My journal of big words and pretty pictures
He said it was a security precaution. A peephole would let me see who was at the door, and I could keep out the sketchy, unsavory people. I tried not to laugh, thinking about a peephole in a junker car. He was so serious. Saying just because we lived in a car, didn't mean we … Continue reading Keeping watch
I wanted to put as many miles behind me as I could. When I kept driving over the shoulder rumble strips I knew I had to stop. The sun was just cresting the horizon. After finding the only open spot in the crowded parking lot, I shuffled into the hotel lobby. If I was more … Continue reading Rumble strips
The rusty water ran swift and cold. As red as rooibos, the creek reminded her of the bloody rinse that flowed from her washtub after she scrubbed Hector’s work clothes clean. After the first, long-ago night that he came home covered in violence, his expression was enough to forbid any questions. Since then she went … Continue reading The river runs red
The room was uncannily hushed when we filed into the jury box. The thrill of serving on a high-profile case was tempered by being in a position of public scrutiny if we screwed up the verdict. For the first two days, we heard testimony from specialists and hired experts. Without our binder of documents, it … Continue reading Until proven guilty
I wanted to do this right, to make the moment special, make her feel special. I had a whole different outcome in mind when I began. We sat together on the couch after dinner. Holding her close, she was tucked under my arm, her cheek resting against my chest. With my free hand, I squeezed … Continue reading An indecent proposal
Knowing our volatile history it was an understandable question. A simple statement of a few short words. Yet, it was that one word that caught me off guard, instead of “leave,” or “runaway,” which would imply I have power over my fate. That it’s simply a matter of walking out. By its mere definition - … Continue reading My own jailer
Thin spiral notebook 