Ninth Ward

This is an excerpt from the book Ninth Ward, written by Jewell Parker Rhodes and published in 2010. The narrative voice belongs to Lanesha, a 12-year-old girl growing up in New Orleans. Lanesha is frequently picked on and teased because she has a special gift—she is able to see ghosts and spirits. Lanesha is used to being bullied herself, but in this scene she is a witness to someone else being the target.