Brittany Wagner was just a girl from Mississippi.
At least that’s what she told herself.
kAm(96? (28?6C H2D ECJ:?8 E@ 7:8FC6 @FE H92E E@ >2;@C :? 2E 4@==686[ D96 H2D E@=5 D96 D9@F=5?’E 8@ :?E@ E96 DA@CED 7:6=5 3642FD6 D96 H2D 2 76>2=6] $96 564:565 E@ 5@ :E 2?JH2J]k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 36:?8 “;FDE 2 8:C= 7C@> |:DD:DD:AA:[” (28?6C 7@F89E E96 @55D 2?5 >256 :E 3:8 2D 2? 24256>:4 4@F?D6=@C @? E96 }6E7=:I D6C:6D “{2DE r92?46 &[” H9:49 7@==@HD 7@@E32== A=2J6CD ECJ:?8 E@ >2<6 :E 3:8 2E E96 y&r~ =6G6=]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 D96’D ?@ =@?86C @? “{2DE r92?46 &[” (28?6C 92D 4@?E:?F65 96C H@C< 96=A:?8 2E9=6E6D 2C@F?5 E96 4@F?ECJ >2<6 E96:C 5C62>D 4@>6 ECF6] $96 5@6D DA66496D 2C@F?5 E96 4@F?ECJ 2?5 E@@< 96C E9@F89ED 2?5 :562D E@ q6?;2>:? #FDD6== @? (65?6D52J >@C?:?8]k^Am
kAmu@C E96 (:=542E >:55=6 2?5 9:89 D49@@= 2E9=6E6D[ (28?6C 3C@<6 :E 5@H? E@ E9C66 E9:?8D 4@==686 4@2496D 2C6 =@@<:?8 7@C :? E96:C C64CF:EDi 2E9=6E:4 23:=:EJ[ 8C256D 2?5 492C24E6C] p?5 :7 E96C6 H2D @?6 E9:?8 E92E H2D 4=62C 23@FE (28?6C[ D96 H2D?’E 8@:?8 E@ DF82C4@2E :E]k^Am
kAm“&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ 96C6’D E96 ECFE9i %96 8C62E6C J@FC 2E9=6E:4 23:=:EJ :D[ E96 =6DD J@FC 492C24E6C D@>6E:>6D 92D E@ 36[” (28?6C D2:5] “p?5 E92E’D ;FDE E96 ECFE9] qFE 96C6’D H92E H6 5@i (6 4@>A2C6 @FCD6=G6D E@ E96 36DE] (6 D2J[ ‘(6==[ 96 8@E 2H2J H:E9 :Ej x 42? E@@]’ (6==[ 5@ J@F A=2J =:<6 9:>n q642FD6 :7 J@F 5@?’E[ ?@[ J@F 42?’E] %92E’D ;FDE E96 ECFE9 @7 E96 >2EE6C]”k^Am
kAm$96 2=D@ D6?E 2 >6DD286 23@FE E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 9@?6DEJ] (28?6C 36=:6G6D E96 }rpp EC2?D76C A@CE2= :D D@ =2C86 7@C EH@ >2;@C C62D@?D] ~?6 :D 3642FD6 A6@A=6 2C6?’E C62=:DE:4 23@FE E96:C 2E9=6E:4 23:=:EJ 2?5 E96 @E96C :D 3642FD6 E96J 2C6?’E 9@?6DE 23@FE H92E E96J H2?E @FE @7 2 4@==686 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm“tG6CJ3@5J H2?ED E@ A=2J 2E p=232>2[ 3FE 96C6’D E96 C62=:EJ @7 E92Ei *@F 42?’E[” (28?6C D2:5] “*@F 42?’E 2== 8@ E96C6] (6’C6 ?@E 2== !@H6C d A=2J6CD] x7 H6 H6C6 2== !@H6C d A=2J6CD[ H6 H@F=5?’E 92G6 2?J @E96C 4@?76C6?46D] (6 H@F=5?’E 92G6 2?J @E96C E62>D] q6 C62=:DE:4 23@FE J@FC 2E9=6E:4 23:=:EJ] !6@A=6 2C6 D:EE:?8 @? E96 36?49 :? 2 AC@8C2> H96C6 E96J’== ?6G6C A=2J H96? E96J 4@F=5’G6 8@?6 D@>6H96C6 6=D6 2?5 366? E96 DE2C @7 E96 D9@H]”k^Am
kAm~?46 2 A=2J6C :D H6== @? 9:D @C 96C ;@FC?6J @7 E96 C64CF:E:?8 AC@46DD[ (28?6C FC86D E@ >2<6 2 =:DE @7 E96 E@A 7:G6 >@DE :>A@CE2?E E9:?8D 23@FE 2 AC@8C2> E96? =6E 6G6CJE9:?8 6=D6 72== E@ E96 H2JD:56] $96 5@6D?’E 6G6? 42C6 H92E E9@D6 :>A@CE2?E E9:?8D 2C6 — 2D =@?8 2D E96J’C6 9@?6DE E@ E96 :?5:G:5F2=]k^Am
