “Buttons” a killer story.
Every story in this collection is a banger so run, don’t walk, to pick up HERE IN THE DARK.
Short Story Title: “Buttons”
Publisher: Shotgun Honey
Meagan’s agent: Victoria Sanders of Victoria Sanders and Associates.
Meagan’s publicist: Lauren Harr of Gold Leaf Literary
Meagan’s other award-winning book: Songbirds and Stray Dogs
Meagan’s Socials:
