Looking around the room, she saw many familiar faces and knew all their stories. Every few weeks a new person showed up, but understandably their stories were all the same, only the names changed to protect the innocent.
She was one of the old-timers. The group offered more than a place to unload her burden, it had become a family. She came back not only to share her own tale, but to also help the others in their transition.
Most looked to her as the de facto leader, often seeking her out over the actually administrator. With her life experiences, she understood better, having lived through it and having emerged whole and stable.
The program considered her its poster child, recruiting her out to speak to other similar groups, proving it could be done.
With all the newbies, the admin asked her to tell her story, to make them feel welcome, and give them hope for their reconciliation. Their lives were changing and it was often difficult to adjust to those changes, even when they were welcome and sought after changes.
Making her way to the front of the assembly, she accepted well-wishes and back slaps from the other long-term members.
“Today I’m five.” That declaration brought gasps even from other old-timers.
“That’s right, it’s been five cycles since the host brought me in. Five cycles for me to accept the beauty of the host and assimilate into my role within, and you too can find that same joy.”
“Today I’m five“
Thin spiral notebook 
Rolling along and ….BAM…it turns into sci-fi! Well done!
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So tricky! I was nodding and so proud of her and then watched it unfold in a really different direction. Nice job!
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we are Borg…resistance is futile 😉
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I wasn’t sure if this referred to a bio-medical study or something more sci-fi until I read the comments. Truth is, either way it is intriguing and feels like it deserves continuation. Terrific tension and tone.
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More more more! What happens next and where is this going?
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I like the start so much. You know dark, ambiguous, gray, and questionable are what I love. The way you made use of the parts was great. This is one of your best. Top 10 anyway.
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I love how it starts like an AA meeting and shifts into a cult or possibly sci-fi setting.
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I was actually going to write about addiction, had a rough draft all set, but then I realized that I have two five year olds..and that is a happier subject. So I’m working on that that. But this was done with heart and understanding, with just the right words. I really liked it.
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Five-year-olds will definitely be a happier topic. But, this piece is more about abduction than addiction. As in aliens and flying saucers, the Borg and all that.
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well..even more fascinating and interesting. Thank you for making that clear for me. (Maybe my own brain was abducted …by aliens…who are 5. LOL)
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I was trying to be too clever and obtuse, you’re not the only one, apparently, who I confused. Maybe my brain was abducted….
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This is absolutely beautiful and very touching. I know that this post will speak to a lot of people. Terrific writing.
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Heh, heh. Very cool.
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