Page 71 - The Houseguest

continued his search, scrolling and scrolling faces of Lauras around the world. Facebook, he thought...wow what an incredible conduit to bring people together. He thought of all the people in his past he may want to look up at some point, just to find out how their lives had turned out. Then he saw her face...or was it her? The photo resembled his sister more than any other, so he clicked on the profile. The security settings were set where he had to create an account of his own to view her photos and learn about her life. So, he went to Gmail and meandered around until he figured out how to set up an email account. It was all fairly simple, really...if you took it step by step. He was enjoying utilizing his brain like this after so long of it being dormant. It felt good to be researching, analyzing and learning these new things after years of useless conversation with the inmates. He felt a pang of hope inside just being challenged by something new. He closed the window of Gmail and Facebook popped up. He logged in and there she was. There was no mistaking the fact that it was Laura. He knew her eyes, for they held a sadness far behind what other could see. He never felt that he deserved what life brought to him, but he knew for certain that she didn’t. It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair. She was good, and special, and kind. She was the sort of kind that didn’t seek recognition when they helped others. She felt others pain as though it were her own. She was a genuine kind...a real kind. He always believed her empathy was the reason she got hooked on heroin. The pain she experienced was multiplied by the pain others went through and it was all too much for her to handle. He clicked on her photos. She was standing in front of a classroom of children. Was this the Laura Gabel he knew? He
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The Houseguest by Linda Ellis www.LindaEllis.life