Page 218 - The Houseguest

Today marks the third anniversary of my arrival in prison to serve out a life sentence. Having been charged and convicted of involuntary manslaughter in relation to Brian’s death (setting off a series of events that resulted in death) in addition to the kidnapping, set up, and a host of related charges, this was now my home.
By coincidence or design, on this anniversary of my incarceration, I received a package in the mail. It was a book stuffed into an envelope that had been ripped open, inspected and stamped “SAFE” by the prison mailroom. It was the first piece of mail I’d received since my arrival. Curious, I flipped it around to read the title: MADMAN’S RAVENGE... A Young Mother’s Perilous Account of Captivity. A New York Times Bestseller by Rachel Spence.
Half enthused, half frustrated, I tossed the book onto the locker box in the corner where it sat for many days untouched until curiosity, coupled with boredom, overwhelmed me one afternoon.
Mentally preparing myself, I began reading the foreword:
I have written this book, not for profit’s sake, but to find balance within my own conscience and for my daughter. It took me many years to accept personal responsibility for the selfishness that ended two lives and destroyed another. No one truly realizes the chain reaction of the tragic events we read about in the news. Each victim signifies a ripple effect that flows through many generations. The things that would’ve been, that should’ve been, that never will be -- all a tragic consequence of someone else’s choices.
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The Houseguest by Linda Ellis www.LindaEllis.life