We Used to Live Here

by Marcus Kliewer

Of course, a well-adjusted individual would’ve simply told him no. But self-destructive people-pleasing was another of Eve’s plentiful idiosyncrasies.

An odd symbol had been carved there. A circle, divided by intersecting lines of varying lengths, all meeting in the middle. It looked cryptic, like some kind of ancient glyph.

In times of stress, take mental notes of your environment, your senses. Stay focused on the present moment.

Even when the event was completely out of her control, even when the other party was blatantly overstepping her bounds, she always found a way to blame herself. Always felt this nagging sense of guilt for everything, as if her very existence was a violation of some stone-etched decree.

In short, Eve was the type to blame a bump in the night on the Zodiac Killer. Vigilant to a fault.

When things felt right, it only meant there was so much more that could go wrong.