Page 57 - The Houseguest

for hours inventing silly rhymes and songs. I would stop to listen from my study, welcoming the warm and loving distraction from the cases I was working. Would Katie play sports? Would she have continued her ice skating based on the early lessons when Karina and I would sit in the stands conjuring up fantasies of her Olympic debut? Yes, I allowed myself to relish these inquiries now, knowing they were to become the foundation, the reason for the plan.
As with any good blueprint, I started with Plan A. “A” for avenge. Or was it revenge I was seeking? As if obliging Karina the bard, I spoke aloud: “Yes...yes, I’ll look up the definitions...” I continued speaking while researching, as if addressing someone sitting beside me: “It says here that the word “avenge” means to punish a wrongdoing...to have the intent to see justice done. Furthermore, the word “revenge” is a personal thing, less about justice and more about retaliation and inflicting injury or harm. Now I need to create a combined word because I intend to both punish a wrongdoing and inflict harm. Revenge + Avenge...I suppose I shall be pursuing: RAVENGE.” Suddenly feeling a ferocious hunger from the excitement, I ordered a pizza with every topping imaginable and began to collect markers, poster-sized paper and every item used previously to construct and connect details of cases on the wall. I was in a frenzy. This must have been the initial manic stage of my madness, and I think I actually recognized it at the time. But who the hell cared?
When the pizza arrived, I tipped the guy a $50, grabbed it and ate, taking bites by pulling my head back like a wild animal tearing meat from a fresh kill. Walking and eating, I feverishly emptied all drawers
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The Houseguest by Linda Ellis www.LindaEllis.life