Tuesday Tales: From the Word YEAR.

Welcome to the last Tuesday Tales posting of 2020. It has been an incredibly long year, so I, for one, am wishing and praying for a better 2021 May the new year bring an end to the pandemic for everyone, a rise in economics, and a general lightening of the stress of the past year.

This week’s word prompt is YEAR! I’m continuing with The White Dahlia. Enjoy.

She shook her head. “It wasn’t until it was all over that day in the park that I realized a lot of the blood around me was mine. The woman he assaulted survived, the men who came to her defense didn’t.” She licked her lips. “I’ve thought long and hard about this. The yelling, the goading, it was as if he had a death wish. The department claims I’m a hero, that I saved lives that day, but I was acting on something I couldn’t control, and I know it may cost me my right to go back to work, but Maggie, faced with the same situation, I would react the same way.”

“And you think that’s wrong?” The doctor twirled the pen she held, her brow furrowed.

“God, no! He had to be stopped—just like whoever is responsible for that has to be taken down.” She indicated the newspaper. “But I’m scared, damn it! There are too many of them, and I feel alone, powerless to make a difference. Back in Boston, we cut the head off the snake, but we were too late. He’d already given birth to others. Every time I hear about a mass shooting or a bombing, I have to force myself to wait to find out whether or not the one involved was part of the New Horizon Cult, or just some other crazed white supremacist with a racist, misogynistic agenda. There are too damn many of those at large.”

“What if I told you, you aren’t alone?”

“I wouldn’t believe you, and my life would go on just as it is. I avoid the subway at rush hour and crowded bars and restaurants. I do walk in the park near my home, but I pick my times, and I go to mass at Our Lady of Pompeii Church each Sunday. I may be antsy, but Maggie, there are a lot of scared people in this country, people choosing to homeschool their kids, avoid crowds, and arm themselves. When you have more mass shootings than you’ve had days in a year, it’s expected. It doesn’t make me crazy.” “When did I ever say you were crazy?” Maggie asked, her eyes narrowed. “You most certainly are not. The truth of the matter is, you’re right. There’s nothing wrong with healthy concern. This isn’t the country I grew up in; it certainly isn’t the one I want my grandson to.

That’s it. Stay safe and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.