Missives

Bold as brass we mounted the stairs, striding into the apartment above. After a quick look around the bleak interior, on a whim, opening the refrigerator to find it empty, too.

In a bedroom just beyond, a young woman sat quite still on the only furnishing in the unit - an uncovered mattress. It was as if she'd been waiting specifically for our entrance. Listening to her sincere apology at our intrusion, it was difficult not to think to offer herself for our condemnation.

Despite her helplessness, her face was calmly innocent in repose. I just felt ashamed.

I'd expected to find thugs and thieves to offer them the element of surprise. Numbers didn't matter, my intuition apprised me. So brazen their disregard, they had no chance at all.

Instead, we found three little boys throwing toys out the window at passing cars; apparently, the only belongings in the entire household.


harvest festival --
halcyon days gone by
in river town