How do I rise
from the mire and muck
that I freely entered
Innocently, naively
Step 1: Change locks
Step 2: Move the money
Step 3: Inform friends and co-workers
Step 4: Borrow for an attorney
Step 5: Have papers served
Step 6: Change phone
Step 7: Notify banks
Step 8: Notify lenders
Step 9: Don’t answer the door
Step 10: Follow through
Don’t answer the door, ignore the knocks, don’t answer the door! Run, he’s inside. Get it, find it, I have to find it. Hands are shaking. There, it is. It’s ready.
I shout, “Get out!" Step 11 is exit.
Step 12: Call 911 Emergency
“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?“
“I need help. My ex broke in and threatened me. I don’t know his condition. I have a protection order, and he violated it. What? I couldn’t call sooner. I had to protect myself. Someone may need to check on him. I don’t hear anything now. It's quiet in there. I’m outside. He’s inside. I’ll wait for help.”
Copyright © 4/4/2026 by Andrea O. Corwin
I am grateful you read my work! 😃 If you liked it, please like it ♡, drop a comment, and subscribe for free. - - Andi
About the Creator
Andrea Corwin
🐘Wildlife 🧘♀️ 🖋️🈷️ 3rd°🥋 See nature through my eyes and photos.
Poetry, haiku, fiction, horror, life experiences. Written without A.I. © Andrea O. Corwin
bigcats4ever.bsky.social
Threads/ Instagram @andicorwin
Keep reading
More stories from Andrea Corwin and writers in Fiction and other communities.
An Apple Orchard's Gems
The summer was hot, and every day the sun blazed. Some evenings it cooled by 15 degrees, which gave a bit of relief. Then there were the ongoing roasting weeks of no rain, no shade, no clouds. Even the insects were quiet and grounded, no buzzing. The birds hid in the scattered trees' leaves or flew off to the forests. Everything slowed down to survive the unusual heat in a climate usually comfortable.
By Andrea Corwin 4 days ago in Fiction
The Painting That Aged Instead of Her 🎨
THE PORTRAIT IN THE ATTIC 🖼️ When renowned artist Julian Reeves painted his girlfriend Celeste's portrait during the summer of 2019, he did not intend to create anything supernatural or extraordinary, just an oil painting of the woman he loved captured in the golden light of their Brooklyn apartment during the happiest period of their relationship, but the painting which took three months to complete and which Julian considered his finest work developed a quality that neither of them could explain and that would eventually destroy their relationship and transform their understanding of love, beauty, and the terrible cost of trying to preserve something that is meant to change 🎨
By The Curious Writerabout 22 hours ago in Fiction
Comments (1)
Oh my, that's soooo scaryyyy and such a close call. Loved your story!