kAm“x 925 2 A=2J6C @?6 E:>6 E6== >6 :E H2D W23@FEX 8@@5 =@@<:?’ H@>6?j x D2:5[ ‘~z[ HC:E6 :E 5@H?[’” (28?6C D2:5] “q6 9@?6DE] %96? 96C6’D E96 E9:?8 2?5 E9:D :D E96 92C5 A2CEi (96? J@F 8@ @? 2 G:D:E[ WE9@D6 7:G6 E9:?8DX 2C6 2== J@F’C6 H@CC:65 23@FE] $@ :7 DE25:F> D:K6 2?5 4C@H5 D:K6 2C6?’E @? J@FC =:DE[ H96? J@F 8@ E@ p=232>2 7@C 2? @77:4:2= G:D:E[ 5@?’E 86E 42F89E FA :? :E] s@?’E 86E 42F89E FA :? E96 E9:?8D E92E 2C6?’E :>A@CE2?E E@ J@F]”k^Am
kAm(96? E2=<:?8 23@FE 24256>:4D[ (28?6C D2:5 E96 @?=J E9:?8 E92E :D?’E @? 2 D=:5:?8 D42=6 :? E96 C64CF:E:?8 AC@46DD :D 2? 2E9=6E6’D 8C256D] p ?@?\BF2=:7:6C[ H9:49 :D D@>6@?6 H:E9 2 v!p 36=@H 2 a]_[ 42??@E 8@ 5:C64E=J E@ 2 s:G:D:@? x AC@8C2> F?56C }rpp CF=6D] p ?@?\BF2=:7:6C >FDE 8C25F2E6 7C@> 2 ;F?:@C 4@==686 H:E9 2 a]d v!p :7 96 @C D96 H2?ED E@ 8@ E@ 2 s:G:D:@? x]k^Am
kAmp a]d v!p >62?D 36EE6C E92? DEC2:89E rD[ 2?5 2=E9@F89 E92E D66>D =:<6 2 =@7EJ 8@2= 7@C D@>6[ (28?6C D2:5 E@ 3C62< :E 5@H?]k^Am
kAm“xE’D ~z E@ >2<6 2 r[” D96 D2:5] “|2E9[ 7@C >6[ :D 2 H62<?6DD] xE’D 92C5 7@C >6 E@ >2<6 9:896C E92? 2 r :? 2 >2E9 4=2DD] %92E’D ~z] x’> 2 9F>2? 36:?8] (6 2== 92G6 H62<?6DD6Dj H6 2=D@ 2== 92G6 DEC6?8E9D] %9:D :D H92E x E6== >J 8FJD[ ‘x 8@EE2 92G6 D@>6 p 4=2DD6D]’ *@F 42? >2<6 2 rj J@F 42? >2<6 2 s[ 3FE J@F 8@EE2 32=2?46 :E H:E9 2? p]”k^Am
kAm(96? :E 4@>6D E@ 492C24E6C[ (28?6C D2:5 D@4:2= >65:2 :D 2 5C:G:?8 724E@C :? E96 C64CF:E:?8 AC@46DD E96D6 52JD] }@E @?=J 2C6 4@==686 4@2496D 2D<:?8 9:89 D49@@= 4@2496D[ 4@F?D6=@CD 2?5 E62496CD 23@FE A@E6?E:2= C64CF:ED[ 3FE E96J 2C6 5@:?8 2 E9@C@F89 ;@3 =@@<:?8 E9C@F89 A@E6?E:2= C64CF:ED’ D@4:2= >65:2 244@F?ED]k^Am
kAm“(6 364@>6 2 AC@5F4E @7 H9@ H6 2==@H :? @FC =:G6D[” (28?6C D2:5] “*@F 8@EE2 36 D>2CE 23@FE J@FC 7FEFC6 3642FD6 96C6’D E96 E9:?8i %96C6’D ?@ >28:4 H2?5] %96 ECFE9 :D E96 @?=J >28:4 H2?5 E92E 6I:DED :?D:56 @7 J@F] *@F 92G6 :E 2=C625J] xE’D :?D:56 @7 J@F[ 3FE J@F’C6 E96 @?=J A6CD@? H9@ 42? H2G6 :E]”k^Am
kAmp3@G6 2==[ (28?6C’D >6DD286 H2D 7@C E96 DEF56?E\2E9=6E6D ?@E E@ 5@ H92E D96 5:5 62C=J @?] u@C 2 =@?8 E:>6[ (28?6C 36=:6G65 D96 H2D ;FDE 2 8:C= 7C@> |:DD:DD:AA: 2?5 H2D ?6G6C 8@:?8 E@ >2<6 :E] qFE D96 E@@< E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ D96 H2D 8:G6? 2?5 D96 C2? 7C@> :E]k^Am
kAm“%96C6 2C6 =236=D E92E D@4:6EJ H:== A=246 @? J@F =:<6 E96 =236= E92E x A=2465 @? >JD6=7 2D 36:?8 ;FDE 2 8:C= 7C@> |:DD:DD:AA:[” (28?6C D2:5] “%96C6 2C6 =236=D E92E D@4:6EJ A=246D @? J@F 3642FD6 J@F’C6 76>2=6[ >2=6[ H9:E6[ 3=24<[ C:49[ A@@C[ E9:D[ E92E] %96C6’D =236=D E92E H6 A=246 @? A6@A=6 E92E DFAA@D65=J E6== FD H92E H6 42? 2?5 42?’E 5@]k^Am
kAm“x 492==6?86 J@F E@ ?6G6C 4964< 2?@E96C 3@I] s@ ?@E =6E 2 =236= 567:?6 H9@ J@F 2C6] *@F 92G6 E96 >28:4 H2?5] (2G6 :E] %96? 96=A E96 ?6IE A6CD@? H2G6 E96:CD]”k^Am
