Now that tale I tell you will seem unfortunate, like the beating from my drunken father or lack of happiness, peace and solitude I long for. I live in a small town not far from coastline of Florida called Downfall Springs. Most call me Arch but others call me punk or no good. Reasons why, I’ll never understand. I have no friends to call my own except my three legged cat Sha-sha. Sha-sha relates to me with her missing appendage. Much like the hole I feel. She follows me where ever I roam, like a nifty side kick, no pun intended.

Being alone I explore, no one to tell me its too risky or slow me down with their caution. There’s a lot of the neighbors sheds and vacant efficiency’s I may have peaked more so excavated. It’s much better than being at “home”. Rounging around people old stuff they haven’t or may not know existed still makes a connection with me. Something forgotten or useless to them but at one time had value. I do not take anything I simply clean, write about them in my journal. Sometimes I give them personas, tales of freedom and escape.

My escapades have brought my dead end street to almost an complete survey except for the last house on the block. The neighbors have spread rumors around, but none I haven’t heard. No one talks to me. I can only speculate and create my own fantasy’s about the building. It’s the only two story house on the block, hell the only one in the neighborhood. It seemed to be navy blue at one time, but lack of maintance and weather has put grey streaks along the side. The solid black door wasn’t very exciting, the only part of the house that seemed perfectly unscathed by time.

It was Friday… the worst of days. The booze and tantrums of “adults” in my household were flowing always on the particular day of the week. I always found somewhere else to sleep. Smalls “sanctuary’s” I called them. That being a small cove by the beach, under a highway to a cove red slide by the park. I can only assume who ever did wonder where I was in my household most likely assumed I slept at friends house. If they knew me truly they would know that’s not the case.

Today I’m going to the last house on the block, the last house I haven’t scrounged through. You never know, maybe it can be a permant sanctuary where I can make my own.

Writing wasn’t always my forte… but when I realized I can make my own escape and home away from home as they say. It was my air after horrid days priming all the rest out of me. Storms. They make me feel safer than anything. Especially when I make a shelter and its just me and Sha-Sha, writing descriptions of the perfect get-always, and the adventures that lead us there. Especially the ambience of thunder, lightning, house tearing winds, and the relaxing rain on the roof.

Now me and her already knew the deal. There was no point sneaking to the house, no one payed us any attention, same as the house nowadays. We simply walked (Sha-sha walk hopped because of her missing back right leg) to the side of the house and pried at a hurricane shudder no one ever took down. Sha-sha was already jumped over when I got it loose enough to make a clearing for us in the window. I couldn’t see anything, like a black void was on the other side of the shudder. If it wasn’t safe I’m sure I would hear hissing but to no avail. I stuck my hand out feeling a suction force on it like at the end of a shop vac. It was all or nothing an I sure wasn’t going to leave my only compassion alone in there by herself. I threw myself through.

I hit the ground pretty hard, sliding along polished cherry wood floors. When I looked up I saw a huge open floor house, there was no second floor just very high ceilings. The only thing in the house was a foldable chair and side table with a candlenext to it. The chair faced tall door like windows that showed the back yard…. A huge hurricane was flowing in the back. It was just dusk and calm before I came in.. now I was in the middle of what seemed like a category 5. The house was still and safe even though chaos blossomed outside roaring. When I looked back at the window I had crawled through, it had the same void from where I came.

Sha-sha was already nestled on the chair, purring her little heart away. Had I just jumped into another dimension in itself? I had never felt so calm and safe. The inside of the house almost giving off its own aura of a hominess feeling I had only read about. I knew what needed to be be done. I closed the way out. I had no reason to ever go back. So I write this now as a reminder to myself how I came to be here and if the another finds it here amongst my remains. I found my sanctuary, where I can feel at home. Write to my hearts content. Safe and Sound.