One car after another. Her ponytail bobs up and down.
They call her Isabelle. Cindy. Maryanne. They say you like it. They say I’m sorry. They say don’t tell.
The man she calls Daddy takes her home, counts up the money, and gives her a McChicken. He calls her Alice.
Patti McDermott is a marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles California and live in Topanga, California. I wrote two self-help books back in the 90’s that were published and am currently working on a novel (much harder, but way more interesting!).
A very confronting and disturbing theme that reminded me of Paul Jenkins’ ‘Last refuge’ and certainly a theme that needs to be discussed, if anything is to be done about the child molesters that live among us. We tend to forget that it is not only those protected by organised religions that do such evil things to children it also includes trusted people such as family members and friends. You did what good writing is meant to do – you made me think. Very well done!
(Interested to see what others think)
This is very haunting. Every sentence has a tragic stab to humanity in it.