Page 160 - The Houseguest

THE VISIT
Laura knew in her heart something was terribly wrong when she hadn’t heard from her brother in five days. She checked her email every few minutes at work yearning for some communication from him. She thought about his situation and the Houseguest Program. She didn’t trust this Lance character for one minute. Whenever Brian would rave about all Lance had done for him, she always cautioned him with a line from an old Waylon Jennings song: “Be careful of something that’s just what you want it to be.” She knew he was too good to be true; she felt it in her gut.
The call came on a Monday afternoon, the dentist’s busiest day. Her cell phone rang with a number she didn’t recognize. She answered in a timid voice as though speaking softly would somehow soften the blow of any news she was about to receive. She felt her heart beating wildly out of control. “Sis?” she heard, and that was all it took to break out in tears. “I’m in trouble, Sis.”
She regained control trying to be strong for Brian. As he explained his situation, she picked up a pair of scissors and began cutting a piece of paper, turning it over and over. Brian told her he couldn’t do it again; that there was no way he could survive being incarcerated as an innocent man, a second time. As he spoke, she cut another piece of paper, and then another until there were hundreds of small pieces on the floor. Trying to control her anger while wanting to destroy things, she focused on her breathing. She told her brother not to worry, that everything would work out, that she would pray about it, and would visit him in the morning.
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The Houseguest by Linda Ellis www.LindaEllis.life