Page 114 - The Houseguest

INSPIRATION ROOM
As part of my schematic, I had slowly turned Karina’s Inspiration Room into more of a shrine, a room devoted to her writings, her life and all that she was. Every square inch of wall was covered in black and white photos of her and Katie. Where there were no photos, there were words, her words. I read every word of every piece of prose before I framed and nailed it to the wall. Some I realized with regret, she’d never shared with me. I wondered why those particular pieces were chosen to be kept from me, though I knew in my heart she must’ve had good reason. I printed the photos of her without color. Somehow, it was easier to face the photos of her beautiful face without the color that lit up my life. They seemed to match my existence since she left, colorless.
I wanted Rachel to live in this room until, like Karina, she would be taken away forever. I wanted her to memorize every poem, feel every feeling, stare into the eyes of the beautiful soul that she removed from this earth with her selfish carelessness. I wanted to know Rachel would take her last breath with Karina and little Katie as her last thought. I wanted her to die with sorrow in her heart, feeling emotional pain in addition to the physical pain I intended to inflict. For she would learn, as I was forced to, that there is a fine and sometimes indistinguishable line between the two.
There were windows in this room, but they faced the ocean of a private beach area. Entrance to the balcony utilized a separate door, and I had made sure that door would never open again. I knew no one would be here this time of year...but as an extra precaution, I’d brought in a bed
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The Houseguest by Linda Ellis www.LindaEllis.life