The ladies are part of a missionary circle yet they just gossip and think poorly of everyone else in the community.
Answer:
I think this means that the dead wood (useless/burdensome people or things) are the same anywhere they are. So the useless are useless not only in one situation but useless all around.
Explanation:
Example: He cut the "deadwood" from the group. So he is getting rid of the useless people in the group.
I can write a paragraph about Martin Luther King
It is really a great story so far. What you need to do next is to write what did Ryker and Noelle do when they heard the footsteps above them. Did they investigate or did they leave the house? Since Ryker had already told Noelle that his brother was going to try and murder her, I don't think you should send them directly upstairs to see what or who made the footsteps. You should let the story continue a little more to be more dramatic. Don't let the story be a cliche like others would do. Perhaps, they could hide and wait to see who comes down. They could also catch the brother and then call the police or even the parents. You want the story to be different and have more excite to make the reader be wowed in the end.